Scoop time, hundreds of miles from the sea

[Billinoregon]

This is what the mighty Rio Grande looks like in winter here in southern New Mexico. No water and endless very dry sand. I tried detecting today and it was almost hopeless trying to get to a target that kept disappearing in the "angle of repose" as the sand kept refilling the holes. I think I need a sand scoop-- and probably a new X-Terra Elite or a Triple Score.

 

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[Almy]

Amazing that the river is dry! And what a lot of surface area to detect. Is there likely to be any concentration of targets, or will they likely be scattered? What made all the depressions in the sand?

 

[Billinoregon]

I made my initial sweeps just "offshore" of a city park on the east bank of the river. The park itself is under a "you can metal detect, but you can't dig" city ordinance.
The dry river bed is a popular area for walking, letting the dog run, possibly moving illegal immigrants, etc.. There are some subtle contour changes based, I assume, on underlying bedrock irregularities. The Rio Grande from Elephant Butte Dam to El Paso is dry for several months of the year. New Mexico, Texas and Mexico have been fighting over water rights since the FDR administration.
By the way, when I climbed back up the shallow bank at the park to go back to my truck, I put my fingertips in a patch of dry goatheads and spent several oath-filled moments pulling them out with my Leatherman pliers. Oh the humanity!

 

[Mackaydon]

Yes, they are nasty little things; aptly also called 'puncturevine'
Don in SoCal

 

[Billinoregon]

Have a CooB sand scoop on the way, to go with the new Triple Score, also on the way.