Gold in every pan...

        It’s a legend, right? 

        Well that depends on where you go, what you dig, how experienced you are at recognizing the pay zone!

        A recent experience is worth relating to those skeptics who say, “the gold’s all been mined out of the Black Hills.”

        We have a geologist friend who, in his limited spare time, tags along to check out our current claims and new prospects.  The trip usually includes one of our located claims and one or two new prospects.

        Last weekend we stopped at an old favorite location to do a little metal detecting at the spot where we first found a nugget metal detecting a number of years ago.  Skunked, we found the usual nails, tabs, an interesting looking valve off an antique vehicle.

        We had a quick burger at Rochford, always fun, and then proceeded to one of our claims.  Now here’s where we play the wily old prospector, in that what we found there we’re not really willing to disclose location!  Let it suffice to say it was in the Central Hills and a location we are currently devoting a considerable amount of time to. 

        We drove into the area the day after a decent rain.  We gave the mini-tour and pulled over near what was probably once a holding pond for sluice operations.

        Journeying toward the creekbed, we were pleasantly shocked to see the recent rain had created a little runoff and we actually had some running water… enough for a sluice but while the guys explored I decided to try a pan.

        I hopped across the little stream, used my shovel to kick off grass and take a sample. I shoveled enough depression in the creek to pan. The first pan showed a bit of black sands and some nice garnets.

        The geologist also grabbed a bucket and concentrator and said he’d find a place to dig.

        I kept quiet until I had concentrated half of a 2-1/2 gallon bucket, panned my first pan and there were now two slightly large flecks!  I’ll have to figure a way to save garnets too, though, because they range in color from non-transparent dark to transparent red, orange toned, and pinkish.

        About then, Bob and friend migrated back my way yielding a bucket full of material.

        Bob asked, as always, did you find gold?

        Well yes, I did!  He was surprised, to say the least.  Our friend compared his material to what I was panning and it appeared similar.

        Days later, the geologist gives us a call.  He’s been working in the Hills during the day, then panning the material he brought back in the evening.

        He says he’s quite excited about that claim… he found 3-4 pieces of gold when he panned!

         I can’t stress the importance of experience.  Bob knows that area and where to expect to find gold.  The geologist might be a greenhorn, but he knows what to look for geologically in gold-bearing areas.  The final factor is shallow gravels that hold gold closer to the surface.

        So it’s there, if you look in the right area!

         Note:  We ran into some Michigan gold prospectors headed for Alaska… they got turned around at the Canadian border.  If you’re intent on Alaska gold via Canada, you might want to check requirements for entry into Canada.

       

       

Placers and placer miners...

Alex helps demonstrate the extend of a famous placer...
bedrock cleaned back to still existing gravels.
This is in a withdrawn area... note no shovels or pans,
just a camera!

Some things never change… other things change with each gust of wind.

This couldn’t be more apparent while reading a 1933 “Report of Investigations No. 15” SD State Gological Survey by E.P. Rothrock, state geologist. He says it all in a way I often strive to communicate, and fail!

“The number and wide range of old workings lead to the conclusion that few recognizable surface indications of metal-bearing deposits have been overlooked. However, there are still chances of success for those who, with assured resources, stamina and equipment will study the record of placer mining and choose favorable regions for their prospecting.

“The gold found in placers originally existed in place as deposits of various forms in areas intruded by igneous rocks. In some cases it was deposited in the igneous rock itself in finely disseminated particles; in other cases it was originally in quartz veins, cutting through the igneous and other rocks and formed as a result of the igneous intrusions. Due to disintegrating processes (change of temperature, wind, rain, earth movements and chemical action of running water, and of glaciers in some instances), the gold-bearing rock is transported away from its source. The moving water causes the heavier gold particles to work slowly toward the bottom of the stream bed. On reaching bedrock, or hard pan, the gold moves slowly downstream until it lodges in crevices, cracks or other irregular openings in the stream bed.”

Anyway, this is a reader-friendly report and email me if you want the entire report or just search for it on the net. What I want to relay to you is the following information on the different types of placers. I hope it will help explain why superficial panning from the creek is usually fruitless or bears little gold.

