Panning for Gold??

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cheeptrick

cheeptrick

Songster
12 Years
May 1, 2007
1,775
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New Hampshire
I'm about to embark on a camping trip and wanted to know if there are any Panners on this site?

Any tips on panning?

GOLD FEVER has got me good...got my pans, sifters, homemade sluice, magnets, and National Geographic kids metal detector...

Am I just going to be digging DIRT and breaking my back??

NASDAQ reports $884 per TROY ounce right now...

Troy ounce is about 31 grams...

Man...I've got it BAD!!
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Where are you going? I have been gold mining before and its a blast. I have gone in Northern California though so not sure where you are. I have a pair of nugget earrings that I had made from the first little bit of gold I found. Its not like you can find the mother lode of all gold mines but it is a fun experience.
 
I went, about 12 years ago, to Silverton, Co. Looks like a long drive or expensive plane ride for you if you wanna go there though!

It was fun! I found a couple tiny fragments but that was it. Kids enjoy it!
 
We are going camping and last season we went to the same place. Saw these OLD rock hounds panning for gold and they said it was a good spot...paying out nicely. It is in the NH white mountains...but I'm NOT telling where!! LOL We found a nice silver chunk/nugget at least 10 ounces or so...DD just pulled it up out of the water and said HUH...what kind of rock is this. Old rock hound turned around and said...AHHH you don't want that old thing!! Big smile on his face totally made us realize she had something. Turns OUT it was silver and what she found was almost completely silver NO lead, iron ore etc...it was spiraled all around like wire almost. It was beautiful...even tarnished a little. He said it was probably worth about $250 total last summer...So I immediately TOOK it from DD hand and packed it in our camping gear...humbly telling DH that we will get it out when we get home. Got home...put all camping gear in the garage...tired went to bed. Next weekend...unpacking...CANNOT find the silver. LOOKED everywhere...accused children....accused DH...could not accuse Rock Hounds because they were not around when I packed it. Kept looking for the perfect place to PUT it so I'd remember where it was...

Never found it...
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Still looking....a year later!

Maybe it'll turn up when we set up camp this year...
Or maybe I'll HIT the motherload panning next to our campsite! LOL

Thanks everyone for sharing your stories...I'll come back with PICTURES for US!~!
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My husband and neighbor pan....actually our neighbor has a pretty elaborate set-up. We live in gold country, CA.....they pan in the little creek that runs through our backyard....he pulls out something (little flakes and nuggets) everytime he does. We should probably take it a little more seriously.....might be able to make some money. There's lots o' gold left in CA.....
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Theres an old story around here (or tall tale perhaps) that an old prospector had a banty hen and decided to eat it one day. when cleaning out the gizzard he found a nugget. he used the nugget to purchase 40 more hens, turned them loose and struck it rich when he processed them all.

Moral of the story is take a chicken on your trip just in case.
 
Well, my father supported himself during the depression panning gold. He liked to starved to death. They ate rattlesnakes to stay alive.

Anyway, he realized that most of the areas they were working had been worked out years before. Seems like where ever they went, someone had beat them to it.

Then he noticed that you could still see where the miners' cabins had been. Miners would not keep their stash in the tent or cabin, but somewhere within eyeshot of the place they were living. That way, it wouldn't get stolen.

Look around old campsites, under rocks and logs, in old cans etc. Use your metal detectors. A lot of old miners died during the flu epidemic in 1917. Their stashes are still out there.

After he figured that out, him and his partner lived pretty well.

Rufus
 
Absolutely, what d.k. said. Don't forget the essentials for comfort. I don't know a thing about your area, but something to put on bites or poison oak...just in case.

Living in California, you have a lot of chances to play at it. My dfil left us his nuggets when he passed away. To me they are way more cool as nuggets. Even the dust is cool, but I have less of an attachment to dust.

Have lots of fun, and I hope you find something really nice; including last year's haul!

Don't forget to post when you get back!
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