My Dry Diggins!!

[Stumpdust]

Yep i can clearly remember way back in my dredging days, fighting the cemented gravel with the dredge hose it was slow going for sure, the next season had the pressure blaster hooked up to the keene pump and i couldnt believe how fast it cut thru that stuff, it was actually fun to use. anyways the rain and snow have come and my dry diggins will be wet, i have eyeballed a new spot that will require boulder moving and at least a 4 day project, probably take a whole day to get packed in. ill get pictures up when i do, its just a little up stream of this mine, it goes back around 120 feet in solid rock. there is water in the bottom year round and i can use it to process my material.

[Stumpdust]

I wonder how you'd do if you did like Dave Franks with his Vortexrx nozzle and flood the pit and use his suction nozzle to suck out the material while adding water to the pit? Might save some shoveling / lifting !

I cant stand the cold, or i would dam it up and wissbang in the winter, my plan next season is to bring a tub so i can pan the stuff i sweep off bedrock in it, as i mentiond the mine shaft has plenty of water in it all year long that i can use.

[russau]

It sure would bw a interesting Winter !

[Stumpdust]

https://roaringcampgold.com/wiss-bang-class/

WISSBANG
(Water Induced Surface Sluicing of Bedrock Allowing Natural Gold Removal)

Was able to do a little prospecting in a different gulch, approx 100 yards away,found 4 specks in the pan. will give this area a try again hopefully soon

[russau]

How about doing like the "Buzzard " Massie did and slip a 2 inch hose with a 2 inch valve on the end and slip it into the water and run that hose down hill to create the suction needed . Do you have that amount of water or do you think the water level could recover after a day's worth or running like that ??? You don't need to run the water continually ,only to wash the material that you have ! Maybe a 2 inch might be more than you need for the amount of material that you can scratch up and out the this location ??? Plus I don't know what the water table is at this location even to make this do-able??? Good Luck on your decision ! & HAPPY MINING TO YOU !

[Stumpdust]

Im going to take a tub down so i can at least pan the stuff off bedrock , and sample.

[Stumpdust]

Well i was told dont run away from gold, so i went back and moved 4 feet more up stream, now i wont be running away from gold not a single speck and the un worked next 100yards looks the same, so i have found and sampled a spot just below where i found the best gold, was able to get 2 pans worth after moving a little overburden, found a little color, pictures to come next trip!

[Stumpdust]

Well 3 days digging ,on and off i went down 7 feet to bedrock bottom, perfect gold trap with only 2 little pickers, had to pull about 7 boulders out with the winch, over all i got some good exercise, could have buried a horse in the hole,it doesn't look that big in the pictures.

[Stumpdust]

So after that beating i moved farther down and cleaned about 8 square feet of bedrock that had about a foot of material on it , did much better, Ill be back!!

[russau]

Yep you did well !