Adventure, Travel and Treasures

Take The Back Roads...

2013-08-27T10:59:00.000-07:00

I was just listening to the news and they reminded me that 'Labor Day', (national holiday here in the U.S.) is coming up. About how many million people will be driving somewhere, on national highways, going back and forth, to who knows where. Having driven a truck for over forty years, I have seen more than my share of roads, national and otherwise. Maybe it's because I was born a long time ago in a simplier time when everybody's kid did not have a car and the roads were not quite so nice, that I still love to drive the old, sometimes forgotten, back roads across this wide country. One such road, much bypassed, is old highway 30, across the vast state of Wyoming. One of the last bits of the 'Old West'...

The particular stretch of road I am thinking of, runs between Laramie and Rawlins, Wyoming. This old road(US 30) is only a few miles farther than taking the new super highway(I-80), and passes through a couple of smaller towns(almost ghost towns) before bringing the occasional traveler into the town of Medicine Bow.

Maybe, it's because so many people are in a hurry to take a vacation and want to get there fast, that they totally avoid the old, unfamiliar roads, or the fact that a lot of history has been lost because travelers have no idea that so much even exists. The old road(actually in good shape) through Medicine bow is worth the trip.

Driving into town is quite a sight. Here is a town of mostly one or two story buildings and in the midst of it all stands a crude, somewhat strange looking building, towering over all the rest. The Old Virginian Hotel and Saloon...
The Hotel is so named because of a story of Cowboys and the wild west, written in 1880s
, by Owen Wister. The story because quite famous and was later because the basis of a TV series: 'The Virginian'...
The Hotel has a somewhat colorful history and over the years many famous people came west and stayed at the "Virginian'. President Teddy Roosevelt stayed there on his occasional hunting trips. I haven't been there in many years now, but some years back I stopped and they told me they STILL rent rooms. A real chance to stay where history still resides. Wandering though the halls and rooms and feeling like I was in another time, I had to wonder... how many of the former occupants are still here?

If anyone ever finds themselves crossing Wyoming in the dead of winter, Take my advice and take the old road west. The wind is not so bad and there are not so many hills, and if conditions get too bad, you might be able to find a room at the 'Virginian' hotel.
If you need a good nights sleep, you can always go next door to the SALOON...

The Old Road...

2013-08-10T06:57:00.000-07:00

I use to spend a lot of time driving around the country and I guess I have always had a THING for history, the past...OLD stuff, in general...I have always thought that if we can't remember where we came from, HOW will we ever figure out...where we are going?

In the some parts of the western US, the land is still pretty much open country. On a stretch of road between Cheyenne, Wyoming , heading south towards Greeley, Colorado, I chanced to see what remained of a very old road, off to one side of the present, modern day road. Most of the old road had disappeared but I continued watching and a little ways farther along the way, I spied what remained of a bridge.

I have no idea when that road and bridge were last used, but from the width and size of the road , it must have been very early in Automobile history. I would assume it could only have accommodated smaller vehicles, like the Model T, or A Fords. For sure, nothing like what we drive now, and never the truck I was driving...

It really saddens me to see our history bypassed for the (so-called) sake of progress. It's almost, as if, we don't care anymore, as long as we make money...Maybe it's the younger generations that haven't aged enough yet to realize, they too, will someday be older and be forced to look back...and wonder...What was it like back then? When their day comes, who knows if this old road and bridge will still be here, or will someone dig it up several hundred years from now...and appreciate it?

In other parts of the country, I have witnessed similar sights. In Illinois, where I am originally from, my Uncle once showed me what remained of what was called...a HALF road. Back in the early days, often the road was only one lane(often made of BRICK), and just wide enough for one vehicle. The idea was: IF you should chance to meet another car, one of you would have to pull to the side and allow the other to pass.

With today's selfish attitudes and traffic I hate to think of even trying o get anyone to be kind enough to do something like that...

End Of The Line...

2013-08-06T07:33:00.000-07:00

Everyone has their stories, their memories of days gone by. Times, when life was at such a high pitch, then it all came to an end. That's our existence, but that's just the way it is... unfortunately! I guess we can say that for all things. They come and they go. They serve their purpose, then it's over.
Walking in our local park the other day, I stood looking at the old locomotive; just sitting there; looking so forlorn and lost. It made it last run long ago, but one can only imagine the days and nights it raced back and forth, doing what it was designed for. The hot fires in the boiler, the massive amounts of smoke that billowed from it's stack...

