Blogs

May 27,2009 Wednesday

Last week my partner les and I sampled dredged Trabuco creek. We were working in a hole that I started about a year ago with a small 1.5” backpack dredge. This time we were using a keene three stage 4” dredge. The hole to start with was 3 feet in diameter and 2 feet deep, after two hours we had it opened up to 9 feet in diameter and now 15 feet deep. The creek is totally boulder bound. We were using my truck to pull boulders out of the hole. After moving all that material we did a clean out, and then headed home.

May 28,2009 Thursday

Today I’m running our cons through a clean up sluice, so far the gold is showing some promise. All together yesterday we worked for about four hours and the final weigh up is 2.5 pennyweight. Tomorrow we will be going back out to punch through the hardpack that we were unprepared to deal with yesterday. Tonight I made a blaster nozzle that will attach to a 2 inch trash pump. The hose will be reduced at the nozzle to ¾” for maximum pressure. As of now the state of California is trying to ban suction dredging in the whole state. I have heard that the rangers in the east fork of the San Gabriel river are giving out tickets for the pettiest of things.as of now we are planning to dredge until they say no more.

September 16,2009 Wednesday

My buddy Anthony and I hiked up to the new spot to sample pan and sluice. We are also setting up camp for the next few days. We are deep into Trabuco canyon. We found the back end of the Yeager Mine and it was water logged. I set up a syphon and it should dry by morning. As the day is going on we are finding specks of the surface and from behind the bigger boulders. It is now 1930 Hrs. and we think we found the pay line not only the current creek but also in the old creek bed. Sluicing tomorrow all day and then we are heading back to the house.

September 17,2009 Thursday

After moving boulder after boulder we started moving dirt through the sluice. The first hour some gold started showing up in the deep V matting. We are about two feet deep in a hole that is six feet in diameter now. We have been digging all day and the gold is spotty. It seems the best gold so far is in the flood layer around 8 to 10” deep.  I walked up creek to the mine and the water is out for the most part. As I crawl into the mine it opens up to a height of five to six feet. The walls seem like they are clay like. I suppose it is from the water. I walked in 100 feet or so and sample panned some dirt off the floor. I found no gold out fifteen pans. I know that the owner found gold but that was back in the late 1800’s. As for now I’m concentrating on the placer operation.

February 10,2010 Wednesday

It rained for a week straight in January. It has been about four months since I’ve been out. My wife’s (michelle) grandma Joyce is ill with cancer. The last few months my wife and I have been taking care of her in her final days. She has past away in January. I went out today and brought some supplies to the Trabuco claim. The dredge is all assembled and ready for work. We are using the 4” dredge. At this time I have no dedicated partner for this op. I met a guy name drew that is coming out with me on the next trip though. The water is running really good as of now. With the storms still to come I’m hoping for some more snow and runoff. I got to run the dredge for a couple hours and found about 2.5 grams.

February 14,2010 Sunday

It is Valentines Day and I spent the morning with my beautiful wife. I did file on this land for 160 acres. Just waiting for the BLM to send back the paperwork. I’ll feel a lot better having that in my hand. It’s been weird around the house with Michelle’s grandma gone, the house just is not the same.

February 26,2010 Friday

A fellow meat cutter (Alfredo) and my new partner Drew are heading out to do some dredging. I met Drew on a forum that post on, he is going to school to be a E.T.N. doctor. He is honest and loyal thus far and is proving his weight around the claim. We dredge in the creek all day today, the weather was warm but the water was on the 30’s. it supposed to rain tonight so we will take the cons back to the house and run it all through the blue bowl. It is now 2030 Hrs. and just finished the cons from the day. The final weigh up is 3.2 grams. Although it is all fine and flake we have only started to get down to the good paydirt. It started raining about ten minutes ago, it is really coming down. The boys have gone home and I’m spending some time with my wife and daughter, and son.

