It took me much of this past summer (rookie moves of all sort) but eventually found an old pit and then a slightly rotten chunk of quartz sounding off that sharp mid number "bbzZ" Yes. It was gold. Visible gold after cracking the rock open, like a caveman. Might only be a couple grams, but it marks a begining for me. Thanks Chris, your videos do help make the difference.
Chris, got the book a few weeks ago and I cant put it down! Learning alot from it. I recommend it to anyone- beginner to advance. Awesome video as always.
Everything you are explaining is here on a Hill in Pennsylvania and I have been trying to save money for a metal detector but I hope to get one soon! I have a collected a lot of quartz but haven’t processed anything yet! Thanks for the video it just makes me more confident to keep searching
The pipe was terracotta type material I found around broken up on the way down to the creek towards the big v trench that goes from the top of the hill to 3/4 the way down the hill and the creek is at the bottom
Great video my friend. We still need to hook up and get out detecting. I’m stop putting the stops on the shop but I’m telling people if the opportunity come along to go detecting your car will have to wait.
Hi I wish I’d known you were in my area I have a huge pit and a cemented shaft, finding lots of surface quartz with gold . There’s tons of big chunks of rock piled up.
my 6 year old found a nice specimen of pyrite in rock, i heated a small piece and crushed it to find it seems to have some silver and gold flakes and a few small pickers. maybe some other base metals, hopefully i can use it for a first attempt at assaying and see it done in person. at least i have some good material for panning practice for now lol.
Thanks, Chris. Excellent stuff here! Are there are any hallmarks one can look for to distinguish caved in shafts vs surface pits & trenches? Or should one just err on the safe side and avoid any and all large depressions in the ground?
Hey Chris! I was recently out looking for abandoned mines in a known area for pinch and swell veins, and dumped next to the dirt road I was traveling along was a huge pile of milky quartz or possibly marble. No sounds from the metal detector, but just curious why that would have been dumped next to the road. My best guess at the time was that the truck (or wagon) broke down, and they needed to offload it to facilitate repairing the truck or something like that. Do you have any idea?
Awesome Video Teach, .... lots of great info! Let me ask you about a mine I know of; According to the research I have done so far, it has a 400' shaft and quite extensive workings off of it. There was a stamp mill hauled up to it in the 1900's. But it is recorded as not producing anything. It as well has a sister mine within 50' of it. One was a gold mine and the other a silver etc. mine. My question is; does it make any sense that they never produced anything ? I think not! I am in the northern mother load country just to the east a couple of miles, between two of the largest gold finds in the state just north of Cali. Your opinion would be valued for entertainment purposes only.Thinking of filing a claim on it, ...
These are awesome vids, thanks! What are the chances of finding gold in quartz veins in areas that have not been mined? Say, in the rocky mountains of colorado in an area that is volcanic?
Its possible and I know folks who have done that in Nevada and AZ. However there are loads of barren quartz veins because quartz is extremely common, while gold is very rare. So lots of quartz veins out there with nothing in them.
"ONYA CHRIS" very interesting with great info.well done mate. I was wondering if the old timers would sluice the material around the quartze veins,if so what would be a average distance coz the depression from the shift is huge.cheers Chris.shane from Bathurst Australia
Where the bedrock is weathered and soft, then yes it was common to sluice the whole area around the vein. The amount depends on how deeply the rock is weathered. Hard and solid rock cannot just be washed away with water.
Hi Chris, new subscriber here...thanks for your knowledge! I've got a few good hits on my detector in an old mine. 2 of the hits are right in the middle of an 8" wide vertical quartz vein at the very end of the tunnel. I only had a claw hammer and it wouldn't even scratch the surface...so hard! So I'm asking two questions: What kind of rock pick should I get (the tunnel is about 6' high). And is it possible another metal lives in the quartz other than gold (that is setting my detector off)?. It's reading 1 and 2 on my Equinox 900 (which is typically gold). Thank you.
I've not used an Equinox before, so I cant say. Once you get far back from the surface, even a big pick my not do much damage to a very solid quartz vein.
I forget the name of the old book I found in the Kern County Library in Rosamond 25 years ago. Along the lines of being broke, not being able to haul in a mill, and supplies, about early 1900s the Pauly Bros. were told of a lead out on the north edge of Muroc dry lake east of town. They rode on out there on Harley Davidson motorcycles and located the pocket, broke it out, sacked it and hauled to Isabella to a mill to be processed. After all the toll fees , horses, and gas they split $12,000. Well over 600 ounces. They had a number of local businesses around these parts that came from the proceeds of that lead. Today gold is 97 times more per ounce in dollars so that 12grand was equal to over one million dollars back then. by the way A Harley is between 100 , and 256 times the 1915 price.
