Kevins own thread - a journal (but feel free to post random thoughts)

[rodoconnor]

Duck ,wait till you get pulled over by the law and have to explain all your empty vials lying around.LOL

 

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[Duckwalk]

I once got pulled over as a teenager while drinking a bottle of root beer because the cop thought I was drinking and driving.

 

[GrizzlyGremlin]

i take my pans everywhere i go. never know what i might come across in a lunch break on on the way home from work. it may only be 30 min of panning but it sure does give me my fix. God, we all sound like heroin addicts

I try to explain what gold does to people. I know/ knew heroin addicts and we ALL have a very similar feeling. The Need. The cant live without.
I love gold. I cant explain the drive i feel ANY other way than a mild addiction. Plain and simple. I am an addict....of the best variety!

 

[Herby D]

Except they have no hope..we do...pan faster...

Most important two letter word sentence.. "If it is to be, it is up to me"

 

[KevinInColorado]

LoL that's right guys! I was on a hike up in Summit county on Monday. Took a sample of a bench layer that looked good. Carried about 40lbs of dirt a half mile to water with my wife shaking her head that I was crazy! Found three mini flakes in that sample tho

Got out again today for a good while after work. Dug a nice hole in a local creek right next to my old hole from a month ago...which has been totally filled in with flow sand during recent storms. Anyway, between the hole I dug and the dam I built just downstream of the hole I was standing in water almost up to mid thigh. Sure is nice to be able to jump right in with shorts and water sandals Pretty sure I did ok gold-wise. Pics to come soon...(must shower, eat and relax before panning. Ahhh, the anticipation!

 

[Duckwalk]

I need the pics from this! You're killing me over here! As a side bite, what is the temp of the creeks over there with all the snow melt?

 

[KevinInColorado]

I need the pics from this! You're killing me over here! As a side bite, what is the temp of the creeks over there with all the snow melt?

For some pics of today, see my other thread about the outing I did today.

The temps vary from painfully cold in the mountains to a pleasant 60 or so in town at the moment. Today's outing was 90 air so the cool water was nice.

 

[KevinInColorado]

Gold (some mercury coated) from the last week of outings. Both of my holes: one in foreground, other just to left of the little row of rocks. Found gold in both holes I dug Oh, and my. Bazooka Prospector is hiding just under water between those bigger rocks out in the river past the holes.

Edit: to question below, I got down a bit over two feet, no more. Having to haul buckets even a few steps does slow things down. Well, that and the fact that I had 4 stitches in my right arm earlier that day so I could only carry buckets in the left hand :-/

 

[b.jmining530]

Nice gold there Kevin, how deep were the holes you dug ?

 

[Prospector70]

That's awesome Kevin, I set up in the exact same spot Sunday. Only I dug about 3 feet down in front and a little to the right of where your sluice was, but directly in the river.
What do we call the little dams we build so we can shovel without the current ripping the dirt off? It's funny the names you come up with stuff. I call it a punk dam, cause you are just punking the current out of your way... LoL.

 

[KevinInColorado]

That's awesome Kevin, I set up in the exact same spot Sunday. Only I dug about 3 feet down in front and a little to the right of where your sluice was, but directly in the river. What do we call the little dams we build so we can shovel without the current ripping the dirt off? It's funny the names you come up with stuff. I call it a punk dam, cause you are just punking the current out of your way... LoL.

"punk dam"...works for me! Glad you got out there. With all the new material dropped there last fall it's tough to find the real hot spots but I felt like I did ok. I hope you did too!

Now we just need to get our schedules aligned so we're there the same day!

 

[Prospector70]

Shewt, guess what.

I don't know how to spot merc covered gold. Good thing I still have every piece of dirt I've ever brought home. Can I get a close-up of that dry kevin? thx

 

[Herby D]

Shewt, guess what.

I don't know how to spot merc covered gold. Good thing I still have every piece of dirt I've ever brought home. Can I get a close-up of that dry kevin? thx

Back in the day, I cleaned up what I thought was about 2 oz of lead and tossed it in a tin can..When the old guy I was working for saw it I thought he was gonna have a heart attack....I got a good lesson in recognizing mercury..

Most important two letter word sentence.. "If it is to be, it is up to me"

 

[KevinInColorado]

Shewt, guess what. I don't know how to spot merc covered gold. Good thing I still have every piece of dirt I've ever brought home. Can I get a close-up of that dry kevin? thx

It is shiny as compared to lead which is dull. I never dry it out as then the merc starts to evaporate which is toxic...all merc is stored under water until retorted in my shop. However, I'd be happy to show it to you in a pan in person

 

[DizzyDigger]

View attachment 1009121
<snip>Edit: to question below, I got down a bit over two feet, no more. Having to haul buckets even a
few steps does slow things down. Well, that and the fact that I had 4 stitches in my right arm earlier
that day so I could only carry buckets in the left hand :-/

Kevin, it's incredible how much that looks like the Longhorn Bar, and
the hole looks almost like the last one I dug...

I know better than to try and carry just one bucket, 'cause with all
the weight on one side trying to walk across the uneven ground pretty
much guarantees that my face and the rocks will soon be meeting up-close.

Now, with 2 full buckets the weight is balanced, and it makes crossing
the ground much easier than if I was just walking with nothing in
my hands. I think of it like the balance bar the high wire guys use. I
don't mind carrying buckets so long as it's not much more than 20 yds.
or so, but I only use the 3 gal. ones.


OK...fess up now...what'did ya do to earn the stitches?

 

[KevinInColorado]

I totally agree on the two bucket trick...much less damage to the body that way!

The four stitches were due to a splinter that went too deep so I had to have it cut out by a surgeon last Friday. Ouch, oops! ... The splinter was a result of bush wacking from a trail to a creek to do some sampling

 

[3xflyfisher]

A worthy battle wound, Kevin!

 

[Goodyguy]

One of my most favorite pieces of equipment....................
I call it "The Bucket Chariot"



I wont go prospecting without it. Can haul way more than I could carry plus it rolls easily over rough terrain and even through water.

I believe there's a commercial model on the market called the Broll (mine is homemade) Dont know how much it sells for but I would definitely recommend one.




GG~

 

[Prospector70]

ah nice, so long as it shines I can find it. I'm colorblind, so I was dreading someone answering some color I should be able to spot "smoke grey" or some such bullplop lol.
Thanks Kevin, still working on the cons. Will post.

 

[KevinInColorado]

One of my most favorite pieces of equipment.................... I call it "The Bucket Chariot" <img src="http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1011340"/> <img src="http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1011341"/> <img src="http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1011343"/> I wont go prospecting without it. Can haul way more than I could carry plus it rolls easily over rough terrain and even through water. I believe there's a commercial model on the market called the Broll (mine is homemade) Dont know how much it sells for but I would definitely recommend one. <img src="http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1011367"/> GG~

That is a cool tool GG. sadly the Broller died an early death due to being an unprofitable product. Too bulky to fit in my car anyway All good tho as my stitches come out Monday and I'm back at it with both hands!