February 27,2010 Saturday

It has rained all night and is off and on today. The walk out to the site was a cold one today. There is snow all around about six inches or so. It’s hard to believe that in this is Orange County. This is one the best places to get away from the city and it’s only a 30 minute drive. The creek is flowing fast and murky so I think I will work the banks. It’s now snow a little bit and the water is cold as hell. I have no wetsuit right now, like a dumb ass I forgot it back in the truck. That is a six mile hike back. So for now I’m wearing my boots, jeans, and a flannel. I have dry cloths in camp so that will be nice. I dredged for around 2 hours in the freezing waters and could not bare it any longer. Time to change and go home, I’ll do a clean up the next trip.

March 03, 2010 Tuesday

This time Drew and I came prepared with booties, wetsuits, gloves, and hoods. We are going for the dive today the hole is now six feet deep and the gold is getting better. We found old musket balls and a lot of current date bullets also. As he is on the nozzle I’m on the winch pulling boulders out of the hole. Thus far they have been rather small, but now are starting to get pretty big. We took three hour shifts and are finding some decent color. We are saving all the cons for when the creek dries up and we need something to do at the house. So far we have a good 5 gallon bucket.

March 09, 2010 Tuesday

Drew, Les and I have walked out today to the claim. We started the walk at 0330 Hrs. the wind is blowing hard and it is cold. Our base camp is all set up and all supplies are at the site. The water is a little lower than we were hoping, but with a small dam we will be fine. The day is going well we hit a hard pack layer and are finding pickers and larger flake. I think that the water will go under ground by the next time we can get out here. So today is going to be a long day dredging. There is no rain in the forecast for the next ten days. If the water goes under ground we will have to just move boulders and get set up for the return of the creek.

March 11,2010 Thursday

I picked up a 45 watt solar panel and charger today and started loading the truck up with food and water for the next trip. I’ve been talking to a friend of mine by the name of Troy Phipps about the east fork of the San Gabriel River. He is very knowledgeable on the history of that whole canyon. He is in the process of writing a book on the mining history and it should be out soon. Michelle is due next month with our third child. We settled on a name and it is going to be Austin Wayne Runnells. My firstborn was a beautiful girl and we named her Serenity Shaylea Runnells, the second was the first boy in the family aside from me his name is Jackson Earl Runnells. Their ages are five and 19 months old. All my mining efforts are for my wife and kids and for their future in this down falling economy. Currently the state of California has put a ban on suction dredging in the whole damn state. We are dredging anyhow.

March 14,2010 Sunday

So for the past five years I have worked for Safeway Inc. as a journeyman meat cutter. The work is good and I’m in the union and full time so I get a guaranteed 40 hours a week. I’m also retired from the army from a spinal cord injury I have a 90% disability rating and that money helps with the bills when I cannot go the claim. My plan is to stockpile the gold I find for my children when they are older.  So far we are heading in the right direction. At one half ounce a week, that will give me about 26 ounces a year from this spot. I’m also looking into some richer diggings not to far from the current claim. Thus far I want the new spot to average 0.0625 Oz. per hour. Anything more will be an added bonus. At the rate of 0.0625 Oz., That will give us 30 Oz. for the season. Not a bad season for a small time miner working one day a week.

March 17,2010 Wednesday I was supposed to have gone out mining today but Michelle had to have a root canal done. I have no babysitter so I drove to a new prospecting store out in Anaheim. The name of the new shop is Rusty’s Gold and Treasure Hunting Supplies. Rusty and his wife are great folks we talked for a few hours. I can’t wait to go digging with him. The shop was small but well organized and clean. I have been studying the history of the mountain range that I’m working in. Although it is now considered a desert region now it was not always that way. I found that ancient igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rock ranging from 75 million years old to 1.7 million years old. The rock is not like the rock of the San Gabriel range. Yet there is granite boulder’s all over the creek bed. Some as big as a one story house. 

Im looking for some central NH area dirt slingers.The ice is out for most rivers and streams(central NH) here and i doubt it will be back very thick at this point.If anyone wants to try to get out during the week or whenever IM INTERESTED!

Read this and learn how Uncle Sugar may be greatly overstepping his rights to encroach on our rights to work public lands.

Get involved or suffer the consequences!!

http://rangemagazine.com/specialreports/range-wi12-our_federal_landlord.pdf

Howdy Prospectors

 Another Klondike Koin has been placed at Playland Park,in Council Bluffs Iowa...right across the river from downtown Omaha Nebraska...Good Luck Treasure Hunters...KK

Anyone is welcome to find this Koin and claim their Reward...but I'm hoping some Kid finds it,So they might catch the Fever for Treasure that all Us Prospectors are afflicted with.

