1-19-19 gold prospecting

Haven't been out in a really long time but am going to be getting back into it. Have to change my methods because I can't bend and stoop much.
So, I have a plan on low impact prospecting! I am actually working on another patent. I am designing a portable rock crusher to crush mineralized quartz to liberate gold, sulfides, and reduce the rock ore high grade to a manageable, processing size particle. But that isnt what I am doing Saturday.
I am going to be at the hwy 20 bridge over the Yuba river in Marysville-Park's Bar. The Yuba is the highest concentrate of magnetite I have ever seen anywhere. Your sluice will plug with black sand after two buckets. On top of all that, it is a very rich river. Every pan will have gold. Most of it is very to extremely fine gold. So I am going to mine with a magnet. I have a retrieval magnet that I am going to tether a rope to. Drop it in behind boulders and pick up the magnetite. The gold will get caught in the magnetite. Not ALL the gold, but a good deal will be grabbed. Scrape the magnetite off into a bucket and repeat.
Processing black sand is a pain in the butt, but I have the equipment to process it down. At home I classify the material to minus 20 mesh and easily get the gold that is retained. The fine stuff gets a spin on the wheel. Then the tailings go into a drum. When I get enough, I can set up a leach system and get the micron stuff. There is enough flour gold in this river that consentrates should be saved and leached once visible gold is retrieved.
So, that's my plan! Easy peasy! Like jiggin up a big rock fish. Anyone want to join up and do some panning, some crevicing, or some magnet jigging, let's go!
I am thinking around 10 am-let it warm up a bit because my bride to be will be along too, and she has commented that duck hunting is too early and too cold lol!

PM sent.

I don't think the river (because of the weather this week) will be that friendly on Saturday so be safe.  I am curious about your method however.  I too have targeted flour but using grass roots as my material source. Looking forward to an update report next week.

Wont be too bad-two dams upstream. 

Wont be too bad-two dams upstream. 

The lower dam, Englebright is at 100% capacity while Bullards is at 59%.

englebright is a flow threw lake. Done some prospecting in the sandbars at the head of it. Fine gold only... sounds like fun. Day is all planned out though. ISE will have to wait till next year... Be careful on the river. flows will be fluctuating and also may be high. Such a nice wide open area and huge bar to play on. should be a blast. Wish I could join. Later we will have to do a trip in my area with camping at my place...

Over did it today at work, so not going tomorrow. Need a day of rest.

Over did it today at work, so not going tomorrow. Need a day of rest.

Sorry to hear you overdid it, but good call on cancelling.  The South Fork of the Yuba River will really be dumping water into the main branch after the heavy rains over the last few days.

 

  For years back in the early 70's dad had a spot somewhere on the Yuba, that was close to the road, had a wire rope strung across the river and plenty of sand and rocks on both sides of the river to have fun panning, sluicing and dredging (He had a little gas powered 1" dredge he built for those trips.  I recall going to that stretch of river over 6 times, first time there, I was a snotling, and had to grab dads leg to cross the river!  Later years I was able to use the cable strung across where I couldn't reach it previously.
  After a few years of not going to the stretch of river we returned (Maybe early 80's) as we arrived at the spot, we were shocked to way to many homes squeezed into the area!  The small beach I learned to use my sluice now had a deck over it!
  There was no prospecting for us that trip.  I've tried to locate the spot on Google earth (Might have) but since dad passed in 09' I can't call him for the location now.
   Another favorite spot he had, was I think the on the south fork of the American river?, now part of New Melones lake.  We used to dredge & pan there often, we noticed these huge pillars being built out of the hill sides above where we panned and dredged the pillars looked to be 500' up from where the river was.
 The pillars were to become the bridge for HWY 49 completed in 1976.    Dad knew that the last time we were there would be the last time as the whole area was going to be under water soon.
  I miss prospecting, but will return to it here shortly when retirement settles in!