Panning on North Fork American Yields Good Gold

May 2020 by Don Robinson

This second trip down was a challenge. It started in Colfax on the Stevens Trail, where the distance to the river is four miles with an elevation drop of about 1,000 feet.

It's Hard to Find Gold!

October 2013
...even the best prospectors have times when they do not find gold. It is all about taking chances against tough odds and succeeding.

Crushing Quartz in Calaveras County: A Placer Miner Learns New Tricks

June 2014
I had never run an impact mill before, but anything involving rocks, water and a big electric motor sounded great.

Underground in the Original 16-1 Mine

August 2013
These days they employ the use of metal detectors and carefully scan the shattered rocks, hoping to hear that sound we detectorists love to hear.

Determining the Amount of Gold in Rich Ores

February 2016
This is just the type of specimen that could have been easily ignored by the old-time miners. It felt a little heavier in my hand than a chunk of quartz of that size ought to have been.

Weathering, Erosion and Placers

April 2017
The big interest to prospectors thinking about the effect of erosion is not what might happen long into the future, but what they might find in the rivers later this summer when the water levels go down.

Which Nugget Detector Should I Get?

June 2013
The most commonly asked question in metal detecting is, “Which metal detector should I get?” People worry a lot about not getting the right machine. They do not want to waste their money and their time with the wrong metal detector.

Metal Detector Testing Methods

February 2015

It will not be any easier than on your table at home, and so testing a very small test target like the ballpoint pen can tell you immediately if a detector is suitable for looking for tiny gold nuggets.

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