I bet, IF it could talk, it would have lots of tales to tell; of the many people it carried to their destinations; Most ordinary, but maybe some famous, EVEN some infamous, outlaws. During this train's time, it was still the wild west(as it was called)... Who knows for sure? Now, it's work is done, but still I have to wonder(crazy me) if trains have ghosts? If so, I'm sure somewhere this old giant, fire roaring in it's boiler, the engineer with his hand on the throttle, is burning up the line. Out across the open desert, it's whistle screaming at every crossing...Going somewhere...

WATCHING THE WEATHER...

2013-07-20T20:18:00.002-07:00

I drove a truck for more than forty years and after making more than my share of mistakes, I began to pay more attention to some things...Especially, the weather...

As we all know, the weather is unpredictable(weatherman or not), but after a few winters under my belt I became some what of a weatherman myself. In most cases, it only requires a bit of common sense to avoid a major catastrophe. After a while I begin to realize it when a situation was developing and get out of the way BEFORE it was too late.

I was just outside of Rock Springs, Wyoming, it was December, and had been raining all day long. No snow so far...just rain. Anyone that knows Wyoming, knows it is usually a very long way to the next town. A long, open stretch of road with almost no places to get in out of the storm if it suddenly hits. The sun was starting to go down and the temperature was dropping fast. That meant only one thing to me...ICE!

I had already made up my mind that there is not a load worth getting injured or killed for. I learned a long time ago, most of my customers would rather that I arrive late, rather than them losing everything. Now, if only I could find a motel room for the night. A lot of nights I slept in the truck but, somehow, tonight was not going to be one of them...IF I can help it... On stormy nights, the motels have a booming business. I have wondered more once if the motels owners pray for bad weather, knowing it is good for business. I certainly hope not...

Fortunately, I pulled in early enough and managed to get a room, I park the truck and headed for a safe night and maybe a quick beer. As I made my way to the motel I glanced towards the highway, still packed with traffic, trying to make a few more miles. I wondered if they remembered that it is over a hundred miles east to the next truck stop. I hoped they knew what they were doing. Soon, that road is going to be a nightmare in ice. Oh Boy!

I spent a comfortable night and had a good sleep and once the sun came up next morning, I had a slow breakfast and waited for the morning sun to knock the top off the icy night's work. Finally, I warmed the truck up, caught up my log book and headed east. It wasn't long before I saw the results of NOT watching the weather...I always have to wonder if they were just driving too fast, or if maybe, the wind caught them. Many new drivers are too OVER confident. Under such conditions, too much confidence can get you killed. I learned long time ago that no matter how heavy a truck is loaded, IF that wind catches the side of it...Well! It is NEVER heavy enough... Once that trailer gets more than half way around, there is not much chance of saving it. All one can do is hang on...

Call me Paranoid, or maybe just more experienced, but that could have been me that ended up like that. I will be honest and tell you, a few winters ago...That WAS me...Now, you know WHY I watch the weather...

SUDDEN SHOWERS...Huh?

2013-07-14T08:13:00.001-07:00

The sun came up again this morning, with another hot, uncomfortable, day predicted. I made the decision to have my first cup of the day with the windows open, BEFORE things heat up; Get some fresh air and enjoy the morning while I still can...
About one sip into my coffee I heard a sound...NO! It can't be...I was just outside and not a cloud in the sky but...IT'S RAINING... First a little, then a full bored GULLEYWASHER(as we call it here)...I had to run out and close the windows on my pickup truck. In the middle of an ARIZONA summer, we can, usually, only dream of rain.

Believe it or not, at such a time as this, I can only look up and say....THANK YOU! At a time like this, don't ask, just be thankful...Forget the weatherman and enjoy a brief blessing...

JERKWATER TOWN...

2013-07-07T09:52:00.001-07:00

I, like a lot of people, grew up in a small town and had often heard it referred to as 'A jerkwater town'...
I really never gave it much thought, till I got older and started questioning life in general. Then, I had to ask...WHY is it called a JERKWATER town? Where did that term ever come from? What did it mean?

