Prospecting opportunities in dry areas (but not drywashing or detecting)

[PickaxeCA]

I'm interested in hearing your thoughts or stories about prospecting in areas with no water, where you have to transport it in, or better yet, hike it in.

The goal would be to do sampling (e.g. panning soil samples in a small wet tub aka loaming) or run a low production recirculating sluice or rocker box or similar (not drywashing, and not detecting).

Examples could be the following:
* Sampling dry drainages or washes (plus tributaries)
* Placer paleo channels hundreds, or thousands of feet above any river or creek
* Dry creek beds or gulches (that aren't dry enough for dry washing)
* Roadside prospecting in a bone dry area
* Sampling road cuts for hard rock / lode gold
* But not drywashing or dry panning ( not practical in most areas outside of the US Southwest)

Essentially, these areas may be virgin ground, or hardly worked at all due to lack of water.

I'm also aware that small amounts of water will have a limited processing capacity due to slime. (suspended solids)

Let's hear your thoughts about prospecting or mining in areas with no water.

-PickaxeCA

[Joe S (AK)]

Now Pickaxe, something to consider:

Going to very dry locations to search could well be quite rewarding in results - however - just like the puppy chasing it's own tail - What are you going to do if you catch that tail?

If you do find something of certain interest remember to factor in (under expenses) the cost to either haul water in to process the pay or to transport the pay to water processing to the nearest water.

Of course there could be a blending of those two choices by pre working in the field to generate classified concentrates and then transporting those concentrates to final recovery at a water source. Certainly could be double handling problems there along with extra maintenance costs.

I have a friend who, a few years ago, went to Arizona to work his newly located mine and had to eventually abandon everything - specifically due to a lack of enough water to recover the Gold.

Just something to consider.

Joe

[PickaxeCA]

I agree Joe, the diggings would have to be worth the hassle of transporting water in.

I have done this by foot a few times (hiked in 2 gallons / 8 litres of water recently on a 15 minute hike). It was certainly worth it for test panning hard rock vein material as I got a small golden smile in the pan after dumping out my snuffer and tapping the gold to the top of the pan.

It depends if one is out there to make money, or just for the thrill of the chase.

As you mention, the business model of gold mining is tough enough without having to transport water in, or material out.

Dan

[Geowizard]

Dan,

Thank you for touching on a very important question!

From the beginning of time and the first prospectors, the need to go out to the prospect and return with the proceeds has been what sets us apart from others. The decisions made and the plan we have in all cases involves packing ourselves, our tools, and provisions along with "the outfit" to and from point A and B. Most prospectors become old and weathered looking! It's the battle worn look of a person and people determined to no end to "git 'er done".

A casual observer watching us repeat the process that we become so good at and stead-fast stops in their tracks and whether they are obvious about it or not questions in their mind what the heck we could possibly be up to!

I look at the early history of man and the European explorers that set out in all directions into unknown corners of the world in search of "Eldorado" and just like you and me and the rest of us having to ask the same questions and do the same soul searching!

What do I take and how much can I take? How far can I take it? What can I carry? and How can I carry it? Who can help me? Where can I find helpers?

It all starts with a spark in "One man's mind". You have asked the most important question! Imagine the same question(s) being asked by so many others over past centuries from all walks of life and every country in the world. Deserts? Jungles? Mountains? Trail? No trail? Water? No Water?

We have to pack it in and pack it out. Furthermore, it's all uphill both ways!

Good on ya!

- Geowizard

[Geowizard]

A desert rat;

I don't have to "go" to the desert. I "live" in the desert! I live in an organized community on the grid. I'm surrounded by GOLD. GOLD, GOLD, in all directions!

The GOLD is all staked up. I wasn't the FIRST one here. I was the LAST one here!

Folks from out of town come here looking for GOLD! For some reason with the illusion they will be here first. The native American Indians (Apaches) were here first. The Spanish conquistadores - Marcos de Niza and others came here 500 hundred years ago - in the 1500's! What were they looking for?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcos_de_Niza

Settlers, Homesteaders and prospectors came here along with Wyatt Earp. The Apaches didn't play well with the homesteaders and prospectors. I won't go into the details.

Here, in Cochise County, we have it all. We have GOLD in the Dos Cabesas (Two heads) mountains to the north. There are past and present producing GOLD mines there. The Gold Prince mine. Mascot mine and others. GOLD, GOLD, GOLD - All patented. The past producers are closed up, locked gates on the roads, fenced off, gun slinging cowboys that will run you out if you get caught sneaking in! Developers are putting in a planned residential mountain community. The placer GOLD can be found on fenced-in cattle grazing homesteads. The few and far between water holes are used to water cattle. Not wise to look like you're even "thinking" about getting a pan wet.

On the East side of the county is the Chiricahua Mountains. It's all Coronado National Forest Domain. You need a prospecting permit to prospect there. With a permit you can take out 20 pounds of rocks under USFS supervision. You can stake mining claims. It takes five to ten years to get a permit to mine with the associated reclamation bonding and proof of financial net worth. The local residents are along the line of private Yoga retreats, Astronomical observatories, B&B Bird watching sanctuaries, etc. There's a big problem with human trafficking and drug smuggling through the Forest. The forest was completely burned out several years ago from the Two Horseshoe fires. The Forest service has closed off most of the lateral roads. You cannot use 4-wheelers off-road in the national forest.

To the south there are several mountain ranges. The Swisshelm mountains have Gold and Silver mines. The access roads go through private ranch properties and are posted no trespassing or gated with locked gates to keep out hunters, poachers, cattle thieves and prospectors. People used to go down there and unload their 4-wheelers and chase cattle, shoot up signage, etc. I used to prospect east of Douglas back in the 1980's. The area is now paved and covered with new housing developments.

West of here, around Sierra Vista, the Huachuca Mountains are dotted with million-dollar mountain view homes and dude ranches. The roads are all private roads with a few Forest roads. Any digging or prospecting would be looked at as a personal trespass.
In the Dragoon Mountains, the Golden Rule mine is staked up. It was at one time an underground Lead-Gold mine. A difficult, high cost extraction process. Surrounding new housing includes things like private shooting ranges and putting greens. The access roads pass through people's front yards. Sadly an unarmed local resident was hiking up there a year ago and ran across a group of smugglers. He was beaten and left for dead. He was found two days later. A collection was taken up to pay for his hospital bills. He died from his injuries a week later.

I miss the "Good old days!".

- Geowizard