Residual placers: “These are placers in which the gold is accumulated in placers by disintegration of the rock containing it. It is not transported from its original source.”

Hillside placers: “These are very old deposits, occurring on the tops and sides of hills. They may have been left in this elevated position because of earth disturbances which lifted the area above the former stream, or the original stream which deposited them may have changed its course or have meandered to a new bed. These deposits are intermediate between the creek and bench placers. Their bedrock shows no indication of benching.”

Creek placers: “The creek placers are gravel deposits in the beds and intermediate flood plains of small streams. These placers from which most of the gold has been taken constitute the best-known type of deposit. Brooks described this form of placer as follows: ’The pay streak in these deposits is usually on bedrock though it sometimes is found on a clay which overrides the bedrock. Where no clay is present the gold is found not only on the bedrock, but also where the rock is broken, the gold has worked its way down into the joints and crevices. Streams are often found to have a layer of clay on bedrock, which gradually thins out upstream and finally disappears entirely. The presence of the clay on the bedrock usually indicates that no gold will be found in the weathered rock below, as the impervious layers prevent the gold from working its way down.’”

Gulch placers: “These are very similar to creek placers, except that there is now little, if any, flowing water present.”

Bench or terrace placers: “These are more or less ancient placers, occurring in bench or terrace form, on the sides of valleys or courses of ancient streams from 50 to 300 feet or more above the present stream level. The presence of well rounded gravel is indicative of material carried and sorted by water.

Change, as we mentioned before, has been in the legal system. When this report was written in 1933, there was no state regulation of South Dakota minerals. That’s a whole lot different these days!

We conclude this blog with an oft-repeated phrase of “practice, practice, practice!” We tell newbie-prospectors this about panning, prospecting… everything!

“Technical or scientific education, although it would be helpful, is not necessary for the prospector. However highly he is educated, he has to learn by experience. He cannot, by reading books, set forth into the mountains a full-fledged prospector. A prospector, however, must have ‘courage, natural resourcefulness, good powers of observation, but most of all, tireless patience and physical energy. A new mine is not likely to be found on a summer’s holiday or a casual vacation.”

While we’re on the subject of efficient prospecting, we researched for the heck of it the Sunset Valley Mining Co. claims called the Mystics. There exists, in this section, 40 acres of ground open for mineral entry. The rest is withdrawn or private. These 40 acres, as far as we can tell from record, have been staked since 2008. Sunset Valley staked probably 80+ acres in this area. That puts 40 acres over the top of another claimholder and 40+ in a withdrawn area! Kindof hard to win in a case like this! Bob says, “That’s a mighty expensive piece of paper!”

Panning and sluicing

        Our most often read articles deal with two topics… panning and sluicing.  It makes sense, since not only are they the most commonly used methods of recovery, they are entry level “gotta have” kind of skills.

        Struggling with sluice box setup is common.  That’s why we look for an area that has not only good gold potential but a relatively easy sluicing setup. 

        Ideally, there’s sufficient drop for the 1 to 1-1/2 inch per foot of sluice box recommended and still have an additional inch or two for a rock under the bottom end of sluice.  That allows a little room for the tailings to drop out and wash away.  Eventually you’ll be cleaning out tailings with a shovel without disturbing the sluice flow. 

        A small rock dam can be built to obtain drop.  This works well in narrow streams but in a wide stream it does not need to be built the entire width, just enough to create sufficient flow to the sluice box.

        The top flare (if you have one) can nestle between two decent-sized rocks to secure the sluice in place.

        At this point, you can either dam water and seal with tailings ahead of the flare or allow free flow around the sluice, depending on the flow.  Too little water allows the sluice to clog and needs constant tending.  Too much flow carries everything right out the end!  Ideally, you have a nice ripple effect over the riffles.

        What do see most often in sluices and highbankers (permit required)?  Too much water too fast... dial it down!  If you doubt the flow, test the tailings directly off the end of the sluice.  I'll bet I could "cleanup" off the tailings and catch pans on just about every operation running in the Hills!

