Golden Grams of Goodness: Nugget Hunting Tales

[Lanny]

Thanks for dropping in Jim.

The last time we spoke, I believe you were working some hard rock in California? How did that go?

As for your current mobility concerns, I wish you the best as you continue to find ways to get out there to enjoy yourself while you chase a little gold.

All the best,

Lanny

[Jim_Alaska]

It wasn't hard rock Lanny, it was just old bedrock in an old hydraulic pit. I did post about it somewhere and will try tp find the post and repost it here.

[Jim_Alaska]

I found it Lanny, it was on the new 49er's forums.

OK here's the recount of my mining in an old hydraulic pit last summer. Even though the club motto is "miners helping miners", I am not going to reveal the location I was working. This is not because I am hoarding it to myself, anyone else can work there that finds it. I would personally like to see more members out on the claims prospecting for good places. There are a lot of claims that go untouched for years at a time, this place I worked was one of them.

We have to remember that many claims were used mainly for suction dredging, so many members don't even think of them for mining out of the water. In any event although this claim is very accessible, people just don't even think to try it out to see if there is anything worth working for. I was at first looking at this section of the claim for nugget shooting. I didn't find anything with the detector except the usual square nails, boot tacks and lead shot.

But what caught my eye was that in many places in the hydraulic pit there was a lot of ancient bedrock, some of it quite high since this was the bottom of the river at one time. As I looked over this situation I saw many cracks and crevices. So I thought this might just be a good place to crevice.

I came back with a whole pile of crevice tools, most of which are home made, chisels, hammers and my gas vac.
Of course because I am basically lazy, I concentrated on cracks and crevices that could be easily scraped out. The exposed bedrock was not very extensive so it was not long before I had worked it to where the only method left was to hammer and chisel the lager cracks open. This was hard work and it got really hot on those rocks once it hit ten o'clock in the morning, so I usually quit about that time.

This kind of mining takes a lot of time, it is not for the faint-hearted or those not willing to work hard for their gold. I even pried apart some impressive slabs of bedrock with a six foot bar and even at times a hydraulic jack. Some of the slabs I couldn't move out of the way by lifting so I had to just pry them aside with a long bar.

There is no water to be had close by, so I simply dry classified what came out of the cracks and ran the remainder through a LeTrap sluice in a small creek on another day. So, all in all it was hard work, but I could see with every clean-up that I was getting good enough gold to keep working and keep me interested. I will say that I didn't get rich doing this, but did get what I consider good gold for my efforts.

If club members would just get out on their own or with a friend and do some real looking around on claims that have been neglected by many, they might just be rewarded with a golden surprise.

So, with that said, I will post some pictures of some results I got last summer doing this.

hydraulic pit pan.jpg

hydraulic pit pan2.jpg

hydraulic pit3.jpg

[Lanny]

You're right Jim, sniping and working crevices is a lot of work, but I see you're a specialist at it.

That's beautiful gold, and thanks for the great pictures, but more than that, thanks for the story and for the golden mining tips embedded in it for those willing to pay close attention, not just about sniping, but about working those lonely claims . . .

My apologies for thinking you'd been hard rock mining in California the last time we spoke, but I make mistakes all of the time.

Great to hear from you, and all the best,

Lanny

P.S. Which mining club are you a member of? (Not that I'll be in your neck of the woods, but curious.)

[Jim_Alaska]

Mistakes??? How dare you use my middle name? lol

I am a member of The New 49er's out of Happy Camp California. I am also on their Internal Affairs staff.
I am also their legal affairs spokesman and interact with governmental agencies as well as attend and present the club position at comment meetings.

The club website is at the top of this forum, but here is the link to it: http://www.goldgold.com/

[Lanny]

Thanks for the clarification as I wasn't sure which club you were referring to, but now (with the banner at the top of the page), it makes perfect sense.

As well, if you're so willing to do what you do for the club, your passion is commendable because it sure sounds like a lot of extra work, and any time you tangle with government agencies, it must be frustrating and messy at times.

Thanks, and all the best,

Lanny

[Jim_Alaska]

Yes it can be frustrating Lanny. Before I did it for the club, I did it for the whole mining community and still do to some extent. I started helping on political issues when I was still in Alaska and EPA was staring to issue restrictive regulations. I've been doing this kind of stuff since 1998.

[Lanny]

Exceptionally commendable! Without people like you, willing to invest the energy and time to fight for miner's rights, the battle to retain them would have been over long ago. Your passion and dedication are exemplary sir.

Nicely done, and all the best,

Lanny

[Jim_Alaska]

Thank you Lanny, I am passionate about it. Paradoxically, it's hard to believe, but miners are a part of the problems we face. Far too many times they are into fighting those that are trying to fight for them. They won't do it themselves and when someone else steps up to the plate there seems to always be the inevitable outcry, "who are you to presume to speak for me?"

[Lanny]

Thank you Lanny, I am passionate about it. Paradoxically, it's hard to believe, but miners are a part of the problems we face. Far too many times they are into fighting those that are trying to fight for them. They won't do it themselves and when someone else steps up to the plate there seems to always be the inevitable outcry, "who are you to presume to speak for me?"

Never a good thing when the people you are trying to help are their own worst enemy! Moreover, the bad pride/offended pride thing on their part, sad indeed.

All the best, and thanks for all you've done and continue to do,

Lanny