As I discovered, the jerkwater part didn't apply to where I was from because the Railroad didn't come near us. I find out that was an old term for towns, with a JERKWATER tank, where the old steam trains use to stop and fill their tanks...

The trains would make a brief stop, let off or pick up passengers, and drop the JERKWATER spout to refill their tanks for the next leg of the journey across country. I have no idea what sort of mileage they got on one tank, but there was always another 'JERKWATER TOWN' on down the line...

Somehow, over the years, the term got attached to just about ANY small town that wasn't on the map or nobody had ever heard of...EXCEPT the people living there...

TIME AND TRAVEL...

2013-07-07T06:36:00.001-07:00

As I get older, I seem to spend more time thinking and remembering things from when I was a kid; I guess we all, eventually, go that way...
We, originally, came from Illinois...a long time ago. Back then, the roads were much narrower, the cars bigger and different from what they are now. Back then, Gas was a LOT cheaper, but of course, people made a lot less money, compared to today's standards. By today's standard, I guess most of us were... what would be called...Poor? We were just kids and we didn't know we were poor. Didn't know what that meant...yet! We were going west and it was so exciting. We loved it; seeing all these new things and up to that point in time we never realized the world was so big.

I remember that we(kids) were disappointed that we were not attacked by Indians on the way out. We felt better when Dad explained to us that WE were Indian and they wouldn't bother us...NOW, we could relax and see the sights. Thinking now, about the so-called comforts of riding in the back seat of that old car all the way to Nebraska (in the middle of summer), well, it was good thing to be young...

One thing, I DO remember is the water bags(drinking water), that Dad hung on the front bumper of the car. In those days, there were not a lot of fancy coolers and air conditioners. We had the canvas water bags on the bumper and all the windows down for air conditioning...

We were young and didn't know then, what we know now, but the water was in no way cold(like ice) and it tasted like the canvas bag it was in, BUT, it was wet, and that is all that mattered. I remember it seemed to take forever, but at the time we didn't know where we were going, or when we would get there. The Doctor had recommended my Dad leave Illinois and move to a dryer climate and we were moving west to find a new place. Dad had, somehow, developed an allergy to CORN; Can't be a farmer in Illinois if you're allergic to corn.

We went west; on and on, and in those days corn wasn't found much in western Nebraska; Wheat was King then...We got to where there was only wheat and Dad felt fine, so we settled into our new life near Sidney, Nebraska. It was wheat harvest time, Dad got a job and for a short time, I remember, we lived in a big tent. For us, it was such an exciting time...

I realize now that it doesn't take a lot to be happy and have good memories. We had a place to sleep and enough to eat, AND we had our family right beside us...What more can one ask for...

Young Adventures In The North Country...

2013-07-05T09:42:00.000-07:00

At age 17, a friend and I hitchhiked from California, back to Colorado, where we had lived before. It took us about two weeks to get there, with more than enough problems along the way. We were going back to catch the yearly wheat harvest. Young and adventurous, we were going to get a job with the wheat harvest and see new things...

We made a brief stopover in Raton, New Mexico, where we took a week's job on a construction crew. The reason we did this was because, back then, hitchhiking in Colorado was a good way of ending up in Jail; We weren't too keen on that prospect, so we busted concrete for a week, got lot of blisters and made just enough money to buy a ticket to Akron, Colorado.
When we arrived in Akron, we were told that the harvest started early and we had just about missed everyone. There were just a few left. Oh No!
We sat in the cafe having a cup of coffee and wondering if we had made a mistake. About the time we were beginning to lose hope one of the Harvesters by the name of Melvin Robinson(from Brownfield, Texas) came in. The waitress told him we were looking for work and, thank God, he was needing a couple of strong young bodies. At last... we had a job...We had gotten rather lean and hungry on our trip to Colorado and the idea of

starving was not good. Now, at least we knew we wouldn't go hungry again.

It was hot dusty work, but we were young and could take it; We kept telling ourselves that. The cutting near Akron lasted for about another week then we were on our way to Montana. I had never been to Montana before. A job and a new adventure; A perfect time at 17...

