Understanding Skim Bar Placers

September 2018 by Chris Ralph

Perhaps the most notable thing about skim placers is that they form on the top surface of gravel bars, as opposed to coarser gold placers where the weight of the gold particles allows the gold to settle down on or near bedrock.

Breaking Rock the Old School Way

June 2013
Prospectors have many reasons why they might want to break rocks. These include dividing up a specimen too large to carry.

The Smell of Gold—Part I

June 2015
Some claim they can smell gold. This may be, but when I take a whiff of gold, I smell dirt, rotten eggs, garlic or just nothing: my nose is everything but sensitive.

Nevada Miners: Check Your Claim Markers

December 2011
The Nevada Senate introduced SB108 in 2009 to prohibit PVC piping utilized by miners to stake mining claims.

My Lucky Month of March

June 2013
My wife Maureen and I spend part of our winter season in the Quartzsite, Arizona area. One fine March morning, we left our RV camping area at approximately 10am in search of that elusive yellow metal with our metal detectors.

My Lucky Thirteen Nuggets

May 2017

Even with my favorite top-of-the-line gold detector there were several false digs. Many of the hot rocks gave a solid signal that was too much like a nugget to ignore. After trying several tests I just dug everything because it is better to be safe than leave a big, deep nugget for a more diligent gold hunter.

Green Valley Reconnaissance

January 2013
During this trip we found enough gold to make us want to come back, even with the punishment of a very long, tough hike.

Gold Rush in the Congo—Part II

June 2013
We needed something to cook on, so we brought most of our kitchen with us including our full-size oven, which was pretty funny to see in the middle of a rainforest. Food was always a concern, but fortunately for us...

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