RotGrub's Video's from CA

[RotGrub]

Great vids.

That's the way the old timers did it.

Spent a day with a full-time prospector in Tasmania looking at where the different wash layers are on an old creek bed.

The first place I was digging was much the same approach as the vid but I learned that the best wash layers were too deep there at 50ft. We moved to a different location and the more accessible wash layers were at 5-8ft. More diggings there by the old timers. Lots of coarse gold.

The full-time prospector worked with an excavator on that creek from nearly 15 years just to focus on a 6 inch wash layer and not really worry about the rest of it. It wasn't his claim, just 100m South of it but he was kind enough to explain wash layers to me and my son.

Great day.

If your serious I reckon you'd been doing the same method for the virgin areas.

Redmanti, it's a balance. We only have limited time (for now) to mine so we try to maximize our recovery with exploration. This is a new area for us so every week end we are gathering info which adjusts our direction. We have about 12 weeks left in the season (that's if the rain starts as forecast) so at some point we'll go with what we know and hopefully pack our box with gold...

 

[RotGrub]

OK, here's part 3 of Moving South. The good news is I think we found bedrock...

[video=480,360]http://youtu.be/imdrvBB5jhA[/video]

 

[AtomRat]

Like you said mate, at least you now know where its not! To the south! Hahaha

 

[Prospector B]

They had to stockpile their pay dirt nearby on virgin ground and move it (probably with mules) to a location where they diverted the creek flow outside of the main gut. This is what I believe is currently exposed on the north side of the claim. This is why we are exploring south of the creek. I will know more after this weekend and follow up with part two of Moving South.

Can I propose something outside the box here? And I'm probably wrong. Maybe they didn't divert the creek. If I was working a creek I would run my sluice in it and dump the tailings somewhere else if I had to. In this way I don't have to move the dirt far. This could explain why you are finding gold in test pit two because it's closer to the creek and possibly virgin ground, just not well paying. If you're sure it's diverted then try and find where that starts and see if you can trace the old creek from that source, might save a test hole or two.

Good luck! And BTW you're motivating me to dig some holes myself!

 

[RotGrub]

Like you said mate, at least you now know where its not! To the south! Hahaha

I can show you many places where the gold isn't...

 

[RotGrub]

They had to stockpile their pay dirt nearby on virgin ground and move it (probably with mules) to a location where they diverted the creek flow outside of the main gut. This is what I believe is currently exposed on the north side of the claim. This is why we are exploring south of the creek. I will know more after this weekend and follow up with part two of Moving South.

Can I propose something outside the box here? And I'm probably wrong. Maybe they didn't divert the creek. If I was working a creek I would run my sluice in it and dump the tailings somewhere else if I had to. In this way I don't have to move the dirt far. This could explain why you are finding gold in test pit two because it's closer to the creek and possibly virgin ground, just not well paying. If you're sure it's diverted then try and find where that starts and see if you can trace the old creek from that source, might save a test hole or two.

Good luck! And BTW you're motivating me to dig some holes myself!

The interesting part of prospecting is trying to retrace the past. We know there were approximately 50 miners working this area. They stockpiled their pay dirt and waited for the water to flow; this has been documented in old journals. Going back 150 yrs not only were none of the existing tree present, but based on my findings and conclusions I believe the ground is 5 ft higher now than 1860. I'm pretty sure the current creek is part of or the area where many miners ran their material. Due to the depth of the bedrock (at least in test pit 3) it might put the old creek out of reach for a pick and shovel crew...

 

[northerngold]

Rotgrub you certainly are not afraid of a little hard work. Watching your videos has got me thinking about dragging out the old sluice box and digging some holes myself. Very cool to watch mate. Hope you find the old creek and your gold.

 

[RotGrub]

Rotgrub you certainly are not afraid of a little hard work. Watching your videos has got me thinking about dragging out the old sluice box and digging some holes myself. Very cool to watch mate. Hope you find the old creek and your gold.

northerngold, A crummy day prospecting beats sitting around the house in my book. You never know what you'll find good or bad. Once you get back into your prospecting groove it will be hard to stop.

 

[backcreek]

Like you said mate, at least you now know where its not! To the south! Hahaha

I can show you many places where the gold isn't...

