Kevin in Colorado...and elsewhere

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The chunk of Clear Creek in central Denver from Broadway to Washington St has some really good gold. This stretch of river also has quite a few bridges over it which does two good things: provides some shade for summer digging & means there's bigger gold in the top gravels that was brought up during bridge building (I heard from an eye witness about a 10 gram piece here!!) [ 563 more words ]

http://findinggoldincolorado.com/2016/08/22/clear-creek-broadway-to-washington-prospecting-tips
 

Got out today to Arapahoe Bar in between city errands. The water is quite low so access is easy (plenty for sluicing still). I was able to dig down to the 'black layer' where the bigger, better gold is. In the pic you can see some of the black rocks from that pay layer - they were about 18" down but SO worth digging to!
ImageUploadedByTreasureNet.com1472004057.453315.jpg
Locals,when you go there look to dig deeper in an existing hole IN the creekbed to get down to this layer for a bigger payday :)
 

I tried my hand at prospecting in Colorado but I never found much gold. I had better luck finding other things in that state.
 

KevinInColorado said:
Got out today to Arapahoe Bar in between city errands. The water is quite low so access is easy (plenty for sluicing still). I was able to dig down to the 'black layer' where the bigger, better gold is. In the pic you can see some of the black rocks from that pay layer - they were about 18" down but SO worth digging to!
View attachment 1351094
Locals,when you go there look to dig deeper in an existing hole IN the creekbed to get down to this layer for a bigger payday :)
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You got a picture of the gold from this trip Kevin? Id like to see the comparison from this trip with the better pay layer than your usual gold.
 

Pics yet to come. Have to process the cons :)
 

KEVIN,

Could you give us information about the shovels you use for digging "in stream?" See lots of specialty shovels for this kind of digging without loosing the material. Have you tried any? Curious minds..... Thanks, Thurman
 

Thurman said:
KEVIN,

Could you give us information about the shovels you use for digging "in stream?" See lots of specialty shovels for this kind of digging without loosing the material. Have you tried any? Curious minds..... Thanks, Thurman
Click to expand...

Fair question. I've used the specialty shovels with the guards welded on them. They are fine, if a little heavy (matters when swinging it for hours!). I find a regular #2 shovel is generally fine. When the water is stealing dirt off the shovel, I just toss a few bigger rocks upstream of my hole to reduce the water's energy.

Confession: I'm also kinda cheap so paying the premium for a specialty tool really has to be justified for me to spend the bucks! There are a few things worth the premium (Bazooka Goldtrap sluices, Garrett Supersluice and Proline Professional gold pans, trommel & Gold Cube combo) but that list is shorter for me than for most...and I don't even own the cube/trommel. You'll notice there's no finish processing gear I'm willing to recommend ~ all a waste of time and money compared to a couple fine mesh classifiers and smooth bottom gold pans.
 

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Thanks Kevin,

I asked because if anyone would know, it would be you. Obviously, it depends on individual prospecting locations and personal preferences. Yet, as we all know, you have the tools you really, really want. A good example is your choice of the Whippet drywasher - and Bazooka products. I too, much to your influence, have the 36 inch sniper and will be buying from the next batch of Whippets.

If you are not cheap by nature, you probably are not well suited for prospecting...or many other worthwhile pursuits.

As I am out West now, I am looking at a good finishing pan (like your soap dish, or whatever you have talked about so fondly for a long time).
The other significant take-away from your posts, is the idea of simply getting out on the creek - in the wind, in the snow. No arm-chair prospecting for you!

Please also accept my personal thanks and appreciation for your efforts in being such a fine mentor to so many individuals, your community at large, and representative of our passionate pastime. I hope that you take great pride and satisfaction from this. It humbles me, completely.

The same is true for many of the contributors here who consistently rise to the next level. We all know who they are.

Best regards
 

Thanks for the kind words, I'd like to think you've read me right. My prospector mentors are very generous people and I've tried to model that myself.

PS I forgot to mention the Whippet dry washer. NOT cheap but awesome!!

Edit: for finish panning I like me the $2 10" black smooth bottom pan from Keene and a dark green soap dish from Walmart or similar.
 

