Idaho's Ice Fishing - 4 GOLD

[IdahoGoldGettR]

Some folks may feel at ease when sitting in a warm cabin during the cold Winter day. I on the other hand, feel right at home wading through frost bitten ice holes in search of gold. They say pictures are worth a thousand words ... and so they are. The below photos illustrates such an event taken in December while on my claim. 1st PHOTO: "The Glory Hole" as it appeared on a cold frost bitten morning. 2nd PHOTO: Nothing warms the soul like chopping through six inches of river ice (as seen in the back ground). On this 12 degree day, I did make several attempts in panning but as you may have guessed, the possible gold and sands within the pan became slurry and frozen with ice. So, I set up a 5 gallon bucket with classifiers on my wooden home made sluice box - supported by 4 adjustable legs and began processing. I classified for about and hour and a half worth of gravels and during such time, brought home the quarter bucket of concentrates (3rd PHOTO). The end result was 1.6 grams of gold with some nice garnets (last 2 PHOTOS). With a new year upon us, anything can happen before the long awaited Spring thaw. Perhaps another frost bit trip to the river will tide me over. How about you? Cheers - Randy

 

[Joel-Winnipeg]

Nice color in the pan .
Worth the effort on your part !

 

[Dustyroundup]

Nice !

Ive been heading out to get dirt myself , this winter.
But here in Montana, I cant even pan or sluice in the creeks, on account of the "native cutthroat trout" and the "endangered BULL trout.
So I have to haul dirt home .
I just built a wooden mini highbanker, but I need a stronger pump.
So, I either pan in a tote out in the front yard, or I run my little concentrator /made out of rain gutter.
My pard just got a "desert fox spiral wheel" last week , but I can pan faster than that thing.
Its cold, and we aint finding as much gold as you are , but the LURE is there.
OH boy
but its good to see we aint the only ones crazy enough to go out in deep snow to work the ground.

good luck to ya,
and keep those pics coming
(its nice to see what it is we are looking for ) LOL

Dusty

 

[IdahoGoldGettR]

Thanks guys. Dusty - It is great to hear that you get out and enjoy prospecting. It also great to know that you live next door (Montana). I have heard that your streams contain some nice sapphires. An added plus to any panning. I feel the pain you must be experiencing due to your stream restrictions. It's a crazed "enviro" world we live in now and though we must comply with these new laws, they will not last forever. You keep on prospecting and enjoy the mountain life - in my opinion, it beats working a cubical in a concrete jungle. I applaud you for your efforts in panning and building a wooden mini highbanker. I too have built my own wooden highbanker with grizzly but in a 5 ft. "long tom" version. Like you, I prefer panning vs. the use of modern equipment when it comes to processing my gold concentrates. This is only because I have confidence in my panning technique and have actually lost gold through the use of other methods. With that said, you are really going to enjoy seeing my pictured posts of more gold pans.

 

[IdahoGoldGettR]

Just recently I figured I'd go to my claim and spend Friday, Saturday and Sunday prospecting. Here are the photos of this past weekend's prospecting. First photo: With the hole chopped and the color of gold in the pan, a February day on the claim makes me feel warm inside. Second photo: Friday's & Saturday's prospecting results. Third photo: The dime shows a closer look of 2.2 grams of gold taken Friday & Saturday (Note the small quartz gold piece on the dime). Fourth photo: Sunday's prospecting finds good paydirt. Fifth photo: Sunday's gold find weighs in at 5.1 grams. Last photo: Total tally for the three day weekend is 7.3 grams of gold.
Prospecting has its ups & downs just like everything else and sometimes you have to accept the lower ratio of gold with the higher. In other words, some days are better than others. Now, I am not getting rich by any means but what I do earn, does pay for some of the bills. And in some cases such as this past Sunday, I can afford a bit more like a steak dinner. This kind of production just doesn't happen over night. You've got to put in some quality time gathering maps, historical accounts and documentation on the possible gold mine area you wish to work. I may spend weeks/months at a time prospecting during the Summer - late Fall but Winter conditions are a different ball game and can limit the time spent in the field. Persistence is the key and as you can see by the first photo, I work with nothing more than the basic pick, pan, and shovel. When times get tough, I remind myself of how the old founding prospectors endured such times and I do the same. I am blessed that not too many venture where I prospect. If they did, they'd probably think I was some crazed fool to be standing in such frigid waters, shoveling gravels while the heavy snows fall all around. But then again, I'd prefer to be out here than working in some warm cubical high rise building. I hope you all enjoy these photos and may they help you in your quest for gold. Cheers - Randy

 

[Dustyroundup]

LOL,
Dang , You are killing me !
All I can is WOW !
Sure is pretty !
Ya know, I am pretty close to the Saphirre area, ( Rock Crk.) but the only Saphirres we've found were out of bags that we buy from the Saphirre store.
We usually buy a few bags a year, then , during the summer , when its just us, ( the kids are 14 and , when I drag them out rockhounding or panning , and they get bored , I'll pull out the bag , and give them some Saphirre gravels, to keep them going.
Its funny, the 8 year old will take all day to get every "little " speck, but the 14 year old goes for the big stuff, and FAST. LOL
But, If you want HUGE Garnets, and alot of them , ruby reservoir is the place to go.
You can sit on the beach, and fish , and at the same time, as your sitting there , you can pick NICE Garnets off the beach.
The beach sand is almost red from the micro fine garnet dust.
Yep, we have alot of "gem" type rocks over here. And theres old mines everywhere it seems.
I just wish I could find a nice gold producing hole like youve got there.
My Girlfriend has never seen raw gold, and the little bit I've found since I've known her , she thinks is awesome.
I am definitely going to show her your pics,

Well, Take Care
Be Safe
And keep finding that stuff !
Dusty

 

[BDCC13]

Wow Randy, if that doesn't give folks inspiration I don't know what will !! I live in Shelby NC about an hour west of Charlotte. They say there is gold all around here so I think I might give it a try. We allready found some rubies and they say theres emeralds just north of here. Keep on diggin!

 

[The_Machine]

Very nice color for February!......

 

[IdahoGoldGettR]

Dusty - We too have garnets in our streams but I doubt they are as big as the ones at the reservoir. Our garnets can vary in size and quantity. I have seen them in abundance of 60-100 mesh size. Other times, they are larger and quite a good indicator that gold may exist. Especially, if you find what I call the "Pre-Stage" garnets. These are the larger round types that have not broken down or weathered into the glassy/crystal look. Below are several photos of these garnet types.

 

[Dustyroundup]

WoW !!!!!!

LOL, Dang you !
Now I want to move to IDAHO.

LOL, nope , ours dont get that big.
Pretty much they are like the ones in your vials,and glassy,
Boy, you sure have some nice prospects over there.
Usually at the reservoir, we screen and haul buckets home , for the kids to play with during the winter.
And sometimes we will give some dirt to a friend that seems interested in rockhounding.
As far as gold being with the garnets, I have panned at the lakeshore , and did get a little color.
But it seems to be in a certain layer.

Ok, I'm not that great at posting pics.
But our teenage girl just got a fancy camera, and I'll get her to take some pics of our rocks and stuff , to share with you.

Maybe you can help me to identify a thing or two.

Well, keep up the good work,,,

Be safe, and Good Luck out there,
Dusty

 

[IdahoGoldGettR]

For those who would like some more inspiration: I wanted to start the month of March with a new prospect for gold. A quick trip to the river yielded some color from beneath a medium sized rock. Not the best of pictures from the field but they do show the day's activity. A pleasant surprise to find some quartz/gold pieces in the mix. Whether it be the beginning, middle, or the tail end to a long Winter, it's always refreshing to do a little prospecting and find some gold. Another good break in the weather and this new spot may find me back again. Wish me luck. Cheers - Randy

 

[IdahoGoldGettR]

P.S. I am new to this website and did not realizing that there was a Prospecting forum. I have posted other gold related photos/editorials in the Yank-Aussie forum and will continue to do so from now on. I thank those of you who have commented on these posts and encourage you to view my gold prospects on this other forum. Cheers - Randy