MA/VT/NH Panning

[dvdtharaldson]

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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[dvdtharaldson]

I just returned from a vacation in central Vermont. My wife and I made our annual pilgrimage to the Rutland area. I didn't get to do much panning do to back and knee problems. However, I was able to drive about and prospect a couple streams in the area.

I did find a very promising stream which is a trib of the Mettowee that had good color in it. It was a real remote area with abundant flora and fauna. Just my type of place, if I could I would relocate there tomorrow. Gold, trout, mushrooms; what else could I ask for?

I knew from the very first glance that the stream would hold colors. There were indicators all around me. In fact, the whole streambed consisted of indicators. Quartz of every shade of white, greenstone, conglomerate, intrusions everywhere. Every pan held color, albeit relatively small ones. The five I found were in the #75-100 range. My only regret is that I could only pan for about half an hour.

Best Colors to all,
David

 

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[dvdtharaldson]

I just wanted to give a literary shout out to Western Mass Gold for putting together a successful prospecting trip to the Westfield River watershed. It was the first time I ever found multiple colors in one trip in the western mass area. I ended up with six extremely small colors. I wasn't able to see them streamside, in fact I needed my 5x magnifying glass to see them at all. The colors were very localized, a thousand yards upstream I didn't find anything but mosquitos.

 

[sweetsound]

Hey guys, I have been reading this forum for quite some time now. Not much of a poster but I have had several pm conversations with many users on this site. Helpful and friendly people here for sure! Anyway, I have been itching to get back out there and am looking for some one else to hit the rivers with. I have a couple of years experience and tools-sluice, pans, classifiers, crevicing, etc..
I am located in RI and I don't mind driving to spend a good day out! Any takers?

 

[WesternMassGold]

Yay got a little time by myself finally cleaned the sluice cons from 7 hrs sluicing. My new personal best 191 pieces.Also bought the Garret super sluice Pan. Man that thing is big .

 

[Duckwalk]

Big is an understatement, that thing is MASSIVE

 

[dvdtharaldson]

WMG and I got out a couple of times in the last couple of weeks. He showed me a couple of spots where he has enjoyed some success in the past. We found color both times. It amazes me how a river can be mostly barren of colors for miles, but possess colors in a very select spot. A few yards up, nothing. A few yards down, nothing. A few feet in, nothing. A few feet out, nothing. It's all about the streak.

 

[WesternMassGold]

Ok so i went out to my honey hole again. last week i thought it was running out of gold but....I found another rock to dig behind and came up with my best total yet >> 242 pieces. but still no picker

 

[WesternMassGold]

Finally met up with Kevin and Brian and we went to a secret location in the wild west of Massachusetts.lol. found ourselves a nice piece of bedrock to work and found some nice flakes.
Congrats to Brian for finding that picker. He had the longest drive so he deserves it.
We had a great time and i'm looking forward to doing it again.
Here is my count. Total of 77 pieces.

 

[brianc053]

WesternMassGold, it was fun to meet up with you and with KevinInColorado - and thanks for locating that secret spot! It was a great afternoon.
You've got some good looking gold there - I know you worked hard for it.
Here's a (poor quality) picture of the infamous Massachusetts Picker, and a few of it's little siblings. I didn't get the quantity of pieces you did, but yes - that picker made up for the long drive!


- Brian

 

[KevinInColorado]

heres my take, pretty good for just panning

Oh and here's my pic of Brian's picker in a one ounce vial. Sweet!

Beautiful day and great to meet more Tnet friends!

 

[dvdtharaldson]

I am going to be camping at Indian Hollow Campground in Chesterfield, MA from Sunday August 16th through Sunday August 23rd. If anybody is interested in doing a little prospecting that week pm me and I will give you the particulars. Exchanging stories fireside is always good too.

 

[dvdtharaldson]

My daughter's fiancée has been asking me to show him how to prospect. I finally relented and showed him what it was all about. We had a good time and found 10 colors. On the ride home he kept saying "Boy, will I sleep good tonight". I bet he did.

 

[dvdtharaldson]

In preparation for my camping trip to Indian Hollow, I decided to try to find some colors in the East branch of the Westfield River. I had never found anything there in the past. Three active participants of this thread are going to be meeting me on the river come Tuesday. I didn't want to have to tell them that I had never found any color in the river.

I tried two different places and found eight colors. Two on a bench next to the bank and six in a bedrock gold trap. I usually don't have the best of luck when the bedrock runs parallel with the river. This time there was an imprint in the bedrock that caught the fines. I never would have known abut the recession in the rock unless I cleaned off the over burden first. One color was +80 all the rest were -80.

 

[KevinInColorado]

In preparation for my camping trip to Indian Hollow, I decided to try to find some colors in the East branch of the Westfield River. I had never found anything there in the past. Three active participants of this thread are going to be meeting me on the river come Tuesday. I didn't want to have to tell them that I had never found any color in the river.

I tried two different places and found eight colors. Two on a bench next to the bank and six in a bedrock gold trap. I usually don't have the best of luck when the bedrock runs parallel with the river. This time there was an imprint in the bedrock that caught the fines. I never would have known abut the recession in the rock unless I cleaned off the over burden first. One color was +80 all the rest were -80.

Go David! Looking forward to seeing you Tuesday!

 

[WesternMassGold]

Hey Kevin and David . I cant wait for next week. I been looking at the map and i saw a really nice gravel bank there next to the Campground.
And I finally also reached my 2000 piece goal .Actually a little over. Hopefully there is a picker in my future.

 

[E.MassAuMan]

Hi David

Looking forward to Tuesday, will be arriving with Kevin sometime Mid Morning, gear in hand so you will be our guide to that Bedrock Gold Trap!

 

[KevinInColorado]

Well E.Mass didn't make it (due to a work crisis) but the other three of us had a great time today! Some afternoon digging, panning and beer at a picnic table in a beautiful campground with fun people/prospectors. I just loved it!

PS I found 42 colors

 

[brianc053]

Good for you Kevin! I'm glad you had fun, and I'm jealous you got out during the week!
(PS - I might be up that way next Thursday 8/27)

- Brian

 

[triple d]

Met up with Mike Sweetsound from R.I . For a couple days of N.H Prospecting. First day Moved a lot of dirt and rock. Mike had just got a 30" Bgt sniper. And had to try it out. For the size hole we dug. Not a lot to show for it. 20 pieces of fine very fine placier gold. The 2nd day. Found what looked like a good spot. Set up and started digging. Was down to a clay layer in no time. Did a test pan and saw we were on some gold. Did a clean up for lunch. And it was showing some good gold. We keep following the clay layer. And when we cleaned up did a quick pan. And was showing some nice gold for N.H. Brought the cons home. And the final clean up showed 130 pieces. Plus a lot of super fine gold. For N.H some really nice gold. It weight just under .07 Grams.

 

[nh.nugget]

If you don't mind can I ask what river? You did good. We've got decent gold if you can find it and yes a lot of it is super fine. We call it fly poop! A word of caution make sure you have land owner written permission. Damn state is so politically correct it's stupid the state owns the water. But the land owners on both sides own the land to the center of the river. AND beware the White mountain nat. forest whole nother' can of worms.