How To
So You Want To Be A Full-Time Prospector?
March 2011 by Chris Ralph
The high price of gold and the poor economic conditions here in the US have created an unusual situation—a large number of folks are thinking seriously about getting into prospecting and digging for gold on a full-time basis.
Pumping Water With Solar Power
Solar energy can be used for any size placer or hard rock mining operation. It is most practical for small and longer-term operations provided your mine is not located in a dense forest.
Hunting for Hardrock: The Basics
Exposed veins and outcroppings can be a great source for gathering good gold ore for processing. Veins and outcroppings do require a lot of work to free the ore from its earthen grip, but this labor can be very rewarding.
Hunches, Choices and Guesses
When you approach a location, even if you've been there before, you should consider all the factors and conditions present at the site. This includes both natural and man-made factors.
Pocket Gold
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.
Route Planning Using GPS
My intention was to end this discussion with waypoints and routes, then I found USGS maps of the Plainfield Quadrangle.
Volume is the Key to Success
While recovery rates are important, they must necessarily be secondary to the volume of material processed. Running more material at lower recovery rates is generally preferable to increasing the efficiency of the system.
How to Stake Your Own Mining Claims—Part I
Many new prospectors start out prospecting in public areas and club claims, and this is perfectly fine, but the next step in the progression of becoming an experienced prospector is to locate and stake your own mining claims.
Subscription Required:
The Bawl Mill
• Ask The Experts—Do I still have rights to this mining claim?
• Ask The Experts—What is a "closed" claim?
• Eastern Arizona: Gold and Base Metal Deposits Part II
• Rediscovering Placerville, California Part II
• Prospecting With The Help of Fluvial Geomorphology
• Oregon Anti-Dredging Bill
• Mud Men: Pocket Miners of Southwest Oregon Part II
• The Gold of Plumas de Oro
• Melman on Gold & Silver
• Mining Stock Quotes and Mineral & Metal Prices
Free:
2011 Gold Prospecting & Mining Summit April 23-25 in Placerville
• Legislative and Regulatory Update
• Cue Resources Seeks Uranium in Paraguay
