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It was about 0530 Friday morning when I was able to back the car out of the driveway and work my way out of town to hit up the interstate and drive the 2 hours it takes to get to the little crick I had been findin gold in last summer. This is the first trip I'd been able to make this year, and I'm hoping the take is gonna be a little better than previous trips because I've chosen a third new spot to sample further downstream. I had brought this time a new AMS (Angus Mac Kirk Sluice) that was bought last year in Nov. And I'm now hoping to use it fer the first time. Finally arrived about 0730, gathered my gear from the trunk, and headed down the trail. The hour long walk was goin to be more treacherous and exhausting because I decided to go 250-300 yds. further downstream that the last place I'd sampled in the past because I'd figured out last year the further downstream I went, the bigger the particles got. By 0900 I had finally arrived to the cords I had put in my garmin, pulled out my folding chair and sat down to begin to cool down and relax. I was sweating more than usual because I had put on my chest waders at the car, and walking slowly and taking my time, didn't help. But I wanted to wear the waders because I knew I was goin to need to be sittin or kneelin in the crick to hand scoop sand and gravel from in b'tween some large flat slabs of rock in the crickbed I had seen before and I hoped would pay off, which it kinda did I might add. Around 10 or so 3 deer walked up to the bank about 40 feet away to my left, but when I reached fer my camera they had quickly decided that they weren't gonna have no part of standin around and posin fer pics, so they quietly but hurriedly said SEE YA! Didn't get to do my first clean-out till 1130, it kinda took a while to set the sluice and then start to pickin and choosin where'd be the best places to dig. Around 1300 I was startin to feel a little hungry, so I stopped and sat down to eat a samich I had got from a deli near the house the day b'fore, (much better than the pop-tarts I had brought in the past). Finished my lunch then got back to digging. By 1700 I was feelin quite tuckered from all the days activities, and began thinkin about how long it was gonna take to gather up my gear but more so that long treacherous walk out, OMG, I'm gonna DIE!!! The mile or so walk to the car through the woods, is all up-hill, an there's about a 100 ft. elevation difference b'tween me and the car over that mile stretch. Yep! Time to go. Surprisingly I had gotten back to the car by 1830, pulled off them waders, loaded my gear, sat down in & started the car and turned on the air, and began again to try an cool down an relax. The daytime high that day was about 87 and humid, and I was again soaking wet from sweat and feelin like I was overheating, I'd swear I'd lost 5 lbs. that day. B'fore I pulled away I got in my pocket and pulled out the little vile with that little bit of gold in it and thought old Angus wasn't lyin when he said his sluice would catch super-fine gold and I think I'm doin good at learnin to pan this fine gold from the cons and happy that I's able to finally set the new sluice and shovel dirt into it, but mostly just plum happy that I'd finally got out.

RH