Remote Prospecting?

[easy goer]

I feel lucky;

I feel lucky today! I'm goin' prospecting!

- Geowizard

See i got you on this one, you have no answer for the lucky rabbits foot!!!

[easy goer]

The advantage of technology;

We have the advantage of technology... "Are you familiar with Gold Hog Matting?"

Yup...

It comes in 6" sections and you use Gorilla tape to tape the sections together on the back... Yup!

I used it on the beach in San Diego... Works great!

Things are TOUGHER in ALASKA...

The three man rule applies when using Gorilla Tape in a COLD, WET (& WINDY) Climate...

One man to pull off the tape while the second holds the roll. You cannot let go of one end! (it's windy)

A third man to hold the camera and blow drier to keep the Gold Hog Mat DRY...

Yup...

As explained in the video, you have to reverse roll the mat to get the GOLD out...

Anyone ever try to reverse roll RUBBER MAT when it's 38 degrees out?

Yup... been there done that...

- Geowizard

Not an issue, I will only be mining during the balmy summer weather!

[ProspectingAK]

I will make sure I tape my matting before I head out...!!

[Geowizard]

Remote prospecting is not a joke;

There are those in the crowd that may think this is not a serious topic...

The reason for having presented this thread and the extensive amount of discussion that has ensued is due to the many varied issues related to prospecting in areas that are away from the mainstream.

Fortunes have been spent on prospecting - only to end up in an unfortunate end.

Planning for and understanding of the reality of remote prospecting can prepare those that are willing to listen to the voices of experience. The frustrating thing to me is those that ask for advice and then debate or dismiss the advice while representing themselves as having superior knowledge and experience in the subject.

- Geowizard

[Jim_Alaska]

I will make sure I tape my matting before I head out...!!

Taping the mat is not usually a one time job. Be prepared to re-tape as needed.

[Geowizard]

Remote dredging;

Guess what... Someone else drove up the Steese highway...

Thousands, probably tens of thousands of prospectors have driven up the Steese Highway. There are potentially hundreds of prospectors that live in Fairbanks and drive the Steese Highway a hundred times every year. That's 10,000 trips made by local prospectors that KNOW where they're going...

Over the past 100 years, since Felix Pedro came into the area, there have been prospecting "Stampedes"...

Envision thousands of prospectors heading in thousands of directions up the Steese Highway... Every year!

Prospecting leads to mining claims... It's all claimed up...

The remote "open ground" that may have potential has been prospected a thousand times. Every year, prospectors go out and turn over the same rocks that got turned over last year and the previous year for the past hundred years.

Since the 1940's prospectors have had access to Helicopters... Major and Junior exploration companies have been combing every creek for GOLD. That's 70 years of flying up and down creeks, prospectors hopping out, augering holes and bagging up samples like a bunch of GOLD thirsty mosquitoes! It goes on year after year...

When they find GOLD... Stakes get hammered into the ground...

There are prospectors on this forum that ARE "remote" prospectors... There's no highway. They fly a commuter 250 miles from Fairbanks. They charter a bush plane to land on a sand bar on a river another 60 miles from the village and then cut a trail through the brush with a machete and pack bacon and beans in survive on.

Then they go to work...

- Geowizard

[easy goer]

Remote prospecting is not a joke;

There are those in the crowd that may think this is not a serious topic...

The reason for having presented this thread and the extensive amount of discussion that has ensued is due to the many varied issues related to prospecting in areas that are away from the mainstream.

Fortunes have been spent on prospecting - only to end up in an unfortunate end.

Planning for and understanding of the reality of remote prospecting can prepare those that are willing to listen to the voices of experience. The frustrating thing to me is those that ask for advice and then debate or dismiss the advice while representing themselves as having superior knowledge and experience in the subject.

- Geowizard

Geowizard,

Believe me I am taking this seriously! Sorry I tried to insert a little levity into the subject. BUT, if I am reading you correctly I should give up and stay home, all the gold has been found and I am wasting my time.
Not going to happen!! I come to these boards seeking knowledge and am very grateful for all comments. I realize if it were easy everyone would do it.
I have made my living in an industry where 70% of my competitors don't last 3 years, 85% don't make 5 years and less than 5% of independents are still in business after 10 years. I just finished my 35th year so I very familiar with long odds and very hard work.
I ain't scared!! The one thing I was told and read over and over was go where others had already found GOLD, so I am. I am betting my hard earned money that I will be able to find enough of what was left behind to make it worth my while. If I don't then so be it, this is America and I have a right to try and not succeed if that is what happens. I am a big boy.
My BIGGEST concerns lie in my ability to do it safely and responsibly, be a good steward of the land and leave it better than I found it. IF some GOLD gets in the way then I will be happy to take it. Otherwise, waking up in God's country will be all the reward I need.
I appreciate and look forward to your counsel in the future. I am very well aware that I really don't know squat about this, but again. I ain't scared!!

