MA/VT/NH Panning

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dvdtharaldson

Full Member
Sep 19, 2012
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Massachusetts
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All Treasure Hunting
Hi ,

This is the first time I have posted on this website. I live in Western MA and am planning a trip during the last few days of September to Vermont to try my luck panning. I was going to try Buffalo Brook and Five Corners in the Bridgewater area. Does anybody know how far down you ordinarily have to dig to hit black sands in those areas? Any comments on whether you have to dig deep or just stay on the surface? I was thinking Irene probably deposited alot of flood gold on the surface. Does anybody know if some of the small brooks high up in the mts. north of Bridgewater contain gold? All I ever hear is Buffalo Brook and Five Corners. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. As you probably could tell I am new to panning for gold.

Thanks,

David
 

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There is a thread here called panning in new England....a couple of guys discussing creeks in the white mountains area. Maybe that would be a good start for leads. Good luck!
 

The depth of the hole you need to dig is completely subject to the surroundings of that area. 10 inches.. 10 feet.. Maybe even at several layers on the way down. That simply needs to be evaluated when you are actually there digging. There is a surprising amount of information available for Vermont not including the list of sites with the same information copy/pasted verbatim, which I am sure you have found. I have for a number of months now been extensively researching and compiling anything for Vermont and have reached a point where I require people to beta test my Google Earth library. I set up a website that explains what it's all about.

Http://www.goldmapmaker.com

The demo will be removed Correction, now just updated with minimal info, but I am offering a limited amount of free passes to the full library to anyone willing to participate. I only require suggestions, error identification, and possibly content like photos and articles. I am sure what I am offering is well worth the investment. I encourage anyone that is interested to email me for details. I hope to have everything ready for subscribers by New Years 2013. Thanks.

[email protected]
 

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To Anybody Thats Interested,

I just came back from a trip to central Vermont around the Bridgewater area. I was looking for new places to prospect rather than reworking the well-known areas. I was in a tributary of the Ottauquechee and found some promising spots but no noticeable color as of yet. There was lots of Greenstone and Quartz around but very little Garnet. I did end up with some black sands in my pans though. In fact, much more than what I normally get while prospecting in MA. Usually when I prospect I have a large percentage of red sands (Garnet) present in my pan. Does the fact that there was very little Garnet present, mean anything in regards to the possibility of Gold being present?

Thanks to all who respond,

David
 

You many have been in a stream with very little garnet to begin with. Garnet has a specific gravity of 3.1 to 4.3, depending on the particular type of garnet. Quartz has a specific gravity of 2.6 so the light quartz sand will always be panned out before the garnet. Garnet is a good indicator that the area it is dug from is catching heavies. Black sand is always the better indicator since it has a specific gravity of 5.2 whether hematite or magnetite. Every stream is different but the basic principles are the same. Keep digging and keep panning!
 

Thanks for replying Placertogo,

After reading your post I decided I needed to research Garnets a little bit more. I always thought Garnets were shades of red. I didn't realize that they came in different colors. I noticed that there were alot of yellow and orange chards in my pans. I now suspect that they were Garnets, they were very small about 1-3 mm. I also found 1 very small flake in my cons. I cant wait to get back up there next year. For now I will have to be satisfied panning in MA.

Thanks Again,

David
 

I just started this fall, I have a sluice from goldprospectorsequipmentsales.com in North Reading, it has the miracle mat in it instead of aluminum riffles, but I also have a Angus MacKirk, leaning towards the aluminum sluice with MM, but the MacKirk is very lightweight and has great review.

Where in Mass are you? I am near Foxboro Stadium.
 

Hi Ben,

Thanks for the info on the sluices. I am going to look around and eventually get one for xmas. I am from the Springfield area and pan in the tribs of the Westfield River. This year I found four real small flakes of color just using shovels and my pan. I am hoping a sluice will improve my take. Truth be told I much rather prospect in Vermont. Its not that I have been more successfull there, its just that the potential is greater and i am just starting to get familiar with a few areas. The little success that I have had is due to panning in areas that contain some type of Greenstone. Best Luck----- David.
 

