Desert Prospecting with Big Balls Mining Group (continued)

After climbing to the top of the hill BillBrew still couldn't see the truck. Not being one to give up easily, he fell down the other side of the hill and after a few minutes, managed to regain his feet. These loose rock hillsides are really hard to walk on. That, plus the beers he had for breakfast, made upright, straight, and vertical travel difficult. As he started up the other side of the hill, blind prospectors luck held out and what did he find? An exposed quartz vein running straight up the side of the mountain. Could this be the mother lode they were both searching for? 

The quartz vein runs right up the middle of the picture

With his luck it probably would be. Right out in the middle of nowhere and with him totally lost to boot. It's probably full of gold and chances of ever finding this spot again even when completely sober would be slim and none. Plus the chances of him ever being completely sober were also slim and none. There's only one thing left to do. Keep searching for the truck. Maybe Grivy could help him find this spot again later. Besides, he was starting to get thirsty again and we all know what was stashed in the truck.

At least someone has been working around here

Staggering, uh walking, further he came to the bottom of a small gulch. Here he noticed that someone had been dry washing along the edge of the gully in a promising looking area. Mentally he made a note. Come back here later! Maybe bring the metal detector. Be sure and bring some beer. He knew that you always look for gold where gold had been found before.

Gold/copper mine tailings

Climbing up out of the gulch he next found a pile of old tailings. Someone had dug a mine shaft. Now this looked promising. For two reasons! If they went to all this work, there might be some gold around! He could work poorer ground than someone that was trying to make a living at mining. He had income from his brewery job. Plus he got all of the beer he could drink for free. These prospectors probably had to buy their own beer thus raising their cost of living. Also, there ought to be a road around here somewhere. They had to get their supplies hauled in somehow.

After more search, he found the truck. It was time to take a break. He'd take Grivy back to the mine site later to do some more exploring.