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01-21-2007, 8:08 PM C-17A Joined on 01-30-2006 Posts 376 Indiana Gold -- sluiced on Salt Creek, behind Gateville General Store, in Brown County Greetings GoldGrubbers, I had the chance, although a short one, to sluice for gold in Indiana this weekend. It was a cold, cold day....ice everywhere and was 25 or so. I drove over from Kingman, Indiana, at 0700L and got to Gatesville General Stroe at 0915L. Stopped in and talked to Robin, the owner, and grabbed a fresh cup of Joe and asked about sluicing on the stream. She said "sure, you bet, and with all the rain we have had sure ran the creek up, so ther may be some new material for you!". That was encouraging...and I set up on the creek just above the confluence of the two forks. I had so little time to dig/screen/sluice...as I had to be back at Kingman for my wife's grandmother's 90th birthday party at 1400L. The drive time was 2 hrs each way at 65+ MPH, so I had just 1 hr and 15 minutes with set up and then clean up on both ends.......what a BUMMER! It was so beautiful...the stream was settled down, running clear, lots of new sand banks and gravel bars. The rocks are all small and well worn. This is glacial morane country.....gold from "up north" dropped off there.....ground to a fine flour size by glaciers. I set up in the middle of the creek to get the right flow in my Le Trap sluice. I had no rocks to work with, so I used sticks drilled into the gravel to hold it in place. I sat on my white 5-gal bucket and used my smaller 2 1/2 gal bucket to carry screened sand/gravel to sluice. I had to work FAST...no time to sample here and there...and such. I dug 4 buckets of sand at the "Y" of the two creeks......and sluiced it. It was clean, fine sand in a rock stream.... looked good, as I had lots of black sand in the sluice. Imagine my horror as I went for a 5th bucket before my first clean up, and saw my sluice tumbling down stream past me, 20 yards down stream as I dug the sand! Ugh...lost 25 minutes of work and unknown specks of gold. :( I reset it up with more sticks and a small log as a water weir to increase flow and started over.....got (plz see pic on the Forum pics) two cleans ups after 4 small buckets each in the sand and swithced to fine gravel at the end of a sand bar in the middle of the creek. Got 1 clean up doing this. Lastly, took two buckets off the top of a blonde sand bar on the inside of a tight bend. I could not (and still can't) believe how fast time flies when you have just 1+15 hrs on the stream to sluice. I did not do any clean up. I ran everywhere! I threw all my stuff in the Jeep, jumped into my normal clothes and drove like a bat out of hell back to Kingman. Got back, despite the Sunday drivers on 2-lane roads on Saturday, to the celebration. Whew........IF i had been late I may have been thrown out of the family!! I quickly panned out the small amount of cons tonight and got 2 small "flakes" and some smaller specks. I will repan the bag and see if I got anything else I missed. I was goingfast with such fine gold. Admitedly, not a lot, but for just over 1 hour in a quest for glacial flour gold I did NOT get skunked. Sure wish that first sluice full of cons didn't get washed away, and of course that I had ALL day to play on the creek...and it really was not that could with 3 layers on and my Russian hat... Still, VERY satisfying, and fun and the weather was perfect, bright, clear and sunny. Those who see the glass 1/2 empty might have said cold, but I was so busy/hot I had to take off a sweatshirt and my Ruskie hat! Fun, fun, fun......sluicing and watching the woodpeckers search for food. So, if anyone thinks they are ready for a fun outing in a quest for VERY fine glacial gold in Indiana, head to Gatesville, Indiana. Ms. Robin is super nice, and cooks up a real nice breakfast buffet on the weekends and she never charges for prospecting or staying over night behind her store on the creek, as far as I can tell...such a rare thing these days. Go have fun! Randy    Report

01-22-2007, 9:07 PM rimmshot Joined on 01-23-2007 Posts 4 Re: Indiana Gold -- sluiced on Salt Creek, behind Gateville General Store, in Brown County Not only did he pull off a morning of panning when we were supposed to be there for grandma's 90th birthday, but the dude comes back and gives a panning seminar to all the assembled relatives. Most likely made a few more prospecting converts......This guy is simply hard core....amazing!!!    Report

01-22-2007, 9:23 PM twig/al Joined on 01-24-2006 Gadsden, Alabama Posts 4,627 Re: Indiana Gold -- sluiced on Salt Creek, behind Gateville General Store, in Brown County rimmshot, Welcome to the forums.. There is alot of good information floating around on here... Give it a few days and you will see everyone is helpful and likes to cut up and have a good time!! So, just jump on in and get your feet wet!!! twig/al Alabama Prospecting Supply www.alabamaprospectingsupply.com Email: tom@alabamaprospectingsupply.com Southeast Treasure Hunters Forum www.southeasttreasurehunters.com    Report