        So you’ve set up the sluice… throw a scoop or small shovelful (depending on size of sluice) of material in and watch how it flows through the box.  Level the sluice side to side if material doesn’t flow consistently by adding minor height on the low side.

        Now you have established a sluicing point and can add stepping stones, level a convenient bucket location, trim branches out of the way… all those things that make a house a home!

        Shovel away and enjoy the day.  But all that doesn’t mean much if you end the day by losing your gold!

        As critical as sluice box setup is cleanup.  You need to break the flow of the creek by lifting the flare end of the sluice first.  You can then proceed with cleanup.  If you do not lift the flare end first, it’s easy to dump what was in the flare right back into the creek or disturb the riffles where your gold is probably resting.

        Remove rib matting and/or carpet; clean thoroughly in a 5-gallon bucket; remove matting and/or carpet. Place the bottom end of the sluice into the 5-gallon bucket and flush concentrates with several pans of water.  Directions on this vary according to model of sluice, so we’ll keep it general! You can then transfer concentrates back to the pan for final panning.  A good hint… splashing water into an inverted bucket cleans it out quickly.

        We’ve watched a lot a people pan… we’ve panned a lot of material… DO NOT RUSH THIS PROCESS!  Remember, these concentrates are mostly heavy materials that have dropped out with gold.  Gold “riding up” with these materials is common.  Critical to the process is shaking down materials frequently and using a smooth, fluid circular motion.  

        My parents taught me if it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right.  In the case of gold panning quality merits quantity and speed equals loss instead of gain.  Use a catch pan… it’s the only way to learn what you’re losing.

        This isn’t speed panning… leave that to the competitors.  Speed panning consists of a defined number of consistently-sized nugget-like pieces.  Your concentrates may include flour, flakes and hopefully nuggets.  I’ll just about bet it also contains black sands of some sort, nodules, bits of quartz, possibly some lead shot in hunting areas, a rusted nail or two.  You need to pay attention to the contents of the pan.

        One final word of advice… if you are encountering a lot of black sands, clean the sluice box more often or split up the concentrates to pan.  I’ve had pans of concentrates handed to me that almost dropped me to my knees (okay, I’m a lightweight!).  If you can’t comfortably handle the size of the pan or the quantity of material, grab a pan that suits you and break it into a couple of sessions.

Location, amendment and relocation

Not much entertainment here... but two blogs being posted!  So if you're not wanting to delve into this process, check out most recent panning and sluicing blog.

The location process… finding a claim is complicated enough as we’ve stated time and again. We’ve talked about the process multiple times.

So the procedure hasn’t changed much, but how many know that when you go to locate a claim there are federal regulations based on the 1872 mining law supplemented by individual state requirements?

So let’s review the federal regulations… this is going to get a little tedious unless you are specifically interested in the subject.

The Bureau of Land Management regulates mineral claims on the federal level. The Montana Dakota office in Billings, MT is in charge of the Black Hills. They state on their webpage:

STAKING A CLAIM--Federal law specifies that claim boundaries must be distinctly and clearly marked to be readily identifiable. Most states have statutes and regulations concerning the actual staking and recording of mining claims so claimants should refer to the appropriate state agency for additional requirements before locating a claim.

Prior to locating a claim, a prospector should check BLM records for prior recorded claims. Ultimately, the prospector must check for prior existing claim markings on the ground. Departmental decisions require a discovery on each claim, based on actual physical exposure of the valuable mineral within the claim boundaries. (Also, each 10 acres on a placer claim, after a discovery, must be mineral in character).

1. Claim boundaries must be distinctly and clearly marked to be readily identifiable: We agree, but it just isn’t so! Some marks are completely outdated; others just plain don’t exist… therefore the next step is critical.

2. A prospector should check BLM records:

3. Discovery on each claim

Filing a claim, according to BLM, is as follows:

RECORDING A MINING CLAIM--Claims and sites must be recorded with both the state and the proper
BLM state office (state laws usually require filing the original location notice or certificate in the proper county office).