In a matter of days we arrived in Ft. Benton, Montana, a very old town sitting right on the Missouri river. Very old and interesting. Our boss paid us 30 dollars a week and room and board. We were to stay at the old Choteau Hotel. Like the rest of the town, the old hotel was ancient, even in 1958, but it was hard to find any place to stay when the harvest on going on. Harvesters were packed in everywhere.

We had to share, four to a room, but after long days in the field we were so tired we didn't care or know the difference. We heard tales about strange happening in this old building. Lots of ghost stories. I listened for a while then just passed out, leaving the ghosts to themselves. It was an exciting time for a 17 year old boy. We worked hard, ate good, passed out at night and earned a lot of good memories to remember in the future.

About 40 years later, I was working for a moving company out of Cheyenne, Wyoming. One day my boss told me that one of the bank executives was moving to Montana, and did I want to do the job? Sure! Where is he moving? When he told me, a funny feeling came over me; He was moving to Ft.Benton....He started to tell me where it was located but I stopped him and told him...'I've been there'! Ok! The job was on...

We loaded the bankers furniture and off we went to Montana. I didn't even think about the time of year till I was just outside Ft. Benton, then I realized...Good lord! It's harvest time...Oh Boy! That is weird. Then, I suddenly remembered something; How impossible it might be to find a place to stay the night...
I arrived at the bankers new house and we unloaded and finished in good time. I wasn't so young anymore and I find myself quite tired, but still hadn't decided where to stay the night. There were no truck stops so parking the truck and sleeping in it was not an option. I decided to ask one of the locals for any ideas.

As I might have expected, he told me the wheat harvest was in full swing and about everything was full. I asked him about the Choteau hotel. I got the dumbest looks from those standing around. I asked what was wrong. He just grinned and hesitated for a moment...

That old hotel is a historic landmark and has been closed for years now. I guess too many roomers complained about the old land lady walking the halls all night long. Problem was...She had died several years earlier, but had apparently never left. Enough is enough! They just decided to close it up.

I ended up getting approval from the local police and I slept in my truck...parked in front of the Bankers new house...

Morning In Manila...

2013-06-24T13:04:00.000-07:00

With my first cup of coffee in hand, I peered from the 10th floor window of my hotel, out across Manila Bay. This was the coolest time of day and the city was still relatively quiet; not so during the day, but mornings were beautiful.
Down on the street. along the Bay Walk, a group of people have gathered to do their morning exercises...Tai Chi...I think! Others are taking morning strolls along the calming waters of the bay; Maybe, some left from the long night of dancing and partying that went on till early hours of the morning...

Looking out over the rooftops, it is a maze of laundry hanging on the line, and signs of people just beginning their day.It's going to be another hot one.

Economically speaking, as elsewhere, some have little left over but the people here are very hard working and inventive. If they don't have something, they seem to invent something else to do the job. Most of the people I have met are loving and, for the most part kind, and they share whatever they might have. Very generous and an absolute pleasure to be around.

Later in the day, we will go to the fish market, about a mile to the south. Always an endless selection of fish(all kinds), still in individual tanks, just waiting for someone to come along and make their choice. There is never a lack of fresh fish in Manila; And I love fish...

About three blocks in the other direction is the huge ROBINSON Mall. This place is several stories high and has about anything you can want, and prices here(compared to the U.S) are quite cheap. There is even a KFC and Dunkin Donuts, for anyone who might be homesick.
Everywhere, there is armed security; Our hotel had armed Guards. In such a large city and so many people coming and going, businesses take no chances. Before entering, even the Mall, everyone is checked by the police, but they are nice about it, and much more polite than what I have experienced back home in the U.S..
Before I went to the Philippines I was told that people there might not like Americans anymore. I found out that was not the case. Like most working class peoples, we find out the problem(and dislikes) are usually the governments and politics. Politicians create problems. The rest of us just try to make a living and get by.