01-22-2007, 10:50 PM hawk Joined on 11-07-2006 Buena Vista, Virginia Posts 124 Re: Indiana Gold -- sluiced on Salt Creek, behind Gateville General Store, in Brown County Hey Randy, Thanks for the informative post. I have a brother that lives about 30 miles from Gatesville, so I will have to check it out when I make it back out that way. Sounds like you had a great time while there....some great people in that neck of the woods! hawk    Report

01-23-2007, 6:26 AM Herschel Joined on 01-30-2006 Monterey, Louisiana Posts 3,149 Re: Indiana Gold -- sluiced on Salt Creek, behind Gateville General Store, in Brown County Randy, You sure do post some nice little stories when you write of your prospecting escapades while traveling around the country in OUR C17A. Be sure and do proper preflights. I already know from experience that it is somebody else who does all the real work on it. LOL You just move it around the globe as directed. LOL. Hey guys, Seein' it's our plane anyway, we're gonna have to git him to do a round robin and pick us all up for a dig. He can pick me up legal anyhow, as I am entitled to Space Available.   I opt for Fairbanks and the Steese Highway of Alaska come Summer.  Between Brian and Randy, They oughta have some kinda pull with GW. Heck just invite him on the trip too. Kinda hush hush like. Randy, you'll be flyin' Air Force One. We'll keep GW outta Nancy Pelosi's sights for a whole month and won't let anybody know where he is. But, he gets a split of the gold too. Just like everybody. All seriousness aside now, Randy I really do like your little prospecting stories. Keep on tellin' em. Herschel "Chief Instigator" Stop "Poly-Ticks" in Washington!! (definitian) Poly: many Ticks: blood suckin' insects    Report

01-23-2007, 8:52 AM ghost Joined on 03-17-2006 Marksville, LA 71351 Posts 474 Re: Indiana Gold -- sluiced on Salt Creek, behind Gateville General Store, in Brown County I know some good places in that neighborhood, Herschel.  That's the area where I first started panning for gold.  About 20 miles south of Fairbanks on the Richardson Highway.  My partner and I panned 2 ounces in about 24 hrs.  I didn't say 1 day because it never got dark and we just kept working. Prospector and small scale miner (so far)    Report

01-23-2007, 9:01 AM faaus Joined on 06-29-2006 Kentucky Posts 441 Re: Indiana Gold -- sluiced on Salt Creek, behind Gateville General Store, in Brown County Thanks for that GREAT trip report C17A! It was a delight! Heavy Pans! Welcome to the forum Rimmshot! faaus  In the Land of the blind the one-eyed man is king.    Report

01-23-2007, 1:07 PM C-17A Joined on 01-30-2006 Posts 376 Hawk, Herschel & RimmShot -- a few comments... Hawk, Robin runs the General Store.  No charge for your time on the creek prospecting & she lets folks camp back there for free (as far as i could tell)...just buy food/goods from here when you can...she wants the business and uses her creek to draw in business.  Just clean up after yourself.  A real win-win. The creek is a very nice place to work...runs all year around and the trees give lots of shade in the summer.  Lots of gravel, very few rocks, but some geodes to perhaps clog a suction hose.  I was there last May when it was hot already --stayed in the shade most of the time.  The real challenge is to get deep...down where the gold has collected and also ID and mine the seasonal stream areas where the current moves the gold for you.  I would have loved to have had a dredge to "go deep" and vacuum the bottom (or any false bottom glacial clay layers).....but I don't.....so, my shovel handle is the limit to how deep I could get.  I found fine gold last summer in most every place......river banks, sand bars, gravel bars, etc.  Spread wide and thin.  The goal there seems to be to process as much material as possible!  Volume = success. (like always....) Herschel, Yep, the C-17 is a beauty to behold and fly.  Thanks for letting me "borrow" you national asset from time to time to do the nation's business, either here or overseas.  Would like to set up a GoldGrubbin prospector's trip all over the USA.......California, Alaska, Gerogia, NC & SC, Oregon, etc.  Unfortunately, I'd get in career-ending trouble if I was to procure a national asset for such a "boondoggle".  Still, the thought is a nice one! Glad everyone like my write up.  I try to give enough detail to make it meaningful......as if you were there shoveling gravel and helping me do clean up.  I recommend the place if folks want the fine gold challenge.  :) Welcome to RimmShot!!  Glad you joined in and are getting connected to all these fine folks here on the Forum.  Oh, since my December CA visit with you and our time on the Toulumne  River sluicing, my brother now wants to take his wife, Tammy, gold panning this summer!!  More converts in the making..........  I suggested several areas in the Sierras. Also, suggested he give you a call too and maybe you could give him some detailed advice on equipment/locations.  Or, maybe you all could go together? Happy Panning, Randy     Report