The Certificate of Location (COL) or notice must be filed with BLM within 90 calendar days after the date of location. Check with the proper county for their filing requirements.

A location map is required by BLM to accurately determine location and land status of the claim.

You have 60 days to file with the county in which you located in South Dakota.

BLM requires a copy of the official record of the notice or COL of each claim that was or will be filed under state law. (BLM does not require the original document, nor does the document have to be notarized.)

Do not send BLM your COL filed by the county and returned to you. Send a copy.

BLM does not require the claim information to be on any specific form, nor does BLM produce/distribute a form for such purpose. Local printing companies or stationery stores are typical sources of forms. The form submitted to BLM should include the date of location, the name and address of the owner(s), the name of the claim/site, the type of claim/site, the acreage claimed, and a description of the parcel on the ground (township, range, section, quarter section, and/or a metes and bounds description).

Be careful of pre-printed forms… we’ve ran across one or two that do not meet state requirements, one of which is distributed by a county office.

Pretty easy so far, right? We would estimate that only about 10% of those staking a claim go any further than this information. Grab a blank claim form or work from a copy of an existing form, file it and start panning!

Wait just a minute… did it say boundaries must be clearly marked? What about all the additional requirements for the appropriate state?

So we venture to South Dakota Codified Law (which we feel a little intimate with through the permitting process). Note that these laws use the word lode, but are considered by the state as guidelines for placer locations as well. It’s another technicality that we don’t want to dive into right now because it is not relevant to this discussion.

SDCL 45-4-2. Conditions precedent to filing of location certificate. Before filing a location certificate pursuant to § 45-4-4, the discoverer shall locate the claim:

(1) By erecting a monument at the place of discovery and posting on the monument a plain sign or notice containing the name of the lode, the name of any locator, the date of discovery, the number of feet claimed in length on either side of the discovery, and the number of feet in width claimed on each side of the lode; and

(2) By marking the surface boundaries of the claim.

Marking the claim is further clarified:

SDCL 45-4-3. Marking surface boundaries of claim. Surface boundaries shall be marked by eight substantial posts, hewed or blazed on the side or sides facing the claim and plainly marked with the name of the lode and the corner, end, or side of the claim that they respectively represent and sunk in the ground; one at each corner and one at the center of each side line and one at each end of the lode. If it is impracticable because of rock or precipitous ground to sink such posts, they may be placed in a monument of stone.

Most often noted error on this level… lack of posts on the ground and on the required map. Eight posts, not four, not six. Here is where the county distributed COL lacks direction, prompting for too few posts. “Substantial” is a word that leaves a lot of room for interpretation, but we do know that the US Forest Service (another agency!!!) does not like PVC pipe, steel posts and in this age of the pine bark beetle, does not want you blazing trees!

And the location certificate, as required by state law:

45-4-4. Location certificate--Recording of claim--Contents--Validity. The discoverer of a lode shall within sixty days from the date of discovery record the claim in the office of the register of deeds of the county in which the lode is located by a location certificate which shall contain:

(1) The name of the lode;

(2) The name of the locator or locators;

(3) The date of location;

(4) If a lode claim, the number of linear feet in length claimed along the course of the vein each way from the point of discovery, with the width claimed on each side of the center of the vein; the general course of the vein or lode as near as may be; and a description of the claim located by reference to some natural object or permanent monument as will identify the claim.

Any location certificate of a lode claim that does not contain the information specified in this section is void.


If, in the interest of discussion, these guidelines were taken to a court of law a large number of existing claims would be overturned. Good faith counts for a lot and the cost of contesting a claim in court is prohibitive, so that doesn’t happen all that much.


The next two items contribute to a lot of discussion at our home… amend or relocate. It’s a discussion we’ve covered in our blog repeatedly, in that an amendment preserves the original location date whereas relocation is just the same as a new location in the same place as your old location. There are few advantages to a relocation, but is a valuable tool if you have inadvertently neglected to file annual paperwork and want to retain the claim.

