Yuba Gold!

[Hemisteve]

Here is a claim I started working last summer. Pretty spot with interesting deposits.


Lots of exposed bedrock but has been hit hard for many years. Not much, if any, color in the crevices but the old flood clays are paying.
The clay is very interesting. It has 5 distinct layers with the bottom being a Bluish Gray about 4" thick directly on the worn bedrock. The next is 8" to 12" of Reddish with a thin 2" layer of Dark Red on top of it. The top 2 layers are lighter red mixed with sluff about 1' thick. It is all mixed with various sized cobbles.
The lowest layers are paying well, running around 1/2 opt but is a bear to process. Getting the material screened to 3/8" and the clay dissolved for sluicing takes a lot of time. It is hardpack and has to be picked out between the boulders.


The clays are going to be worked out early this spring so it's time to start hitting some nice low pressure areas that look good. I'm thinking a Bazooka sluice or a small hand trommel feeding my A52 is the way to go for running some yardage. Don't have enough fall, I think, for a gravity dredge so it's going to be all pick and shovel work.


Quick peek of the cons at the end of the day.
Steve

 

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[EccentricInTexas]

Nice Finds!!!

 

[DesertNuggets]

Nice claim!

 

[Gravelwasher]

Great looking spot, should be a ton of fun.

 

[Fullpan]

Nice area - Any guess to where the red mat. comes from? "clays will be worked out..." why do you think the good paying clays occured in a small area
on the claim? (20 ac., 40 ac.?) that is, what was different about the clay areas, just curious. The clay itself - I know the old guys used "puddling box"
sometimes but never knew just how they operate or how effecient - anyone? Gold showing in clean-up pic looks relatively large (not a lot of 50 mesh and
smaller) so maybe a "fluid bed" might help break up clay faster? Looks like a nice serene spot - SF Yuba?

 

[LuckyThirteen08]

Thats a very nice area,Thanks for the pics!!

 

[Hemisteve]

Nice area - Any guess to where the red mat. comes from? "clays will be worked out..." why do you think the good paying clays occured in a small area
on the claim? (20 ac., 40 ac.?) that is, what was different about the clay areas, just curious. The clay itself - I know the old guys used "puddling box"
sometimes but never knew just how they operate or how effecient - anyone? Gold showing in clean-up pic looks relatively large (not a lot of 50 mesh and
smaller) so maybe a "fluid bed" might help break up clay faster? Looks like a nice serene spot - SF Yuba?

Fullpan,
I am sure the clays are all up and down the river but the easier worked deposits are what I am refering to. Also this location is a spot where the river slows and deposits her riches. The bedrock in the first picture forces the flood water from a long straight section to deposit fines on the opposite bank. That is where the large clay deposits are. The heavies are dropping in front of and to the right of the outcropping.
The pan is flakes and fines although it looks like some nuggets.
I use the 5 gallon bucket as a "puddling" box as I feed the sluice. I keep it full of water and give it a stir every time I scoop out a trowel full of material. Works pretty good and I hold my scoop backwards when feeding the sluice and let the water wash out the clay to avoid gold robbing clay balls.
Yeah, It's a great place to hang out and enjoy the day!
Sorry, my secret spot.
Steve

 

[Fullpan]

Fullpan,
I am sure the clays are all up and down the river but the easier worked deposits are what I am refering to. Also this location is a spot where the river slows and deposits her riches. The bedrock in the first picture forces the flood water from a long straight section to deposit fines on the opposite bank. That is where the large clay deposits are. The heavies are dropping in front of and to the right of the outcropping.
The pan is flakes and fines although it looks like some nuggets.
I use the 5 gallon bucket as a "puddling" box as I feed the sluice. I keep it full of water and give it a stir every time I scoop out a trowel full of material. Works pretty good and I hold my scoop backwards when feeding the sluice and let the water wash out the clay to avoid gold robbing clay balls.
Yeah, It's a great place to hang out and enjoy the day!
Sorry, my secret spot.
Steve

HaHa - I TRIED! btw I once found a 2dwt nugget in vertical bedrock such as in the far shadow of your 1st pic. About 8ft up.

 

[Hemisteve]

Yeah,
Sniping and detecting over there is on my "to do" list.

 

[goldfisherbishop]

hello Steve do you know any body that would let me pay a trespass fee and look for gold on the middle fork Yuba river or south fork Yuba i have a whites 5900 i am also looking for a claim in those ares to prospect is there a list of claim descriptions somewhere that actually show active cliams and abandoned claims

 

[Hemisteve]

Hi Goldfisher,
No need to pay anyone. There are quite a few open spots on the Yuba and American rivers. The North Yuba and the Auburn State Recreation areas have lots of ground to prospect on.

If you want to research mining claims start with the County Clerks Office and get familiar with the LR2000.

Also join a prospecting club in your area.

Have fun
Steve