Prospecting and back up plans

[Jeff95531]

Anyone who has been out prospecting more than a couple of times know how important it is to have Plan A, B, C etc. It ranks right up there with never hit the road without your pan. Right? Every trip has its own unique challenges and my latest trip was no exception.

A neighbor and buddy of mine (John) and I went out last week to the usual area. The night before we left, I ran thru all the plans in my head. I planned on moving a couple of large rocks too…just because the water is so low, I never have before and found most of what was needed in my storage unit. It was then I realized I had nothing to wrap around the stationary point to hook up the come along to. I went over to John’s and he said he had a nice length of chain that would be perfect. Great!



As we drove along the river, I told him I was going upstream and I thought he was going with me but turns out he had other plans to go straight across the river and work his way down. No problem. Just play it a little safer.

I left all the pulling gear in the truck and loaded my pack on my back. I got a second hand heavy duty nylon bag for the homemade sluice and it was bungeed on tight. Tennis shoes this time for a better grip and walking sticks in hand I set off. I wanted to get to my previous farthest point upstream and investigate a dry river bed across the river. When I reached it, I began crossing over and it got deeper pretty quick. The problem with the Smith is it is so clear judging bottom is not an easy task. OK no recent rain, water is deeper than I expected. From this point I could get a much better look at the piled up rocks. I was shocked at what I saw compared to what I remembered and what was absent. The pile was about 5 feet high and 60 or so feet long. The rocks averaged from softball to cantaloupe size. And get this. No dirt. None! Washed clean. Ok. This is not a tailings pile. No way. Hmm.

I made my way back to shore and resumed my trek up stream. Flushed out a Mallard that was hidden six feet in front of me (which was quite the adrenaline rush). All along the way, I was scoping out spots but was also looking for another crossing. Eventually I could see a spot to cross but it was going to take a lot of effort to get there and it was probably deep as well. But…I discovered why the strange pile of rocks was downstream. The river comes down to a point and makes a hard turn. Rapids for 50 feet then a hard opposite turn and more rapids. Seeing the river at its lowest, I could picture it at its highest and throwing all those rocks, the heaviest it could muster under the circumstances, and deposit them down to form its second bank. Cool huh? Did I work it? Nope. I was by myself, way upstream, still outta shape, got peeps and things depending on me back home, would have a heavy a** load coming back…but you can bet it will be revisited next year around this time…even if I have to swim for it. (The dredging alone at the first turn would be…well you get the picture.)

So I went back downstream and found the only spot to set up my sluice that was close to where I wanted to try it. Dig, classify, test. Filled up a pan and fed it to the sluice. The water cleared and there was a large lump of mud sitting right where I put it. Hmm. Not enough flow and no way to V it cuz it’s too deep, would need too many rocks. OK, I’ll work a couple pockets on the bedrock. Cleaned out two, one with a clay bottom and not much else in it. They both actually turned into crack busting but samples still didn’t show much. Hmm, should have been more than that. So I decided to find some nice cobble nearby. Nope. The vegetation and tree roots stop and bedrock begins with a very distinct line all the way downstream to more and bigger boulders. Damm! We forgot the chain at John’s house. Ok, let’s finish up by digging dirt and rocks out of tree roots. Not my favorite form of prospecting BTW.

2 hours later with 2 gallons of classified material I made it back home. Too tired to do much else, I ate and hit the sack. However, I don’t sleep well at all if I have dirt to be worked….Sad but true.

My take? One flake and enuf fines to cover half a match head. John got the exact same thing. Hell, my first dig and dash was way better and it was right underfoot. Hmm, maybe Lanny's onto something about this gold snob thing.

Anyway...had a good time and had a spectacular stretch of river all to myself. And yep, I’ll be going again this week, next week and the week after that till mother nature shuts me down for the season.

 

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[delnorter]

Good write up Jeff. I know the rock bench you're speaking of on
the other side of the river. Sounds like a good day on the river.

I'm over by Yreka deer hunting with one of my sons.
No bucks yet but great camping.
Mike

 

[Jeff95531]

Good luck on the buck Mike. No invisible branches excuse this time. (you didn't really think I was gonna let that ballerina comment go unchecked did ya?)

Stick a pan in for me. HH

 

[63bkpkr]

Howdy Jeff,
Interesting trip though your water comments caused some red flags to pop up in my itty bitty brain.

I carry and use a 1" O.D. aluminum pipe hiking staff, home made out of 6061T6. It has withstood many years of hiking up and down over hill and dale as well as many a water crossing. I was told or read or came across the guidance somewhere that when crossing a 'moving' stream that one should use the hiking staff in an up river attitude and lean into it some, not too much and not too little. This way if you go down you've a better chance of regaining control of your descent down the river. At least one's feet are going first and not the head. And then crossing water with a heavy pack on raises other red flags. I mean I've done it myself but first I'd tested the waters to confirm a path and then went back for the pack. Even then my waist belt is unbuckled so I can more readily discard the pack should I get all silly and loose my footing. Slippery rocks are just that, slippery, and many a good idea has, shall I say, slipped away to an aw shucks. Be careful, even having a safety line tied to both sides of the river leaves a lot to chance.

Personally I'd love to be out there with you and yes you've invited me before and I never made it, darn! Gold Snobbery is an unusual fixation on a way of looking at life through gold colored glasses. Gold is where one finds it, where it should be versus where it is may not always be where we expect it. The 'usual suspects' usually tend to give us better odds but the odd chance could just payoff.

All my best to ya..............................63bkpkr

 

[Jeff95531]

All good tips Herb and you know I'll apply each and every one of them. Personally, I'll stand in a moderate flow stream cheek deep but as far as crossing is concerned, I prefer no more than an inch or two above the knee. Just too much mass vs flow vs traction.