Couple of questions

[Cameronpatrol]

Hi all
Tried a new spot closer to home.
I spent more time building a dam for the sluice than digging.
But I did find my best pieces so far.

I took the detector with me for fun and found a piece of metal on the trailing edge of a gravel pile.
I was debating whether to start running that stuff as I thigh metal is heavy so is gold.

The gravel pile is behind what I think is huge bedrock.

Im just not sure wether to commit and start shoveling process or not.
I guess I wont know until I try.

First question should I have a crack and work back toward the bedrock slab?

Second question is
On my way climbing out a shorter way I noticed the massive slab of bedrock with natural cracks.
Covered with moss and small saplings.
Looking closer it has been flooded over before as there were trees and debris facing down river.
Im wonder how high will gold travel in flood and rest on this slab/staircase ?
Im going back on the weekend and will detect over this rock and maybe check some crevices.
Surely there must be some up there and hopefully undiscovered so much.
Cheers cam

 

[AussieChris]

Hehe go for it mate, if you find metal or ironstone dropping out you should be on the gold, grab your crevice tools and pull some material from the bedrock too!
Sounds like it could be virgin hardpacked crevices, I'd be all over it lol.
If massive floods have gone through there and over the exposed bedrock you can guarantee it caught gold, as the flood was raging the bedrock if its up high would have been one of the first places for it to drop out as the middle of the creek/river would have been flowing much faster, just gotta think of the first obstruction to slow down the torrent holding the gold, that bedrock could be it.

Sounds like you are in for a top weekend, goodluck!

 

[AussieChris]

Oh yeah......can I come?

 

[Cameronpatrol]

That makes sense.
This big slab kind of makes an inside bend also.
I think I dig from where i found the metal and maybe try a test pan or two.
Or maybe try dig straight behind the rock and work back, damn lot of digging lol
I guess if i just run it through the sluice and dig a lot we may see results and if there isnt any i guess try something else.
Mate your more than welcome to come if you feel like driving to sale.

I think I may have found iron stone a few weekend back with the detector, I was goin to post a pic and ask about it but got sidetracked.
The detector went mental, but all i could find was hard black rock. fairly heavy as well.

Cheers Cam

 

[mudgee hunter]

It's not just high flood gold that puts it up there, often you will find that up the bank was once the bottom edge of the bank, with a hell of a lot of time, the creek beds get carved deeper with erosion. You may even notice on a lot of sharper out side bends there is solids rock. And that put a good wall up against the erosion. So even up high and back from the creek,on the inside bend,
(down stream) you can often find good gold. But any obviouse visual good looking cracks usualy have been picked over in the hot areas. I've had a bit more luck picking crevices that arnt that big and obvious. And guys make sure you really hit rock bottom when scrapping out, and when you think its clean... scrap harder! The real old dirt at the bottom almost looks like rock!
I find it best to start a crevice upstream end, and work your way down. Scrape the jambed rocks in a upstream direction ( the way the beggers got in there)
And never try to go to deep at first point. This can make it harder as all the rest of your material falls in it, take even layers out. Then flush the last bits out down to point on the lower point. Scub the edges well a hard brush. Gold can be pounded against cracks that can make it stick quite well. Have fun guys

 

[Cameronpatrol]

Sorry about the late reply I thought it had been forgotten about lol
Makes sense
The flood had washed some of the bank away above the road.
I had another go with the detector last night with the kids on top of the rock
No good I think that area is just holding small fine gold.
So being a warm night we waxed behind the rock through the pool of water
I dug half a pan of old river bed on the inside behind the rock and got 5 tiny specs of gold.
Its the first time Ive bothered to dig out like that.
If only I had a high banker hehe
Will be building one in the future
The sluice and build he pump would be good to start with I think.
Cheers cam