01-23-2007, 3:38 PM Herschel Joined on 01-30-2006 Monterey, Louisiana Posts 3,149 Re: Hawk, Herschel & RimmShot -- a few comments...  "BOONDOGGLE????". We already agreed that we're gonna take GW with us. Heck Randy, We all thought it was a great idea huh guys and gals? Herschel "Chief Instigator" Stop "Poly-Ticks" in Washington!! (definitian) Poly: many Ticks: blood suckin' insects    Report

01-23-2007, 4:14 PM Kev NC Joined on 01-25-2006 Lexington NC Posts 1,406 Re: Hawk, Herschel & RimmShot -- a few comments... I think its a great idea Herschel, Y'all just let me know what airport to be at and when. I think that plane may be a little to big to land on the street infront of my house. Does it have a lift for loading the dredges?    Report

01-23-2007, 4:17 PM Herschel Joined on 01-30-2006 Monterey, Louisiana Posts 3,149 Re: Hawk, Herschel & RimmShot -- a few comments... Heck, it'll load tanks Kev. Dredges oughta be a breeze. Just drive your pick up on and we'll strap er down. Been there and done that. Besides, Randy will have a crew with a loadmaster. Durn, we gonna have to cut them in too? Herschel "Chief Instigator" Stop "Poly-Ticks" in Washington!! (definitian) Poly: many Ticks: blood suckin' insects    Report

01-23-2007, 8:50 PM C-17A Joined on 01-30-2006 Posts 376 Re: Hawk, Herschel & RimmShot -- a few comments... Herschel, Kev, This C-17 can hold one heck of a lot of prospecting equipment! Dredges, trommels, detectors, high bankers, sluices, pans, and everything inbetween...up to 170,900 lbs of weight...as long as we can physically stuff it in. We can land a 502,100 lb gross weight airplane on 3,500 (or less) feet of runway........and we can do it in the dirt too....with a few more weight restrictions...so we may be able to stop by everyone's front door and also land at the prospecting site, obstacles permitting. If anyone can possibly do door to door service for gold prospecting, it's us! We also have excess capacity to halu out the weighty gold dust/flake/nuggets we are sure to find as we go along. Yes, the whole crew is owed a fair "share" on a common fly/dig outting like you propose. It's the right thing to do, and besides, we can get the LMs into gold prospecting and boost the outreach effort. Randy    Report

01-23-2007, 9:09 PM navydoc Joined on 01-25-2006 Jacksonville, N.C. Posts 1,466 Re: Hawk, Herschel & RimmShot -- a few comments... Y'all count me in too...As long as I'm back by then.  Heck, I even have a real landing area 7.52 miles from my front door.  They call it MCAS New River!! 'doc One shot....One Kill! 'nough said.    Report

01-24-2007, 7:22 AM Herschel Joined on 01-30-2006 Monterey, Louisiana Posts 3,149 Re: Hawk, Herschel & RimmShot -- a few comments... Just so's y'all will know, Randy ain't got but a crew of Him, another pilot and a loadmaster. That's 3. Countem, 1,2,3. (Just so he don't run a ringer in on us as "crew", for a little bigger cut. OH Yeah, GW will be along too. That's 4. After he gets his share, maybe he'll cut us some slack on public lands. LOL Herschel "Chief Instigator" Stop "Poly-Ticks" in Washington!! (definitian) Poly: many Ticks: blood suckin' insects    Report

01-24-2007, 12:34 PM twig/al Joined on 01-24-2006 Gadsden, Alabama Posts 4,627 Re: Hawk, Herschel & RimmShot -- a few comments... Let me make this perfectly clear... I don't fly in no airplane, just let me know and I'll meet y'all there!! Anyone that would get on an airplane after all the stuff y'all have said about flying, IS NUTS!!!! lol.... twig/al Alabama Prospecting Supply www.alabamaprospectingsupply.com Email: tom@alabamaprospectingsupply.com Southeast Treasure Hunters Forum www.southeasttreasurehunters.com    Report

01-28-2007, 6:57 AM russau Joined on 02-06-2006 st. louis missouri Posts 1,162 Re: Hawk, Herschel & RimmShot -- a few comments... Randy, Robin charges for over night camping. day use is still free. camping fees where $10. per night, but that was 2 years ago.    Report

01-28-2007, 8:37 PM C-17A Joined on 01-30-2006 Posts 376 Re: Hawk, Herschel & RimmShot -- a few comments... Russau, I didn't know she charged. I never spent the night myself. I was talking to several "campers" last May and they said "she just let's us camp back here"...so I assumed it was free since they didn't mention a fee. My mistake... If she still does I am sure it's very reasonable, like $10, as there's no hookups or such....just the porta-potty up by the store for ammenities :) Nice Sat/Sum breakfast buffet and very reasonable too. Randy    Report

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