Hitchinamerica24 Posted October 24, 2018 Share Posted October 24, 2018 According the my research there is an old lode mine located in the mountains near me. I’ve been trying to find the tailings or any damage done by miners on google earth. The only roughed up areas I see are these long stretches on piled up dirt and rock. Are they tailings or like fire breaks or something? The only other sights of activity I see are a cluster of roads meeting and a little pile of what looks to be lighter colored rock. The little cluster of roads is where the mines coordinates actually are. Any thoughts? I can find the tailings of old dredges and big operations all over here easily and a few smaller. But I can never seem to find visible confirmation of the lode mines. I guess the only real way to find out is to drive out. Thanks again. Have a good one guys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllenJ Posted October 25, 2018 Share Posted October 25, 2018 Explore the area and see what you can find. Sometimes research can be a little confusing, as it is in the spot I'm currently working. In my case it turns out the lode claim, which had the same name as the claim I'm working, was actually a half mile east and is currently private property. Once they closed it the placer operations on public property was worked, which is what I'm detecting on. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edge Posted October 25, 2018 Share Posted October 25, 2018 Look here: https://westernmininghistory.com/mines/ Or http://www.mylandmatters.org/Maps/USGold/GetMap Or find the general PLSS and go back through the sections on the BLM LR2000 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clay Posted October 25, 2018 Share Posted October 25, 2018 The Mueller, Black Bess, Gold Hill group are about 1200 feet to the south southwest of your pictured area. The adit sits low down on the southwest side of the hill there (Gold Hill) at about -123'08''17 40'30''03. There are several digs around the top of the hill but I doubt you will see any evidence of waste piles. There don't appear to be any Active mining claims in the Gold Hill section but there are quite a few claims just to the north of your picture on the Farmer group mines and a few placers and a lode due east of your location in the next section. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeoJack Posted October 25, 2018 Share Posted October 25, 2018 Water bars / diversion? Don't look like normal mining dumps. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BMc Posted October 25, 2018 Share Posted October 25, 2018 2 hours ago, GeoJack said: Water bars / diversion? Don't look like normal mining dumps. Placement images sure resemble dissipation dikes. Possible that the tailings could have been relocated for erosion control? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hitchinamerica24 Posted October 26, 2018 Author Share Posted October 26, 2018 12 hours ago, clay said: The Mueller, Black Bess, Gold Hill group are about 1200 feet to the south southwest of your pictured area. The adit sits low down on the southwest side of the hill there (Gold Hill) at about -123'08''17 40'30''03. There are several digs around the top of the hill but I doubt you will see any evidence of waste piles. There don't appear to be any Active mining claims in the Gold Hill section but there are quite a few claims just to the north of your picture on the Farmer group mines and a few placers and a lode due east of your location in the next section. Thanks for the help there clay. I will be marching around out there a bit on foot to check it all out. Have you been to the area or just know how to research this stuff better then me? I also see I did a horrible job at marking out locations lol. I live about 4 miles from the area pictured. I’ve been binge researching on gold mines and binge researching on how to research gold mines hahaha. One of my goals is too find some gold away from water. I like exploring out here and as much as I like the rivers it would be nice to break away a it and get into some higher and or dryer places. But either way gold is gold. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BMc Posted October 26, 2018 Share Posted October 26, 2018 Just so happens, you're in luck sir! I've heard they now make these hand held devices some people swear you can use to actually walk around on dry land with and find gold! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bedrock Bob Posted October 26, 2018 Share Posted October 26, 2018 19 hours ago, BMc said: Placement images sure resemble dissipation dikes. Possible that the tailings could have been relocated for erosion control? What is a "dissipation dike"? What is a "placement image"? I have never heard of either one of these terms. Can you define them so a simple engineer can understand? The image looks like drainage swales to control erosion. Is this what you are driving at? It looks like a reclaimed area with standard erosion control swales cut at angles to the grade to control runoff. Maybe a strip mine, a burn or a clearcut area... Are we saying the same thing in a completely different language? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
