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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[E.MassAuMan]

Since the area I live in has very little, if any, Gold , I find myself taking trips out to the Conn. River Valley/E Slope of the Berkshires in the Leyden/Bernardston area as well as Charlemont where a friend
who comes along every now and them has a little summer place. Tatro/Maxwell Brooks in Charlemont look like they have potential. Also worked Mill Brook in Warwick once, but the gold has been
elusive.
Planning a trip for this weekend out to Keets Brook area. I will probably be getting a Sluice this winter, LeTrap will probably be replacing my Homemade Sluice which "seemingly" works but has
some shortcomings.

I have found the information in this link to be invaluable:

The OMSG - Geology Resources and Geologic Maps and Data for Massachusetts

Lots of good Bedrock Topo Maps and read the Peter Glebe (sp??) article, quite interesting, particularly the Rt128 Gold that preseeds his quite comprehensive assessment of mineral deposits
on a town by town basis throughout the state.

 

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[dvdtharaldson]

E.MassAUMan,

I have heard good things about the brooks you mentioned in Charlemont, although I have never prospected there myself. My own personal opinion is i would rather travel the extra hour to go to Vermont. You can actually find brooks with color in them that haven't been over prospected. I am new to this game and haven't met with alot of success. However I have found some color in both mass and vermont. I feel that the chances of finding a good pay streak are much better in Vermont. I have recently been panning in the East branch of the Westfield around the Windsor area, without any success. I am still going to keep trying because the area has a golden feel about it. Good Luck

David

 

[dvdtharaldson]

I finally got a chance to try out my new Mac Kirk sluice. I had been panning for the last year or so and decided to try out sluicing. While i am very happy with the results I was surprized just how hard it was to set up the sluice. I figured you just place it in the stream at the right height and your all set. I didnt know that an optimum position was so hard to achieve. I also figured that the positioning of the sluice was alot more forgiving. You definately have to dial it in for the existing circumstances. The effectiveness of the sluice really depends on exact positioning. A little off one way and there go your fines, a little off the other way and your sluice loads up. One thing is for sure - even a novice like me can expect to end up with alot more black sands, that hopefully contain gold, with a sluice than without one. I wish they would allow sluicing in public property in Vermont. I am hoping to get another warm day before the cold weather sets in for good. April seems so far away.

 

[NeoTokyo]

Glad to hear that you enjoyed it.
Have you thought about a stand?

 

[E.MassAuMan]

I finally got a chance to try out my new Mac Kirk sluice. I had been panning for the last year or so and decided to try out sluicing. While i am very happy with the results I was surprized just how hard it was to set up the sluice. I figured you just place it in the stream at the right height and your all set. I didnt know that an optimum position was so hard to achieve. I also figured that the positioning of the sluice was alot more forgiving. You definately have to dial it in for the existing circumstances. The effectiveness of the sluice really depends on exact positioning. A little off one way and there go your fines, a little off the other way and your sluice loads up. One thing is for sure - even a novice like me can expect to end up with alot more black sands, that hopefully contain gold, with a sluice than without one. I wish they would allow sluicing in public property in Vermont. I am hoping to get another warm day before the cold weather sets in for good. April seems so far away.

Glad you got to get out and try the sluice, did you stay In Ma. or go up to Vermont? Also, any Color in the Recon Sluice?
Was out Keets Brook way on Sunday myself, weather was not as advertised, brought back a pail of processed "dirt", will pan out this weekend with fingers crossed.
The streams out there were running pretty low, was that the problem you were having with the sluice positioning/angle?

