Where do you dig on a cobble stone bar?

[PurpleGold]

Forgive my newbness please. I'm just getting into this and absolutely loving it. There a few local spots to me near Denver Colorado that have cobble stone bars. When the water level gets low they are almost completely exposed. Where do you experienced prospectors dig when the cobble stone bar is exposed? I was thinking to dig at the furthest down stream point or just after the cobble stones. Please help point me in the right direction. Thanks! You guys

 

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[Asmbandits]

The old saying " gold is where you find it" means look where gold had been found before like areas that historically have been known to produce gold in the past, also in places where gold is known to accumulate such as bedrock crevices, behind big bolders or where the river widens or inside bends etc..

 

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[et1955]

Experience will tell you that.

 

[jcazgoldchaser]

 

[KevinInColorado]

The old saying " gold is where you find it" means look where gold had been found before like areas that historically have been known to produce gold in the past, also in places where gold is known to accumulate such as bedrock crevices, behind big bolders or where the river widens or inside bends etc..

I read that quote quite differently. I think it means gold will not always be where your logic expects it and can certainly be places that seem odd. The current conditions in the river or hillside do not tell the whole story of the past. The outside bank of a bend in the river may have great gold due to having been the inside bend 5000 years ago when the river ran differently thru the valley ...just for example.

 

[PurpleGold]

Check this out and where would you all dig? You can see how the cobble stones build up after the curves. This is a super public spot that is crowded anyway. It's not like I'm giving up some super secret spot.

 

[PurpleGold]

I've been sampling and panning like crazy and finding sweets spots that are better than others and keeping mental notes. After seeing pictures of what people are finding on a single outing its making me feel like they either have better equipment (Bazooka) or they have just prospected for years longer and have honed in on the sweet spots.

 

[Asmbandits]

I read that quote quite differently. I think it means gold will not always be where your logic expects it and can certainly be places that seem odd. The current conditions in the river or hillside do not tell the whole story of the past. The outside bank of a bend in the river may have great gold due to having been the inside bend 5000 years ago when the river ran differently thru the valley ...just for example.

Thanks Kevin I feel both definitions can be equally correct on this saying..

 

[PurpleGold]

I classify down to about 1/8" then pan it out. I did get the Royal Manufacturing 54" powered sluice but have yet to find a quality spot to work it.

 

[goldog]

On that map it looks like some unnatural gravel bar. Some parts have been dug. Find the parts that haven't.

 

[GoldpannerDave]

I've been sampling and panning like crazy and finding sweets spots that are better than others and keeping mental notes. After seeing pictures of what people are finding on a single outing its making me feel like they either have better equipment (Bazooka) or they have just prospected for years longer and have honed in on the sweet spots.

Well, I am certainly not the expert on Denver (Kevin is) but there is gold up and down Clear Creek and in the South Platte River. Obviously, some spots are better than others. You have been doing sampling; that is good. You have been keeping notes that is better. Written notes notches it up some more. However, with a Bazooka, in the Denver area, you just do a whole lot better because you don't have to classify and can move a whole lot more dirt and gravel. With the capture rates on fine gold (which is basically all you get in Denver; at least the vast majority) you can double your throughput, maybe more. If you have kept good notes, try imagining doubling your take from the same good locations you have already found. That can be done by the simple step of getting a Bazooka.

Kevin, Grizzly, Prospector70, myself and others around here have made the decision to move to a Bazooka. All the arguments about which sluices are the best are water under the bridge for us. I own a Le Trap, a Wolf Trap, a Keene 52 and a Bazooka. All have been used in the Denver area. They all stay home now except the Bazooka. Those folks made a great sluice and it works really good in the Denver area.

See you on the creek and may your cleanups be golden.

 

[KevinInColorado]

Thanks for the shout out but I'm still learning too...part of what I love about this obsession!

 

[PurpleGold]

I have to be honest, I hate classifying. I've been considering the Bazooka but it looks difficult to set the proper angle and get the right water flow for both ports. I feel intimidated by its setup nuances.

 

[KevinInColorado]

I have to be honest, I hate classifying. I've been considering the Bazooka but it looks difficult to set the proper angle and get the right water flow for both ports. I feel intimidated by its setup nuances.

It's much easier to setup than a riffles based sluice. Really.

 

[Lanny in AB]

Just remember that if there's flood gold/flour gold in the area, it's going to be in about the top six inches of your cobble bar, so if others have punched down two feet, they've gone right through the gold.

