Salton Sea, California coinshooting?

[7up2000]

Has anybody ever done any coinshooting at Salton Sea, California? If so, any luck on finding silver coins or other valuable coins? Salton Sea is now a relative ghost town(minus the occasional group of vagrants and squatters). This place did have a major flood years back which could have washed away a lot of the coinage. So that's why I'm asking. Thanks.

 

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[foilfinder]

A fellow forum member went there with great expectations some years ago, said it was a total bust, too much metal scrap,aluminum scrap,bolts&nails , soil conditions were not good for digging targets, plus if that wasn't enough the air stunk.
He said he would never go back.

 

[7up2000]

Thankyou for the feedback foilfinder.

 

[Frankn]

Well, it's been a few years since I have been there. I have to agree on the junk and the stink. I was on the east side of the water.
There is fine flour gold in the Chocolate Mountains SE of the sea. It washes down during heavy rain in the mountain. I found some accumulation under rocks using my PI.
There is ample FREE camping in the Slabs just W of Niland. The place gets to over 100 in summer, but stays in the 70's in winter. Frank...-

 

[Tom_in_CA]

Not hunted salton sea area itself , but have gotten silver from Brawley and El Centro area.

 

[7up2000]

Thanks for the feedback, Frankn and Tom in CA. I'll keep it in mind.

 

[tiburciovasquez]

I have not personally been there myself but I have researched it greatly and I would say it is a waist of time. It is also extremely polluted and I have heard there are loads of dead fish there.

 

[midnightmoon]

7up --

My daughter & I use to go UEing (urban exploration) out at the Salton Sea at the abandoned yacht club and hotel. Haven't been there in 5 years.

Motel was demolished about 6 years ago.

Yatch club was restored and used as a senior center, museum. Sigh.

Warning about the squatters. In the flooded area, I believe it is called slab city, some are armed and do not take kindly to looky-loos or treasure hunters. Google it to be sure.

 

[Frankn]

7up --

My daughter & I use to go UEing (urban exploration) out at the Salton Sea at the abandoned yacht club and hotel. Haven't been there in 5 years.

Motel was demolished about 6 years ago.

Yatch club was restored and used as a senior center, museum. Sigh.

Warning about the squatters. In the flooded area, I believe it is called slab city, some are armed and do not take kindly to looky-loos or treasure hunters. Google it to be sure.

Hay, there are some friendly people at Slab City, Yea some like there privacy. The area is actually about a mile or two East of Niland and the salton sea. The area of Slab City was Part of Patton's training area. The slabs were actually for tents. The area is large and was given to the states teachers fund by the feds. It is one large free camping area, about 20K acres. I have stayed there in my motor home many times in the past. I am a life member of Loners on Wheels and they have staked out a site there. It is on Low Road. They are very friendly.
Surprising how many comments you get from people that have not been there.
Frank...-

 

[midnightmoon]

Hay, there are some friendly people at Slab City, Yea some like there privacy. The area is actually about a mile or two East of Niland and the salton sea. The area of Slab City was Part of Patton's training area. The slabs were actually for tents. The area is large and was given to the states teachers fund by the feds. It is one large free camping area, about 20K acres. I have stayed there in my motor home many times in the past. I am a life member of Loners on Wheels and they have staked out a site there. It is on Low Road. They are very friendly.
Surprising how many comments you get from people that have not been there.


Frank...

Somebody woke up with a knot in his knickers this morning !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I said some.

I never said there were no friendly people out there. But one should check the facts before going. Only a fool shows up on someone else's turf, uninvited, knowing you can be shot at.

"Many times in the past" makes you an expert ... on my experience?

Possibly I have been to the Salton Sea more than you.

Have a nice day!

edit:
"Surprizing about how many comments you get from people that have not been there."
is "Frankn's" comment that I am referring to. Are you calling me a liar Frankn? You do not know where I have or have not been; it is unwise to make assumptions.

 

[Frankn]

Somebody woke up with a knot in his knickers this morning !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I said some.

I never said there were no friendly people out there. But one should check the facts before going. Only a fool shows up on someone else's turf, uninvited, knowing you can be shot at.

"Many times in the past" makes you an expert?

Possibly I have been to the Salton Sea more than you.

Have a nice day!

Didn't mean to get the hair standing up on your back!
You expressed your opinion from your experiences there and I expressed mine from my stays there. I have stayed there weeks at a time with no problem. I do carry protection and have a pit bull that wants no harm done to me though. Frank...-
...