Also after I took the last pic,I stamped a code on the back so the Scammers out there cant claim the Prize.

I'd also like to give a big Thank You to Tim(creator) for letting Me use this site so the finder can contact Me

...........KKkoin1.JPGkoin2.JPG

Today the Forest Service announced the final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) for the planning rule, bringing us one step closer to a new rule. It's been a long journey since we published the Notice of Intent in December 2009 and asked for your help to develop a new planning rule. We've held over 63 public meetings across the country and received over 325,000 comments between our discussions on the NOI and the proposed rule and DEIS.  On behalf of Forest Service leadership and the Planning Rule Team, I want to thank each of you for your participation in this rule making effort to date. 

After receiving and considering 300,000 comments on the draft environmental impact statement and proposed rule, the Forest Service developed Modified Alternative A as the preferred alternative. The preferred alternative includes the same concepts and underlying principles as the proposed rule, with a number of changes to rule text and organization in response to public comments. The preferred alternative reflects the diversity of input the Forest Service received throughout the rulemaking process from the public, Tribes, scientists, and all parts of the Agency. It meets the need for a collaborative and science-based planning process that will guide management of National Forest System lands so they are ecologically sustainable and contribute to social and economic sustainability.

The Under Secretary of Agriculture will review the alternatives in the PEIS and issue a final rule and record of decision in approximately 30 days. There will be several opportunities for you to continue to contribute to the planning process once a final rule is issued. We'll be developing directives to provide more specific direction on how to consistently implement the new rule, and the public will have an opportunity to comment on the directives before they're finalized. Most importantly, forests and grasslands will soon begin revising and amending their plans under the new rule and you'll have opportunities to be involved throughout those processes.

We are also forming a Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) committee to continue to engage a diverse and broad set of interests in the planning process. The FACA committee will work to incorporate lessons learned and best practices into the planning process and provide advice on the development of the directives. You'll find the application form for nomination at http://www.fs.usda.gov/goto/planningrule/faca. The 45-day nomination period closes February 21, 2012.

I encourage you to visit the Planning Rule website at http://www.fs.usda.gov/planningrule to review the PEIS, a video message from the Chief, and some frequently asked questions.

Thank you again for your interest in the Forest Service and in the planning rule. Your continued participation in land management planning is critical to our success.

Sincerely,

Tony Tooke

Director, Ecosystem Management Coordination

As many of you know I am new here (my wife says geez Thanks Matt!!!). I keep coming across some good and some not so good websites. What I am wondering, is, what are your favorite prospecting sites? DIY prospecting equipment? Video's? Rules and Reg site? Supplier? Manufacture? How to websites? Anything prospecting related. Even good prospecting stories websites.

Today I finally went and downloaded the Keene catalog and had to laugh. The picture of the 3 guys on the float. Boy that has me all over it. I can see me now, floating down the river sucking up all the gold and drinking a frosty root beer. Boy life is to easy.

Anyhow, would ya share some info reguarding porspecting with a new guy that is trying to get his ducks in a row for when it decides to thaw out. My prospecting buddy refuses to break the ice and move big frozen rocks. And I don’t like to go alone. So until then I need some good web sites to drool over.

Thanks

I need some feed back on the Camel Mountain Trommel.  I've always been intersted in all things portable.  I like what I see. but is it everything it's cracked up to be?  Any other recommendations for small battery trommels?

                           Saturday with unsettled weather all around Redding decided to test the EZ sluice that I had bought months ago and being  parcial to my jobe 10 inch had never used so off to the local creek I went only 15 minutes from the house is a seasonal creek that the winter storms always brings fresh gold to.

                          I set the little sluice up on a side run off as the creek was too high to set it up there I had good flow and classified my material ( Dug from behind rocks in the creek ) at   1/4 inch the derections for the suice showed to pour the material from the bucket into the sluice " I DIDN'T " I just scooped it in as I was afraid to have it blow straight through the sluice  tis pretty short. Feeding it a rate i felt comfrotable with the mat section caught gold material started filling up between the first two riffles material flowed fairly well across the second two the lower riffles flowed well, I saw very little gold on the second mat and none on the last mat section.

