I had a dream

[Allen in MT]

I had a dream last Wed. that I woke up and the weather was going to be in the mid 50's for the rest of the week, so I packed up my gear and headed for the gold fields of N Idaho, A routine that do most of the summer.
Well after a 2 1/2 hr drive I arrived at the place that I have permission to hunt. The guys were just finishing up for the day and left the pit open for me to detect as they were going to start filling in and doing some of their reclimation work for the fall and told me to go ahead and have at it.
In the past they have been going to bedrock and then taking the top 2 feet of bedrock along with the pay layer to make sure they hadn't missed anything. I had told them they were doing to good a job as in 3 trips I hadn't found anything. They were doing what they were being paid to do. Dig Gold. I drove up the gulch and looked the area over and said why not go for it as in the 3 times past, at least I get a chance to do some beeping. Some of the sides of the pit had sluffed down and there was some water in the dig channel.
After gearing up and pulling on the muck boots I slid down the side into the water, dang!!water over the boot already. Right off the bat I get a good signal and in the 1st scoop up comes a nice tear drop shaped nugget, looks to be about an ounce. Damn, hey this is alright, I tuck it away in the bottle and then proceed to take another step and bang another target about a foot away from the first, With a careful pinpoint I stick the scoop down in the brown murky water and after a few tries, it's out and staring me in the face. Looked to be about 1/2 ounce Holy S**t, this is alright 2 in a row. Now I was excited, Had they hit a hole and not gone deep enough, did the bone jaring drag of the excavatopr bucket lose them as it scooped up it's last load. Forgetting about my water soaked boot I stepped off with the left foot and this time went down to my knee in a water filled hole and that water was cold. As I regained my balance and was about to step out of the hole I heard a definate ZIP oh no! not not again I thought, as I did another sweep, but sure enough it was their and in the deeper water. A few minutes later I spied a nice chunky piece that must have been 1/2 ounce. Well this was to good to be true so I thought I had to go tell the guys what I had found so in turning around to climb out of where I slid down, yup you guessed it another definate ZIP, now I was really really getting excited. This one too laid in the bottom of the murky cold water hole. Now wait a minute, 4 in a row in less that 20 minutes. This is to good to be true.

It was at this time I felt a hand on my shoulder, shaking me, Allen! Allen, wake up, you fell asleep again in the chair, why don't you put that gold away before you loose it and go to bed. Groggy and a bit startled it was then I remember that earlier I had been up the gulch and didn't find a thing and I needed some bigger gold for some pendants so I went to the mine owner and struck up a deal to buy 4 of his pieces.
The 4 pieces I bought were starting at top going clockwise 32.7, 33.6, 24.4 and 24.5 grams. Well it was a nice dream and I did get some gold even though I didn't find it.
enjoy and HAGD
Allen in MT

 

[DOC]

n/t

 

[IronMike]

You had me going there for a while. I was even shivering with a wet foot. Thanks for the trip.
Micheal

 

[darin]

Me too , all I could think of was you should spend more time there, but it was a good story.

Hey Mike how are you doing ? Have you been out lately?

DARIN WAGNER eye4gold

 

[IronMike]

Hey Darin,
yea, went to Nevada and got the big ole skunk. Going to Foresthill tomorrow and try to find a dinker up under a bush but have not had much luck this year. How about you?
Micheal

 

[bris dave]

G'day Allan.
That operation is almost exactly the same as mine in Australia.
Given there is obviously nuggety ground where you are I am a little surprised you havent scored at least a few pieces.
I religiously go over my worked bottoms every night to detect any course pieces I may miss with the excavator and can often do quite well.

If the miners are using teeth on their bucket all the better for you. Teeth leave nuggets behind. The best method is a flat cutting edge.

Even if they are taking a lot of bedrock gold will still be gold left behind to some extent.
My advice is:
1. Get yourself a smallish eliptical coil. I use a 14" NF mono eliptical but have used a 10" Coiltek eliptical mono also. They are both exceptionally good for the job. If the ground is hot then a similar DD will do the job. The Coiltek 10" DD is a beauty.

2.Look for any dirt or clay they have missed. Good nugget holding ground.

3.Look for hard rock bars and detect right around them. The bucket will miss some dirt here.

4.Look at cracks and fissures in the bedrock. I have detected good pieces up to 15" into what seems pure bedrock only to find a crack in it in which a nugget has wormed its way down.

5.Always, and I emphasise always, detect the walls and sides. "Floaters" are not uncommon and I have found pieces well above the bedrock where one would not expect them. Remember that on the inside of a bend wash which now might be over your head when standing in the excavated bottom was once the river bed a hundred thousand-odd years ago. And noone has ever detected it!

6.Detect where the operation has finished for the day. There will be exposed bottom and if it is on a patch it is bonanza time for you!

7.Use a magnet to pick up the bucket scrapings. They are a right, royal pain in the arse!

8.That water looks a bloody pain as well. The good news is that it makes it harder for the digger driver to work the bottom properly so he could well leave bits of bottom behind. I think Coiltek make a waterproof coil now. It would be a great thing in that spot.

9.No need to mention that it is vital you keep your coil sliding on the ground. I am listening for the slightest murmor of a deep piece in a crack. That is where your really good bits will be.

10.Go back again after a few days. Go really slow and it is amazing what you missed after the first day. Go back again after the rains have been and gone after a year. More gold will be detectable.

I hope that helps. I may well be telling you stuff you have known for years, but at least it might help someone who hasnt done it before.
However, following an excavator is THE dream gig for a detector operator. It is simply the best way to find gold.

Cheers.

 

[darin]

Hi Mike , I have been going out but I have not had any luck and I am due.

DARIN WAGNER eye4gold