GeoJack Posted November 10, 2017 Share Posted November 10, 2017 I have a claim with a seasonal creek, almost all slate bedrock. What is the recommend way to move the overburden off the bedrock and relocate it? All work will be done by hand and most overburden isn't more than 2 foot deep. Creek is about 8 to 10 feet wide. First time serious placer miner, been swinging a detector for a few years. Suggestions Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adam Posted November 10, 2017 Share Posted November 10, 2017 2 feet by hand? Time consuming but do-able. Move it to the fastest side of the creek. Or placer out the fast side first then move your overburden to the area you already cleaned out. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomH Posted November 10, 2017 Share Posted November 10, 2017 I find sitting on my butt and digging like im rowing a boat helps save the back. Like Adam said, back fill the spot you cleaned out so your not moving it so far. Tom 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisski Posted November 10, 2017 Share Posted November 10, 2017 Like Adam said, that is a lot of work, especially if it turns out to be hardpack. 36 to 40 full five gallon buckets is about a ton of dirt. I think of laying buckets out six by six and thinking of that as a ton of dirt to move. I then picture those six bucket by six bucket sections and how many there are, and try to give me a picture of where to move it. That has always discouraged me from moving a lot of overburden. I've moved a few dozen buckets of overburden for to dry wash, and I stack it against the creek walls where I won't want to dig with rocks to hold it up from going back in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyy Posted November 10, 2017 Share Posted November 10, 2017 18 hours ago, TomH said: I find sitting on my butt and digging like im rowing a boat helps save the back. Like Adam said, back fill the spot you cleaned out so your not moving it so far. Tom And be sure you're wearing a cool hat. Tom always has cool hats. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeoJack Posted November 10, 2017 Author Share Posted November 10, 2017 Overburden is loose rocks, easy digging really and the two foot depth is only in some of the dips between slate ridges in the stream bed. Just trying to work out direction, work upstream filling area behind that has been worked, while tossing the larger rocks on to the bank? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisski Posted November 11, 2017 Share Posted November 11, 2017 Just my opinion of my local geology on my claim. In the desert where I'm at, IMO loose overburden is a sign of a couple of things. Either someone has been in there recently, or the stream runs so fast as to frequently scrub the gravels to the loose level. I think the hardpack forms as water sinks into areas that don't get scrubbed and the clay goes with it making it hard. One area I work has the soft gravels that produce a little color, enough to keep us coming back, but not nearly enough to get us anything worth anything. I think that softpack is just dirt from the side washes that washes off into the creek, but never has enough time to get concentrated. I think the epic storms get loose gravels which concentrate and as time goes on the silt sinks into making it hard digging. The areas that have softpack have not been concentrated through eons of time. From my removing that overburden, vacuuming, chipping the bedrock, and then vacuuming again, have not produced any more than just running the softback material. I think that's cause not enough time has gone since the last guy cleaned it up. Your geology is different. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swampstomper Al Posted November 12, 2017 Share Posted November 12, 2017 On 11/9/2017 at 7:03 PM, GeoJack said: I have a claim with a seasonal creek... Sometimes a visual can be helpful -- that ol' "A pix is worth 1K words" thing.. Check out some of adam's & boulderdash's vids on YouTube.. Search " i brake for bedrock " there to get to 'em.. Swamp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisski Posted November 13, 2017 Share Posted November 13, 2017 GEO Jack--Kind of curious how you'll be working it. I sifted a ton of dirt from the hard pack on my first claim to classify it to -8 mesh. I ended up with 10 buckets. I estimate that I tosses another ton of rocks that day. That was a backbreaking day getting those 10 buckets from sun up to sun down. Brought them home and ran them through the gold cube. Quite upset with the results. So upset I reran it through a recirculating sluice. Ended up just as upset the second time. Ended up letting that claim go. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeoJack Posted November 13, 2017 Author Share Posted November 13, 2017 (edited) As you can see the majority of the bedrock is vertical or dipping slate. Very familiar with bucket loads of rock having been working a hard rock quartz reef, but I'm thinking of making a short ramp up the side of the creek and classify the larger rocks out by hand and cart them up the bank. Trommel to .5" and run the material off the screen on my Gold Cube. Also thinking of taking that waist downstream via a 4" x 50' length of drain tube so as to move it away from the workings below the work area. Edited November 13, 2017 by GeoJack change images Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeoJack Posted November 13, 2017 Author Share Posted November 13, 2017 Yesterday's results, a new door stop I'm thinking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swampstomper Al Posted November 13, 2017 Share Posted November 13, 2017 WOW..! That is a whole lot of rock..! Swamp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeoJack Posted November 13, 2017 Author Share Posted November 13, 2017 Big rock, little AU. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
azdigger Posted November 13, 2017 Share Posted November 13, 2017 Works for me 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swampstomper Al Posted November 13, 2017 Share Posted November 13, 2017 That too.. I was actually referencing the rock in the stream bed.. That's a whole lot of chuckin'..! But it could have been much worse, so I'm in there with adam's 'doable'.. How did the values look in your sample pans, GJ..? Swamp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisski Posted November 14, 2017 Share Posted November 14, 2017 To me you have a solid plan. The streams here don't have quite the large rounded cobbles, mostly jagged cobbles with plenty of dirt. If I found that rock, I'd probably break off a golf ball sized chunk and hand crush it, and pan out the results, see if there's anything more. I'd be tempted to keep it, but the temptation to see how much gold is in there would be a bit much for me. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeoJack Posted November 14, 2017 Author Share Posted November 14, 2017 (edited) Crack scratch fever. Pretty sure the shiny stuff is flood gold from last winter. This was three feet up the bank from bedrock in one of the slate catches. Edited November 14, 2017 by GeoJack 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeJ Posted November 14, 2017 Share Posted November 14, 2017 3 minutes ago, GeoJack said: Crack scratch fever. Pretty sure the shiny stuff is flood gold from last winter. This was three feet up the bank from bedrock in one of the slate catches. Nice gold !! You'll know if your theory is correct if you can find some more gold in the crack next year. Congrats !! Luke 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeoJack Posted November 14, 2017 Author Share Posted November 14, 2017 Chris, I have a Chipmunk jaw crusher and chain impact mill. Big to little in short order. I only hand crush really little stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeoJack Posted November 14, 2017 Author Share Posted November 14, 2017 Got myself all excited, ATX is charged up so I think I'll go swing for a few. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeJ Posted November 14, 2017 Share Posted November 14, 2017 3 minutes ago, GeoJack said: Got myself all excited, ATX is charged up so I think I'll go swing for a few. Low and Slow. If it's your claim.... You might want to get in there with the weed wacker first. Good Luck !! Luke 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeoJack Posted November 15, 2017 Author Share Posted November 15, 2017 Luke, I let mother nature do that for me, we only detect the flats in the winter, wet soil, short green grass. Have some ridge tops with quartz outcrops on the claim as well that we detect in the summer months when the creek goes dry. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swampstomper Al Posted November 15, 2017 Share Posted November 15, 2017 Oh yeah -- pretty..! Even magnified still well worth getting at the wash traps.. Swamp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeoJack Posted November 21, 2017 Author Share Posted November 21, 2017 (edited) So this is a large drop zone in the creek and I raked away the larger stones to get an idea of depth to bedrock. Over the weekend I took a pan and with my scoop took some samples. First pan had three pieces of lead in it. Should be the right place to sample. Edited November 21, 2017 by GeoJack 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swampstomper Al Posted November 23, 2017 Share Posted November 23, 2017 On 11/21/2017 at 12:37 PM, GeoJack said: So this is a large drop zone in the creek and I raked away the larger stones to get an idea of depth to bedrock. Over the weekend I took a pan and with my scoop took some samples. First pan had three pieces of lead in it. Should be the right place to sample. So you haven't gotten to bedrock there yet? -- those look-see's are from that raked depth..? Any idea how far it is to bedrock there, as in inches or feet your best guess..? Regardless, definitely interested in seeing what you find.. You have a gas vac, right..? Swamp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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