Helena Area Friday!


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First trip of the year. Going with the pop in the Helena, Ca area. Stoked. 2nd time since October I get to swing the GB 2 around. Also will be manually sluicing some material. Hopefully I can get a coil over my first nugget. I will post pics. Planning on working 8 hours. I got this itch that needs scratchin. I will let you boys know how it went.

Get that Royal Metal!

Ugs

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Thanks Frank! Ill do my best. Wish my kiddos were a lil older and didn't have school. Put em to work. lol Maybe later this summer.

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Good luck out there Ug...enjoy the time with your dad and have fun :)
Tom H.

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Hey Ugs, as you turn to North on the Helena road right away you will see a steep dirt road that goes right up the hill on the left. This will take you to the Half Moon Pit. There is a one pound piece of platinum in the Smithstonian that came out of this pit. There are still crumbs and a few clinkers to be got in the pit itself. Once in the pit look to the north/northwest and you will see hillside diggings that go way up the hill to another bedrock flat. If you go slow and move a few rocks that are covering low lying hard bedrock you find some little nuggets. If you go too far up the hill you will see some tunnels at a steep wall. This is a large area and we use to find nice gold from crumbs to half ouncers up there all the time. This is ancient channel with some still in place. There are also platinum nuggets to be found.

From the first dirt road if you continue up the Helena road and past the old town watch for a spring on the left right at a big blackberry patch. This is good drinking water. Next you will see a road that is gated on the left, go past this road and carefully watch on the left and you will see a small uphill pit with rockstack. This small pit is above the road by maybe 100 feet. The pit continues to follow the road and go up to the next turn in the road. I found lots of nice gold there years ago with the old Whites Goldmaster Series detectors.

From here if you continue up the road some more you will come up on the big bridge. This is also known as the Naked Swimming Hole. This is the North Fork of the Trinity and the East Fork comes in here. Continue up this road until you go past the Hobo Gulch turnoff then keep your eyes open for the place where Rich Gulch comes into the main stem. Once you see this spot continue up the road and you will cross over a small bridge and there will be a road that takes off to the right and goes up the hill. This is a dirt road. Go to what appears to be the top and bear right and stop. Get out and look.This is a tricky turn and can be dangerous if the ground is wet. The main road will go to the left. You will want to go to the right and when it looks like the road is gone and you think you are also gone the road will sharply go left and down the hill. If you can still drive this road you will keep to all the rights and it will take you the mouth of Rich Gulch. This was one of my old claims. Originally this was called The Five Chinese Gentlemen. The whole point was ground sluiced and hydrauliked. This was rich ground and we did very good at this location for a long time. The gulch itself is a good place to sluice/detect.

This should give you few places to check out. Most of the ground mentioned is Forest Service or BLM and I do not know the claim status. All of these may be claimed, I just dont know. If they are then when you are heading out and you come to Highway 299 look to your 1100 and up above the Trinity River and you will see a small shale pit that was worked. This is nice little crumb patch. You can find a place to park and cross the river and go up the hill to the location. I dont know if that is feasible right now with the water levels. If all else fails I was told by a friend of mine that there is nice run of native steelies in the river right now. Hope this helps some, have a good time. TRINITYAU/RAYMILLS

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Ray has always been the man and helped me out. Always willing to help the beginner. It is wise to listen to him. He knows his stuff. Thanks Ray. I will be definitely lookin and exploring that area. If i get my first nugget I will call it the Ray nug. lol

Get em boys.

Ugs

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Wow you wont find many people like Ray who will give directions turn by turn to good gold areas. Super kind of you Ray!! If I were you I would go for sure to the spots mentioned. Good luck on that first nugget, it's a milestone for sure.

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One needs to keep in mind that area is heavily claimed and several areas of private property. So please do your research. I've had people all over my claims the last couple years. Most were coming from the Redding area.Several said the guy at the Prospecting shop in Redding was suggesting this area. One even brought in equipment to high bank. He had dug a trench to discharge his water directly in the stream. Hiked in pipes, hoses, tools, etc..Again, If you go to this area, please do your research and respect the mineral rights of others.





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All low key here brother. No tearing up of anything and I DEFINITELY was not on anyone's claim.(Been up there a few times so I get it) Well it went good my woman got the day off and we had kid sitters so she came along for her first trip ever. Brought the detector but never got to where I wanted and I am sure you can assume why. lol Oh well. I need to bring only one or the other. Sluice or Gold Bug 2. Anyways I was so proud of her. She took the detector as we were setting up and in 5 minutes she had found a hot rock a washer and a OLD boot tac. Then she started digging I couldn't keep up with her. Straight up "Gopher Girl." At one point told me to "Stop talking and tell me where to dig" Explained to her red sand, clay layers, hard gravel seams, organics. etc She flooded my pop and i with dirt and I spent 90% of the day concentrating and transferring sluice slurry. 18 5 gallon buckets she produced.. whew. I offered her gloves and she declined and now has miners knuckles. hahahah Well I think if I will be doing any detecting its gonna be just me or my partner Miles and I. I DID check out Rays areas but I couldn't get my lady and pop up and down the hill at the same time. Did see a couple guys out there. Didn't get to say hi had to get the lady home so she could get a good rest for work..... First day this year prospecting, and for the next too days cutting 5 cords of wood. This boy is tired.

Good day all together and can't complain.

Ugs

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