 

[dvdtharaldson]

E.MassAuMan,
I stayed in Mass, in the Windsor area,in a trib of the East Branch of the Westfield. I did not find any color at all. I really didnt run alot of material through the sluice though. I wanted to classify the material down to #8, unfortunately my #8 classifier was larger than the 5 gallon pail I brought. I usually classify in an old dish washing tub. The trail is extremely steep and I was limited in how much equipment i could carry in. It was the first time trying to use a sluice and I didnt coordinate my equipment properly. I had all the right equipt with me I just didnt carry the right classifier down the steep trail to the stream. I am no longer a young person and have a serious disability, so going back up and retrieving the right classifier wasnt an option.
I also had a real problem with trying to set up the sluice. Not because of the design, but do to my own lack of experience. After about an hour of trying to obtain a good "set" in a favorable spot, I finally started to run my cons. After not getting the results that I wanted and having my waders full of ice water, I decided to climb out of the gorge and try another spot with the right combination of equipt. I drove quite aways down river and tried another spot. No luck there either. I decided to walk upstream and observe the lay of the land. I noticed the river widened out considerably above where I was sluicing and felt like a bigger idiot. Alot of wasted time that day. I did talk to Angus MacKirk the next day and found out that I probably didn't have enough drop in my sluice. Maybe I will get another chance this year, but that wont be likely. The bright side is that there is only 5 more months to my first vacation to southern Vermont and 7 more months to the Plymouth area of Vermont. The Plymouth area is where you want to be.

P.S. The water has relatively high for that particular stream. Also I have never heard of anyone finding gold there. The scenery was spectacular. I need scenery and isolation as part of the package. Dont get me wrong though, I am not opposed to panning with other people. As long as they value the same tenets as I do.

By the way, how did you do?


Best Luck,
David

 

[dvdtharaldson]

NeoTokyo,

I have thought about a stand. In fact, I think it would take alot of the guess work out of the equation. I will eventually have one fabricated from some sort of round steel rods. At this point i was just so excited to get out and try out the sluice!

David

 

[GoldFingerProspecter]

Hey guys, I am new to gold prospecting. I live in the Dalton area of Western Mass and I was wondering if anyone has found any gold in my area? I did find a great list though. Here it is,

Couch Brook contains some very fine placer gold. Also Keets Brook contains gold. Maxwell Brook has placer gold in it. Gold Mine Brook near Blandford contains placer gold. Also reported an old lode gold mine here.

An undisclosed amount of gold has also been found in the following western mass brooks, PLAINFIELD, Mill Brook

ROWE, Pelham Brook, RUSSELL, Potash Brook, Westfield River SANDISFIELD, Buck River, Clam River, Farmington River

SAVOY, Westfield River (E. Branch) SHEFFIELD, Konkapot River STOCKBRIDGE, Larrywaug Brook, Stockbridge Bowl, Housatonic River TYRINGHAM, Hop Brook, Goose Pond Brook, WASHINGTON, Depot Brook WEST STOCKBRIDGE, Williams River

WILLIAMSTOWN, Hemlock Brook, Green River (W. Branch), Green River WINDSOR, Westfield River (E. Branch), Windsor Pond, Windsor Brook, Westfield Brook WORTHINGTON, Westfield River (Middle Branch), Little River, Bronson Brook, and West Branch Brook.

I did pan Windsor brook and found nothing.

 

[MAnoob]

New guy in s eastern mass just wondering if anyone has tried anywhere on the east coast maybe blue hills area? Just curious u don't have to tell me your spot but I think I am gonna try to find some in the blue hills area.

 

[dvdtharaldson]

GoldFingerProspector.

I tried to answer your private message, it was my first time trying to respond to one so I dont know if I did it right. Tell me if you received my reply.

 

[dvdtharaldson]

MAnoob,
I am from the Springfield area and have only panned west of the connecticur river. As a kid and as an adult I have fished the Berkshires and they have a sentimental value for me. When i really want to try to find some gold I generally look in Vermont.

David

 

[MAnoob]

Thanks David I guess I will have to wait till I can go to my aunts house In NH near the Vermont border that stinks I was hoping I could find something in my back yard

 

[dvdtharaldson]

MAnoob,

Just because I dont know the streams in Eastern Mass doesnt mean there isnt any gold in them. In fact, I have read on the web that there are a few select places in Eastern Mass and RI that contain some gold. Even if you dont find any colors it is good practice for when you do travel to a known gold locale. Start out by trying to pan down to the black sand, or even just garnet (red sand). Get a 5x magnifying glass and/or a 10x loupe and check out your concentrates. You will be surprized what interesting things you will see. I am sure alot of people will disagree with me, but not all that glitters is gold.