Later in the day, the traffic is unbelievable. Almost nobody drives in Manila(It seemed), except the Taxi and Jeepney drivers. How they keep from constantly being in a wreck is beyond me. They drive fast; They stop fast; and seldom did I see a vehicle with a dent in it. It seems they are constantly working on their vehicles, shining and polishing them, to make them look more appealing. They are good drivers, and cheap...
Manila is a beautiful city, but there, like so many cities, the economy is suffering and there is never enough money to fix things. Once beautiful parks run down; No money to maintain them. Many on hard times...It is heart breaking.

Although I was only in Manila three weeks, I saw so much and learned a few things, too. Things I would never had imagined or realized before; Absolutely eye opening. I learned a lot, met so many people AND experienced my first EARTHQUAKE...
One evening, after a rather warm day I decided I would have a SAN MIGUEL Beer. I had been introduced to this beer years before in Spain. Clear around the world(In Spain) I found myself drinking a beer, brewed in the Philippines. Never did I think that many years later I would actually be in the Philippines drinking the same beer...AGAIN!
I guess I had gotten use to TWIST off tops in the U.S. and I found myself trying to twist the top, with NO good results. Suddenly, I found myself shaking...Why was I shaking? I felt fine , but I was shaking...
Good Grief! I suddenly realized it was not me shaking, but the entire building...Oh Boy! They were having an earthquake; I was having an earthquake. In exiting the room I remembered the signs on the elevators; In case of earthquake DON'T use the elevator. The guy next door had only one leg and I ask him how he was going to get down. He told me he didn't think he could make it down 10 flights of stairs and was taking the elevator and hope to heck it made it...It did, and we all spent most of the rest of the night downstairs in the lobby. Now I know I don't care for earthquakes...AND that San Miguel requires a bottle opener...It was a trip I will never forget...A lot of good memories...

Now in this moment, I just want to drink my coffee and remember Manila and it's beautiful mornings

Hidden Primal...

2013-06-18T09:24:00.000-07:00

As humans, most of us have come a long ways from what our ancestors were forced to be. We no longer live in caves, OR do we not? Our basic feelings and urges have been well clothed in more modernistic attire and a lot of names have been changed to protect our vanities, but somewhere in the back of our minds a part of us is still connected with our past...like it or not...
How many like to go camping, now and then? With all our modern conveniences WHY do we still choose to venture back into the wild and momentarily live as our forefathers and Mothers did? Nope! We may have dressed up a bit and changed some things to make ourselves believe that we have changed, but basically, we are still the same primal creations that we were long ago.
I know, I love getting away from(so-called) civilization sometimes and hovering over a campfire for a while...Take a break and get back to the nature that I am a part of...

Don't get me wrong, because there is nothing wrong or degrading about going back to our roots, to a much simpler time when all we had to worry about was hunting or picking our next meal and , of course, NOT becoming the next next meal for something BIGGER...

Just to go somewhere...

2013-06-15T10:05:00.001-07:00

I guess most of us just need to get out of the house sometimes, and without any particular place to go...just drive and see what comes around the bend.
I have spent most of my life traveling, in one fashion or another. I drove a truck for more than 40 years and have traveled the world, with the US military...and without their help. I have seen so much and met so many new and different people but it never seems to be enough. No doubt, some of us are by nature, wanderers, and like water, we need to keep moving or become stagnant and die.

When I leave the house and venture out I try to leave everyday worries behind. I'll deal with them when(and IF) I come back. Believe me, there have been times when I , seriously, did not want to go back to the same old routine. Just keep driving and see new things. Anything different from a stationary existence that is definitely not me. I have been told that this might be considered irresponsible but do we really own anyone an explanation as to why we are, the way we are? I think to really be free we have to go with our gut feeling sometimes and be true to ourselves.
Besides...it's only a drive in the country...Or is it???

Scattered Gold...

2013-06-04T11:25:00.000-07:00

As often as I have been out in Gold Basin, in northern Arizona, it never ceases to amaze me how TOTALLY uneven the gold is scattered all over the place.
Normally, if gold is being carried by a running steam, the heavier water during flood stages, will carry and deposit the larger pieces of gold higher up on the banks and the bigger stuff will drop before the smaller gold will settle farther downstream, but gold basin doesn't seem the fit the pattern at all.

