dutch john Posted August 19, 2012 Report Share Posted August 19, 2012 Rob... I was lucky enough to hunt with Terry over two seasons. His detector of choicewas the White's Goldmaster ll. He could make it work in the alkali areas as he had an"ear" to pick out a "nugget" sound out of the ground noise. I was lucky enough to havehunted with some of the best while they were out and doing it.I was also lucky enough to have got to have known both Richard and Elizabeth when theywere the Gold Dust Twins. We never met in the field but at the GPAA gold shows.I was lucky that Richard liked my original "Follow the Drywashers" that at this time was beingpublished by "Mountain Publications." I know Richard bought 200 copies from dennis andput a copy in each wooden box that he sold of the GT-16000.I guess this was about the first time you and I got to know each other. And I was lucky tobecome one of your friend, and you still are that. So I guess I'm really "Lucky Jim," as I'mstill here and most of those I shared "beans and coffee" with while on the trail are now gone,but their stories are now Legentary and will be told over the campfires for years."Lucky Jim" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeadair Posted August 19, 2012 Report Share Posted August 19, 2012 Hello Shadow, I'm still holding several Arizona topos that I got from Arizona Al, when Terry said he was done with Arizona. I found nuggets in all of his old patches, most were only worked with the Goldmaster VLF's that Terry loved so much.AZNuggetBob - I agree, normally when someone buys a nice nugget, I tell them they can tell whatever story they want about the nugget. Funny, I have a story just like yours I might start in a new post.GreenBox - I still think about Richard and all the times we hunted together. Without his help back in the early to mid 90's, I wouldn't be doing what I'm doing now. He was truely my mentor when it comes to electronic prospecting. I have a million stories I could share about this very missed friend. Some of my first ventures with Floyd and Richard were up around Soap Creek in the early 90's. Several years later Floyd Allen trusted me enough to allow me to tag along on a handful of Rich Hill adventures. I couldn't count how many nuggets I seen popping out by all of us back then. Richard loved the smaller coils, Floyd loved that damn 18-inch trash can lid ....Yeh Rob I remember Floyd with that garbage can lid,one day on flour hill we were all hunting and Floyd hit 3 nice nuggets right in front of my truck 50 yrds right there.But he would or only could hunt a couple hours with that thing and his arm got sore.Like you said in an earlier post I'd probably still be dredging too if I had never met Richard.Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AZNuggetBob Posted August 20, 2012 Report Share Posted August 20, 2012 I remember one day I was out hammering an old patch. Id been there many timesbefore with my gold bug. the patch was getting to the point were I was happy to score a grammer.I look up and see Floyd.Im watching him put nugget after nugget in his gold bottle and Im trying to figure what he's swingin.so finally I walk over and say Floyd what is that detector your swingin. He says its new, made by a company called Minelab.Its the new Minelab 2000I said I noticed you found a few can I see um. he pops his nugget bottle an pours out some nice nuggets.So I ask can you get me one of those detectors. he says I'll see what I can do, there's only about six of them in the U.S.A. He gave me a call a few days later and I met him at Richards and purchased it. It was about $2000.00 as I recall. It seemed like a lot of money considering the price of a gold bug but I just had to have one. I took it back to that same patch and took home 4 oz. the first day. Been sold on Minelabs ever since, Thanks Floyd. AzNuggetBob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin nuggethunting Posted August 21, 2012 Admin Report Share Posted August 21, 2012 Hey AzNuggetBob, I was also one of the first one to get a SD2000, along with my cousin Chris and I believe his Dad. I know I paid $3,750 for the SD2000. I'm sure you paid the same, you just might not remember it. I remember I had to convince my parents to loan me $2000 and I put the rest on a credit card. Since Floyd didn't accept credit cards, I had to go to the bank and get a cash advance for $2000 with like 25% interests ..... Well I at least got a new SD2000 and was able to get onto some ground before it got too hammered at Rich Hill and many places on the East slope of the Bradshaws.It took some time to get used do, as it was so quiet sounding and so freaking immune to some of the worst mineralization. I was used to my Tesoro Lobo and Minelab XT17000 with the loud, sharp hits on the VLF's. The Minelab SD2000 was Woo-Wee and not very loud. Back on the subject of T-Bone, I can tell you he had a handful of patches in the Minnehaha area, which I have a bunch of topos of. That being said, most of the patches are pretty beat down, many were shallower areas where the VLF's done well and left a few lumps in deeper areas. Also, some memories of blowing tires in Northern Nevada and then thinking of guys like T-Bone that drove low clearance cars. Talk with you later,Rob Allison Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlakMagnet Posted August 21, 2012 Report Share Posted August 21, 2012 What a wonderful thread.You guys have some great memories and it is a treatto hear you recount them.Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JIM MCCULLOCH Posted August 22, 2012 Report Share Posted August 22, 2012 Yeah, guys, T-Bone was certainly worthy of our fond recollections. He was the only person whom I've ever known to make two syllables out of "Jim." As in "Well, how y'all doin,' Gee Umm?". I spoke to him a few days before his death, he had high hopes of getting his nugget back, or at least getting paid for it. In our"Treasure" Magazine write-up on the big nugget, alluding to the issue of ownership I mentioned something like "I hope Terry can soon be enjoying some T-Bones to celebrate [the return/payment] of the nugget." The exact wording escapes me, but it was something like that.Flak, your memories of great people would likely eclipse all of our's combined. HH Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dutch john Posted August 22, 2012 Report Share Posted August 22, 2012 Hey Jim.... it is great to see you posting on this thread. One thing Terry mentioned tome was words to the effect that he yet still owed you for a set of headphones. I couldtell that he intended to pay you as he saw you again as he said "yet" so he may havehave later paid you.I last saw Terry in northern Nevada. We were going to meet again that fall, but accordingto Homer he last saw Terry at "Stringer" .... (which is in the Mohave desert and alsohappens to be an epithermal ore deposit as the Great Basin of northern Nevada)...where he (Terry) just found several nice nuggetsHomer told me one of the nuggets was over an ounce. But Terry said had to leave"Stringer" for northern Nevada. Homer told me he replied to the effect that you don'tleave a patch. Terry replied he needed to meet someone.Thus Terry and I never met that fall. Although I never saw Terrys nugget, I have alwaysbelieved it was epthermal as many of the local mines are associated with miocene-pliocene volcanics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cochetopa Posted August 22, 2012 Report Share Posted August 22, 2012 Hello,I spent my entire working life inside office buildings. I have greatly enjoyed reading this thread with the sharing of old stories about great people and good times. Thank you very much...everyone.Uncle RonNuggethuntingJim P.Ironmandutch johnminerjoe01AzNuggetBobGREENBOXThe ShadowJIM MCCULLOCH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AZNuggetBob Posted August 23, 2012 Report Share Posted August 23, 2012 Hey RobTry riding a dirt bike with a trash can lid strapped on your back. The good old days.Trust me it works best with the coil facing down. They were old tech but they did find the big deep ones.I know ol floyd got me a good deal on it, Thanks Floyd.are you sure you payed that much Rob? could it have been $2700.00?Anyway It don't matter Rob, they were so much better than any other machine availible at that time,it didn't take long even around $400.00 an ounce to pay them off.I first met Terry at the three pound patch in Az. he was popping nuggets behind us and we had been huntin that patch for a month. He was good. Take care out there, AzNuggetBob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JIM MCCULLOCH Posted August 23, 2012 Report Share Posted August 23, 2012 "Dutch," no, Terry never did pay for the headphones, but the value of my memories of the time we spent together in AZ around Congress and Wickenburg when the Goldmaster II first came out far transcend an unpaid debt. I well remember us rattling down an old road which ran alongside an auriferous wash. At one point a stone formation crossed the wash, diverting a slow water flow, but would act as a large riffle during flood stage. It was about 10' long, 4' wide, flat-topped, but with a rough surface. "Terry, stop, STOP!. Dibs on that flat outcropping!". I shouted. Soft-spoken Terry drawled "Yer too late, Gee Umm, I already hit it, got me 4 ounces off of it...."By the way, "Lucky," Hawkeye sends her love. Me too, for that matter. HH Gee Umm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
way2cool Posted August 23, 2012 Report Share Posted August 23, 2012 Great stories guys. Bob is that your pick on the front fork? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin nuggethunting Posted August 23, 2012 Admin Report Share Posted August 23, 2012 Hey AzNuggetBob, That is a great pix with the dirt bike and SD2000. You might be correct on the price, maybe it was in the range of 2000 - 3000, been so long ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AZNuggetBob Posted August 24, 2012 Report Share Posted August 24, 2012 Tell ya the truth Rob Im not absolutely positive what I paid for mine but I do know that I was sure glad I did. I left a post on the new 2000 thread you started that may explain more. It was frustrating to me knowing there was deep gold in those hot old patches and the VLF just couldn't handle them. In some patches I was digging by hand and swinging to get depth advantage. The SD2000 changed everything. It made a lot of old patches new again.way2cool That is my pick in the holder. it worked out well. If your interested in building something similar its just a 2 1/2 " PVC pipe, end cap glued on the bottom and held onto the forks with a couple radiator hose clamps, trick is drop in your pick, mark the shape of your pick head and cut an angled slot in the top or a big V.drop it in and go.AzNuggetBob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dutch john Posted August 24, 2012 Report Share Posted August 24, 2012 Howdy Everyone... This is getting to be a great thread. Terry would