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Hard Core Placer Mining

IdahoGoldGettR

Active member
*CAUTION* If you are a recreational miner, I do advise that you test your limits to the EXTREMES! The following may subject the local miner / prospector to such confined conditions that prohibit the wants and desires of the local "cabin fever" individual to pursue such outdoor activities. Dress warm and enjoy. Cheers- Randy
 
Ain't enough gold on the planet to get me out in that,never needed money that bad ever. Gotta be one tough ol'sob for that op.....:super: John
 
Nice gold, but gotta agree with John. That gold should still
be there in the spring when the weather is just a whole bunch
warmer. Getting cold shivers just looking at those pictures!
 
Nice lookin' spot and nice gold. In some cases winter time is the best for working some creeks. Does that creek become a torrent in the warmer months? As long as the box don't freeze, I'll shovel till I buckle at the knees!
 
sepoinak said:
As long as the box don't freeze, I'll shovel till I buckle at the knees!
You'd make a great mining partner!!

This creek swells up with fast moving water due to the run-offs from the snow packed mountains. However, the later into the summer months, it does become very shallow. There are some advantages to the winter mining. The water is at its lowest point (provided the are no heavy rains). And with all the hand operated equipment that I use, the ice shelf makes a great place to rest my gear. On the more colder days, I have to place my shovels, pry bars, and even my pans underwater so they don't ice up entirely. I guess it could be worse,,, I could have permafrost, only several hours of daylight, and 40-60 below temps.
 
Back in the early 80s when young and tough I dredged the Middle Fork American outta Volcanoville. Every night you had to remove the hot oil from the enine and take it home to keep it warm enough to start the engine in the am. Break the ice to enter the water,fire up the hot water wetsuit heater and run to heater fed tent asap when taking a break to do the ol'shake,rattle and roll for awhile . Wild and crazy but oooo so much oro puro--:surrender:now forget about it...-John
 
A question that begs to be answered, is to why a man mines in such terrible weather when the gold isn't going anywhere and spring is just around the corner. Well, I posted the above photos because at a golden age (that contains grey hair) I still enjoy being a prospector, in search of the lode. Though you might say I am a camera shy type guy. Here is a few cropped pics of why I continue the hunt for the nearby vein in such cold conditions. The 13.7 gram nugget was found this past November with nothing more than a shovel & a pan. Imagine what I could possibly do on this claim with a good metal detector.
 
Now THAT is indeed a righteous globule for sure. WHY?? Ez to answer really as once a cut has been opened a gully washer can easily blow out the deposit because natural flow interupted. Our work on the american was just greed though I gotta admit. Example;Lynn/Mad Dog worked a deposit with a 10" for years just above Big Bar on the trinity. Huge drop off wall that provided many MANY $100,000 a gold BUT was treated like a bank account. Work maybe 6 weeks a year or so and fight for miners rights the rest. MASSIVE storm came in,drove up trinity river,tore out the last remaining cable cars 35' above hi water mark and blew that deposit out completely as not even half worked. Just saying when young and able get that oro puro in your pocket asap-John
 
A fellow has only so many years to walk this Planet hunting GOLD in relative spryness, a guy cant let cold or any other hardship get in the way...very good post! Hats off! :beers:
Mud
 
To quote the Shawn Pomrenke on the BERING SEA GOLD, “If gold don’t care,,,, I don’t care. “ As Hoser John said, get that oro puro. None sense to the thinking that the gold will still be waiting for you. Nice story John. Get it while you can because you may never get another chance.
 
You're much tuffer than I am.....!!! Done the winter thing before a few times and for this old bastard (65) it kinda took the fun outta it for me? Much rather swing a detector for gold now in Montana summer weather than all bent over with a shovel, classifier, panning, etc. in the cold. Got these about 1.5 month ago......in warm dry weather.
 
I left the cold in New England shortly after getting out of the service, never to return. Been in Florida for 10 years and Arizona for 30. When the temp drops below 50 I'm freezing my butt off, you are a tough man.
 
Man to find chunky gold like that, would make me weak in the knees to see something like that getting dug up or panned out. WOW.
 

It does look like you’ve seen some snow in your days, I am referring to past tense, as I too can relate to age being a factor at 55+. While snow and cold may be problematic, the bent over position with a shovel, classifier, or while panning as you so stated, can certainly put a “hurt locker” on the back. Still, I continue to go on these adventures because quite simply, I am hooked on gold fever. Enough about me. In reference to your metal detecting, did you find the pictured gold in Montana? If not, big gold nonetheless. I am impressed.
 
I hunt Idaho and Montana....those in pic are Montana nuggs/bits from Helena area. That's pretty nice stuff you got there also!!!!!!!
 
In the late 70s a friendd andd myself did some winter dredging on a stream, somewhere i have photos of the dredge sitting in a hole that it took one day to stomp out. The motor has a 3' extention on it to take the exhaust away.. we rode our snow machines in there daily to work.. I was a little tougher then. Lol...

Next time im home ill look for some of those photos...The creeks name was 4th of July. It was mined a little in the 20s and 30s the old log cabin was still standing but in rough shape..
 
Oneguy,
I guided out of Idaho and in southwestern Montana (Hamilton to be exact) and figured if I were to do any gold in Montana, it would’ve had to been the central or eastern part of the state. That assumption was based on historical mining research which by the way, did include Helena. I was a bit surprised by the size of gold that you found there. Makes an old man want to buy a metal detector and do some detecting on one’s own claim. Lol. Again, a very nice find. :thumbup:

Alaskaseeker,

That’s quite a story. I don’t know why I am fascinated with any mining activities performed during the winter months but I am. Dredging during the dead of winter just thills the crap out of me. Kudos to you sir for braving out the cold in search of that elusive yellow stuff. When you do get home, please take a moment to dig up those photos. I think they would be awesome to view. Thanks for posting.
 
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