I have found some rather good size pieces, a bunch of smaller pieces(in the same spot) then absolutely nothing...Yes! I was stumped...until I talked to a former geologist, who told me it all makes sense IF we think back about 10,000 years ago(which he says is a short time in geological terms). He tells me that back then the entire area was under water...not a running stream as we might think but an ocean bottom. Makes more sense knowing this... I think?
Often, I have come clear up out of the washes and found more, and bigger gold than down in the wash...

Another season in Arizona...

2012-12-10T03:38:00.000-08:00

Well, it's another drywashing season in Arizona and sofar the weather has been great and I found a new spot that seems to be producing enough gold to make it worth the effort. Maybe, due to the bad economy, there are more and more people out digging this year and with the price of gold so high, its no wonder. All predictions(IF you can believe them)are for an unusually warm and dry winter for the southwestern US, so we will keep digging as long as we can...

Gold is great...BUT...

2012-06-07T16:20:00.000-07:00

I love prospecting for gold and occasionally finding some, or for that matter, finding something long hidden and new to my world. It is not so much the finding, but the thrill of the chase(search) and looking forward to something new and exciting. I guess we all just need a change to the everyday boredom of our lives, sometimes. Sometimes, if I don't make it out of town I might just do something silly, like, go to a big parking lot somewhere in town. Early morning is the best time, when the sun is just coming up in the east. I park to the far side of the parking lot(like a Walmart lot...or anything big) and walk slowly toward the east. If there is a coin or something shiny laying about, the sunlight reflects and makes it easier to find. Yahhhh! I just found a penny. Not much in the way of monetary value, but at least its a find. IF it's a real GOOD day...You MIGHT find a quarter??? Never know what you will find..AND it's good excercise. Nothing spectacular, but an adventure, none the less...

How did it get where it's at...

2012-06-04T07:52:00.000-07:00

When I go to my drywashing spot, indicated in the photo, I have found several pickers(ones you're able to pick up with your fingers), But last trip I moved on up the wash farther to see what else I could find. I had assumed that IF the gold moved from the top of the wash(downhill) to where I found the pickers, I would, most likely, find something bigger farther up. Guess again! For some strange reason there seem to be even less farther up the wash??? Huh?? How in the world did it get where it is, IF it came down that hill? Makes me wonder if maybe it didn't come in from a different direction? Since this all happened, probably, a million years ago, I guess we never know for sure. One thing that is for sure is that Gold is WHERE you find it, NOT where it SHOULD be...

My new Gold Buddy(Dry Washer)...

2012-06-02T07:47:00.000-07:00

After I moved to Arizona and learned what a dry washer was and that, here, it's the only way to go, to find gold, I have been using my PUFFER type dry washer. While the puffer is a very light-weight machine and easy to get around with, it is slow and just does not handle enough gravel(which is to say, GOLD). I thought long and hard about it and finally I gave in and bought the larger model of Gold Buddy dry washers. I managed to get a few good days in before the desert heated up too much and I couldn't believe how fast and how much dirt this new machine will run in such a short time. This Gold Buddy(listed as Vibro static concentrator)can run, shake and concentrate the gravel as fast as I can shovel it. It runs off a leaf blower motor and keeps things going and is almost a two man operation. One to shovel in and one to keep shoveling away the tailings pile. I am happy to report that my new machine has already paid for itself. Oh Man! Do I love the feeling and the sight of all those little pieces of gold when I pan my concentrates...

Our desert, at night...

2012-06-02T02:22:00.000-07:00

As scheduled by the Creator, the Arizona desert is once again much too hot to be wandering around and looking for gold. The gold is still there, but so are a lot of other things that one doesn't want to meet in the middle of the night...Like Rattlesnakes, with a bad temper and very toxic venom. If I should venture out during the day(usually very early in morning)I always watch where I am walking but once it's hot snakes and other little critters will find a shady spot under a rock or in a hole, but when the sun goes down and the air cools, they come out to hunt and whatever...It is not a good idea to be wandering around out there at night, even if it is cooler and there might just be a full moon. A mistake like that can easily prove fatal. For now, we, like the snakes, find a shady spot(in town), polish up our equipment and wait a couple more months go scoop up the yeller gold...

Next week-end...

