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.

Pocket Gold

June 2016
Once a seam is found it can be traced for miles in either direction. While you are tracing a clay line, you are looking for indicators. The indicators that I look for are ironstone, hematite, different color clays intermingled with the clay line, and a very iron-rich, brown gritty soil.

Paperwork Guy—A Cautionary Tale

April 2013
I recently grew complacent, and it caused me to make a mistake that resulted in the loss of a mining claim. It brought my mining plans for the summer to a complete halt.

Time for a New Approach: Detecting Float Gold

September 2013
The first pieces found were in a spot that most gold hunters would not even detect, right in the middle of a downslope meadow.

California State and US National Panning Championships

November 2014
Over 200 panners competed in this two-day event to decide who was the best of the best.

Successful Detecting Requires Attention to Detail—Part I

August 2016
So much of gold detecting depends on attention to detail. Every gold area offers its own distinct geological markers and as prospectors we must pick up on those markers.

12-Year-Old Unearths Large Diamond

September 2013
It is the eighth largest brown diamond to be found and certified by park staff.

What's In A Name?

November 2016
The names attached to these areas came about from many sources. Many are easy to see why the name was given while others had a more contrasting note to them.

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