How long have you been prospecting?

[foundit]

A boss I had in 91 took me out panning on the???? Yuba I think it was, there was a million people there so it must have been a no fee open to all area, anyway, I remember telling myself how in the hell can there be any gold here with all these people let alone the gold rush, but I endeavored and pulled a small picker from a crack in boulder that had already been cleaned probably a thousand million times, I was hooked, but didn't get back to it till 05 or so when fishing really started to take a dive down the old stink hole and jobs were flying away to china and had to get back to the hills for sanity's sake, now dredging is taken a plunge where fishing went but I will not let that deter me, I am working on a highly effective 3 stage high-banker to take reclimatin!

[libertydave]

Okay!! Here is my two cents on this subject.

I guess I started later in life since I began gold prospecting/mining in 1981 (was in my late thirties). I bought a well-worn 2-1/2" dredge from an estate sale and got it back to working condition. Found someone who knew a little about dredging and after finding my first small picker up near Blewitt Pass (WA) I got hooked with a recurring case of gold fever.

Since then I've owned everything from partners in an 8" dredge (mid-1980s) we operated in CA and also a dozen more smaller units and even bought into a drift mining claim just for the adventure. Started Liberty Resources Co. in 1993 and still involved with mining equipment design, sales and consulting. What an adventure.

Now into my late sixties I've slowed down a bit. Cheers!

Liberty Dave

[Reno badboy]

Same thing with the "Buzzard" here. Was just gettin' away from bikes and wanted to be outdoors. Been almost 9 years now and still love it!!! (Even though Cali. has pissed me off!!) Cabin fever has got me by the short hairs!!!!!

[dan_sd]

I started the same way as russau less the physical damage and about the same time.

[RiverGold]

Thanks to everybody who shared their stories of how and when they got started prospecting. Some of those are great stories and they really added some character and background to those of you who I have seen posting over the last few years. And thanks to Leonard for hosting a prospector's social network that includes so many experienced people.

Anyone else got a story? These have been enjoyable and the more the merrier. Even the stories of some of you newer guys are interesting.

Randy A

[getterdone]

Stake my first mining claim for uranium in 1955.
Bulit this cabin the same year

[russau]

looks like its in the "smokey" mountains!

[bill-costa rica]

ben
is your cabin still standing ? or did the forest service get to it. i never knew you had a place in the woods

bill-cr

[getterdone]

Yes Bill Cabin is still standing, in fact when they had a Forest fire that surronded the cabin the USFS
bombed it heavy with retardent (sp) and save the cabin. It is now on the Historical list for the USFS.
During the fire they repair the access road to the cabin that had washed out about 5 years previous.
That is on the North Fork of St. Peters creek, the Chinese work that creek from the mouth
to the head waters. Haven't been into the cabin for a couple of years, have been told that the
road is covered with down trees as the result of the forest fire.

[russau]

watchout for the USFS takeing over the cabin now and using the adopt a cabin(AAC) for its implitation using young greenies to do their dirty work. this is what happened to the Scmidt-Burro mine in Cal aswell as the white swanladys legal claim/buildings/equipment! slippery bunch of lieing jerks they are!!!