Clear Creek Options

[EMac]

That's damn tempting. Will you be there Saturday as well?

[swizz]

I won't but Crusty might be... you're always welcome to stay there either way.

[Crusty]

I won't but Crusty might be... you're always welcome to stay there either way.

I'm just riding up to help Swizz get the claim opened up for the year and get the new stove set up, so I'll be headed home Friday too.

[swizz]

Bring some prospecting stuff, we'll have time to do a little sampling. Maybe bring your chainsaw too, I'll have mine but always good to have a second in case we had any major blow-downs.

[EMac]

CC spiked over 7' and 1700 cubic ft per second this morning. JeffCo sheriff is restricting water activities, but didn't see anything about fishing or prospecting (which isn't swimming), so game on tomorrow. I'm not sure where I'll be exactly, but figure I'll start lower around ~270.25 after tunnel 1, and sample until I find suitable color to setup. I may very well find myself going back to near 260, but I suspect it'll be hard to get around with the water that high.

If I have time this afternoon, I'll probably head up and scout around.

[Crusty]

CC spiked over 7' and 1700 cubic ft per second this morning. JeffCo sheriff is restricting water activities, but didn't see anything about fishing or prospecting (which isn't swimming), so game on tomorrow. I'm not sure where I'll be exactly, but figure I'll start lower around ~270.25 after tunnel 1, and sample until I find suitable color to setup. I may very well find myself going back to near 260, but I suspect it'll be hard to get around with the water that high.

If I have time this afternoon, I'll probably head up and scout around.

Looking at it driving home from Swizz's, it definitely looked WAY up; looked really rough!

[EMac]

I'm getting a late start (apparently we need sleep, and the body demanded it this morning), and will head up there shortly. Some sampling yesterday has me heading to MM 263 if anyone is thinking about it. Backup plan is to give it a go on Bill's claim just downstream from there (Bill in Golden detectors lets anyone go...he just wants you to sign the liability release).

[EMac]

It was a good day yesterday. I found a nice spot at MM263 where the water was quiet enough to work in comfortably. The area by the boulder in the parking area creates a chute and an eddy where excess water has to circle around to try the chute again. I sampled that eddy, and another area just after the chute where some larger rocks shoot water to the side creating another slower zone through chunky cobble. Both were showing decent color, so I opted for the area after the chute. Academically, I figure the first eddy would likely have better color overall, but setting up the motor would have been harder, and the area didn't smell good. It's definitely a nice area for kids to go party since you can hide in the boulders; I picked up a shopping bag's worth of trash from the area trying to keep it nice. I'm going to start taking bigger trash bags.

I suspect we could get a sluice setup in the area I was working with some moving of rocks around. The downside is the water is still moving swiftly, and has a pulse. Aside from the color, and short trip to the truck, I liked the safety of the area such that if I slipped and fell, I'd be caught in the baffles before hitting the rushing current. I tried a wetsuit out for the first time as well, and I like it better than waders. I will need to figure out something better for my feet when it's colder though.

I did some mild checking, and there's definitely gold; I'm not sure how much though. I'm debating keeping these cons separate from MM260, but I'll probably end up combining them. I ain't exactly mapping a pay streak here, and this is far from controlled sampling.

Not much dry real estate to work on at MM260:



Bushes and trees are under water:



Eddy before the chute at MM263:



After the chute where I worked:



BBQ afterwards at a buddy's, and there was a cool lightning storm across the way:

[Crusty]

WOw, water is definitely high! Glad you managed to get out!

[Denise]

Looked like fun and a great way to cool off! Love the lightning pics Eric!! Glad you had a good day out.

[CL6]

Next month I'm going to telluride Silverton area anybody worked that area before

[Steve B]

It was a good day yesterday. I found a nice spot at MM263 where the water was quiet enough to work in comfortably. The area by the boulder in the parking area creates a chute and an eddy where excess water has to circle around to try the chute again. I sampled that eddy, and another area just after the chute where some larger rocks shoot water to the side creating another slower zone through chunky cobble. Both were showing decent color, so I opted for the area after the chute. Academically, I figure the first eddy would likely have better color overall, but setting up the motor would have been harder, and the area didn't smell good. It's definitely a nice area for kids to go party since you can hide in the boulders; I picked up a shopping bag's worth of trash from the area trying to keep it nice. I'm going to start taking bigger trash bags. I suspect we could get a sluice setup in the area I was working with some moving of rocks around. The downside is the water is still moving swiftly, and has a pulse. Aside from the color, and short trip to the truck, I liked the safety of the area such that if I slipped and fell, I'd be caught in the baffles before hitting the rushing current. I tried a wetsuit out for the first time as well, and I like it better than waders. I will need to figure out something better for my feet when it's colder though. I did some mild checking, and there's definitely gold; I'm not sure how much though. I'm debating keeping these cons separate from MM260, but I'll probably end up combining them. I ain't exactly mapping a pay streak here, and this is far from controlled sampling. Not much dry real estate to work on at MM260:
Bushes and trees are under water:
Eddy before the chute at MM263:
After the chute where I worked:
BBQ afterwards at a buddy's, and there was a cool lightning storm across the way:

My son and I went out to MM263 about a week back and were working the boulder as well. It looked promising but we are novices to the whole prospecting thing. In reality this was the first time setting up the sluice and I believe we did it wrong after additional research when we returned. As I usually work on the weekends I only get a chance to get out during the first few days of the week. If anyone is interested in educating - I'm open to the instruction. I also tried Alma (#12) this past Wednesday but couldn't ID the survey pin/marker. According to my hand held GPS I was close. Took the metal detector out and found the various assortment of nails, 22 cal lead, bottle caps and a kazoo!

[EMac]

My son and I went out to MM263 about a week back and were working the boulder as well. It looked promising but we are novices to the whole prospecting thing. In reality this was the first time setting up the sluice and I believe we did it wrong after additional research when we returned. As I usually work on the weekends I only get a chance to get out during the first few days of the week. If anyone is interested in educating - I'm open to the instruction. I also tried Alma (#12) this past Wednesday but couldn't ID the survey pin/marker. According to my hand held GPS I was close. Took the metal detector out and found the various assortment of nails, 22 cal lead, bottle caps and a kazoo!

The kazoo sounds promising...haha.

I work during the week, but I need to burn vacation. If the weather looks decent for this Friday, that's a definite possibility to go. I can offer up what I know if you're off that day. "First few days of the week" doesn't sound promising though. There's definitely gold out there. I didn't get any pics of my checking, but saw color after short dredge runs.

What kind of sluice are you using? Make/model? Home built?

I'll let you know as the week progresses if Friday is gonna happen.

[johnnybravo300]

I'll be down south of the Silverton area sometime this summer but not sure when yet, hot on the trail of the lost Baker brothers lode. Still waiting on water levels to drop which they finally are now, so the snow melt is getting close to gone.
I spent this last winter doing research on the lime creek drainages along 550 and also taylor park/Union park near tincup. I'm making my first trip up tomorrow to see what I can see and hopefully have will have a successful day sampling.
There was a gold bearing quartz vein somewhere on cross mountain found and lost again in 1890, that was reported as ten feet thick and the ore assayed at $440 per ton. If I get lucky this summer maybe I will retire!
The lost vein isn't my goal at this time but I will keep my eyes open.
The telluride area also has some gold but most areas are private or claimed.
If I had the time and money to spend I would work the West needles South of Silverton. Vast and very rough terrain made it almost impossible for the old timers to access it and it was mostly passed up. Very good potential if you can get in there.

[Crusty]

Sounds like some promising leads! Happy hunting!