2011-03-04T10:56:00.000-08:00

The Winter, here in Kingman, Arizona, has been too wet to do much drywashing(since the sand needs to be dry), so I have decided to dig out my Old Buddy(GOLD BUDDY) again and just recirculate till the water runs out, or gets too dirty. The unit runs off a car battery, BUT, if ever your battery runs down it also works quite well, just hand feeding the water from the tub(like an old Rocker Box) Although, it is a hassle hauling large containers of water out to the claim, I won't have to be concerned that the ground is wet. This way, the wetter the better...
Some of the guys have been finding little pieces of gold, but about 10 inches down. Once I get set up I just run everything from the top down. Never know when a little piece might have gotten trapped in the top layers. Run it all. Somewhere, down there is gold, and THIS WEEK-END I am going to find it...Yehhh!

Gold is where you find it...

2011-01-08T02:27:00.000-08:00

For years, I lived in Michigan but went prospecting in many states, but never Michigan. I'd never heard of gold being found there. Guess what? I was wrong.
I was sitting in a truckstop(somewhere?) and ran across an article entitled...Gold in Michigan! It seems gold had been discover in various places in Michigan, but had never heard of it in Isabella/Midland counties(area where I had lived). Next time I was back there, a buddy of mine had dug a new pond and I noticed a streak of black sand(magnetite) running down the bank, so what the heck...I got out my pan.
I panned out a couple of pans and lo and behold...No! I don't believe it! I found a small piece of gold in the bottom of my pan. Bright and shiny, and small, but nevertheless, gold.
I showed my buddy and we were both shocked, because there was no record of any gold in this area.
Next time I was back to Michigan I decided to try another spot, since my buddy said no to me making his pond a LOT bigger. I decided, instead, to go to the nearby Chippewa river.
At the time I had an old rocker box(primitive, but very effective) and I was hand feeding gravel(from the Chippewa) and water through it, when along comes the Game warden. When asked what I was doing there and what was this box thing I had? I explained, but was told: "No gold around here!" You should have seen the look on his face when I pointed out a couple of very small pieces I had just washed out. Nope! He couldn't believe it either. He just shook his head and wished me good luck. Guess he didn't check for prospecting licenses? Hehe!
To make a long story short, DON'T EVER assume there is not gold, even in your own back yard, just because it has never been found there before.It may just being waiting...for YOU to discover it. Check it out!

Better weather, BUT...

2011-01-06T07:55:00.000-08:00

Although, the weather, here in Kingman, Arizona is better than(maybe Siberia?)some, it has still been too wet to do much> A little bit of rain(cold rain), a little bit of snow(not much here in town), but can't drywash because the sand is too wet and not enough water to have a running stream to use my sluice. If it were not for my GOLD BUDDY(recirculating and inside where it's warm-Yeh!), I wouldn't be doing much except looking out the window.
I realized many winters ago there is nothing worse than a avid GOLD PROSPECTOR being trapped inside all winter long. Can't sleep nights coz all you can think of is the big nuggets out there..just waiting. But you can't get to them. TERRIBLE!
Well, in any case, I run out on the weekends and bring back a few buckets of gravel and run them through my Recirculating sluice(Gold Buddy) and sometimes, find little pieces shining up at me. Ah Yes! Now, I am happy!

AT LAST...Winter(Good Times) in Arizona...

2010-10-09T22:46:00.000-07:00

Finally, the days are cooling enough that our desert is coming alive with Gold Prospectors(Me and a lot more), and UNFORTUNATELY...Tourists. Just Kidding! But with the cooler weather, it is now feasable to go out and seek our fortunes, so I joined the local Prospecting club yesterday and we have our first big outing next Saturday. Yahhh!

I have been finding gold for years, but always the wet stuff, but since there is a MAJOR shortage of water in this state, we go DRYWASHING. This is a BIG exciting first for me. Never Dry washed before, but after seeing some of the pieces of gold they have been finding on their 800 acres, I am most eager to go.
I have two dredges in California with my Nephew, but now that the VERY RICH Governor(Arnold Schwarzenegger) has banned gold dredging in that state...Nice going ARNIE! Oh well, he has his, so whats the difference if a lot of poor people in HIS state has a chance to make a few bucks?
Meanwhile, back on our side of the state line(Arizona), we are loading up our equipment for Saturday. I figure, by the following Monday I should be able to pay off the National deficit...Just kidding, AGAIN!
I can tell you right now, that when I do return home I will be bringing back a lot of concentrates from the dry washer and thats where me and my Buddy(Good old Gold Buddy) spend the rest of the week picking out all the little pieces...Oh Happy Days!

