Just got back to Salida!

[golden optimist]

Was down in southern Colorado. What a beautiful place! I saw a whole lot of territory that I hadn't seen before. I'll post pictures when I get hame in a week.
Leonard

[JasonG]

Wow I swear I just saw you today...? I think at least.

I was on the river w/my highbanker and feeding my sluice and waved at the vehicles going by. Someone who looked a whole lot like you look in your videos was driving away with a red suv in front of them.

Haha sorry if that wasn't you, it was from a distance. But, if it was, I must have driven right past you because I remember going past a couple popups and waved to a person sitting down, I was towing a camper that wouldn't fit anywhere in there so I went on further.

[OKJohn]

Hey Jason,

Small world! That was me and Leonard. We had spent a week down in that area and were pulling out. And yes, those were our popups. We saw you down there for a couple of days, and remember your RV coming through the campsite.

Is that your claim? As far as I understand, the open land runs from the powerlines upstream a fair distance. You were downstream of the power lines, which I understood to be a private claim. Just something to think about. You probably know more details than me.

If I were you, I would keep that section of the river secret. "Southern Colorado" is enough detail as to our location for me. Otherwise, that area will be all dredged up within a year or two.

I am usually down there the last week of August - the first week of September. I think Leonard is planning on coming again next year. We will try to let you know next time.

OKJohn

[golden optimist]

John's off headed east and I'm off for a little sight seeing. I'm headed back up Monarch Pass to take the tram to the peak. There shoud be a fantastic view. I'll take the cameras so you can go with me.

After that, I'll return to Salida to pick up my trailer and head for the High Hopes.

Yesterday when John stopped at Gunnison to get a tail light bulb for his trailer, I noticed a brew-pub a few doors from the auto parts store and I stopped in and bought a growler of their IPA. It won't be as good as Bill's but Bill's isn't available in Colorado. After getting camp set up on High Hopes, I plan on sitting in a chair overlooking the river and drinking the whole 1/2 gallon. Watch for the level of the Arkansas River going up a notch or 2.

Tonight is planned for movie night on the banks of the Arkansas. I haven't decided what to do tomorrow.

The vacationing Optimist
Leonard

[geno]

Wow!... that sounds like an exciting time..wish I was there. Leonard....Post the pics and vids ASAP...

[JasonG]

Crazy...I keep "meeting" people from this forum without actually meeting them. Drove by Matt in the middle of nowhere Oregon, and John and G.O. in the middle of nowhere, CO.

I don't plan on letting anyone know the location. So much land has been taken away out here by the gov that good places are few and far between!

The small slice of land I was on is actually unclaimable according to the BLM (and there are no active claims grandfathered in on it either), but you can still prospect on it according to them.

Well, maybe see ya around next year!

[golden optimist]

I went on the Monarch Tram this morning. What a great ride and only $7.00 for most of you. Us old farts only have to pay $6.00. Had a slight moment of terror on the way down when someone hit the emergency stop button and did it stop fast.

Arrived at the High Hopes just after noon and set up the trailer. Time for sampling the beer I bought in Gunnison. Pretty good! Not as gppd as Bill's though. (nobodies is). Before I left Salida I bought an external speaker set for the laptop so I could play tunes I had on the computer. After setup, I tried it out. Thats when I found out that I had deleted all of them off of the hard drive. Oh well, thats why I got some videos also. Only problem with that was last tme the computer was worked on, the dvd codex didn't get put back on. So time for a trip to Buena Vista to look for a wifi hotspot. It just happens that the library has a 24 hour one. At night you can park outside and use it. I'm inside in the airconditioning now getting ready to download a codex.

I looked at the dredge spot Ed reccomended and I think I'll put the dredge in tomorrow. If no one shows up to help me take it out monday afternoon, watch the news for a spot about old guy has a heart attack trying to get his dredge out of the Arkansas. If you don't want to feel guilty, you better come and dredge with me.

I'm parked where Ed was with his trailer.

Time to find the codex so I can go back and drink more beer.
Leonard

[russau]

Dam Leonard, your going to use up all the fun! haha, but thats what retirement is all about! enjoy my friend, Lifes to short not to!! wish i was there with you!!

[rocketsngold]

No worries on hauling the dredge out Leonard...

Jenni starts driving tomorrow AM and I'm flying out Sat morning and driving down from Denver (had to work Friday)...

We should be there sometime Saturday afternoon...

John

I went on the Monarch Tram this morning. What a great ride and only $7.00 for most of you. Us old farts only have to pay $6.00. Had a slight moment of terror on the way down when someone hit the emergency stop button and did it stop fast.

Arrived at the High Hopes just after noon and set up the trailer. Time for sampling the beer I bought in Gunnison. Pretty good! Not as gppd as Bill's though. (nobodies is). Before I left Salida I bought an external speaker set for the laptop so I could play tunes I had on the computer. After setup, I tried it out. Thats when I found out that I had deleted all of them off of the hard drive. Oh well, thats why I got some videos also. Only problem with that was last tme the computer was worked on, the dvd codex didn't get put back on. So time for a trip to Buena Vista to look for a wifi hotspot. It just happens that the library has a 24 hour one. At night you can park outside and use it. I'm inside in the airconditioning now getting ready to download a codex.

I looked at the dredge spot Ed reccomended and I think I'll put the dredge in tomorrow. If no one shows up to help me take it out monday afternoon, watch the news for a spot about old guy has a heart attack trying to get his dredge out of the Arkansas. If you don't want to feel guilty, you better come and dredge with me.

I'm parked where Ed was with his trailer.

Time to find the codex so I can go back and drink more beer.
Leonard

[OKJohn]

Whew! Its a long drive from Colorado to Oklahoma. But its worth it.

I got back home about 730pm. My last two hours were driving through a crazy rain/hail/wind storm with lots of trucks pulled off and brief periods of hydroplaning. A "white-knuckle" drive to say the least. But I made it. And...we really needed the rain.

Hope you get a team of help this weekend Leonard. It was a great week for me, capped by our amazing "lets try to capture something cool on video" moment. The idea of mixing dredging with metal detecting for the very first time, and have it work out like that was priceless. I look forward to seeing it on your site in the coming week or two.

I think I probably ended the week with about 1/4 ounce of gold. Less than usual, but I am happy with it.

OKJohn