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

[ssdevilfish]

6 ounces of some fresh Colorado gold. Done with a Keene

 

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[KevinInColorado]

Awesome! Proud to have that posted here bro!

 

[Sample Pan Dan]

Sweet!

 

[KevinInColorado]

Got out yesterday after work for a little while with my Bazooka Sniper. I wanted to sample a spot I plan to take friend to Saturday morning. The spot I targeted is just a stones throw from a freeway and shopping mall but is untouched ranch land that is now Open Space. It was a rainy day so the creek was running fast and muddy. You could only see about an inch or so through the water at best. Good thing the Bazooka is so easy to set up as I couldn't see the creek bed at all. Anyway the testing went well including a decent sized flake (by local standards at least!). I'll be back there with my Prospector to hit it hard on Saturday :-)

 

[tamrock]

Neet-o'

Cool post Kevorado,
This is Cherry Creek around 1932 during the great depression. The story behind photo is some most excellent gold prospectors will teach common folks how they too can find gold for a small fee. They most likely sold the pans also. I'm thinking those miners found a good way to make some extra bucks out of that gold found in the creeks of Denver. Nice finds you've got there, I'm impressed!

 

[Fullpan]

Way cool pic, tamrock - thank you. This was when gold was less than 30 bucks an oz. If you do the math, its a wonder why Kevin does not have hordes of people beside him on the creeks today. Of course the gov't was not as involved with subsistence then.

 

[KevinInColorado]

Way cool pic, tamrock - thank you. This was when gold was less than 30 bucks an oz. If you do the math, its a wonder why Kevin does not have hordes of people beside him on the creeks today. Of course the gov't was not as involved with subsistence then.

Key points indeed!

I've been to that exact spot and found (a little) gold myself. That is on the South Platte River just south of the Evans Street bridge...which you can see in the upper left of the pic!

 

[tamrock]

Way cool pic, tamrock - thank you. This was when gold was less than 30 bucks an oz. If you do the math, its a wonder why Kevin does not have hordes of people beside him on the creeks today. Of course the gov't was not as involved with subsistence then.

I know, I was told folks don't take account of all the years of construction and earth moving on the front range that's turned up some idle gold the old timers didn't bother digging up. I'm very surprised of what Kevin has found in all the hustle & bustle of the metro region.

 

[KevinInColorado]

I know, I was told folks don't take account of all the years of construction and earth moving on the front range that's turned up some idle gold the old timers didn't bother digging up. I'm very surprised of what Kevin has found in all the hustle & bustle of the metro region.

Nice of you to say....there's still lots of honey holes to dig in metro Denver...although I should add that most are either on smaller creeks where you wouldn't suspect there's gold or in the rivers in spots away from the parks where "everybody" goes. Either way this means you have to sample around like a real prospector. Also you have to learn about who owns the land and what their rules are since none of it is federally owned down here in town. That said, I've legally prospected in four metro Denver counties this past month...there's lots of spots worth digging if you do a little research.

Of course I'm still eager to get up into the mountains as soon as the snow melts. I've recently gained access to three different patented claims up there that I plan to test out this summer. I'll also be helping a friend test a couple (or more if the first fail to pan out) more that are up for sale since a friend wants to buy one.

 

[tamrock]

Nice of you to say....there's still lots of honey holes to dig in metro Denver...although I should add that most are either on smaller creeks where you wouldn't suspect there's gold or in the rivers in spots away from the parks where "everybody" goes. Either way this means you have to sample around like a real prospector. Also you have to learn about who owns the land and what their rules are since none of it is federally owned down here in town. That said, I've legally prospected in four metro Denver counties this past month...there's lots of spots worth digging if you do a little research.

Of course I'm still eager to get up into the mountains as soon as the snow melts. I've recently gained access to three different patented claims up there that I plan to test out this summer. I'll also be helping a friend test a couple (or more if the first fail to pan out) more that are up for sale since a friend wants to buy one.

Sounds like a promising opportunity. I hope it pans out. I lived a walk away from the Arkansas river in Buena Vista years ago and spent allot of time with a pan up and down that river. I just picked up the book "Gold Panning & Placering in Colorado by Ben Parker and it has some good info on places to go. I hope to do some sampling in some of the outer regions of the state If I get a chance to go to that area. If any of those claims you mention look good to go a bit bigger I have a lead on a couple of trommels for sale here in Denver.
http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/gold-prospecting/408834-maybe-good-equipment.html

 

[KevinInColorado]

Cool stuff, I saw that thread when you posted it but didn't realize that was here in the Denver area, will keep them in mind. Our other option is MSI, Freddy Dodge's company but new gear needs a LOT of gold in the ground to justify it so we'll see...

 

[tamrock]

Way cool pic, tamrock - thank you. This was when gold was less than 30 bucks an oz. If you do the math, its a wonder why Kevin does not have hordes of people beside him on the creeks today. Of course the gov't was not as involved with subsistence then.