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Thurman said:
KEVIN,

Could you give us information about the shovels you use for digging "in stream?" See lots of specialty shovels for this kind of digging without loosing the material. Have you tried any? Curious minds..... Thanks, Thurman
Click to expand...

Check out Better Basics Mining, betterbasicsmining, I have no connection with them, Willie is just a cool guy putting out a cool product.
 

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KevinInColorado said:
Makes my point exactly. Over-engineered, overpriced and unneeded.
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I guess we all have our opinions...I can also get a nail into a board with a brick but a claw hammer seems to be a more efficient tool for the job.

Your average spade from Home Depot certainly wasn't created for the purpose of gold mining. As such, it's not hard for me to imagine improvements to that basic design tailored to the specific task of mining. I've never used these products and can't attest to whether or not they have actually identified and made such improvements, but I guess I would not agree that the device my mom uses to plant bushes in her backyard is also the be-all, end-all of mining tools.

I get after it pretty hard and have broken a wood handle off a $20 Ames shovel and bent the handle of a $45 fiberglass Kobalt shovel...I've also sharpened them both several times. Maybe these shovels stay sharp longer, or they're reinforced in areas that tend to wear out on standard garden shovels, or the shape makes it easier to dump the material in a bucket. For another 10 or 20 bucks I can get a tool that will presumably last longer and was specifically designed and built for mining; doesn't seem all that crazy to me.

No doubt that a $20 Ames spade (or a couple of them over time) will get the job done. That said, I disagree with the sweeping statement that products like these are "over-engineered, overpriced and unneeded." Just as a standard tin plate will do the job of a dyed-green, plastic gold pan with riffles and angles specifically engineered to aid in gold recovery, so too can any sharp object dig a hole.
 

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Spend your money how you want, all good by me. However this is MY prospector's journal so it's where you get to hear my opinions. If you want to promote your opinions, go for it on your own journal.

PS I've been using one of my shovels for 40 years and the other for 5 years. Never broke one yet..take care of your gear and use tools properly, for the purpose intended. Ames makes all you need in a shovel and its American Made!
 

Went down to Denver today for the monthly gold prospectors of the Rockies meeting and so I got to spend some time before the meeting digging at Arapahoe bar. Dug two different holes first one was not so much fun because there wasn't enough water flow for the bazooka sniper. The second one was better. Got deep enough in the second hole to get to that black gray layer with the good gold that I've mentioned here before so that was cool. As I was walking out I went past my first little pothole in the creek bed and noticed that there were several dozen minnows hanging out in the pothole enjoying the deeper, cooler water - fish like prospectors!!
ImageUploadedByTreasureNet.com1474863686.777619.jpg
 

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Kevin, I have not attended the last three meetings...mostly on the account of a new baby, etc...but also because it's a bit of a drive to be lulled to sleep by the History channel documentaries. However a friend and fellow club memeber mentioned that the videos are getting ditched in favor of a monthly presentation. Can you confirm?
 

Happy fish follow the miners! Creating habitat plus removing lead and mercury. A win for all!
 

HardHatMatt said:
Kevin, I have not attended the last three meetings...mostly on the account of a new baby, etc...but also because it's a bit of a drive to be lulled to sleep by the History channel documentaries. However a friend and fellow club memeber mentioned that the videos are getting ditched in favor of a monthly presentation. Can you confirm?
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Yes that's correct. JJ (club prez) told me next month is the last video. After that we will have speakers and prospecting-relevant presentations :)

PS congrats on the baby!
PPS I did doze off during the video on Wednesday!
 

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Got out drywashing just down the hill from my home yesterday. Could only process the top inch or so of dirt due to dampness but still a fun 1.5 hours feeding my Whippet drywasher :)
ImageUploadedByTreasureNet.com1474643015.715977.jpg
The hill behind me is the virgin ground at the upper edge of a historic hydraulic mining area.
EDIT: the gold and a bullet
ImageUploadedByTreasureNet.com1474871715.493455.jpg
Not a lot of gold but I still like getting to dry-wash a mile from home on the historic Buffalo Placer. Maybe I'll be able to find a hot spot in time :)
 

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