San Diego gold

[Sample Pan Dan]

Got out today for a little sampling, and found a nice little spot I will return to. Found a couple "chunky" pieces for SD gold.

 

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[Sample Pan Dan]

Thanks for the heads up HP. Ya I think a recirc is in order, especially since I plan on moving gravel in a small channel this season. Was in there today, and found the normal few pieces from a bucket of classified material. Ventured upstream maybe 400' with no gold in test pans... Kinda stumped at the moment, going to start working up the bank next trip. And yes I'd like to see some of your setups. PM me and we can exchange email addresses.
Thanks

 

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[Sample Pan Dan]

Only took a couple of picks today, you can see how tight this little canyon area is. Lots of bedrock, but so far no gold. However we found an opening to another mine today, and scared the **** out of a bat. Cute little follow till he opened his mouth.

 

[Meep]

Wow, it's nice to see some San Diego spots. It's my home and, since Im just getting started with a little bit of panning, it is kind of inspiring to see people out there finding stuff near by. Hopefully I can add to this thread one day.

 

[Sample Pan Dan]

Welcome Meep! I see you are new to the forum. Welcome. I am still a newbie prospector myself. Just got back into it about a year ago. Read all the history of San Diego gold you can, then start relating it to a map. There's still good gold in Julian area, but most if not all is private or claimed up. There is supposed to be a little public land in Banner Grade, though I have not been there. Also near Ramona area, that too I have yet to explore. Then you have the desert. Borrego springs area and such. It can be tough to find enough water here to pan it, but it can be done. I found a little area out of Pine Valley, and I am still trying to figure it out. You can always take a trip up to Azuza, and go prospecting the East fork San Gabriel river.... Lots of guys find good gold up there. Good luck to ya!

 

[Meep]

Thanks for the welcome! The more I hear about open spots in Ramona the more curious I become. Might try and research that area first. Went up to East fork this past Monday actually, for my first try at finding anything. Found some specks my first few pans so that was enough to make me happy. Moved to a different spot, put in way too much work and struck out completely. Lot to learn still. At least it gets me outdoors again.

 

[Hard Prospector]

San Diego County has some great prospecting clubs with meetings in Lemon Grove and Escondido, nice and helpful people too. Banner canyon/creek is a good location although steep. Much of it BLM and SDG&E easement, it forms the alluvial for much of the old Julian mill site tailings (from "gold hill") Upper canyon good for panning and sluicing in the winer/early spring when water flows allow, lower area near Banner is dry washing country. One of the few areas in the county where nuggets have been reported( San Diego gold districts where known mainly for producing"sugar gold).

 

[Sample Pan Dan]

Hey Meep, here's a little color from east fork from this morning... Right near cattle canyon bridge

 

[Meep]

Hey Meep, here's a little color from east fork from this morning... Right near cattle canyon bridge

Oh nice! More than I pulled out during my day there. Might be poking around there tomorrow afternoon on my way up to Big Sur.

 

[Sample Pan Dan]

Pick a hole up on the bank and try digging there

 

[Meep]

Was up there half a day, gave a couple digs up the river and near the bridge. Nothing showing up in pans. That place is confusing for someone just start out! Holes everywhere and I cant always tell the rhyme or reason to them. Gotta get myself set up to start moving material to be even a little successful I suppose.

 

[Sample Pan Dan]

All the holes are random because many different people are chasing flood gold down there. I am actually riding back to SD now from there. Took my sluice and a buddy and we ran 25 buckets 3/4 full in 6 hrs.

 

[Meep]

Oh, nice pull there! Sounds like a good amount of work put in to get that many buckets. I love seeing your posts! Nice to know whats out there with the right, well guided efforts. Think I'll finally admit to myself that this interest is going to stick around awhile and pick up a sluice.

 

[Sample Pan Dan]

Ya you probably should. Maybe consider two. The creek I'm working in SD, still doesn't have enough flow to run a big sluice, maybe in a few more weeks.

 

[Sample Pan Dan]

And to give you a little more hope, if you haven't been thru this whole thread, I've only been prospecting in so cal for a little over a year.

 

[adam h]

And to give you a little more hope, if you haven't been thru this whole thread, I've only been prospecting in so cal for a little over a year.

Check out google earth and remove sat layers. Look at terrain layers, ive used this trick to find glacial paths on bc west coast

 

[Sample Pan Dan]

Thanks Adam

 

[Meep]

Just had to update, went up to East Fork again to give the sluice I got a spin. Don't know if I set it up right or if the spot I found tapped out when I started filling buckets but at least half of this I found in my second test pan.

Best I've done considering it was just a few 3 gallon buckets. Got the monkey off my back and found something though, now i'll have a little more fun poking around San Diego County.

 

[Sample Pan Dan]

Awesome! Well done! That's a nice little picker in the pan! 2 thumbs up. I've got a buddy itching to go to EF. We are planning a trip the sat after thanksgiving. Nov 30. We will probably be there from 9a- around 3p. Let me know if you are interested in meeting up.

 

[Meep]

Awesome! Well done! That's a nice little picker in the pan! 2 thumbs up. I've got a buddy itching to go to EF. We are planning a trip the sat after thanksgiving. Nov 30. We will probably be there from 9a- around 3p. Let me know if you are interested in meeting up.

It was the first piece I've found that I could actually pick up and mess with! I was happy with it. That weekend is my last in town before I go work in Mammoth for a few months. Im trying to get back to east one more time before December. If i get everything squared away I'll try and meet up with you guys. Im usually there around the same time in a little tinted Subaru. Post here or send me a message if your plans change.

 

[Sample Pan Dan]

Sounds good