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The Golden Highway—Amador County
April 2004 by Frank Lorey III
Leaving sprawling Calaveras County, California, and heading north, the next county along the Golden Highway (Hwy 49) is tiny Amador County. Packed into it’s roughly twenty-five mile stretch of the historical roadway are some of the most charming, scenic towns that will be encountered along the whole way. This stretch was also home to some of the richest gold placers during the gold rush, a fact not lost on those who still try their hand at panning and dredging today.Just One More Time
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 My Way Across Australia Pt I
After contributing to the total, I am proud to claim my share of Ray’s patch. In total, we got almost an ounce of gold from the schist where it seems to have been formed.
Platinum Placers and Nuggets
Sometimes a placer miner will find small bits and nuggets of metal associated with gold and other heavy minerals in his concentrates, which exhibits a silver-gray color rather than the normal tones of gold.
National Mining Hall of Fame to Induct Five
Paul A. Bailly, Richard T. Moolick, William Braden, Alonzo Pawling and Henry Harnischfeger will be inducted into the National Mining Hall of Fame for their contributions to mining.
Gold Dredging on Oregon's South Umpqua
Familiarizing oneself with an unfamiliar part of the country is often a requirement of successful gold prospecting. In the pursuit of gold, it may become necessary for a prospector to branch out into new hunting grounds.
Ask The Experts: Equipment to break up heavy clay
Q: I am looking for a “trommel machine” that doesn’t separate anything but clay slurry from rock hard clay.
Placer Platinum
The platinum group metals (PGMs) are divided into three that are “light,” about the same atomic weight as silver, and three that are “heavy,” about the same atomic weight as gold. The three light PGMs are ruthenium, rhodium, and palladium, and the three heavy PGMs are osmium, iridium, and platinum.
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