Travels with Joe for the Gold

[DOC]

Well gang I let ol' Joe drag my butt out to some God forsaken part of the California desert to watch him find some gold.

I didn't find squat. You needed to be a mountain goat to detect where he goes, not a 56 year old man with high cholesterol taking blood pressure medicine. (By the way, anyone else taking blood pressure medicine feel like you have no strength anymore? The stuff just seems to make me weak as a baby.)

So we started off early in the morning, 4:30 am I believe it was. Here's a picture of Joe, just in case someone that looks like this ever asks you to go nugget hunting, when he really just needs a mountain climbing partner. This picture was actually taken at Gold Basin, as I hardly had enough energy to push the shutter button on the camera on this outing.

<img src="http://www.docsdetecting.com/findmall/DSC02216.jpg">

I got to watch a beautiful sunrise as we drove three hours to our location.

<img src="http://www.docsdetecting.com/findmall/DSC02218.jpg">

We drove past acres and acres of windmills that dot the mountain sides of Palm Desert, I believe.

<img src="http://www.docsdetecting.com/findmall/DSC02219.jpg">

Joe just kept on driving for what seemed like an eternity.

<img src="http://www.docsdetecting.com/findmall/DSC02221.jpg">

Then the real fun began as we went "off-road" on a cow path that would have shook a stool loose from a camel that had been constipated for 2 weeks.

<img src="http://www.docsdetecting.com/findmall/DSC02220.jpg">

First Joe took me to a place where he was sure there was some gold, if we could just find it amongst the bullets. I have NEVER dug so many bullets in my entire life. I dug more bullets in 2 hours than I have in the whole time I have been detecting. When we finally decided to evacuate this site, I was carrying enough lead to go scuba diving without a weight belt.

<img src="http://www.docsdetecting.com/findmall/DSC02222.jpg">

Now at one point Joe got a bit confused when I was talking about shooting nuggets, and he swore he saw some fly by.

<img src="http://www.docsdetecting.com/findmall/DSC02223.jpg">

What is it about us guys who prospect? It seems that if a guy has a gold detector in his hand, his gun ain't too far away. Of course I'm so stupid, I'm wearing an empty holster on this trip because I forgot and left my gun locked in my van back at Joe's house. I suppose if I was attacked by something I could have aimed my holster at it and yelled BANG BANG, splat splat.

I finally found some really good ground to detect on, not because there was any gold there, but because it was flat.

<img src="http://www.docsdetecting.com/findmall/DSC02225.jpg">

This was the smallest hill I could find, I had Joe hook me up to his bumper via a tow chain and drag me up this hill.

<img src="http://www.docsdetecting.com/findmall/DSC02226.jpg">

A little later in the day some very welcome clouds rolled in and cooled things down just a bit, I got a little rain, I counted exactly 7 drops on my Wallaby mono coil.

<img src="http://www.docsdetecting.com/findmall/DSC02227.jpg">

Around 6:30 pm I heard a couple of shots, I yelled, "hey Joe are you alright?" Joe yelled back, "Where you at?" Well hell I was about 40 feet way from him but our view of each other was blocked by a bush. Joe said, "Come on DOC, help me clean out this patch." and held out a beautiful crystal structured nugget. Now that's my kind of hunting partner, he finds the patch and then takes off his detector and comes and gets you to clean it out. What a guy! Of course he knew I was near death, so any gold I found he would just take off my dead carcass before he shoved my lifeless form into a gully somewhere.

<img src="http://www.docsdetecting.com/findmall/DSC02228.jpg">

"Follow me, it's not very far at all." Oh it wasn't very far at all, just way up this gully, and then up the side of a ridge that ran at a 75 degree angle to the drop of death to the bottom of a rocky wash.

<img src="http://www.docsdetecting.com/findmall/DSC02231.jpg">

I climbed up that murderous slope, and true to his word, Joe had stopped and dropped his detector right next to the hole where he had found the nugget, so as to allow me to find any other piece further up the slope. Tried as I might, I dug nothing more than a small piece of metal, another bullet fragment, and a large piece of iron. Meanwhile, Joe is detecting parallel to me over a ways on the slope and finds two more nuggets. Now he is feeling bad for me, no, make that, "he is taking pity on me." I'm hot, I'm sweaty, I'm exhausted, I'm drinking water but it just keeps running out the side of my mouth and down my shirt. Having a wet shirt makes me feel like I want to pee, but because of my enlarged prostate I can't. I'd like to have sat down and rested, but at this point my hemorrhoids were hanging out of my pantleg. I was afraid if I sat down I might never get back up. Joe says, "Come over here DOC and put your coil right here."

Isn't that pitiful ? I said what are you doing now Joe planting nuggets for me? No I didn't plant it, just put your coil right there and see if you hear anything. "Yeah I hear it!" I had just taken 10 minutes to get from where I was at to where Joe was at, holding my breath all the way, because I was traversing this hideous slope. But it was all worth it as I then proceeded to dig a 3 1/2 ounce lump of gold! Yeah right, in your dreams ! It was a stinking sliver of a lead bullet. Apparently Joe was too tired digging nuggets to dig a piece of lead so he had me do it for him.

