Uncle Ron Posted June 3, 2008 Report Share Posted June 3, 2008 Yo All...After having such a good time on Friday finding those big nuggets, I took the weekend off of prospecting...This morning, though, I got up bright and early and headed back out...I followed the long trail into the old drywashers' camp intent on raking some tailings...As usual the gnats were horrid an so I sprayed myself down with some foul stuff guaranteed the keep gnats away...They loved it...So on went the surgical mask again and I started my hunt...Tailing pile after tailing pile was worked and raked for nothing but a few boot tacks, some wire and rusty bits...The gnats were intensifying and I was getting frustrated...The temp hit 100 and my power cord developed a very irratating sqwauk... I hiked back to my quad to get a drink and douse myself with more stinky crap...The hike to the quad was only a little longer because I'd parked it about 25 feet away from where I parked the other two hunts here...After getting watered and sprayed, I started back toward the tailing area, but was slowly beeping the flats where I'd parked before...I got a deep soft sounding signal right exactly where I'd parked...I started digging and went deeper and deeper til the target was screaming...I figured I'd found a can, but then I hit caliche down about 14 inches--and the target was out of the hole, still screaming--I halfed the material down with my scoop and then I saw it--Gold...Turned out to be this solid sluggy half-ounce-plus (16.6 grams) beauty--Free range, wild gold nugget, never been tamed by no drywasher...After my usual half hour of dancing around and taking a bunch of phone camera pix, I started hunting again--Not six feet away, I got an identical signal, dug down about 10 inches, hit the caliche, and there was the other little beauty--3.8 grams with a bit of nice quartz...Brings my total on this patch to 1.8 ounces for 5 nuggets--Can't wait to get back out again...Here's some photos--a bunch--This kind o'fun don't happen that often--Cheers, Yer Unc in the Dubyah Sorry, my pix are too big to load--I'll try to shrink one down to dinky size to fit this format...Check on Bill or Chris's to see'em... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cooter9761 Posted June 3, 2008 Report Share Posted June 3, 2008 Nice gold Ron, now go find more!Cooter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Ron Posted June 3, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 3, 2008 Well Rob just straightened me out on the photo thing...Operator error, my bad ...So, here's some photos...Cheers, Unc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin nuggethunting Posted June 3, 2008 Admin Report Share Posted June 3, 2008 Hey Uncle Ron, Those are some great finds! Hope to see more in the near future. Are you finding most of them in the washes, benches or hillsides? Operator Error ... Talk with you soon,Rob Allison Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Ron Posted June 3, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 3, 2008 Yo Rob & All...The first few I found in old, probably late 1880's or so old, header piles...Today's were found on the benches right on the caliche ... The old timers were working in a certain direction and I have jumped up ahead toward the area they were headed...I'm kinda excited about the potential...Overburden is 10" to 14" ... Not too much trash either...The largest original tailing pile (fines) is about 30' diameter but now wind blown flat...That tells me it's old...Cheers, Unc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin nuggethunting Posted June 3, 2008 Admin Report Share Posted June 3, 2008 Hello Uncle Ron, Some of those very old coarse tailing piles from drywashers can be easily overlooked. Great to hear you have the eye for them! Just amazing what they discarded in the piles, but then again they were probably getting a good amount of fines, flakes and smaller nuggets that would pass through the screen. Thanks for always sharing your finds and stories with us. Rob Allison Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim P. Posted June 3, 2008 Report Share Posted June 3, 2008 This just keeps getting better. I'm happy for you Ron, this is fun to watch unfold. We both know how rare this is these days so keep hammering. Good luck and thanks for sharing. Later...Jim P. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onion gold Posted June 3, 2008 Report Share Posted June 3, 2008 Yo Rob & All...The first few I found in old, probably late 1880's or so old, header piles...Today's were found on the benches right on the caliche ... The old timers were working in a certain direction and I have jumped up ahead toward the area they were headed...I'm kinda excited about the potential...Overburden is 10" to 14" ... Not too much trash either...The largest original tailing pile (fines) is about 30' diameter but now wind blown flat...That tells me it's old...Cheers, UncMaybe when you get tired of hunting that patch you can give out the directions to it. Seems to be the thing these days. Well, you may decide to wait a while. Onion Gold Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acronn Posted June 3, 2008 Report Share Posted June 3, 2008 Fun to do some armchair prospecting with you Ron! Betcha didn't get bothered by the gnats and the heat after that first nugget. Nice pictures, thanks for taking them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bandana Don Posted June 3, 2008 Report Share Posted June 3, 2008 Good on you Unc....VERY NICE LOOKING GOLD. Makes the fussing with those nat and bug pests worth it.Don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DOC Posted June 3, 2008 Report Share Posted June 3, 2008 Ron, that is amazing. I remember years ago all you ever showed us was those little dinks you scared up with your GB2. You have really come a long long way. Gold prospecting is an amazing hobby. The more you find the smarter you get. I have always said that each nugget you find teaches you something about where to look for gold. The education and learning curve is almost exponential.Congratulations! So is that Signal amplifier helping you any.DocYo All...After having such a good time on Friday finding those big nuggets, I took the weekend off of prospecting...This morning, though, I got up bright and early and headed back out...I followed the long trail into the old drywashers' camp intent on raking some tailings...As usual the gnats were horrid an so I sprayed myself down with some foul stuff guaranteed the keep gnats away...They loved it...So on went the surgical mask again and I started my hunt...Tailing pile after tailing pile was worked and raked for nothing but a few boot tacks, some wire and rusty bits...The gnats were intensifying and I was getting frustrated...The temp hit 100 and my power cord developed a very irratating sqwauk... I hiked back to my quad to get a drink and douse myself with more stinky crap...The hike to the quad was only a little longer because I'd parked it about 25 feet away from where I parked the other two hunts here...After getting watered and sprayed, I started back toward the tailing area, but was slowly beeping the flats where I'd parked before...I got a deep soft sounding signal right exactly where I'd parked...I started digging and went deeper and deeper til the target was screaming...I figured I'd found a can, but then I hit caliche down about 14 inches--and the target was out of the hole, still screaming--I halfed the material down with my scoop and then I saw it--Gold...Turned out to be this solid sluggy half-ounce-plus (16.6 grams) beauty--Free range, wild gold nugget, never been tamed by no drywasher...After my usual half hour of dancing around and taking a bunch of phone camera pix, I started hunting again--Not six feet away, I got an identical signal, dug down about 10 inches, hit the caliche, and there was the other little beauty--3.8 grams with a bit of nice quartz...Brings my total on this patch to 1.8 ounces for 5 nuggets--Can't wait to get back out again...Here's some photos--a bunch--This kind o'fun don't happen that often--Cheers, Yer Unc in the Dubyah Sorry, my pix are too big to load--I'll try to shrink one down to dinky size to fit this format...Check on Bill or Chris's to see'em... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Ron Posted June 3, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 3, 2008 Yeah, Doc, this has been a great month...over 2.5 ounces altogether...I generally quit going to pounded patches and started researching and prospecting for my own places...The area I'm in now is one I researched for over three years...About a year ago, someone on one of the forums made an off hand comment about an area and it fit like the last piece of the puzzle I'd been working on...I don't remember who it was or even which forum, but I started finding gold right off...Other interesting things, too...It's a pretty rugged area and the more I learn about it, the more I'm branching out and the more gold I'm finding...I do have to admit that this past month was exceptional and kinda has me spoiled, but also eager to continue prospecting new leads in the area...Whoopee... About the Signal Enhancer, two of the targets were somewhat deep, but I heard them no problem...I totally recommend your enhancer...It may be a coincidence, but my first day of using it was when my lucky streak started.....Cheers, Unc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vini Posted June 4, 2008 Report Share Posted June 4, 2008 GOOD LORD those are so mice looking Ron just gorgous.I got a small picker this weekend with quartz in it I was thrilled but I would be ECSTATIC and dancing too if i found something liken to those,,,,,!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.