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Project

Glad to be back on here even for a minute.Been working on a mini sluice and hope to have it done shortly. When I get it done I will post some pictures. I have some material that I got from a spot on the Ouachita river just a short way from my house but have not had time to work it yet.I know the chances are slim but I just had to do something prospecting related. I am gonna be sooo glad to go to Alabama Gold Camp in May. Actually go someplace and have a better chance to find some yellow in my pan.
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Kern River Gold

Well,today,a few friends and I wil go out on the Kern and do some sluicing.Usually,we dont do to good on the lower Kern.But,there is always color to be had,if you dig enough.Hopefully,we can find a decent spot for the sluice.The local chapter has a meeting soon,and,I will attempt to attend.They have a outing as well Saturday,and if possible,I will drag my ass out there as well.Especially since its a dry prospecting outing,close to home.It will give me a chance to see how the new dry washer blower works before I get to far from home with it.Since,the new blower has 20 more mph,and 30 more cfm.Well,time to go dig.
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north east tenn gold

I just got some land in hancock county tn north of sneedville its in north east tenn went up there for a little while last month. Took my gold pan seems i allways have it with me. the land has a small creek on the back side of it where it runs out of the hills up above it. thought it looked good to pan so i gave it a go an found yellow right away not real big but its gold. just wanting to no if any one has any info on gold in this area. i done some looking around on the computer an it seems gold has been found in the countys on both sides of it but no reports for that county. but gold is where you find it the countys on both side gold reports are from the late 1800. anyone with any info on this area would be a great help. going back up soon as it warms up with my highbanker.
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Trip to Benson cyn.

Ha guys got back from Benson Cyn about 4 pm. today nothing but bad luck.My Quad would not start work on it for about 3 hr.no luck.Did alittle nugget hunting no gold but found a few lead and brass pieces for my collection decided to pack it end. Came home and check the Quad out again guess what spark plug no good over 3 hr. to fine that out. Going back tomorrow and trying again. There was quite a few guys out drywashing and nugget huntting from the San Fernando GPAA chapter.
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First Day of digging this year

First day of diggin in the desert this year.And,as expected,well,maybe not expected,but,should have been anticipated.The blower for the dry washer would not fire.Bill and I lugged it down to the GPAA base camp,mooched a plug wrench.But,to no avail.So,you can guess what I am doing first thing in the morning.Either fixing or replacing that blower.Spent a few hours detecting,but,no luck.Unless you count nails or old bullet slugs.While Craig and Rocky were doing some detecting,Bill and I filled and classified a few buckets to drag home.As a side note,I was pleased to see my new digging bar far exceeded my expectations.I dont believe I will use a pic again ,just the digging bar.Well,if it were easy,everybody would do it--LOL

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El Paso Mountains

Well,tommorow at 530 am,Bill and I,are headed out to the El Paso Mountains.Gonna a meet up with Craig.Hopefully,it will be dry enough to run the dry washer.But,even if not,better than sitting at the house all day.if,you never hear from me again,its because I found a nugget the size of a VW.And,am on some island I just bought--LOL
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Glad to Be Here

I am glad to be here!!! I am new to the prospecting world and got bitten by the bug purely by watching Gold Fever on the Outdoor Channel. I do not live in a "gold producing" state, but there is some gold in Arkansas. It is very fine stuff but it is here.My wife and I have a trip planned to Alabama Gold Camp in May and I CAN'T wait.As I stated before I am a beginner and have a limited amount of equipment. I have the equipment that I got from the GPAA and have recently aquired a Jobe sluice.I am like everyone else and hope to find that 15 pound nugget but am gonna enjoy the heck outta myself till I find it!Till later all I can say is "Au Go Get Some Gold"
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Winter Doldrums

Looking at the photo's that some of you have posted really gave me the uplift I needed, but would be alot better if It was me that was out there finding that gold. I guess i will just have to be patient, for the warm weather is coming. I can remember a few years back the cold weather, water, ect. never seem to bother us. Now seems we have to wait til the weather warms.
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ADK?

Well,it appears,that San Fernando GPAA has a meeting out in the El Paso's this Saturday and Sunday.As I understand it,Keene will be out there with a dry washer demo.Bill,Craig,and I will be heading out to check out the demo,then,a bit further in.Hopefully we can find enough dry dirt to run the Exoricst.If not,I suppose it will be metal detectors or nothing.
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Maiden voyage

Diane and I just purchased a used travel trailer (trying to get our retirement ducks in a row) and decided that our first trip should be to the GPAA gold show in Fresno. After arriving in the RV park (which was one step away from a swamp due to the recent rains) we managed to get the trailer leveled and most of the appliances working. The hot water heater was cranky and I did not get it going until the second day. Undaunted, we sallied forth to the show intending to arrive at least a half an hour early to have a chance at the vials of gold given to the first 100 customers. Upon arrival, we were surprised to see a line of people already extending 400 yards from the entrance...(so much for the gold vials). The show was packed with 1200 people and the crowds around some vendors tables were three deep. My friend Rob (who owns 49'er mining supply) was inundated with business so I got behind the counter to give him a hand....and ended up working there all day selling maps, crevassing tools and demonstrating the blue bowl. Sunday was a bit slower which allowed Diane and I to trade off behind the counter and check out the show.I had arranged to meet with some forum members and was glad to talk with Mike and Vini in person (see pics identifying them in my gold show video) Unfortunately, I did miss out on meeting some other members who attended (we will have to get T-shirts or secret recognition buttons to wear next time)The fact that I was helping out a friend probably saved me a bunch of money because I was salivating over some of the dredges, finishing sluices and trommels at the show.The trip back up the mountains to our home near the north entrance of Yosemite was solid rain and wind (no fun when you are pulling a 22 ft trailer). The 150 mile trip took 5 hours and left me with a case of the yips and twitches. But all was well, we arrived home safe and are looking forward to our next adventure.Rickhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mokkjIGsukY
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Howdy,

