Ct98023
Greenie
- Joined
- Jan 4, 2014
- Messages
- 19
- Reaction score
- 38
- Golden Thread
- 0
- Location
- Connecticut
- Primary Interest:
- Prospecting
Gold fever meets cabin fever, it was time for a trip out of the frozen Northeast.
Destination:
Virginia gold-pyrite belt. Such tempting clustering of mines/prospects! 8hr drive
Research & planning:
No shortage of historical data and a relatively active prospecting community. Loads of forum posts and youtube videos. One thing though that is very different from planning a western prospecting trip is 1) no BLM claim research to do 2) the bigger issue of private property surrounding many of the known gold bearing areas. Here is my advice on how to deal with property access....
After narrowing down your desired area to prospect (via research), figure out the locality/town/county. Locate the corresponding online GIS (just google the town/county). Some GIS interfaces are easier than others to navigate but most are simple click and navigate satellite maps. Here is an example:
Locate your desired prospecting area and click on the location for owner information.
Example: GIS Disclaimer
Some land may be owned by corporations, trusts, others by individuals. Regardless, the owner information will be listed. Pull up your google and go to work.
What I found works well for reaching out to individual land owners is the use of social media. I was able to search for a land owner on Facebook. Once located, I sent a friendly note via messenger to them introducing myself and my intentions. Note that if you are not friends with them, your message will go to their 'other' folder but they should still get a notification. I try to be respectful of people's privacy recognizing the somewhat intrusive act of searching them out and reaching out to them in a random manner.
Results:
First stop was Contrary Creek in Mineral, VA. This is a location that is very well publicized for prospecting. Access is easy and legal assuming you stay within the parking easement and public water line. There is a club that maintains a 'lease claim' downstream (Contrary Creek Prospecting Lease). Their website is clear that access to the river gravels is allowed for non-members. Use of the land surrounding the creek however is off limits. I recommend being respectful of their lease, stay off the banks and don't be a tool (fill in your holes, pack out your trash, leave it better than you found it philosophy, smile and wave to the friendly club members).
This creek is bizarre from a geological perspective. It flows red. I had just driven 8hrs, overnight and was stoked to get in and do some work. What stuck me though aside from the geology was the amount of evident prospecting activity. Parts literally look like the bombed out Normandy beaches. If you look at the creek from google earth you can even see dredge holes everywhere. The locals love it here, and for good reason as dredging is allowed, easy access, social and there is gold. But being the nomad, adventure driven prospector I am, I decided to head upstream away from the areas most worked. Skip to the chase and say I didn't have much luck. One thing I learned is that regardless of previous experience, gained knowledge, etc it takes time to learn a new area. Doing your homework before can help and is a necessary step (I remembered reading someone saying that they had luck in sediment located just above the hard grey clay layer, limited gold upstream of bridge, flood patterns, etc) but there is no substitute to time spent moving dirt and learning first hand. After a few hours of poking around, a little sluicing, only a few colors were to be found. Bummer. It was a gorgeous day however and I was doing what I love to do so all in all, regardless of the lack of sleep, I was feeling good.
Byrd Creek:
Sunrise and I was already at the river. I had heard things about this creek but only reports that 'yes there is gold in it'. No reports from people though showing actual finds, no youtube videos, just gripes on how it is surrounded by private property. I had located a remote stretch with two old historical mines in the area and had access taken care of. Excitement was high. Going into an area of potential but scarcely reported had me feeling like a true explorer (even if I was sitting smack in the middle of the densely populated eastern corridor). Hike in was tough but pushed on. Deep water, steep banks with few exposed areas for prospecting but settled on a section. Unlike Contrary, there were no signs of recent prospecting. Sink or swim. Inside bend, look for distribution of varied sized deposited rocks, visualize the lazy gold line, think heavy... shovel in... pan... nada. crap. Adjust, repeat....nada. crap. move, repeat, nada. crap. But on the fifth or so location tried (outside bend, just after a series of rapid water w/ slight decrease in flow and increase in deposited gravels), gold! Unlike in Cali where I tend to locate gold and then move around this time I stayed put. And pan after pan I was able to pull out good colors. Here is the result after a few hours of shovel and panning.
