Prospecting & Detecting
Memories of Shirttail Creek, Northern California
June 2020 by Dan Stanton
…for a few hours, we fervently dug for gold. After we did a cleanup, I couldn’t believe the amount we got.
Hard Rock 101: Micro Blasting
Micro blasting can be used to take down hanging rock, separate minerals from overburden, and collect gemstones and other high-value product with minimal damage.
Hunches, Choices and Guesses

Goal Setting and Rock Tossing
Day three was a copy of day two. I started real low in the long wash to see if I could prove how far down the gold had made it.
A Break in the Weather
Back at the entry point of the mine, we took turns slowly crawling down the slope leading into the mine portal with our metal detectors, hard hats and flashlights. The mine was hand dug and is about 75 yards long.
Highbanking at the 144
My third sample location proved to be my last and most interesting. I needed to look no further.
Research Tools for The Modern Prospector
Much more information can be gained from that single source and gives you ideas on the gravels for dry washing or where the nuggets may lie for metal detecting
Gold Placers of the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska

Subscription Required:
The Bawl Mill
• Our Readers Say Re: It's Time to Get the Heck Out of China
• Ask The Experts - What’s the status of suction gold dredge permitting in California?
• Ask The Experts - How do I properly and safely dispose of blasting caps?
• Ask The Experts - How much silver per ton does it take to make a mine profitable?
• Ask The Experts - How clean do my gold concentrates need to be to pour a gold button or bar?
• Ask The Experts - What is the name and model of the old jaw crusher pictured in last month’s issue?
• Dredging Tips and Tricks: T-80 Air Compressor Maintenance
• Hard Rock 101: Mechanical Techniques
• Clearing the Nugget Trap with a Detector
• Resurrecting an Old Hard Rock Mine—Setting Up the Millsite
• Desert Prospecting Yields More Than Just Gold
• Indictments Pile Up for Gold Traders
• Melman on Gold & Silver
• Mining Stock Quotes and Mineral & Metal Prices
Free:
Seeking The Truth—A Letter From the Editor
• Legislative and Regulatory Update
• PLP Update: The Path for Legally Re-Starting Suction Gold Dredge Mining in 2021