Out in one of the best little ignored spots in Arizona. 3 rivers, one of which runs right through town(gold in it), gold in all of them, easy to find some color, hard to find enough to matter. Nice to see a place for prospectors and not just all detectors. Have a small restaurant on the old historic main street of Clifton, Chase Creek Street(gold in chase creek too, but doesn't run anymore). Gold Panner Grub. Gold talk encouraged over free coffee.
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Fresno Gold Show

Hello,Went to the Gold Show in Fresno Saturday.Bought a few nick nacks.Drooled over dozens more(lol) .Had the chance to meet Tom Massey.I am posting basically to say what a personable guy Tom was.He was quite liberal with his time.All in all,the kinda guy you would like to dig or drink beer with--lol
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?

I have a ? what would be the best place to start sampling after a big flood. there is no bedrock in this place that i have found .
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diamonds

diamond-carbon ccolor and luster:white,colorless,pale shades of yellow,red,orange,blue,adamantine,greacy.cleavage:perfect,four directionscrystols:isometric,mostly octahedrons,less commonly dodecahedral,rarely cubic,usually with curved faces,also rounded,and irregular grainsbest field marks:extreame hardness and greasysimilar species:diamonds is mostly easily confused with quartz pebbles,but the luster and hardness of a diamond will suffice to distinguish one from another.environment:diamonds are mostly found or mined from placer sedimentary deposits,diamond is actually formed in pedridotite of plutonic rocks,where it associated with olivine,magnetite and phlogopite.occurance known:1867 in pike county,arkansas and gold placers mining of gravels in several northern mother lodes in california.gem stone data:colorless.fainted tinted,commonly known with yellow or brown and less commonly with green or blue,in fancy diamonds browns are very common,orange,violet,strong yellow red,blue,are the rarest.black diamonds are rarely used in jewelry.and bort and carbonado.
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Saga of the homemade sluice continues

I was doing a cleanup of the cons from some gold trips. I ran them through my homemade sluice and was panning them out on the patio. I noticed that the local group of mule deer had moved in to the back yard to drink from my processing buckets (they have found them an easier source of clean water than trudging to the local creek). Suddenly, there is a horible racket and I look up to see one of the big bucks with his antlers tangled in the bungee cord that was holding my jury rigged header box to the sluice. The buck takes off at a dead run with the sluice box bouncing merrily behind him....with me in hot pursuit!! When he reached the treeline, the sluice caught on a small tree and the bungee cord broke (I am 6 feet tall and weigh close to 200 lbs and I can't break one of those cords...did I mention this was a BIG buck)Everything turned out well...the deer was scared but unhurt and the sluice only suffered a bent latch. My wife only wishes she had a video of me chasing my sluice and the deer!Best of all...I had already removed my gold. (see my latest 4 pics)Rick

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Thanks

Thank you all, for the warm welcome. I look forward to doing a lot of learning on this site. I am new to the world of gold, just getting started last year.The picture of Tom and I was taken at a GPAA outing in Athens, Mi. It was my first outing and Tom had come out to meet and greet, it was awesome.
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Cabin Fever

With Diane's broken leg (it's a long story)...We had not had a chance to go gold prospecting or detecting. Cabin fever was setting in, so I decided to go ahead with a project I had been considering. I wanted to make a sluice that would easily show me the location of the paystreak with random samples from various likely locations. The obvious answer was to incorporate an extra long inspection mat with a short set of riffles. It took two days to make the box, waterproof it, and round up the hardware but the effort was well worth it.After making the sluice, I could not wait to test my creation so I got up early and headed for the creek. After an hour drive to the claim, I spent five hours working my new box and my old Keene sluice. My home-made sluice performed like a champ and I was very pleased.It was a warm but perfect day on the creek and the best part(of course) was the gold(see the pics in my photo album titled "Homemade sluice"
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What to do with the flakes and pickers?

My girlfriend and I have been spending some time gold hunting in the mother lode country...we have moved a lot of dirt but have been rewarded for our efforts. Now, the problem...what to do with the gold?I thought I found a unique solution....I married her and had rings made with the gold we found last year....thought you might like a peek. (see rings in my photos......P.S. today is our first anniversary)HHRick
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We just bought a ml 4000

This is our first detector that didn't come from walmart! We are very excited & can't waite to get out of Phoenix & back out to the gold fields! 2 more weeks! Maybe by playing around w/it here a little we'll figure out how to use it!
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My Best Gold Nugget!

Just wanted to share with everyone that Feb. 4 at 6:30 a.m., the largest and prettiest nugget I've ever seen came into this world. Ella Rose is my second Granddaughter and can't imagine anything more precious. Wish I had a photo to share but I'm still working on how to do that. Congrats to Great Uncles kchacha and Klondike Kent.
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