Admin nuggethunting Posted October 17, 2011 Admin Report Share Posted October 17, 2011 Hello All, This morning (Sunday), a few friends and I were able to get out and do some playing around in the goldfields. We explored some old coyote holes in search for some gold and relics. We didn't turn up any valuable relics, but a few picks, pick tips, iron rubbish and a few nuggets. We were all using the Minelab GPX5000's with the new Coiltek Blitz Searchcoils. Youtube video of Placer Tunnel (not too clear, but give you an idea) Here are a few pictures of nuggets found, biggest was 16.1 Dwt's. Notice also the small Black nugget in the second picture. Hope you enjoyed. Rob Allison Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DOC Posted October 17, 2011 Report Share Posted October 17, 2011 OK Rob,There are boogie men in those tunnels and you shouldn't go in there. You have a wife and a child. If that is what you are in to, then come out with me to the California Channel Islands and go night SCUBA diving for lobsters. Right in the area where great White Sharks patrol. We try to calm our fears by saying the seal rookery is nearby, and all the Great Whites are well fed and not looking to eat divers.The water is 56 degrees, and your wetsuit barely keeps you warm. When you first enter the water, the sting of the cold water on your unprotected face feels like someone maced you and then smacked you with a flyswatter. Soon your face goes numb. All you have is a flashlight in the dark liquid depths of the ocean. Your visibility is limited to about the length of your arm. The only audio input you have is the beating of your heart and the sound of the bubbles as you exhale through your regulator. Every time something brushes against your leg you anticipate an excruciating pain will soon reach your brain that tells you your leg was just ripped off. Then of course, there is the ever popular colon cleanse provided when out of the darkness an alien face appears going 50 miles an hour only to veer away within inches of colliding with your face. Not to worry, just a playful sea lion dive bombing you to bite at your escaping bubbles.Ah yes, nothing to get your heart thumping like a jungle drum than going into dark places where God knows what awaits you. Do you have any idea how hard it is to get the smell of shit out of your wetsuit?I never personally was on the dive boat when a casualty occurred however, on that same dive boat I went on they had lost divers, who, did not heed the captain's warning and ventured into underwater caves. Another young diver got caught on a commercial lobster trap and panicked. They had to go down and recover his body, with air still in his tank.I don't do that anymore, but oh what a rush when I was younger and stupider, and didn't have children. And I kept telling myself those delicious lobster were worth it.Well the lobster ain't worth the risk and neither is the gold my dear friend so Be Careful Out There!Doc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sandtrap Posted October 17, 2011 Report Share Posted October 17, 2011 Well spoken, Doc ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin nuggethunting Posted October 17, 2011 Author Admin Report Share Posted October 17, 2011 Hey Doc, I appreciate your concern, they can be very dangerous if you're not paying attention to the structure and what you're doing. For the most part, the tunnels were dug in caliche type ground, which in some places it's like digging through solid concrete. I have to respect the old-timers as some of these tunnels are very unstable and the way they dug some they were more than brave. I have a picture of one tunnel I crawled into years ago where there was a huge boulder, probably the size of a small car handing from the roof. The old-timers dug underneath and support the rock with small rock columns. If it wasn't for the rock supports, the rock would have fell down. There were stress cracks all the way around the boulder where it broke away from the roof. Funny thing is, the wall behind it still has a nugget to be dug out for the brave hearted. I said "Hell No!, on that one. Talk with you later,Rob Allison Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gregzilla Posted October 17, 2011 Report Share Posted October 17, 2011 Great video and keep up the good work.. I am also guilty of looking in some drifts and tunnels the old timers dug.. Greg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted October 18, 2011 Report Share Posted October 18, 2011 Back in the 80s I used to hunt nuggets in the old coyote holes in the Quartzsite area (found lots of nuggets in em too), they were dug in caliche and were relative safe except for rattle snakes. They almost always had snakes and a lot of em had bats, which are harmless. would still hunt em if knew where some more were. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin nuggethunting Posted October 18, 2011 Author Admin Report Share Posted October 18, 2011 Hey Guys, Thanks for the comments. Going to make another one soon that is a bit more visable so you can see the inside better. Tracker - Yes, many coyote holes around Middlecamp, La Paz and other placers around the area. The Quartzsite area in general used to be one of my favorites, just too many people around there now for me. Take care,Rob Allison Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldies1955 Posted October 18, 2011 Report Share Posted October 18, 2011 Hey Guys, Thanks for the comments. Going to make another one soon that is a bit more visable so you can see the inside better. Tracker - Yes, many coyote holes around Middlecamp, La Paz and other placers around the area. The Quartzsite area in general used to be one of my favorites, just too many people around there now for me. Take care,Rob AllisonRob: That would be cool if you post another one with better lighting. I remember going into the Desoto mine by cleator many years ago. It was scary the first 50 yrds...there was about a foot of water in it and I was poking the ground ahead of me to get through it without falling into a shaft! Once you get way back in its really interesting with mine cars, framework,shafts going down that are full of crystal clear water ect. It was the middle of the summer and the mine was about 75 deg with air constantly blowing through it. Found a old drill bit and some old dynamite...that was the last shaft I went into! It was fun, but I dont have the kahoonas to go in them anymore Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted October 19, 2011 Report Share Posted October 19, 2011 Hey Guys, Thanks for the comments. Going to make another one soon that is a bit more visable so you can see the inside better. Tracker - Yes, many coyote holes around Middlecamp, La Paz and other placers around the area. The Quartzsite area in general used to be one of my favorites, just too many people around there now for me. Take care,Rob Allison No one there at certain times of the year, but the area has been hit hard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin nuggethunting Posted October 19, 2011 Author Admin Report Share Posted October 19, 2011 Hey Tracker, I agree with you. Spent several Summers poking around the area and never seen a soul. However, in the winter time it's a circus. Sure miss the area, found some very nice solid nuggets and specimens during the time I was working that region. I also found a nice iron meteorite, but tossed it back down about 10 years ago. I've been back to the area several times, but can't remember the exact location I found it in. Rob Allison Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted October 20, 2011 Report Share Posted October 20, 2011 Hey Tracker, I agree with you. Spent several Summers poking around the area and never seen a soul. However, in the winter time it's a circus. Sure miss the area, found some very nice solid nuggets and specimens during the time I was working that region. I also found a nice iron meteorite, but tossed it back down about 10 years ago. I've been back to the area several times, but can't remember the exact location I found it in. Rob AllisonI think I threw a lot of Gold Basin meteorites away around 20 some yrs ago, thought they were hot rocks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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