Patience is the word this week as we await a phone call from the State to schedule an on-site inspection.  We’re also awaiting a letter from the U.S. Forest Service formally addressing areas of interest within our claim boundaries and proposed disturbance. 

          We’ve already “informally” addressed a culvert and drainage that we will avoid during mining.  Other areas of interest as informally identified are outside the boundaries of disturbance.

          Weather has been rainy, but that’s a far sight better than snow!  Rain helps to dissolve the winter’s accumulation of snow, allowing some good run-off into Black Hills creeks.

          We did enjoy a short road-trip to the Rochford area one sunny day last week.  It was a little chilly for any real prospecting, but snow cover is minimal in that specific area.  Likewise here in the foothills where last week's rain dissolves the remnants of snow.  A glance at the Northern Black Hills skyline tells us that Crow Peak still has plenty of snow, so we’ll probably try to make it up that way next week if no new snow is received.  The forecast is for a rainy week, which could really reduce the snow banks in the Tinton region.

          We spent the morning with Jim the fabricator, working out some final details of our trommel operation.  Jim thinks he’ll be more or less finished with final details by the end of the week.

          Last week we detailed the grizzly system, which will wash and separate out large rock.  I need to correct the size of segregation.  I stated it as ½-inch and Jim corrected that to 1-inch.

          From the grizzly, the system feeds into a vibrating 3/16-inch screen which will drop out all the black sands.  We anticipate high volumes of black sands which will be recovered in the first beach-box style sluice.

          The remaining gravels will be trommeled and sluiced in two trommels, sized we think :) at 1/8 and ½ inch.   

          Jim says he’s ready to start fabricating trommels and sluice boxes for those interested. 

Send us an email at hillshistory1876@gmail.com if you’re looking to obtain a high-quality, locally fabricated system.    The systems can be electric or gas operated, depending on your needs.  He’ll help you to decide what system will work best for you and custom build to your needs.

          We’ve done a little “web shopping” to look at what’s out there in small-scale equipment.  We’re seeing a lot of stuff for the entry-level recreational prospector, and a lot of large-scale mining equipment.  There’s not much to offer for us more seriously minded prospectors… we’re thinking Jim might be able to fill that gap!

          Just a reminder… mechanized mining of any sort in South Dakota requires a state permit.