Thanks,

Easygoer

[Geowizard]

It's not about me and it's not about you;

Don't shoot the messenger... Any input I provide on this Forum is for the interest and understanding of ALL readers that want to learn about prospecting for GOLD.

Don't take it personal. If it applies to your operation, take what applies and leave the rest.

- Geowizard

[Jim_Alaska]

We've all gone through this phase because we were all newbies once. How well I remember when I first started out. Knew less than nothing about gold or finding it. I don't tell many people this, but will tell it just for the sake of discussion and a possible laugh.

It all started when a friend that lived on the Chena River off of Nordale road asked me if I wanted to see what he was doing. Sure, why not? He walked me across his back yard to the river bank. As I looked down I saw a strange machine on floats in the river.

So we went down to the machine where he explained that it was a suction dredge, which meant nothing to me until he described what it did and began to show me how it would actually catch all these little pieces of gold in the riffles.

Hmmmm.... now this was getting interesting. OK, so my pea brain started working overtime, I now knew what a suction dredge was and what it could do, after all, I had actually seen gold in it.

Next step.....buy suction dredge! I went to our local mining shop and bought a brand new 2 1/2"dredge. Mind you, I knew what a suction dredge was, but didn't have a clue as to where to look for gold, or even how to operate it. But how hard could it be? I certainly couldn't put it in my friend's back yard, I had already figured that he would not be too happy if I did that.

So I figured that my friend had found gold right in the Chena River, so I probably could too. Off I went up to the Chena Recreation Area. Found a place where I could drive to the river and put my new suction dredge in the water. I found out rather quickly that you couldn't dredge in any water deeper than your arm could reach. But there was an even more frustrating problem....I kept sucking up all these rocks that were too big to go up the nozzle.

OK, how hard can this problem be? I just knew that the remedy was to find a place that had either very small rocks or sand. Unfortunately I couldn't find any place like this that I could get to. The Chena is a big river so I couldn't spend all my time looking for just the right place. Perhaps I should be looking at smaller creeks. I did know of a small creek that was on the Dalton Highway from having trapped up there.

So away I went to this smaller creek. Low and behold there were places I could get to that were just sand. Wonderful, problem solved, no plug ups at all. I sucked up a lot of sand that day. I felt pretty good at solving this problem......until I cleaned out the sluice and panned the contents, only to be beset by another problem....NO GOLD, not even a speck.

Off to Fairbanks I went to talk to the mining shop owner, who just happened to also be the professor of mining at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. After explaining everything to him while he patiently waited, he patiently told me that just about everything I had done was wrong. I found out something very valuable that day, first off you have to dredge where the rocks are, second, you have the move the ones that are too big for the nozzle.

So that's the story of how this newbie started. This was before any resource such as computers. And after all, I was a guy and guys don't need to ask directions.

[ProspectingAK]

I enjoy reading everyone's thoughts and stories. Thanks Jim! I appreciate your story of dredging not far from where I live. Luckily for me a relative newby at gold mining I had access to the internet. I have spent probably 200 hours watching videos on the subject of where to find gold, gold dredging etc. I found a gentleman on Youtube who goes by the name Prospector Jess. His information has been very valuable to me. He explained how water flows and about velocity and the weight of gold in relation to sand and rock sand how heavies settle out earliest where the velocity drops. I have even learned from watching shows like gold rush, bearing sea gold etc. I love all things gold related. I also enjoy antiques and owned an Antique store for 2 years.

I love the history as much as the hunt! I also just love the fresh air and the sound of the water rushing down the stream. My school of thought is I'd rather learn from experience and others people mistakes or success and to work harder and not smarter. Now granted not much about gold mining or prospecting is easy. I think the brotherhood of miners and prospectors is small group with a drive to find something hard and to work hard win or loose. I look forward to the warm weather and the melting ice. I enjoy magazines on treasure hunting. Enjoyed swiping my dads Whites Metal detector and searching an old Irish settlement turning up old ax heads and various spikes then finding a 1921d Standing Liberty Quarter. Once I figure out how to post pics I will be posting my finds this coming season if and when I find them..!! To all the modern 49ers winter is winding down and our window of opportunity is approaching..!!