Last Night, it rained...

2010-09-08T01:27:00.000-07:00

Here in the desert, unless the wind moves something, it pretty well stays in place for a long time...UNLESS it rains! After a long, hot, dry Summer, we are starting to get some rain and the temperatures are slowly coming down. Last night...the rain came down HARD. Out for a walk in the fresh morning air, I walked along a wash that runs along beside the path and noticed where last night's torrential flow had passed and guess what I saw? It had washed down far enough to take off the overburden from times passed, and exposed a nice streak of BLACK SAND(Magnetite), which is a GOOD sign if your looking for GOLD? Who knows? I might be living across the road from a lot of gold?
I might just have to grab a 5 gallon bucket and bring back a sample for my Gold Buddy to work on. Never know...

Me and Buddy(Gold Buddy) collecting Samples...

2010-09-05T18:36:00.000-07:00

I had the Labor Day weekend off so I loaded up a few 5 gallon buckets and headed for the open desert. I know there is Gold out there, just don't know exactly WHERE? When I am in doubt as to where I can legally go, without trespassing, I drive around looking for dry washes. If I see one that looks interesting, I stop long enough to grab my shovel and fill a 5 gallon bucket with material, and of course, taking mental note of the particular location. I then, mark the bucket and move on to the next likely spot.

Once back at the house, I set up my GOLD BUDDY Mini-sluice, screen down my collected material from each bucket and go to work. This is so simple. Almost as much fun as sitting along side of a river bank, somewhere, but in my back yard, instead.
Buddy is small, but doesn't miss a piece of Gold, no matter how small, and you can adjust the water flow to accomodate the size of the material.
This collect and come home system has worked wonders for me, because of not having to drag a lot of equipment and supplies out into the wild and then back again. Just collect and come home, and work the material whenever you feel like it...and sleep in your own bed.
One thing to mention, when collecting material from dry washes, I usually dig down a bit to check for signs of black magnetic sand(magnetite). You don't always find it, or an abundance of it, but best to check anyway...This is still cheaper than playing the lottery and your chances of finding gold are much better.

Arizona Updates...

2010-08-14T03:18:00.000-07:00

The temperature is still running right around 100 degrees F, or a little above, but the nights are starting to cool a bit. It seems the only humidity is IF we turn the sprinklers on...It is DRY! Thank Goodness, for small favors. I know other parts of the country are not so fortunate(too much humidity). No matter what, I guess there is always a silver lining...
Winters , here in Kingman, are not all too bad. We don't get much snow at all, and if we go about 60 miles to the West(down on the Colorado River at a lower altitude)it is more like Springtime, most of the Winter. That's when OUR fun begins...
The temperatures are easy, and we can go dig dirt, pick up rocks, and HOPEFULLY, find some gold. Around here though, most of our CRITTERS(snakes, and everything else on the ground) don't really seem to sleep, as they do elsewhere. I have seen Rattlesnakes on the road on Christmas day. Maybe, he was out shopping? Ya think?
Out here, when everyone one else is shoveling snow, we are digging dirt...
Another couple of months from now, we come alive, but then...so do the Tourists. Soemtimes they are worse than the snakes. At least, we can step OVER the snakes...

The Agony Of knowing...

2010-07-25T17:21:00.000-07:00

Arizona in mid Summer is as bad as the North country in the dead of Winter. In Winter, everything is frozen and yet, the fever of knowing the gold is there but, temporarily unreachable, is pure AGONY...
I feel sorely tempted, but in 108 degree temperature, sun stroke would probably be the first thing I find. Until then, I guess I will have to re-read all my old Gold Prospector magazines and imagine huge pieces of Gold just waiting for me.
I have yet, to learn the art of Dry Washing, but very soon, when I can finally get down to business(the temp cools down), I have great visions of what lies below the surface.
UNIMAGINABLE WEALTH...