Prospecting & Detecting
The Mineral Range Districts of Utah
January 2019 by Alan J. Chenworth
Most of the commercial mineral deposits are on the south and southwest part of the range between Minersville and Milford, though small amounts of gold and silver have also been found in iron-rich outcrops in the basalt to the south of Milford.
Detecting: Small Creek Yields Good Gold
Most of our gold recoveries have been in the cracks of the bedrock. Hot rocks in the form of dikes cross the creek at various locations, causing us to skip those areas.
How to Stake Your Own Claim—Researching Mining Claims
Once you have determined that the land is locatable, the next step in the claim research process is to determine if the land has already been claimed by a previous locator.
The Ups and Downs of Nugget Hunting
I returned to the WSPA claim. Still smug from my previous success, I was thinking I could not fail. However, the gold gods had other plans.
Sniping for Drought Gold
There are not a lot of tools needed to get out and take advantage of the situation. Other than my wetsuit, I typically travel light with a gold pan, maybe a pry bar and a few crevice cleaning tools.
Following Clues to a Hidden Gold Deposit
Many years ago I was in the American Canyon. I remembered a few details about a placer deposit there, so we decided to make a trip down and re-check some of these old workings.
Pros and Cons of Big Detector Coils
Years later I returned with a new detector with a smaller coil and detector technology more sensitive to smaller nuggets. I found my first nugget within five minutes. I had a second five minutes after that.
A Father and Son Prospecting Adventure
As I write this, I am still on a rush from taking my 9-year-old son, Jeffrey, prospecting for the first time this past weekend. It’s not that he hasn’t been along on numerous outings before: this is the first time that just the two of us went out for a day of drywashing and detecting under the desert sun.
Subscription Required:
The Bawl Mill
• Ask The Experts - Need advice on melting gold
• Ask The Experts - Can gold be found with sugary, crystalline quartz?
• Making A Big Discovery
• More On Gold Indicators—What to Look For
• The Underground Mining Adventure Continues
• Alaska Gold: Lisianski Inlet's First Bonanza
• Advancements in Non-Toxic Gold and Silver Leaching
• Route Planning Using GPS
• Gold Prospecting for Better or Worse: Stupid Is As Stupid Does
• Melman on Gold & Silver
• Mining Stock Quotes and Mineral & Metal Prices
