Broomstick Gold

We found a fairly large boulder nestled in the shoreline close to the campsite within a well-known gold drop zone. I thought that it possibly was laying on bedrock, and could very likely hide some gold. We were going to move it and have a look.

No Gravel, No Gold

It was the spring and I was planning on dredging the east bank of the Mokelumne River near the whitewater falls of Slaughter House Gulch just out of Pine Grove, California. The water was high and remained that way into July.

Dredgiing the Mokelumne

Gold mining adventures can begin in the most unusual fashion. This one started when the high water receding in May of 1999 disclosed that a tragedy had occurred somewhere upstream of Slaughterhouse Gulch on the north fork of the Mokelumne River in northern California.

Searching for Gold at Paradise Valley, Alaska

There are lots of stories about the big gold found in Alaska, but where does a prospector get the idea that it’s something the every day gold miner might get involved in? One must understand that the quest for gold in the mid-1800s brought folks from all walks of life to the gold fields. Today’s regiment of gold diggers is no different, as this article illustrates.

The Mama John

You may reckon by the name that we’re talking about an outhouse for the old lady, but it’s actually the name I gave to a special contraption I put together so my wife didn’t have to work so hard moving big boulders.

Horsetail Gold

The horsetail is a type of plant that grows in sandy soil usually very close to a water supply. Its uses are many as it has a high silica content that allegedly can be of some medicinal value, but its primary function during the gold rush days was for washing pots and pans.

The Big Gold Strike

Jack had been taking a break while Roy was dredging and it was time for Jack to take over. He grabbed his hookah and weight belt, slipped underwater and headed for Roy’s location.