Anyone ever pan on Baldwin Creek near Starksboro VT? I stopped by very briefly off of route 17. Nocticed a small hole near the water. Was curious if anyone found any color? and if so, are there specific places that are better than others? Yes, please tell me your secret spots. :dontknow:
 

I learned of a secret spot in NH when I was up there last week it was so secret the guy who told me about it hadn't even worked it yet. He was there on a 4WD jeep rally and saw it where the dirt road followed a river that had black sand, but he didn't have the time to stop. He showed me on a map where it was. I ordered a copy of the map so that I can find it again from my cryptic notes, for right now it is the "Lost Dutchman's" it is in a state management area. Hope to get there next summer.
 

dvdtharaldson said:
To Anybody Thats Interested,

I just came back from a trip to central Vermont around the Bridgewater area. I was looking for new places to prospect rather than reworking the well-known areas. I was in a tributary of the Ottauquechee and found some promising spots but no noticeable color as of yet. There was lots of Greenstone and Quartz around but very little Garnet. I did end up with some black sands in my pans though. In fact, much more than what I normally get while prospecting in MA. Usually when I prospect I have a large percentage of red sands (Garnet) present in my pan. Does the fact that there was very little Garnet present, mean anything in regards to the possibility of Gold being present?

Thanks to all who respond,

David
Click to expand...

Well I can tell you for fact that you were in a hot area. The Bridgewater/Plymouth area has 10 mines/pits related to gold, 4 recorded locations that gold was found and 3 river segments that were recorded having alluvial deposits. And forget about the garnet, just like most rocks, sometimes its there, sometimes is not. Red garnet is however a sign of iron. Then again iron is everywhere in abundance.

USGS data - Gemstones - Garnet

Gold Map Maker -- Create your own gold map!
IMG_0864.jpg
 

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VtGoldProspector,

Thanks for providing me with the information and the mapmaker program. The spot i found a little color in was prominently featured in your program. You have done a great job in identifying the river segments. Hopefully this little plug here will spur interest in your project. By the way i have noticed that where i have found gold i have also found orange colored garnet or what i believe to be garnet mixed in with the Greenstone and Quartz.

Thanks,

David
 

VtGoldProspector,
I have looked at your website and it looks really interesting. My wife's family lived in Vermont back in the 1800's (Canada -> NY -> VT -> NH (Claremont)) so while I am a flatlander, she has some non-flatlander in her LOL.
I am interested in the gold map maker, while a hike from S/E Mass if I were coming up for a week it wouldn't be bad.

I am beginning to plan my trips for next year.
 

Roadtrip,

I have never personally prospected in Baldwin Creek, but I am familiar with the area. I like to go trout fishing in the headwaters of the New Haven River which is right in the area. The last time I was up there I didnt even know there were colors in Vermont. However you can bet the next time i go up there I will check it out.

David
 

dvdtharaldson said:
Hi Ben,

Thanks for the info on the sluices. I am going to look around and eventually get one for xmas. I am from the Springfield area and pan in the tribs of the Westfield River. This year I found four real small flakes of color just using shovels and my pan. I am hoping a sluice will improve my take. Truth be told I much rather prospect in Vermont. Its not that I have been more successfull there, its just that the potential is greater and i am just starting to get familiar with a few areas. The little success that I have had is due to panning in areas that contain some type of Greenstone. Best Luck----- David.
Click to expand...

I have a spot somewhere on the Westfield.
Also have had about the same luck in Vermont and on the Westfield.
 

Menotomymaps,
Nice to hear from you. i dont often hear from people who pan the same drainages as I do. My only luck in the Westfield has been in tribs of the Westbranch. Colors for me have been very small and infrequent. I have tried the Eastbranch but no success. But the spot I was in probably wasnt the best choice. I just happened to be there with a group of friends. Eventually I am going to try the middle branch. If you dont mind me asking what branch do you pan? Best Luck.

David
 

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