Take a look at where Joe, whose ancestors were a herd of Llamas somewhere in the Himalayas, was at.

<img src="http://www.docsdetecting.com/findmall/DSC02232.jpg">

We had planned to stay the night and detect the next day, however, I had ran out of Depends, and Joe was tired of taking care of my sorry old body and leading me around like a lost puppy. Plus the fact we were both too tired to unroll our sleeping bags. SO we called it a day and decided to try to get back to civilization.

We drove back 3 hours to Vista California, and then I drove another hour down to Imperial Beach. I showered and poured myself into bed. I am so stiff and sore I can hardly move. Good thing I'm on vacation! It was however, a fantastic adventure and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Thanks Joe!

As for the secret prototype Joe was using, just stay tuned, I promise it will make your detecting life easier at a price that won't bust your piggy bank!

DOC

 

[Digger Bob]

Doc, that is some beautiful looking country. I love those big boulders and the rock strewn washes. Really awesome looking gold country, big rocks, big gold. You just need to get out of the office more and build up your stamina. However, if it's 110 degrees at 10 AM, forget it. We've been fighting the same thing up here in the north country. JUst too hot to go out. I can't imagine what it's like down there. Stick to the beach and bikinis.

Digger

 

[joeforthegold]

I sure had fun too Doc. I had hoped all day that I would run across a little patch so I could be a proper guide and put you on some gold. Out at that place it is here, there, everywhere, and nowhere all at the same time. We will get you on it next year or we can go tomorrow if you want.
I have been anxiously waiting for your story of our trip and I was not dissapointed. You have quiet a way with words.
I will tell you one thing though you need to find yourself a prospecting buddy that isn't such an ugly bastard.
Oh well there is an advantage to being able to scare women, little children, and pets just by my looks.
-Joe

 

[mick]

Great report Doc! I've been out there a few times with Joe. It is pretty rugged and I have lost a good bit of weight hiking those hills. Sounds like you had fun and a good adventure. Last time out the main road was closed and Joe and I took one of his "shortcuts" to go around the roadblock. Talk about rough... He is a great guide and I know next time you will find some gold. If you survive

mick

 

[arkyrick]

Hi Doc I remember that feeling of tiredness I thought I was going to die a couple of times,have you been taking blood pressure med long? When I started my Doctor gave me 100 mgs and I was having blackouts and felt so tired,when I asked him if it was my med he said no that I was working too hard and I was not young anymore "he's a very smart man " anyway my pharmisist thought that 100 mgs was pretty strong so I cut the pill in half and noticed a difference right away also I kept an eye on my pressure and eventuly cut back to 25 mgs now I dont have the tired feelings or high pressure problems,Perhaps the same may work for you like I said I was actually passing out and my Doc wouldn't admit that it was the medication,anyway great story it sounded like fun or at least you made it funny!

 

[JACKHAMMER]

HEY DOC.....come prospecting with me fo a month mate in the WA out back...eat what i eat and u can giveaway ya meds for HIGH BLOOD PREASURE AND HIGH CHOLESTEROL.....AND no vegiemite sangers(sandwiches) eaither...altho that is an option...and 3 stone lighteras well...
come if ya dare....the GAUNLET has just been put down...may even save ya life.... and bring some of ya mates as well....lets all have a ball next JUNE....

All ya have to do is get here be prepared to rough it a tad...bring ya own gear....hire ya own 4x4....for bods to a 4x4 1/4 the price get a bloody great tent and the rest is a piece of cake....
SOMBODY ORGANIZE THAT BALD HEADED LITTLE BLOKE and get ya asses out here....any mate of DOCs welcome as long as he comes with ya ....
I recon 10 would be a good number.....


LETS GET IT ON U BLOKES...MAKE IT HAPPEN

JH

 

[desertdon]

I don't know what meds you are on, but if you are for one thing using a diuretic, Doc's tend to use high amounts 50-100mg and studies in the past have shown that 12.5mg does as good a job without all the side effects. Nowadays, the combo drugs--two BP meds of different classes are popular and more effective and by using small dosees have less side effects. It would seem to me you meed to have a talk with your doctor or find another one. Good Luck...don

 

[DOC]

n/t

 

[desertdon]

My wife is with Walgreens and I checked, because I wasn't familiar with that name. It is apparently in the ACE inhibitor type class but works a little differently. You really should see your doctor and have a talk about it and it may well be something else that is making you feel the way you say. Basically, you should take the med and really feel nothing and get results, but everybvody is different in their responses. There is a world of new meds out there and you may have to try a few to find which works best for you. Good luck

 

[joeforthegold]

Sounds good to me JH, send me as much info as you can.
-Joe