Byrd Creek Virginia Gold
All in all a great trip south and I certainly will be heading back
Destination:
Virginia gold-pyrite belt. Such tempting clustering of mines/prospects! 8hr drive
Research & planning:
No shortage of historical data and a relatively active prospecting community. Loads of forum posts and youtube videos. One thing though that is very different from planning a western prospecting trip is 1) no BLM claim research to do 2) the bigger issue of private property surrounding many of the known gold bearing areas. Here is my advice on how to deal with property access....
After narrowing down your desired area to prospect (via research), figure out the locality/town/county. Locate the corresponding online GIS (just google the town/county). Some GIS interfaces are easier than others to navigate but most are simple click and navigate satellite maps. Here is an example:
Locate your desired prospecting area and click on the location for owner information.
Example: GIS Disclaimer
Some land may be owned by corporations, trusts, others by individuals. Regardless, the owner information will be listed. Pull up your google and go to work.
What I found works well for reaching out to individual land owners is the use of social media. I was able to search for a land owner on Facebook. Once located, I sent a friendly note via messenger to them introducing myself and my intentions. Note that if you are not friends with them, your message will go to their 'other' folder but they should still get a notification. I try to be respectful of people's privacy recognizing the somewhat intrusive act of searching them out and reaching out to them in a random manner.
Results:
First stop was Contrary Creek in Mineral, VA. This is a location that is very well publicized for prospecting. Access is easy and legal assuming you stay within the parking easement and public water line. There is a club that maintains a 'lease claim' downstream (Contrary Creek Prospecting Lease). Their website is clear that access to the river gravels is allowed for non-members. Use of the land surrounding the creek however is off limits. I recommend being respectful of their lease, stay off the banks and don't be a tool (fill in your holes, pack out your trash, leave it better than you found it philosophy, smile and wave to the friendly club members).
This creek is bizarre from a geological perspective. It flows red. I had just driven 8hrs, overnight and was stoked to get in and do some work. What stuck me though aside from the geology was the amount of evident prospecting activity. Parts literally look like the bombed out Normandy beaches. If you look at the creek from google earth you can even see dredge holes everywhere. The locals love it here, and for good reason as dredging is allowed, easy access, social and there is gold. But being the nomad, adventure driven prospector I am, I decided to head upstream away from the areas most worked. Skip to the chase and say I didn't have much luck. One thing I learned is that regardless of previous experience, gained knowledge, etc it takes time to learn a new area. Doing your homework before can help and is a necessary step (I remembered reading someone saying that they had luck in sediment located just above the hard grey clay layer, limited gold upstream of bridge, flood patterns, etc) but there is no substitute to time spent moving dirt and learning first hand. After a few hours of poking around, a little sluicing, only a few colors were to be found. Bummer. It was a gorgeous day however and I was doing what I love to do so all in all, regardless of the lack of sleep, I was feeling good.
Byrd Creek:
Sunrise and I was already at the river. I had heard things about this creek but only reports that 'yes there is gold in it'. No reports from people though showing actual finds, no youtube videos, just gripes on how it is surrounded by private property. I had located a remote stretch with two old historical mines in the area and had access taken care of. Excitement was high. Going into an area of potential but scarcely reported had me feeling like a true explorer (even if I was sitting smack in the middle of the densely populated eastern corridor). Hike in was tough but pushed on. Deep water, steep banks with few exposed areas for prospecting but settled on a section. Unlike Contrary, there were no signs of recent prospecting. Sink or swim. Inside bend, look for distribution of varied sized deposited rocks, visualize the lazy gold line, think heavy... shovel in... pan... nada. crap. Adjust, repeat....nada. crap. move, repeat, nada. crap. But on the fifth or so location tried (outside bend, just after a series of rapid water w/ slight decrease in flow and increase in deposited gravels), gold! Unlike in Cali where I tend to locate gold and then move around this time I stayed put. And pan after pan I was able to pull out good colors. Here is the result after a few hours of shovel and panning.
Byrd Creek Virginia GoldAll in all a great trip south and I certainly will be heading back
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