So Can I Rotgrub

 

[MJB]

Hey Rotgrub, you guys are amazing in your ability to dig deep holes, love watching your vids so keep em' coming.

In Oz, where ever the old timers dug they left behind piles of cobbles, rocks and holes all over the place. This always gives you a very noticeable indication of where the gold was. In your vid it seems fairly flat and devoid of piles of debris. If that was over here I would say its all virgin ground and would head back to the creek location. The noticeable lack of evidence tells me that they knew the ground was barren.

Just my thoughts anyway mate and without actually seeing the ground for myself. Hope you are able to line Ling Lings pockets with gold and find that virgin wash.

 

[RotGrub]

MJB, There are mounds and depressions all over the claim. We first went into the current creek bed and punched 2 pits. The second pit produced 3/4 oz of nice gold with a few chunky nuggets. I concluded that TP1 & 2 were located in an old tailing channel so we decided to look for the original creek bed which led us south of TP2. Due to the lack of water there has been very little modern mining on this claim and over the last 130 years there has been floods which have covered much of the claim. I'm guessing there is approximately 5 ft of overburden over much of the old creek. We will probably dig another test pit further south of TP3 but since the current creek (tailings) is giving up decent gold we'll probably work it until the gold runs out or we get new info from searching the claim.

 

[backcreek]

Hay Rotgrub,
I see you and Lyn have a staring role in the latest HurtHawks clip.
Looked like a fun outing.
I am subscribed to Hurthawk's and also Shannon's channel as well.

 

[RotGrub]

Backcreek, that was our first outing with AMRA. I didn't make the connection with Hurthawk... I too am subscribed to him but I guess I'm getting a little dense on my old age. It was a good time and Shannon gave us a report of AMRA's plans to address the lawless agencies that are trying to restrict our access and mining activities. It will be interesting to see how everything works out.

 

[AtomRat]

I hope you all the best on those issues rotgrub..

I grabbed some stainless steel mesh as I couldn't find nylon..so ill see how long it takes to clog up..probably not long because its sharp matrial, but thanks for the tips..it will certainly help on those muddy puddles I recirculate with

 

[backcreek]

Backcreek, that was our first outing with AMRA. I didn't make the connection with Hurthawk... I too am subscribed to him but I guess I'm getting a little dense on my old age. It was a good time and Shannon gave us a report of AMRA's plans to address the lawless agencies that are trying to restrict our access and mining activities. It will be interesting to see how everything works out.

I'm watching Shannon's clips as well because I think if it can happen over your way it can happen here, just look at our ridiculous gun laws for example.
So I watch with interest.

 

[RotGrub]

yea, I've been a little ticked off so I made this nice video. We have a few issues that need tending to here in the US...

 

[MJB]

Nice vid there Rotgrub,

I'm picking up the sentiment shown in your vids mate and we here in Australia are facing the same battles you guys are over there. Wish you guys all the best in your fight.

Thanks for sharing mate,
Matt

 

[WalnLiz]

You're fighting a worldwide battle there mate and we over here fight the same cause. Life was much simpler when I was a younger lad, and the the so called "do gooders" weren't being brainwashed by the university campuses to join a force focused on locking up all the forests, streams and land outside city limits.

Education on what is necessary to keep the bush in good stead for future generations is what is required...not a blanket closure of activities that use the bush for both a healthy lifestyle and escape from city pressures. Management of the environment is more than a padlock on a gate.

Wal.

 

[RotGrub]

Nice vid there Rotgrub,

I'm picking up the sentiment shown in your vids mate and we here in Australia are facing the same battles you guys are over there. Wish you guys all the best in your fight.

Thanks for sharing mate,
Matt

Yes MJB, it seems that the idiots are spreading like a virus. We gotta find the creep behind all this crap and take him mining...

 

[RotGrub]

I hope you all the best on those issues rotgrub..

I grabbed some stainless steel mesh as I couldn't find nylon..so ill see how long it takes to clog up..probably not long because its sharp matrial, but thanks for the tips..it will certainly help on those muddy puddles I recirculate with

AtomRat, The SS mesh is tough stuff. It never plugged until I starting working this new claim. I ran one screen for an entire season (over 500 buckets) and it never plugged. Another trick is to make the screen removable and not fixed as my previous setup. This way if you do get plugs you can clean both sides and replace the screen. Good luck and dig deep!