Worth maybe 80 to 90 cents a gram so if you could to pull out 2 to 3 grams a day, That sure would keep beans on the table and some in those days. I've seen some old home-built rocker boxes in the antique shops that I would guess came from the depression era. I should have bought this one I saw in Montrose Colorado as it was like 40 bucks. If it's still there next time I go by that place I think I'll make an offer on it just to have as an interesting piece of decor.

 

[KevinInColorado]

Worth maybe 80 to 90 cents a gram so if you could to pull out 2 to 3 grams a day, That sure would keep beans on the table and some in those days. I've seen some old home-built rocker boxes in the antique shops that I would guess came from the depression era. I should have bought this one I saw in Montrose Colorado as it was like 40 bucks. If it's still there next time I go by that place I think I'll make an offer on it just to have as an interesting piece of decor.

cool idea to grab an old rocker. The city of Denver used to rent them to residents for five cents a day during the depression and yes, I'm told people did keep their family fed that way. Today a 4" dredge could still pull a gram or so per day out of the South Platte but no power equipment is allowed in town of course. I did meet a homeless guy one time who pans for liquor money but that's another story...

 

[tamrock]

Cool stuff, I saw that thread when you posted it but didn't realize that was here in the Denver area, will keep them in mind. Our other option is MSI, Freddy Dodge's company but new gear needs a LOT of gold in the ground to justify it so we'll see...

I think I could just about get the small one for scrap metal price. I could down play the heck out of that one and with a dismantle and sandblast job and some bearing replacements on it I believe I could have it up and running like a charm. We've got a shop in Carlin Nevada we no longer use to fix stuff in and I could work on it at night as I'm out for a week at a time when I go to the mines in that area. The compressor and sand blaster are sitting out there doing nothing now. The welder went back to Arizona, but you've got all kinds of Jerry rigging joins in the area of Northern Nevada to give you a hand. Just about ever thing we sit out in front of the shop in Nevada someone will come by and ask "Is that thing for sale?"

 

[tamrock]

cool idea to grab an old rocker. The city of Denver used to rent them to residents for five cents a day during the depression and yes, I'm told people did keep their family fed that way. Today a 4" dredge could still pull a gram or so per day out of the South Platte but no power equipment is allowed in town of course. I did meet a homeless guy one time who pans for liquor money but that's another story...

Well you could try disguising that small dredge inside a porta-potty on it's side as though it got washed in the river and have a partner running a weed wacker on the shore, just to dampen the noise of the dredge. I don't think many folks would give a second thought to a sight like that. Now that sound like a drunk who still has a bit of pride left in him. My hat goes off to that fella.

 

[KevinInColorado]

Well you could try disguising that small dredge inside a porta-potty on it's side as though it got washed in the river and have a partner running a weed wacker on the shore, just to dampen the noise of the dredge. I don't think many folks would give a second thought to a sight like that. Now that sound like a drunk who still has a bit of pride left in him. My hat goes off to that fella.

LoLoLOL!

(And yes, ya gotta admire the effort vs. begging for booze money :-/ )

 

[KevinInColorado]

Got out Friday afternoon to do a little sampling. Found decent gold but will have to hit that spot harder on a day when the water is higher so sluice set up is easier.

Also went out this past morning (Saturday) with a prospector friend and his 4 year old daughter. Had a great morning in a favorite spot, got really good gold...pics to follow when finish processing is done. I set the little girl up with the Sniper and she loved it. I would put a couple full shovels of paydirt in a pile next to the sluice and she shoveled it into the sluice with a garden trowel. Then she would pull out any rocks to clear the grizzly which she class " the drain". Very industrious and so cute! I helped pan out the results but she did most of the panning...and found 8-10 specks. She was thrilled! Then we threw rocks in the creek and did all the other goofy four year old stuff there was to do. Great times!

Meanwhile, I ran the Prospector and my friend ran his drop riffle sluice with all that classifying that I'm allergic to ;-) He ran 3 classified buckets and I moved 2/3 of a yard thru that Bazooka Prospector. I guess we know how that turns out ;-)

 

[KevinInColorado]

Gold from yesterday... Total weight: 0.31 grams

 

[fishnfacts]

Kevin,
I am new to all this but have been thinking and when I read you are not allowed power equipment in town, Now this might sound stupid but like I said I am new to all this, have you ever considered a water wheel set up to run a pump?
Just a crazy thought and from reading your posts I have learned a lot so I thought I would ask.

 

[KevinInColorado]

Hi fishnfacts, I have not considered that for myself, just too much gear to haul around in my little Honda! However, it has been done successfully AND I should have mentioned that battery powered gear like the gold cube ARE ALLOWED in many parts of metro Denver. As you probably know, gas powered gear is allowed above Tunnel 1 on Clear Creek!