sdf527 Posted June 27, 2009 Report Share Posted June 27, 2009 It was Wed, the off-day between weeks 1 & 2. A group including the cook went exploring downstream past the end of the road. Ken and I hunted the usual areas for limited success. I found a couple small ones and Ken found 1. Back at camp we found Steve H. conducting an experiment with his huge 25" coil. He marked 13 targets near camp. I helped him dig the first one down 2 ft for a piece of iron trash. He decided to get the excavator for the rest of the targets. Of the 12 targets, 4 turned out to be gold, for a total of about 2 oz. All down at least 2 feet. After lunch Ken and I were back covering some of the same old ground. He had been grumbling for days about the frustration of not finding any big nuggets. He was finding gold, just couldn't get over a big one.That evening we came back to camp for dinner. The cook informed us that dinner was slightly delayed, about 30 minutes more. Ken decided to grab his detector and go back to what had been a sweet spot on the hill behind camp. I got bored so I went up to check on him. He was digging a hole not 5 feet over from where Steve H. had stopped his 25" experiment. After helping him dig some, I asked him if he was sure this was a good target. "What's a good target" he asked. I reminded him "you know, those deep dropping tones tend to be iron trash here at Moore Creek". "What's a dropping tone". Oh well, let's just finish this hole and get dinner. I listened to the target which by then was just a booming tone, nothing much to distinguish it at that point. We were down about 18 inches and having to widen the hole, so Ken went back to camp to get the shovel, which turns out to be the "golden shovel" you see in the picture. By the way, we never let that shovel out of our sight the rest of the trip. Anyway, the Satellite Phone was available to make a quick call home for my birthday, so I walked back to camp. All I got was voicemail, so I went back and Ken was still digging. I switched the detector to Cancel and poked the coil down in the hole. A faint tone was coming from the back of the hole. I pointed and Ken started digging again. After about 2 more shovel fulls, Ken jammed that shovel down, hitting something solid and slidding off it. I saw 1/4 of the nugget in the bottom of the hole and started howling like a schoolgirl. Ken was so intent on his digging he didn't notice and jammed that shovel in behind the nugget and scooped it out. I see it in the shovel and let out a stream of explictives that mostly begin with the letter F. I reach out and pull that nugget out of the shovel and hand it to Ken. Steve H. walks up there at that very moment. I'm jumping around and screaming the F word, they're both just standing there, calm as cucumbers. The only thing I remember Ken saying was "do you think it weighs a pound". I can't stand still, I'm hopping around like a jumping bean, Ken is still just calmly walking back towards camp, shaking his head.Ken's just not an excitable guy, though I think his hand was a bit palsyed a couple times. I didn't sleep that whole night, I just kept picturing the monster down in the hole and holding it the first time. It is incredibly heavy.The coincidences that came together on this are remarkable. First, Steve H. stopped his sweeps with the 25" coil not 5 feet from this monster. Dinner was delayed, giving Ken 30 more minutes to hunt the hill. And last but not least, his hearing is such that he can't distinguish low tones from high tones, therefore couldn't follow my advice about avoiding those nasty iron trash signals that produce low tones. I was compelled to start digging those friggin low tones and ended digging some pits you could bury a horse in. None of them turned out to be gold, just iron trash. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DOC Posted June 27, 2009 Report Share Posted June 27, 2009 Guys that is just fantastic. And thank you for the very entertatining story. That is just amazing. Once in a lifetime. Once in several people's lifetimes. I am really happy for you!BCOT!Doc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kamikaze Posted June 27, 2009 Report Share Posted June 27, 2009 Very cool! Any shots from other angles? I heard that it's over an inch thick! Man, I'd like to hold that in my hand even if for only a moment... Way to go guys! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimGilmore Posted June 27, 2009 Report Share Posted June 27, 2009 Very cool. So is this from down under or Alaska ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seeker Posted June 27, 2009 Report Share Posted June 27, 2009 Yikes !!! Well Done knew there was some more big gold around and still probably is. Ken is a nice guy, hunts hard and is deserving....Geo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dakota Slim Posted June 27, 2009 Report Share Posted June 27, 2009 Wow. Congratulations Ken. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whats4supper Posted June 27, 2009 Report Share Posted June 27, 2009 32.2 ozs.? that makes it 2.7 troy pounds @ $712.50 per ounce buy price ($950 spot price, less 25% = 712.50) = $22950. Likely double that or more sold at a specimen price. way to go!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allen in MT Posted June 28, 2009 Report Share Posted June 28, 2009 I met Ken a couple of years ago and hunted with him in AZ. Ken is a quiet sort of guy and one that dosen't give up easily. and is persistant. I would bet that him not getting to excited and calmly walking back to camp is because reality hadn't set in yet. A nugget of a lifetime in what can seem like a lifetime of hunting. It couldn't have happened to a nicer guy. Ken is now off fishing with his father for a couple of weeks, what a way to end a find of a lifetime. just maybe he will land that trophy salmon.Thanks for posting the story.Allen in MT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjbond Posted June 28, 2009 Report Share Posted June 28, 2009 It was Wed, the off-day between weeks 1 & 2. A group including the cook went exploring downstream past the end of the road. Ken and I hunted the usual areas for limited success. I found a couple small ones and Ken found 1. Back at camp we found Steve H. conducting an experiment with his huge 25" coil. He marked 13 targets near camp. I helped him dig the first one down 2 ft for a piece of iron trash. He decided to get the excavator for the rest of the targets. Of the 12 targets, 4 turned out to be gold, for a total of about 2 oz. All down at least 2 feet.WEEEEWOWZAAAA.... WHEW... congratulations....(I wonder if this will change Steve's plans that this may be his last year on the mine that he's mentioned earlier....grin)I've not been up there but would love to give it a shot, it sounds like this year's been pretty awesome.Jen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
montana Posted June 28, 2009 Report Share Posted June 28, 2009 SDF. If you ignore the low tones(inverted) with a GPX, you will pass up most big deeper nuggets. Unfortunately large pieces of trash usually give the same signal. Way to go Ken!!!!----Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlakMagnet Posted June 28, 2009 Report Share Posted June 28, 2009 That is such a great story.It seems that Ken was destined to find that nugget, whether he heard it or not.Congratulations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coiltek Posted June 29, 2009 Report Share Posted June 29, 2009 WOAH! that is a beauty ken. the heart must have been pumping...Congratulations!!!Regards,Trev Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fredm Posted June 30, 2009 Report Share Posted June 30, 2009 What a beauty!!! And yet another lesson for novice and jaded alike...if you don't dig it it, you will never know what you missed...Fred Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coda Posted July 1, 2009 Report Share Posted July 1, 2009 WOW,AND OMG, WHAT A WOPPER. YOU DID IT MAN!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Qld Sandy Posted July 2, 2009 Report Share Posted July 2, 2009 That's a fine piece of gold in any language. Well done on the find and congrats. Cheers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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