It's hard to tell from the video, but my guess is that the area was ditched and ground sluiced. Then, after ground sluicing, they prospected riicher areas they found by loaming, panning, and trenching the topsoil for highgrade.
How do you protect your claims? I assume you cannot be there 24/7/365 so what do you do to ensure someone else isn't claim jumping? Furthermore, how do you even handle it if someone is claim jumping? I assume this is a complex answer but would love to hear your thoughts.
I watched another prospector and saw him have issues with his claim before he even bought it. there's not much you can do but catch them yourself, and report it... but the response is rarely quick and they are usually gone and leave a big mess by the time authorities arrive.
Some places have environmental protections but most of the time you don't have to. But it's much appreciated if you do. It's better for the environment and makes prospectors as a whole look better. We should always strive to leave places we disturb in as close to the original state as possible
🧈Chris, you should tape more video like it in the river to explain how you read the natural Sluice that trap Gold! 🏆ua-cam.com/video/yf0uCqUdsFQ/v-deo.html
Chris, it's so good to see you back in the field. I wish I could be be there, but my body is just to broken.
Much love to you, my friend.
I understand, I hope things get better for you.
@michaelpack7591 sorry to hear brother , want to recommend DR Berg's channel as its helped me through my physical battle.
It took me much of this past summer (rookie moves of all sort) but eventually found an old pit and then a slightly rotten chunk of quartz sounding off that sharp mid number "bbzZ"
Yes. It was gold. Visible gold after cracking the rock open, like a caveman. Might only be a couple grams, but it marks a begining for me. Thanks Chris, your videos do help make the difference.
Congratulations. Sounds like a good place for more searching.
Chris, got the book a few weeks ago and I cant put it down! Learning alot from it. I recommend it to anyone- beginner to advance. Awesome video as always.
Awesome, thank you for the kind words and recommendation!
Thanks so much for expounding these old time methods- it's hard to figure out.
Happy to help! Glad you enjoyed it.
Fascinating presentation! Good to know what to look for! Tbsnks!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Everything you are explaining is here on a Hill in Pennsylvania and I have been trying to save money for a metal detector but I hope to get one soon! I have a collected a lot of quartz but haven’t processed anything yet! Thanks for the video it just makes me more confident to keep searching
The pipe was terracotta type material I found around broken up on the way down to the creek towards the big v trench that goes from the top of the hill to 3/4 the way down the hill and the creek is at the bottom
of course a trench with a pipe in it was likely dug to bury the pipe, not to search for veins.
Good luck in your search!
Pleasant motivating video.
I love the historic learning about it too.
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching
Great video my friend. We still need to hook up and get out detecting. I’m stop putting the stops on the shop but I’m telling people if the opportunity come along to go detecting your car will have to wait.
I agree, but we are getting again to the cold weather season, with a forecast for a wet winter. Lets stay in touch and figure a time to go out.
Hi I wish I’d known you were in my area I have a huge pit and a cemented shaft, finding lots of surface quartz with gold . There’s tons of big chunks of rock piled up.
Interesting, but the mother lode country of the Sierra covers a large area.
Is there a way to send pictures?
I’m in Calaveras
Thanks Chris, good information.
Glad it was helpful!
my 6 year old found a nice specimen of pyrite in rock, i heated a small piece and crushed it to find it seems to have some silver and gold flakes and a few small pickers. maybe some other base metals, hopefully i can use it for a first attempt at assaying and see it done in person. at least i have some good material for panning practice for now lol.
sounds interesting.
Thanks, Chris. Excellent stuff here! Are there are any hallmarks one can look for to distinguish caved in shafts vs surface pits & trenches? Or should one just err on the safe side and avoid any and all large depressions in the ground?
The dumps for pits are small - the same size as the pit. The dumps for shafts are much larger than the pit because the excavation is larger.
@@ChrisRalph Thank you, sir!
Hey Chris! I was recently out looking for abandoned mines in a known area for pinch and swell veins, and dumped next to the dirt road I was traveling along was a huge pile of milky quartz or possibly marble. No sounds from the metal detector, but just curious why that would have been dumped next to the road. My best guess at the time was that the truck (or wagon) broke down, and they needed to offload it to facilitate repairing the truck or something like that. Do you have any idea?
Not seeing it myself, its super hard to guess what it might be.
Awesome Video Teach, .... lots of great info!
Let me ask you about a mine I know of; According to the research I have done so far, it has a 400' shaft and quite extensive workings off of it. There was a stamp mill hauled up to it in the 1900's. But it is recorded as not producing anything. It as well has a sister mine within 50' of it. One was a gold mine and the other a silver etc. mine.
My question is; does it make any sense that they never produced anything ? I think not! I am in the northern mother load country just to the east a couple of miles, between two of the largest gold finds in the state just north of Cali. Your opinion would be valued for entertainment purposes only.Thinking of filing a claim on it, ...
