Prospectors

[Gene Masse]

I am wondering if anyone on the forum is doing any prospecting while you are out camping? Gold or jems or both it doesn't matter. It has gotten to be a somewhat of a popular hobby now days.

[GMike A]

Absolutely Gene. There is one person I believe on this thread that is heavy into gold panning with his wife. I think if you do an internal google on gold or panning it might pop up. I have two Fishers that I use- one for nuggets and the other relics. I have some property in Georgetown, Co where mining was nuts back then. I dont pan anymore because my back doesnt like me humped over for hours. I used to look for gemstones in Franklin, NC and just found the Prospectors program on TV now which looks pretty tempting and more profitable than gold!

[fusedlight]

I've been a rockhound FOREVER (well, it seems that way. I think since the late 50's counts as "forever"!). If The Dot and I don't come home with 300 pounds of specimens we're just not doing our job! Weight re-distribution has become a specialty of ours.

There are places all over the US where you can find gorgeous rocks and minerals. Prospecting for gold is all well and good, but the return on time is pretty miserable. It's a lot more fun looking for Shiny Things. We're heading out to the Carolinas this summer and a place we are really excited to be going to is the "Diamond Hill Mile" in South Carolina ( Diamond Hill Mine - Welcome ).

If you have any questions... just as away.

Here we are a year ago. On the left I'm collecting trilobites and Dorothy is scoring some killer agates. (Click to embiggen!)



And now...shameless plug! I've got a CD based on an old US Bureau of Mines database that has locations for ALL the mines in the US up to around 1985. Contact me via PM off list if you'd like to buy a copy. I'm also open to barter!

[accrete]

Greetings Gene,

My wife and i are home-based on the Oregon Coast. We regularly grab black sands to run through a blue-bowl just cuz we enjoy the beach walks... BUT our favorite three spots to pan (prospecting is primarily Cari's hobby...and she is a gold magnet) are along the i5 corridor in Washington and Oregon States. They are in order of gold found (HaHa)

Lewis River near Sunset Falls Campground outside of Battle Ground WA

Santiam River in the Quartzville Minning District east of Sweet Home OR

Rogue River near Medford OR

And what do we do after a fun day in the river looking for all-that-glitters?




(A shot of our two 1/24th scale radio controlled Rock Crawlers. My wife's in Zebra pink, mine in recycled Monster Can blue)

Happy trails and good prospecting to you!
Thom

[Casita Greg]

Wife and I go opal digging in the Virgin Valley of NW Nevada every year when she gets her summer break from the School Dist.

Royal Peacock Opal Mine - Royal Peacock Opal Mine

[fusedlight]

Greg - I was just reading about that mine this morning! It's on our list.

[Gene Masse]

I figured there would be some on the site that are picking the ground for goodies. I already metal detect so it is a natural progression. There is a lot of good portable equipment that one can get. It makes a good hobby to go with our FG passion. I have the pans, classifiers and just got a Gold magic wheel. Going to order a mini sluice too.

[Casita Greg]

Harry & Joy, along with their daughter Angie (who runs the gift shop) are wonderful people. He is a wealth of information on not only opals, but the history, geology, etc. and of the early native inhabitants as well. He has an extensive collection of early arrow heads and spear points (most that he's had since he was a kid, and it is now illegal to remove any such artifacts today) and are also well worth seeing if you stop in there. We go down every year and I always bring them a big bag of my smoked King Salmon. They don't have much salmon, (ok, make that no salmon,) in those parts, so it's always a welcome treat. A bit pricey to opal dig, but I have seen people dig up specimens worth tens of thousands to collectors, and I have also seen people come away with just a little as well. They are wonderful about telling you how and where to dig, and they do want you to find something nice. After all, you don't get repeat business from folks who paid good money and came away empty handed. It's not good for business. Just like the old saying, "Gold, (and opal,) is where you find it." It's still a gamble though, but then, it is Nevada! lol We also are avid metal detectors, and we also have a slew of gold pans, separators, and a sluice too.

[GMike A]

For those whose curiosity is piqued. I got the CD from Gary and imported it into my TOPO 9 program ( had to noodle it). Here is a sneak peek. I made Gold -yellow, Silver-red and Gemstones- blue. Tons of data and I am impressed as it at least shows potential areas to work with and not helter skelter. I loaded the entire US that I was interested in but you can go state by state or county by county. COOL.

[fusedlight]

Glad you like it, Mike! Dorothy and I have used the disk On Our Travels and have found all sorts of neat stuff.

[Donna D.]

Gene et al, you may want to check out this thread under the Hobbies & Passions forum (direct link): http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...ing-49522.html

[papa-t]

I'm big into prospecting here in North Carolina. Panning, high banking, sluicing, ect. Here is a picture of what I found in a small stream high in the mountains the past two days. Doesn’t seem like allot but it came from an area where gold has never been reported before; so I'm happy.