be pleased to knowwe are honoring him around this "electronic campfire." The last time I was with Terryhe was driving a small pickup w/o a camper shell. It had a full set of new tires and Terrysaid to me to the effect ... that happyness is having new tires.At this time Dick Bailey was still the tireman at the truckstop and he was well aware of thesharp volcanic Trachyte rocks cutting tires... If the side wall was punchered the tire wasusually ruined, but Jims tire store in Lovelock would vucanize a boot and save the tireas a spare.Many of us may still remember Dicks instructions on how to drive on the roads. Back thenDick owned a 2000 with the trashcan lid. He would loan it out and whoever borrowed itwas honest and 50/50 split of the placer found. Back then placer was more plentiful andthe northwestern side of the Eugene Mountans was little worked and seveal gulchesyielded good gold, but mostly about five to 10 grains, but it was easy digg'in as most of itwas shallow, only about a few inches in depth.Those of us who worked a push on Oakie Jims claim split 25/75 with Oakie gettingthe 75%... However back in the early days when Mark was still running a backhoegoing up the gulch spreading piles on each side of the trench, the gold was goodand everyone should have been happy with 25%. I know I was!Much of the gold, both hardrock and placer, as found in the Basin Range is epithermal.George Duffy found over 100 pockets. The largest one I know of was a shallow surfacepocket of about 40-ounces. For those who have a copy of the ICMJ, the pocket isdocumented in the "Picks & Pans" section of the ICMJ Vol. 74, No 1; September2004 issue. As I best remember both George and Dick paid about $2000 for their minelab 2000.When I bought my 2200d I paid about $3000 which included California state tax. Ilater sold it to Grubstake and he really made it "sing a happy tune."... "Tailgate" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AZNuggetBob Posted August 24, 2012 Report Share Posted August 24, 2012 Jim I remember Dick at the truck stop (Burns Brothers)we never did hunt together but he was great to talk to and knew a lot about the area. and George Duffy too. Duffy and Smoky were hammering that area for years and doing very well. I was working with Jimmy for 25% of the take too. All the gold went into a pool and was split every few months.He wanted to keep that big Nugget and rightfully so.Thats how I ended up with that 10 Oz.and a gorgeous 3/4 oz. perfect cross nugget. I usually work 50/50 but the gold and the perks were so good out at jimmys 25% was well worth it. and yes I agree chevron gold is found other places too. AzNuggetBob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dutch john Posted August 24, 2012 Report Share Posted August 24, 2012 Bob... You are truly and amaizing person. You have done more in your short lifetimethen a total of a dozen others could do in their lifetime including me.Dick Bailey is now gone. However we hunted together a number of times at Willow Springs. I'm stil in contact with Dusti who is the owner of the Star Point Trading Post in Imlay.Thestore still carrys detectors and other mining and prosecting supplies. As youj know Terrystayed at the Star Point camp grounds, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AZNuggetBob Posted August 26, 2012 Report Share Posted August 26, 2012 Jim the important thing is to have a lot of fun doing it, and learning from you and your writings has just made it that much easier.I had not heard about Dick. He fixed a lot of my tires at Burns Bothers and he was good at it. That area would butcher tires and still does from what I hear. Two spares minimum.first one to fix a flat and the second one to limp back to town on.and those jack rabbit holes in the middle of the road aren't any fun either.They took out more than one UPS truck. those guys never slow down. I would see Terry come thru Dusti's RV park and store. It seemed like he was always on his way to a new prospect somewere out in the area.I remember that little pickup Terry had one of those little trucks could really take a beating. I think it was a Nisson or Datsun.Jim we ended up setting up trommel out at Jimmy Malone's Lunker Hill property and worked it full time. It was about 20' long and started running all those huge piles that everyone was hitting with detectors. same deal 25% of the gold plus perks. Jimmy covered all the expenses. judging by what people were finding with detectors we knew there was a lot of gold in them. Jimmy was also swinging a detector behind the dozer just for fun and to make sure no lunker nuggetswere rolling over the 1" screens and out the end of the trommel into the waste piles.I was running the loader feeding the the trommel.Dusti used to come out from time to time to bring us parts or supplies from her store.and we would give her tips on how to run a metal detector. she picked it up very fast and I'll bet she is a great nugget hunter today.I was back in Az, when I heard about Jimmy's passing.We worked together on several placer projects both in Az, and Nv.JIMMYHere's to all the gold we found and great times we had together. AzNuggetBob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin nuggethunting Posted August 26, 2012 Admin Report Share Posted August 26, 2012 Hey Guys, Speaking of Northern Nevada and tires, here is a picture of John "Goldmaster" Blennert and I back in Oct. 2003. The road don't look like a tire slicer, but just one sharp rock on the rock can do it. We were just driving