There are many mines with a small production, but no recorded production for government records.
These are awesome vids, thanks! What are the chances of finding gold in quartz veins in areas that have not been mined? Say, in the rocky mountains of colorado in an area that is volcanic?
Its possible and I know folks who have done that in Nevada and AZ. However there are loads of barren quartz veins because quartz is extremely common, while gold is very rare. So lots of quartz veins out there with nothing in them.
"ONYA CHRIS" very interesting with great info.well done mate. I was wondering if the old timers would sluice the material around the quartze veins,if so what would be a average distance coz the depression from the shift is huge.cheers Chris.shane from Bathurst Australia
Where the bedrock is weathered and soft, then yes it was common to sluice the whole area around the vein. The amount depends on how deeply the rock is weathered. Hard and solid rock cannot just be washed away with water.
Hi Chris, new subscriber here...thanks for your knowledge! I've got a few good hits on my detector in an old mine. 2 of the hits are right in the middle of an 8" wide vertical quartz vein at the very end of the tunnel. I only had a claw hammer and it wouldn't even scratch the surface...so hard! So I'm asking two questions: What kind of rock pick should I get (the tunnel is about 6' high). And is it possible another metal lives in the quartz other than gold (that is setting my detector off)?. It's reading 1 and 2 on my Equinox 900 (which is typically gold). Thank you.
I've not used an Equinox before, so I cant say. Once you get far back from the surface, even a big pick my not do much damage to a very solid quartz vein.
@@ChrisRalph That's what I was afraid of :( Thank you
I forget the name of the old book I found in the Kern County Library in Rosamond 25 years ago. Along the lines of being broke, not being able to haul in a mill, and supplies, about early 1900s the Pauly Bros. were told of a lead out on the north edge of Muroc dry lake east of town. They rode on out there on Harley Davidson motorcycles and located the pocket, broke it out, sacked it and hauled to Isabella to a mill to be processed. After all the toll fees , horses, and gas they split $12,000. Well over 600 ounces. They had a number of local businesses around these parts that came from the proceeds of that lead.
Today gold is 97 times more per ounce in dollars so that 12grand was equal to over one million dollars back then. by the way A Harley is between 100 , and 256 times the 1915 price.
Sounds really great, good luck in your search.
I live in the pines right next to a large gold area, however its hard for me to prospect there with all the organic debris in the way.
Very true. I have raked off Pine needles and detectected gold underneath.
It's hard to tell from the video, but my guess is that the area was ditched and ground sluiced. Then, after ground sluicing, they prospected riicher areas they found by loaming, panning, and trenching the topsoil for highgrade.
That's possible.
Wish I lived closer to an area like that
The open forest has many advantages.
good info
Glad you think so! Hope you are well.
How do you protect your claims? I assume you cannot be there 24/7/365 so what do you do to ensure someone else isn't claim jumping? Furthermore, how do you even handle it if someone is claim jumping?
I assume this is a complex answer but would love to hear your thoughts.
I keep quiet about the claims. take a look at my videos on staking a claim for more info.
I watched another prospector and saw him have issues with his claim before he even bought it.
there's not much you can do but catch them yourself, and report it... but the response is rarely quick and they are usually gone and leave a big mess by the time authorities arrive.
hi Chris. regardless of it's price what is best metal detector with accurate target id .please mention it's name
There are many opinions. Are you also trying to find gold?
@@ChrisRalph yeah for both gold and treasure
Probably an equinox would be the best for seeking both.
Thanks, Will search a hill in the area...named the mininghill ⛏🤠
Good luck! Hope your hunt is successful.
Thanks and hope so, cause was an viking King who was rich but noone find his treasure... Hopefully it can be some hints in the hill :)@@ChrisRalph
If you dig a hole in the trenches do you need to fill in the trench?
Just the hole you dig, not the ones dug by the old time miners.
Some places have environmental protections but most of the time you don't have to. But it's much appreciated if you do. It's better for the environment and makes prospectors as a whole look better. We should always strive to leave places we disturb in as close to the original state as possible
Your videos never disappoint, just like your book. 😊👍✝️☝️👑🙏
Wow, thank you. Glad you liked the video.
After a few rains will show more material as it cleans the dirt off so you can see quartz
Yes, rain will clean things off.
I've always said, follow the ditches! They didnt dig ditches for nothing.
Very true and a good idea.
🧈Chris, you should tape more video like it in the river to explain how you read the natural Sluice that trap Gold! 🏆ua-cam.com/video/yf0uCqUdsFQ/v-deo.html
I have done this - See: ua-cam.com/video/FW5Mf6cKk4w/v-deo.html
❤❤❤
Thanks