Fall Drywashing—Just the Right Time of Year

November 2018 by Chris Ralph

I could see lots of quartz, both loose on the hillsides and in the numerous small prospect diggings. There was a small gold rush here more than a century ago.

The Fine Art of Panning Heavy Sands

October 2011
The fine art of panning heavy sands requires a measure of patience. If you enjoy panning gold, you ought to enjoy this too, once you get the hang of it.

Still Gold in Humbug, Arizona

August 2012
Has anyone made it through childhood, or even adulthood, without at least one dream of finding gold or buried treasure? It is the stuff of daydreams—the kindling for the flame of hope. We so long for it that we eagerly accept stories and maps from friends and strangers alike that promise us fame and fortune.

Gold Prospecting: For Better or Worse

September 2018

We all love to see that first glimmer of gold when it peeks out from under the black sand in our pan, or feel the weight of a nugget in our scoop when we dig a good target. But sometimes things don’t go quite so smoothly.

Selectable Frequency vs Multi Frequency Detectors

March 2017
I like to think in terms of “conductive mass” because it is a combination of both the conductivity of the metal and the size of the target that determine how a detector sees conductivity.

Detecting: Small Creek Yields Good Gold

November 2016
Most of our gold recoveries have been in the cracks of the bedrock. Hot rocks in the form of dikes cross the creek at various locations, causing us to skip those areas.

Breaking Rock the Old School Way

June 2013
Prospectors have many reasons why they might want to break rocks. These include dividing up a specimen too large to carry.

Finding Gold with a VLF Detector—Part II

May 2014
It is this ability to hear and respond to the faintest of audio signals that I believe separates the best nugget hunters from everyone else.

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