The “Chuck It Out” Nugget

November 2019 by R. V. Larson

This was no ordinary nugget. It had not traveled very far from its nearby source, and that did mean a lot, as we were searching for the source of several such nuggets found during a gold rush that occurred in 1859.

How to Stay Safe While Prospecting

October 2022

Miners Fight Back When BLM Says 'Your Claim Is Too Long'

April 2020

BLM stated we had 30 days to amend our claim so that it fit within one 40-acre square or we would forfeit the claim.

Just One More Time

July 2016
We chose this particular area because an old channel had run here at one point and had been heavily worked on top of a mountain hilltop. Erosion patterns cut deeply on each side, leaving the channel exposed. The erosion cut sharply, dropping into ravines far below.

Prospecting for Gold at Green Valley

December 2012
In October, five of us decided to take an exploration trip into an area called Green Valley. This was perhaps ten miles upstream from where we had gone in September and the difficulty was access. One would think that based on the name it was an easily accessible area not far from a nearby town. This couldn’t be more wrong.

Summertime Gold Panning

September 2016
I have smaller pans for cleaning black sand concentrates, big pans for taking large samples, pans with corners for pouring out materials, and pans with lots of special riffles. This variation is why I have so many pans—they each have their specialty.

Getting Started

June 2017

He excitedly told me he was going mining and wanted to know where he should go, how to do it, and so on. After he calmed down, I got excited. “I need to go!” was my response.

Research and Fieldwork Yield Some Promising Gold

October 2013
A week later, a small team of us hit it again, and this time the gold really showed up.

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