homefire Posted October 26, 2018 Share Posted October 26, 2018 Erosion Control following a Burn ? That's my thinking. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bedrock Bob Posted October 26, 2018 Share Posted October 26, 2018 (edited) 37 minutes ago, homefire said: Erosion Control following a Burn ? That's my thinking. If I understood Clay correctly the name of the spot is "Gold Hill". I suppose a burn is possible but the boundaries sure look abrupt. With a name like that and a road all around it I would assume it was a strip mine. But that is just a wild guess. It could have been clear cut or a burn too. Whatever it is they have done some erosion control. You can see where one of those dissipation dikes comes out in the center left of the positioning image. You can see a bit of an alluvial fan beginning to develop at the end of it. It is right near the road on the left side of the positioning image. I would do a testicle (prospector talk for a small sample/test) right in the dissipation dike above that fan and see if there is any gold in it. If that is "Gold Hill" and those are truly dissipation dikes in that positioning image then a pugnacious prospector would perform testicles in every dissipation dike to develop a rudimentary overvision of the minerality of the geostructures that lie within the positioning image. Edited October 26, 2018 by Bedrock Bob Twas bryllig in the slythy toves, did gyre and gimble in the wabe. 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hitchinamerica24 Posted October 26, 2018 Author Share Posted October 26, 2018 The area has been burned. A big portion of the area has been on fire multiple times in past years if I’m not mistaken. I’ve tripped around and it’s pretty barren on that side of the mountain. If you hop the top to the other side you are in trees. I’m not new to using google earth for research but I am new to using to to find mines. I’m also from Georgia. And the terrain is obviously much different here in NorCal. So some of the things I’m seeing on GE take me a second to work out haha. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clay Posted October 26, 2018 Share Posted October 26, 2018 10 hours ago, Hitchinamerica24 said: Thanks for the help there clay. I will be marching around out there a bit on foot to check it all out. Have you been to the area or just know how to research this stuff better then me? You are welcome Hitchinamerica. I do this for a living and have a lot of tools and data so it's pretty easy (comparatively) for me to do a quick analysis of a site. I did prospect the region while staying with friends in Hayfork 40+ years ago but I have no recollection of visiting Gold Hill specifically. The mine file for Mueller/Gold Hill/Black Bess indicates the strike was free gold that was crushed and amalgamated on site. I doubt you will find any tails after all this time but you might find mercury residue at the site. Quote MAIN ADIT LEVEL ON GOLD HILL CLAIM, 400 FT. LONG, 320 FT. ON VEIN; 2 RAISES TO SURFACE., LARGEST 140 FT. ON DIP OF VEIN. ON VEIN TO SE, ADIT STRIKES CROSSCUT VEIN APPROX. 50 FT. BELOW SURFACE, 50 FT. OF DRIFTING. SEVERAL HUNDRED FEET OF ADITS DRIVEN ON SIMILAR CROSS-VEINS ON SOUTHERLY END OF PROPERTY. MILLSITE. I agree with the possibility the photo shows water bars or possibly a fire break but only a boots on the ground visit will resolve that. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hitchinamerica24 Posted October 26, 2018 Author Share Posted October 26, 2018 3 hours ago, BMc said: Just so happens, you're in luck sir! I've heard they now make these hand held devices some people swear you can use to actually walk around on dry land with and find gold! I picked up a gold bug m scope. The original one not the newer ones. I’ve had it about 2 weeks . I’ve figured out ground balance for the most part. And I’m finding much smaller targets then I was with my whites xlt. So I’m sure I’ll come across a nugget soon. But I assume I’ve got to learn how to research where to go to better my chances lol. Or at least that’s what I’ve read and been told 1000 times. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hitchinamerica24 Posted October 26, 2018 Author Share Posted October 26, 2018 38 minutes ago, Bedrock Bob said: If I understood Clay correctly the name of the spot is "Gold Hill". I suppose a burn is possible but the boundaries sure look abrupt. With a name like that and a road all around it I would assume it was a strip mine. But that is just a wild guess. It could have been clear cut or a burn too. Whatever it is they have done some erosion control. You can see where one of those dissipation dikes comes out in the center left of the positioning image. You can see a bit of an alluvial fan beginning to develop at the end of it. It is right near the road on the left side of the positioning image. I would do a testicle (prospector talk for a small sample/test) right in the dissipation dike above that fan and see if there is any gold in it. If that is "Gold Hill" and those are truly dissipation dikes in that positioning image then a pugnacious prospector would perform testicles in every dissipation dike to develop a rudimentary overvision of the minerality of the geostructures that lie within the positioning image. I do believe I will be performing testicles all about that area. Main thing is getting the time. And just picking a spot and hitting it. There are so many places to start out here that I don’t know where to start hahaha. So I’ve been trying to focus my attention on that area since it’s close. Im glad I checked this forum out I’ll say that because I’ve already learned a few things I had no idea about. i appreciate the responses. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisski Posted October 28, 2018 Share Posted October 28, 2018 If you go to mylandmatters.org and look for turn on the USGS overlay and also check the mine data, that is the easiest way in my area to find mines. I used to go to the USGS sight and pull download the older topos, since they still have mines located on them, but so much info is located on mylandmatters and the info is so easy to find. Getting a coordinate off the USGS maps usually gets me to within 20 meters of the spot, which is awesome for cursor error. For your bottom picture, the local mines may gave a grey tailings pile coming out a shaft l see in the top of the bottom picture. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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