Alma Outing continued

Running a 5" dredge is pretty much a 2 person operation. Especially if the hookah and diving is involved. At this outing we were in a small creek and the water depth didn't require air. Also, everyone kind of "wussed" out and there weren't even any heads going under the water. This was the first cold water outing of the year. A wet suit keeps you pretty warm until you put your head under the water and some of the cold stuff leaks down the back of your neck. That gives you a feeling that really gets your attention until your body warms it up.

After a fun days dredging it is time to see if there will be a "golden reward". With a 5" triple sluice dredge, there is a lot of concentrates. Unless there are some large nuggets, the payoff usually isn't known until final work up of the concentrates. In this case, some gold was found but no one made a fortune. In fact, I don't think anyone was eager to return to this location. New locations sometimes don't produce up to expectations. Was a great time had? You bet. The payoff for a days work doesn't always show up in the gold pan. All members attending are eagerly awaiting the next club outing. In Colorado, the next major outing will be after spring runoff. Usually May or June.

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