 

[dieselram94]

I have driven by many times on the way to Glamis around the "turn of the century" Lol! 1998-2002 I will never forget the stink and have no desire to go there. It does have a very interesting history though!

 

[Sandigger2]

Haven't been there in years, but you don't want to go in Aug/ Sept very hot and aromatic ( STINKS).
The early spring is best time IMO. Weather is decent and it doesn't look like we'll get much rain in SO Cal this season.

 

[midnightmoon]

7up2000 -- I tried to pm you again to respond to your question. But -- the screen just fades to white. Sigh.

So I will answer you here on your thread.

Anyhow, no, I have never heard of anyone using that hunting technique before I got into it. When I was a little girl I learned it from my father around his work sites, and applied it to my own activities. These opportunities will be rare though.

There are a few interesting abandonments with potential on the I10 through CA - AZ that I have not explored. Check ownership -- check safety first (google local news, check Urban Exploration sites). There is/was an abandoned dog track in AZ but some explorers had a bad time there with vagrants or gang members. Just got to do a little research. We kept driving past that one.

The Salton Sea should be stinkin' pretty good right now. Or pretty bad! 2012 was the worst year known. The smell spread 150 miles to include us in L.A. all the way out to the coast in Ventura. The smell people (AQMD) were surprised the odor could extend further than 100 miles. It smelled like a broken sewer main here north of Burbank.

Anyhow, good luck with all of your adventures!

 

[gollum]

I have been out there more times than I can count.

Here are a few Easter Eggs about that area:

1. Before the Colorado River broke loose in 1905 to make the Salton Sea, that sink was one of the main routes from Yuma to Los Angeles. When the Railroad was installed, people followed it as much as they could, then cut West.

2. One of those date palm farms on the SouthWest corner of Salton Sea had a happy accident. When a backhoe was digging out a section, it broke into an old rotten wood chest containing a few hundred gold Spanish Coins.

3. In one of the washes (not saying which), a guy with a water detector found a big gold chain and cross that had washed down into the SS. Had his picture in the paper standing in the SS holding up his detector and gold cross.

4. On the West side of SS by Tule Wash, there are about a half dozen Roman Era Coins. A good friend always wanted to play a joke. If you find them, don't think you unearthed an archaeological treasure. They were planted there to prank a friend. The friend died before getting back to the place to detect (and be pranked). I just haven't gone looking for them, but know where they are.

5. Supposedly a treasure hidden under Travertine Point somewhere. It has been looked for many times and not found.

6. Fig Tree John's Lost Mine. Also supposedly in the area of Travertine Point near a spring in the Santa Rosa Mts.

That should do to get you started.

Best - Mike

 

[dieselram94]

I have been out there more times than I can count.

Here are a few Easter Eggs about that area:

1. Before the Colorado River broke loose in 1905 to make the Salton Sea, that sink was one of the main routes from Yuma to Los Angeles. When the Railroad was installed, people followed it as much as they could, then cut West.

2. One of those date palm farms on the SouthWest corner of Salton Sea had a happy accident. When a backhoe was digging out a section, it broke into an old rotten wood chest containing a few hundred gold Spanish Coins.

3. In one of the washes (not saying which), a guy with a water detector found a big gold chain and cross that had washed down into the SS. Had his picture in the paper standing in the SS holding up his detector and gold cross.

4. On the West side of SS by Tule Wash, there are about a half dozen Roman Era Coins. A good friend always wanted to play a joke. If you find them, don't think you unearthed an archaeological treasure. They were planted there to prank a friend. The friend died before getting back to the place to detect (and be pranked). I just haven't gone looking for them, but know where they are.

5. Supposedly a treasure hidden under Travertine Point somewhere. It has been looked for many times and not found.

6. Fig Tree John's Lost Mine. Also supposedly in the area of Travertine Point near a spring in the Santa Rosa Mts.

That should do to get you started.

Best - Mike

Wow!!! Just goes to show every area has an amazing history!

 

[Frankn]

You know, out of all the times I have been to the Slabs, I have never noticed the stink there. Perhaps the winds blow to the west from the Salton Sea.
Here's a hint for you prospectors. There is flour gold in the dry washes at the Slabs. It's a lot of work, but I have pulled several ounces T from there. using a Gold Wheel.
Frank...-

 

[TwistedElvis]

I go out there quite a bit and have found some cool things! A few old boy scout shirt buttons by the old Navy Test Base. The coolest thing I found was some Mint condition old Casino Chips in a Glass Jar with a lid.

There is some good stuff to be had out there!