                         There are two sections of miners moss under the two sections of riffles these seamed to load up with sand when feeding although the first section was showing fine gold when I cleaned it the second section might have had some but i wasn't apparent.

                                                          OVERALL THIS LITTLE SLUICE CATCHS THE GOLD !!!

       1  Its light,  small,  easy to carry

       2  Very quick and easy to clean out

       3  for where I was working the flow and conditions I was quite pleased with its gold capture

      4   The only down side I found was I had to feed it slower than I'm use to but then I didn't follow the dieections

           Maybe it can run faster I just don't like to lose gold !!!   

 My train leaves tuesday arrives thursday in deming, any body in the silvercity plan on getting out or I should say get off that couch and lets get some fresh air been trying to hook up on another treasure hunting site but I guess no body around treasure hunts any suggestions for that area  

I have used many things in my pursuit of gold.  I've run a 4"  Keene dredge, a 3" Proline.  I've used a Honkoop and a Gold Cat  highbanker.  I really like the Gold Cat "Big Cat" model.  I've never used a trommel.  But most of all for me I like to just plain ol' run a sluice box.

Fits my personality the best.  As a type of equipment will choose the person it wants.  Yes, thats what I said.  Do you really think you had a say?  Much like with pets, you can get a good idea of the owner.  I like to be able to get to spots often unaccessible to bigger equipment sometimes for the solitude, but more for the feeling I got there first.  I can work over some areas that have been dredged (usually to hastily) and get some decent color from the tailings.  I get a more friendly response from BLM and State Forest officials when I indicate I will be sluicing and then the panning.  I find for me it gives me more time to explore and enjoy what is around me, and it sure a heck lot less maintainance and repair. I especially enjoy seeing those small pickers in the ribbed matting at the head of the sluice, that really gets me grinnin'. I will build a small hand operated dry washer from plans that will fit in a 5 gallon bucket for the same reasons..

I have no problem with the bigger stuff, and I will use it on occasion as the situation dictates.  I know I will move less material and probably get less gold but I do not mind.  I do not mind the work as long as it does not seem like work.  If there are others around it gives opportunity to BS without to much inconvienence.    It is more on the safe side as I work alone a lot and safety is a must.  Many dredgers have learned some harsh non habit forming lessons.  These are just my personal opinions.  I do think all equipment is essential, serving it's place for the situation and the operator.  We all have our favorite toys, these are just a couple of mine.

Good Color

Mike

I would like this time to ask a question??  Are there any prospectors who are also trappers and hunters?  I find it hard to believe that we do not share the same interests outside of color.  For me, one thing led to another.  Gold is just another welcome distraction for my time and spendable income, and lack of.  I use all things to explore the others, and I meet some really UNIQUE people either way.  Give me a shout would you.  I'm not asking for your secrets..  (most are mine anyway)..  But if I have to share the credit, OH WELL!!   Small price to pay for having some new friends.  Yes humility is one of my strong suits.  After all laughter is the best medicine.

Mike

to anyone wanting to build there own, don't be afraid to try. It's

not all that hard to do, just know what you want to start with. You

can farm out what you don't want or can't do yourself, it just costs

more to do it that way. If you know for a fact where there is Gold

and near water and you can leaglly mine it, get bigger equipment

that a highbanker or sluice and get after it, don't hold back, go for

the Gold while you can and the price is up!  You can order prints

from Bill and Lindas web site WWW.infowest.com/personal/W/

wfletcher/prospecting.html    or E-mail him at

billandlindaprospecting@hotmail.com  He's got some good stuff

thats not that hard to build and won't cost as much as a new home.

Well snow finally in big amounts, so I'm heading down to where the sun always shines silver city,NM . Looking for that apache gold.  Deming will be my jumping off point. Would like to meet with fellow "Th"ers 

Today found my 599th nugget from the same patch that I have been detecting on for the last 12 month here in Central Victoria.