My wife and I prospected out a spot last summer where we got good gold right on the surface (very flat flakes and fines), but a person always likes to go deeper just to be sure, so we did, but we worked through the gold in the top three inches in that place. So, we went back to the surface and had a lot of fun, but every time we went deeper in a hot spot, we punched through the gold again.

So, flood/flour gold, stay in the surface deposits and test the surface from the top end working your way to the bottom end to find the hottest spots.

All the best,

Lanny

 

[GoldpannerDave]

Just remember that if there's flood gold/flour gold in the area, it's going to be in about the top six inches of your cobble bar, so it others have punched down two feet, they've gone right through the gold.

My wife and I prospected out a spot last summer where we got good gold right on the surface (very flat flakes and fines), but a person always likes to go deeper just to be sure, so we did, but we worked through the gold in the top three inches in that place. So, we went back to the surface and had a lot of fun, but every time we went deeper in a hot spot, we punched through the gold again.

So, flood/flour gold, stay in the surface deposits and test the surface from the top end working your way to the bottom end to find the hottest spots.

All the best,

Lanny

Lanny, that has usually been my experience, too. But some places you might find a clay or other material (sometimes reddish-orange, other times grey, at least here in Colorado) that is a bit below the 6" level. That is why I was pleased to see you said to test anyway and find the hottest spots. If that additional layer is not there, I generally find the flood gold on the top few inches.

 

[Lanny in AB]

Lanny, that has usually been my experience, too. But some places you might find a clay or other material (sometimes reddish-orange, other times grey, at least here in Colorado) that is a bit below the 6" level. That is why I was pleased to see you said to test anyway and find the hottest spots. If that additional layer is not there, I generally find the flood gold on the top few inches.

Good comments!

And yes, always remember the three rules of prospecting: 1. Test 2. Test 3. Test Easy to remember rules that anyone can remember.

All the best, and thanks for the learning curve for Colorado gold as if I ever get the chance to hit the ground (I'm always only in your airport) I'd love to give some of your skim bar gold a shot,

Lanny

 

[GoldpannerDave]

Good comments!

And yes, always remember the three rules of prospecting: 1. Test 2. Test 3. Test Easy to remember rules that anyone can remember.

All the best, and thanks for the learning curve for Colorado gold as if I ever get the chance to hit the ground (I'm always only in your airport) I'd love to give some of your skim bar gold a shot,

Lanny

Well, Lanny, if you ever get here with a extra day, I'd be glad to take you a few places. Of course, it would be just your luck that you get stuck in Denver due to a blizzard.

 

[Lanny in AB]

Well, Lanny, if you ever get here with a extra day, I'd be glad to take you a few places. Of course, it would be just your luck that you get stuck in Denver due to a blizzard.

What a generous offer! Many thanks, and if I ever do get there when I'm not stuck in a blizzard, I may give you a shout so we can have a crack at trying to corral some of that sassy Colorado gold!

All the best,

Lanny

 

[KevinInColorado]

What a generous offer! Many thanks, and if I ever do get there when I'm not stuck in a blizzard, I may give you a shout so we can have a crack at trying to corral some of that sassy Colorado gold!

All the best,

Lanny

Oh heck I'd call in sick to get to dig with you and Dave!

Notes for the broader CO audience:
1. Clear Creek CO has lots of pay layers. Lots. Sample sample but do get deeperer ;-)

2. Some parts of the S Platte such as Grant Frontier Park have shallow bed rock and gold all the way down to the best stuff on that hard clay/Rock. Other parts such as Big Bend have a rich top layer and quite barren below that with bedrock DEEP and out of reach. I dug a big a$$ hole one time there and all I proved is that I can dig a deep hole lol. Well I also proved to myself that it's not worth doing haha.

 

[Lanny in AB]

Oh heck I'd call in sick to get to dig with you and Dave!

Notes for the broader CO audience:
1. Clear Creek CO has lots of pay layers. Lots. Sample sample but do get deeperer ;-)

2. Some parts of the S Platte such as Grant Frontier Park have shallow bed rock and gold all the way down to the best stuff on that hard clay/Rock. Other parts such as Big Bend have a rich top layer and quite barren below that with bedrock DEEP and out of reach. I dug a big a$$ hole one time there and all I proved is that I can dig a deep hole lol. Well I also proved to myself that it's not worth doing haha.

Well, maybe I'll have to get sick too so we can all have a day off to play together!

All the best,

Lanny