down this road and "BOOM!" We spent some time around several of the major placers and picked up a few pieces on most of the placers. John found a real nice 1/2 ouncer in the Majuba placers, right outside an old push that everyone and their brother has worked. Take care,Rob Allison Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dutch john Posted August 28, 2012 Report Share Posted August 28, 2012 Gosh Rob... Great photo... I have always choked in the alkali dust. .Worse... the front tires could kick the sharp trachyte bits up into the undercarrage.Bob... I have a photo of Terrys truck some where in my mess. I do not rememberwhat make it was, but I agree it was either a Datsun or Nissan The photo is ofbackside while we were stopped at Burns Brothers.Does anyone remember "Tin Door" who (Ken Dorff) who drove a wreckedDodge Dart... the passinger door was replaced by a primitive piece of sheetmetal by metal screws. He was involved in the early-time back hoe operationwhen Mark Anderson ran the backhoe digging piles to the right and left. Onepile was detected by a original gold bug and the other by a gold bug-2; butthe goldmaster was also okay... the frequencies did not interfere. Smoky wasthen the point man... up the gulch ahead of mark. When one of us found a nugget by detecting each bucketfull dropped onto a sidepile by mark the "game was to put in the mouth" as a sign we found one. From this small 'single blanket' operation, it became big time. Okie Jim was onegreat guy.... I last saw him about a month before he passed away. I did not knowhe had a cancer... SAD I AM.... jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dutch john Posted September 1, 2012 Report Share Posted September 1, 2012 Howdy Uncle Ron.... You have worked so hard and done such a great job in HonoringTerry, Im taking the liberty of "bumping" this thread before it goes to pg 2.... jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin nuggethunting Posted September 1, 2012 Admin Report Share Posted September 1, 2012 Hey Jim, Just think if we could bring all these great guys back for just one weekend around a campfire. I don't anyone would sleep for days listening to all the great stories they would have to share. I used to love to sit and listen to Floyd and Richard talk about places they have been prior to hunting with them. I could only imagine what Terry "T-Bone" would have to tell. Take care,Rob Allison Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AZNuggetBob Posted September 2, 2012 Report Share Posted September 2, 2012 Rob I agree Terry was a super hunter. I remember talking with him every now and then we would cross paths. I'd sure like to see a map of his Nv. patches. AzNuggetBob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AZNuggetBob Posted September 2, 2012 Report Share Posted September 2, 2012 Jim I think that poo dirt. alkali dust is still hiding a lot of gold in N.Nv. It is a whole new area to hunt from a geological point of view. when I first saw that ancient gravel bed high up on the Eugene mountains it changed my whole outlook on the age of that area. AzNuggetBob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dutch john Posted September 2, 2012 Report Share Posted September 2, 2012 Gosh Rob and Bob...As you may remember; many years ago it was said "to invest insilver and gold." The sale pitch was to the effect.... Their ores formed by what is called epithermal processes which was quickly explained as simply meaning that when the molten masses of lavas cooled; silver and gold values formed a shallow skinon the outer edge of the Earths surface, and they were now being worked out. Some examples were (of course): Virginia City, Tonopah,and Goldfield in Nevada; Oatman in Arizona; and Randsburg in California. As it has been said by some explortation geologists duringthe 1960s: as Carlin-Type "invisible gold" (micron)depositsbecome known; there was found to be a possible association (a metallogenetic trend) between some of the volcanic epithermalore deposits related to fissure veins associated with mountain building; low angle thrust faulting; and flat structures with Carlin-types at depth. Thus as more is now known, some of the oldtimer epithermal "Volcanic" precious metal ore deposits once considered to be worked out are now being revaluated and drilled; as at depth they may overlie a Carlin-type silver/gold (or a plus 20% silver-gold alloy known as electrum.) As metal detectors have improved in recent years, "here-to-for-unknown epithermal placers are now being found and worked by metal detectors. Some of the (better)potentual Carlin-type areas will be declared "Off-limits" as being a historical area, and others already have, or will, become a wilderness area. And in some areas they will face considerable over-regulation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin nuggethunting Posted September 3, 2012 Admin Report Share Posted September 3, 2012 Hey AzNuggetBob, I wish I had it maps of Nevada, but I actually got a few maps from the Northern Bradshaw area. Many of the areas have been pounded to death, but I was able to get in there with the PI's and score some gold. For years after this, many with PI's were going into the general patch areas and finding gold. Terry was one of the guys that first found the "Johnson Flat" placers. The area years later got dozed and many pounds of gold were found. Take care,Rob Allison Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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