Did anyone else catch the final episode on NATGEO of this? They didn't find any gold but they found a ruby deposit where the rock was impregnated with small rubies. They were digging them out with a knife. If it comes on again I'll dvr it and get some pictures. I was impressed!
Leonard
Impressive find..... yes, not jaw-dropping though. That's all they found of value during the entire series.
The series was horrible in my opinion with an overload of contrived drama. The idiot from Colorado was the worst, the Brokeback Cowboy brothers run a close second.
So... they had "4 hours" left to prospect in Greenland and they miraculously find those Rubies on the side of a snow-covered rock that they chartered a helicopter to. This doesn't strike you as odd?
Here's how it works: The leader of that group is the Geologist. He had been to Greenland before. I can almost guarantee you that he discovered that rock on a previous visit to Greenland. So... on the last day of the entire expedition he pulls that out of his ass to save a little face for the series. They struck out on every other attempt at "mining" during this series... then: "let's form a team to inspect a snow-covered boulder field I saw on a map for our last day". I don't think this was a poke-and-pray, then get super lucky in the final hours of the whole expedition as they portrayed. Let's get real here. The Geologist knew about that Ruby-laden rock he found on a previous trip to Greenland was his last ace in the hole if they completely failed (which they did). He likely GPS'd it and told the heli pilot to "land here". Yes, in the middle of a fricking foot-deep snow covered boulder field in the middle of nowhere in Greenland. Just a hunch by the Geologist that there's some Rubies very close to where he lands? Yeah, right. He knew that rock was nearby... probably knew he had to get to it before another foot of snow set in too or he'd have been completely screwed and the final episode would have tanked. The producers likely hastened that last trip to save face.
No way those Rubies paid for that entire season they spent there either.... incredibly nice gear for everyone, travel, foods, heli charters, boat charters, gear heli shuttles to very remote drop points etc, etc, etc.... come on now.
That's my take anyway.
I agree with Chris,
The entire series seemed to be scripted. I watched every episode and only learned something of value in the last 5 minutes of the last show, "what Rubies look like in host rock". I had high hopes for this but was extreamly let down when the camera spent more face time on a 50 year old spoiled brat than on prospecting. I think that the producers/media feel this type of drama sells better than focusing on true prospecting. I hope someday a prospecting show will come along that is filmed and produced by, oh I don't know, Prospectors maybe. Any takers? Woody.
Bummer to hear that again with yet another new "prospectors show". We actually received an invite from the producers of this one and the weather channels latest on Mt. Antero and many others in the past few years. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately?!) after my responses to the production invites of "yes, I'll be happy to help your company with this project (with compensation of course)......but I will not play up drama nor will I help propetuate a greed attitude to the public. I will definately help your company show the reality of prospecting for this project."... or similar responses .....
We've never heard back again from one producer yet. That's also why we never post up these invites in the forums either, they just don't seem to really have true prospectors desires/intentions in mind when producing what they call "entertainment".
Why waste ours (or anyone elses) time with good efforts to help in an educational way, only to see most of what is educational end up on an editing room floor so that some dramatic bs can be aired.
Latest one we've gotten (month stale in email) is supposedly for a national geo show, but doesn't sound like much difference from the production invites of past.
We may do some in the future for sure Woody, but I think it will have to be a self production since the current production studios seem to be lacking the knowledge of what they produce on air for the prospecting/mining topics.
:) the truth dont sell shows! made up drama is what they want,and what they get! im suprised that some of this stuff thats on these kinds of shows dont end up as evidence by some envirowacos in court as "proof" of what prospectors/miners do! some posts over the net do! ive seen it!
What do you all think of the "Prospectors" show on The Weather Channel? That one focused mostly on the actual prospecting I thought.
whoaaaaaaaaa! what about Dan and Denise?? if one of them guys started mouthing stuff, