Still bitter cold here. Freezing rain starting Friday night and lasting for three days. Oh happy day. Wish I was still in California, Arizona, or Neva

[Uncle Willy]

n/t

 

[Flintstone]

29 here today, wind 20 to 30 mi. per hr. JUST PICKED UP A NEW DETECTOR. This is going to be a long winter.

 

[Joel-Winnipeg]

-28 and -34 windchill up in the north country just lovely !

 

[bearkat4160]

You mean S Cali? I just spent 2 days in happy camp in my little rv for a 2 day nugget hunt. It was 12 degrees both nights and I hunted in 22 degrees and founds a small nuggy with the Infinium (.4 gram) about 2 inches with big mono. Felt like John hunting in that cold but I was detecting so hard I was sheading cloths by 2 pm. Man, what a MASSIVE hydraulic area we were hunting, just huge. Was my 4th trip to that mine, finally got me one. Them old timers sure did cut alot of earth, suckers were pretty smart in there mining, didnt leave much, but ya gotta work for the ones you find.

 

[Uncle Willy]

Are there any dredge tailings in that part of the world or did they use the big river dredges back then in that area? Down in Feather River country there's miles of those suckers on the banks and those big river dredges kicked out some fair size nuggets as scrap. Those big nuggets I show once in awhile were found on the banks of the Yuba River and were probably kicked out by a dredge. There used to be one still sitting in the river down there the last time I was there back in the sixties.

Bill

 

[Uncle Willy]

BOOOOO!!!

 

[Uncle Willy]

Worst thing one can do is buy a new tector at the beginning of winter.

Bill

 

[bearkat4160]

Yep there are some bucket line dredge tailings in some areas. Mostly there are derrick piles and doodle bug tailings along the river. I have never found a big nugget in those tailings or even a small one, even in Georgia, never found a nug in tailings. So now I just avoid them, probally bad mistake. Between the tailings and such there are hydraulic pits along the river. These usually have nugs in them. But there are many fines in all the tailings and pits. Lots. I need to get down to the feather river area, is that infinium lady get those big nugs where your talking about along yuba?

 

[metalhead]

Awesome!Congrats on the nuggie, bearcat4160! Normally, wifey and I would be nuggetshootin'/prospectin' in AZ at this time of year, but we're visiting with family and friends this holiday season on the Gulf Coast / S.Texas.

Oh, by the way, it's gonna be sunny and 70 degrees on Sunday. We'll hit the beach and I'll be using my LS w/14" mono. Oh yeah! That baby goes deeeeeep! Happy Hunting!

 

[Uncle Willy]

You lucky dog. I remember those days in the sunshine states. If my situation was different I'd move back or at least spend part of the winter there but with a bed-ridden quadriplegic wife I can't go anywhere. We used to, when the weather got rotten here, just jump in the car and boogie down south to visit the in-laws for a few weeks. Got some all over the place down there. Have a great time and bring home some goodies.

Bill

 

[Uncle Willy]

One thing to look for in old mining and prospecting areas is platinum. In the old days it was worthless and the miners and prospectors threw it away. They used to even make lightning rods out of it ( something for old house hunters to take note of ) and they also made dentures out of it. It's easy to walk over or overlook. Looks like a gray rock. Very easy to pass up panning, dredging, or sluicing. Course a detector will nail it.

Bill