I would like to stop at the Crater Of Diamonds in Arkansas.  Has anyone been there and if yes, can you share a few tips?  I saw a segment on gpaa with Tom Massey.  I would like to spend a few days there before heading further west.  Hope you can help me with this.

http://dsc.discovery.com/tv/bering-sea-gold/

if you scrowel all the way down you will find the schedel for the up comming show on the discovery chanel

Idaho will soon be my next home.  As I travel there this late spring through the summer I will travel through many gold and gem bearing states.  I hope to share my many adventures with you here as I travel.  It will be a pioneer move for me.  I will be stopping in Alabama, Arkansas, New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming and on into Idaho.  If you are from any of these areas, say hi and maybe we can meet for a quick expedition for some color.  I will also be traveling through Mississippi, and Oklahoma on the way.  Must stop for a catfish or two.  I do hope I get a chance to visit with some of you in my travels, and when I get situated where I am going I would be more than happy to return the visit and hospitality.   Good Color and God Bless to all my fellow goldbugs this year.  Hope to see you on the way.

I'm buying parts to make a back pack sized suction dredge system. I'm starting with a 33cc 2 stroke motor/pump.  It does 1780 gph. I'm going to build a nozzle out of pvc. do some sort of trap so the solids end in a 5 gal bucket...

Then I'm going to be able to disconnect the pump and use it for a small sluice.

it will be a heavy set up for 1 person. I have an old hiking pack thats real light, and basic. I want to mount the motor on front of my pack for a counter ballance. The whole unit weighs 15 pounds. The pack will have hoses. backpack sluice and wash set up made out of pvc or pex. Food, drink, and fuel for motor.  Then I will carry a couple empty buckets by hand.  It sounds like a heavy load. But I'm tough and dumb still :)

Anyone have a set up like this ever? Some insight would be helpful. The big question mark is still my suction nozzle and how I will get the trap to work. Keep the 5 gal trap pressurized most likely, otherwise I would lose all suction to my nozzle.

Again. any ideas would be helpful. Insights. Is my pump big enough? 1".

Applications to serve on a newly-formed advisory committee to guide management of our national forests and grasslands are now available. Members selected to serve on the National Advisory Committee for Implementation of the National Forest System Land Management Planning Rule will advise and give recommendations to the Secretary of Agriculture and the Chief of the U.S. Forest Service on matters related to the implementation of the new planning rule.  

The 45-day nomination period closes Feb. 21, 2012. Additional details on the committee and the application form are available at the U.S Forest Service planning rule website, or by calling 202-205-0830.  Further information is also available in the Federal Register Notice calling for nominations.  (Note that the nomination period has since been extended to Feb. 21, 2012.)

The committee will be comprised of up to 21 members with diverse backgrounds, who represent the full range of public interests in management of the National Forest System lands and who represent geographically diverse locations and communities, within each of the following three categories of interests:

Up to seven members who represent one or more of the following:

    *Represent the affected public at-large

    *Hold State-elected office (or designee)

    *Hold county or local elected office

    *Represent American Indian Tribes

    *Represent Youth

Up to seven members who represent one or more of the following:

    *National, regional, or local environmental organizations

   *Conservation organizations or watershed associations

    *Dispersed recreation interests

    *Archaeological or historical interests

    *Scientific Community

Up to seven members who represent one or more of the following:

    *Timber Industry

    *Grazing or other land use permit holders or other private forest landowners

   *Energy and mineral development

    *Commercial or recreational hunting and fishing interests

    *Developed outdoor recreation, off-highway vehicle users, or commercial recreation interests

The committee will provide advice and recommendations on issues such as planning rule directives for implementation, best practices, effective monitoring practices and ongoing collaboration efforts. The announcement of this committee builds on the Agency's efforts to develop a new Land Management Planning Rule for the National Forest System.

 Here are eight county sheriffs from Northern CA and Southern OR speaking on at panel at the Defend Rural America event October 22, 2011 in Yreka. Despite the low media coverage there were about 700 people in attendance from all over California, Oregon and as far away as Wyoming. The sheriffs made it perfectly clear that they are the last line of defense for their citizens and given authority by the 10th Amendment.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4RuWK2Ww-4