New to CP, Introduction Options

[Olog the Ogre]

Hello Colorado Prospectors!

I am commonly referred as an "Ogre", hence my handle, but my real name is Mike. Nice to meet everyone and I am happy to have the wealth of information that is available to CP members.

Do we get bumper stickers?

Anyway, I live in Salida, and my favorite prospecting spot is Cache Creek, near Granite. There are a lot of claims and a lot of gold in Southern Colorado, but, in my opinion, only Cache Creek will give up 97% pure golden pieces. There is no need to smelt, refine, or filter. Once you've gotten it out of your Blue Bowl, that's it! You have "market quality" gold!

I am a little protective of the area - Bill, the B.L.M. Geologist who is in charge of the area knows me pretty well. We aren't suppose to dig under those 100+ year old Ponderosa tree's, yet people do all the time. I will politely point out the signs when I see someone digging under them, and sometimes it gets a little heated - I haven't had to call in the Forest Service on anyone yet, but here is the thing: if we don't follow the rules out there, the BLM will shut us down. Then Cache Creek becomes a recreational site only. No fun for anyone. And YES, the Fed's have the authority to do whatever they want.

A little about me: my father was a registered land surveyor for the state of Arizona and has a Master's in Geology. We have been prospecting since I was knee high to a grasshopper. Now he is older and is on an oxygen tank so I have taken up the reigns and we usually spend a month together once a year just digging in our favorite spots here in Southern Colorado.

I am an O.I.F. Combat Veteran (Reg Army, 13Bang Bang, 2-17FA, 2ID, e5) and have been blown up a couple times. I took my Medical Retirement and got a Bachelors in Electrical Engineering. I am one of the very few 46 year old's I have ever met who is already retired. I was born in Fort Collins, CO, and when me, my wife and our son moved to Salida, I was hired to be the General Manager of the local non-profit thrift store, the Caring & Sharing. As I found out, there is a huge difference between a "Good Soldier" and a "Good Christian" so that didn't work out for us. So instead we prospect most summers.

I also run Point Barr with my buddy during the winter time, but frankly, the gold just isn't as good there. So if your out at those two public prospecting area's and you see a white Jeep Liberty with DV plates and Vet stickers all over it's butt, look for a tall skinny dude with a salt and pepper fu man chu and come say hello!

Michael D. Shelest
OIF Reg Army, BSEE, IEEE, (and now CP!)