David

 

[MAnoob]

Thanks David I will probably try it out anyways but I guess I would just like to go where it is proven to be I've read a couple books and know the basic areas where gold should be located but I can't help think I could find some where not to many people look but then again I never panned before so i bet it could be in my pan and I wouldn't know it.

 

[dvdtharaldson]

MAnoob,

I just started last year and probably made several mistakes, and will probably continue to make many more. What really surprized me the most is just how small the pieces of gold are. You have to pan down to the black sands and then concentrate on looking for the gold. If you dont know what your looking for, you wont even know its there. Unless your very lucky the gold that you find in MASS is the size of a grain of sand or smaller. What really helped me out was to build several different sized classifiers. All the gold I have found, and its not much, has been in material that I classified through a window screen. Its that small. There wasnt any gold in any of the bigger classified material. I classify from 1/4inch to 1/8 inch to 1/20 inch. If you hear of people talking about #4mesh thats 1/4 inch screen and so forth and so on. In MASS I typically dont find much black sands, maybe a tablespoon or less per pan of classified #20 concentrates. Sometimes alot less. If you go to Vermont you will find alot more per pan. Once you start finding the black sands you will start finding the gold. I hope this info helps. Good Luck.

David

 

[MAnoob]

Thanks David that is very helpful I will Definatly be making a lot of mistakes that's how we learn. I will absolutely classify down to a window screen size thanks to your info I heard mass had very fine flour gold do you think a spaghetti strainer and then maybe ill build a widow screen sized classifier myself should work out for me for use in mass? And maybe when I go to NH forget the window screen size cause NH and Vermont have bigger sized flakes? I'm so anxious to go out and try but it's to cold for me to enjoy it although if I knew a spot held gold I would be out there for sure lol.

 

[dvdtharaldson]

MAnoob,
When I was talking about window screen size. I was talking about the spacing between the wires. The actual size of the classifiers that I built were about 8 inches by 10 inches. Go to home depot or lowes and purchase some 1/4 inch hardware cloth. Cut an 8x10 section out and staple it to the bottom of a retangular frame made of wood (I used a 1x4 pine board). Then put the classifier into a plastic wash tub (my wash tub is about 10x14 inches) and fill the tub half full of water. Shake the classifier back and forth. All the small concentrate will fall thru the holes in the screen and be trapped in the wash tub. Visually inspect the larger stones still in the classifier. If there isnt any gold in the material in the classifier throw it out. Lastly pan out the cons that fell thru the classifier. Save the black sands that are in your pan and look at them with a magnifying glass or loupe. Eventually you will want to classify your material down to a much smaller size, you can order that type of screening online.
Good Luck------ David

 

[Ben Cartwright SASS]

I like to classify stacking classifiers, 20 30 50 and 100 and then the -100 is caught in the bucket, I then pan out each size material

 

[MAnoob]

Thanks David I knew what u meant by window screen size the holes I wasn't planning on making a classifier the size of a window lol I lie the idea of adding additional sizes of screens but from what I hear mass only has super fine gold

 

[dvdtharaldson]

Ben C,

I tried stacking classifiers in my wash tub, but it got to cumbersome when i tried to wash the gravel. It sounds to me that your stacking classifiers on top of a bucket and pouring water over the whole array of classifiers. Can you effectively wash the gravel that way? It would seem to me that you would have to pour alot of water over the classifiers and constantly empty the bucket. Although now that I think about it, the mesh size that your talking about is quite small and most of the material already has been screened off. I have never classified down to that small of a size. I usually stop at 20, although I just bought a size 40 screen. I was going to see if it made recovery of flour gold a little less arduous. Has it helped you with gold recovery?

David