Had Enough Lurking? Wanna Join in?

[Joe S (AK)]

Certainly there are a few folks who simply lurk here, feeling that their experience level isn't strong enough for them to join in. Sometimes other members, on other mining forums, take cheap shots at those folks who are either just starting out or are unsure on just how things work in recovering Gold.
That's wrong and we don't do that here.
Every one of us started out with or without someone to lead us by the hand and all our hands now go out to help others.
For me, I was lucky that Bob (a new friend of a friend) mentioned that he was going Gold panning that weekend and did I want to go along? Having just arrived in Alaska I jumped on the chance with both feet and after a 2 hour ride that Saturday - well - there we were with pans in our hands.
Crow Creek Mine is South of Anchorage and Bob had met Arnie Erickson (the long time owner of the mine who had ridden a bicycle from Nome to originally work as a mining engineer there) and between the two of them I quickly picked up on the basics. A few minutes later I recovered my first little bit of Gold and I was hooked for life.
That first find was in the summer of '66 and I can still see it in my mind's eye like it was yesterday. It was simple, rewarding and a heck of a lot of fun too.
So, don't be shy, simply sign up and come on in (there's lots of coffee and it's just the right time now for sharing ideas over the long winter). We usually have tons of answers for all sorts of mining things.
If the porch light is on we're waiting right here for you.
Joe