Feeling pretty secure in the validity of your claim? Here’s a slap in the face which we’ve seen before and we are keeping an eye on right now. Thorough research at the county (therefore state) level and at BLM in October 2011 showed a section with no claims in the area of interest. No valid paperwork or boundary markers existed on the ground. Claim staked, claim filed. Several months later (spring) an amended location certificate shows up on the ground. The amendment shows that a claim from another section staked in January 2011 is being amended to same ground covered by November claim. There are a multitude of possibilities how this may wash out. In this particular situation, we feel it’s only a matter of time until the situation fades into distant history. However, in general if there are not other problems, the amended claim would take precedence and eliminate the rights of the claim staked in November.

We consult BLM to address amending a claim:

AMENDMENTS--An amendment (1) may or may not take in different or additional unappropriated ground; (2) may correct or clarify defects or omissions in the original notice or Certificate of Location; (3) may change the legal land description; (4) may change the claim name; and (4) may change the position of discovery or boundary monuments (under Montana State law, the point of discovery cannot be moved). Amendments cannot be used to transfer ownership of a mining claim.

That’s about as ambiguous as it gets… may or may not! The guidelines are a little more clear cut, according to BLM officials, in that you can reduce the size of the claim but not take in additional acreage. We find no state statutes addressing an amendment.

RELOCATIONS--A relocation is treated much the same as a new location which essentially covers the same land as a prior mining claim/site. As such, a relocation will be issued a new serial number and date stamp.

A relocation does not relate back to the date of the prior location and is adverse to the prior location.

A relocation may not be established by the use of an "amended location notice," but requires a new, original notice or certificate as prescribed by state law.

So if you consider yourself a law-abiding citizen, look at the federal law, then look at the state statutes. Under most situations you can consider the federal law as a starting point, then go to state law for further clarification… mining or not that’s the way it works.

Almost there...

    The last few weeks have been a little hectic… Iron Creek placer permitting almost final!

       We have made an interesting acquaintance of another person in the permit application process, so we talk a little SDCL and ARSD (our newly-coined language revolving around South Dakota Codified Law and Administrative Rules) with him, which I think has been to the benefit of both parties.

       A word of warning to those contemplating permitting… every codified law and every administrative rule has to be addressed, and properly!  We’ve had a lot of help from Department of Environment and Natural Resources and US Forest Service staff.  They give constructive criticism to help you on your way, contrary to popular belief that they do everything to hamper the process!  These individuals did not create the law… we applaud their efforts to help us wade through the process.

        We also had the first on-site inspection at the Friday Gulch property.  We were relieved to hear that there appear to be no special, exceptional, critical or unique features and therefore feasibly shorten the permit process of that project.  Of far greater value, however, is the experience of the first permit to get our minds around what is needed.

        Left on the agenda is MSHA training and certification, final equipment roundup and hopefully some mining in July!

        Interspersed with the trials and tribulations of permitting are those days we just get out and prospect!  Those interested in claims… there is a situation with BLM regulations that may be opening up some claim areas this fall.  We can create an email waiting list for some prime placer locations, then give you a heads-up if the areas we are watching open up.  Drop us an email….

        A few hours’ outing at Boulder introduced some newly-made friends to the art of starting a dig, what to expect and how to proceed.  Their first pan of concentrates showed some pretty nice flour gold, so we think they’re headed in the right direction.

        Stream flows throughout the Hills remain fairly constant and we hope for steady rainfall to keep them running.

       We’re hearing a lot of talk about “public” lands open to prospecting.  These public lands, researched, are as often as not owned on the surface by a municipality with mineral rights reserved. 

        We also get a lot of inquiries about small highbanker/dredge permits.  We intend to put together an application that will help in obtaining that permit.  Just another project we’ll try to put together.  We’ve heard that in California they charge several thousand $$ to do this.  We’ll try to be a little more reasonable J since we would like to encourage permitting rather than circumventing the law!

        Good news is that legislation is being considered on more recreational-type mechanized mining.  Talk to your legislator about supporting the recreational miner!

       I will post a rather exhaustive blog tailored to claimholders on locating, relocating and amending claims later this week.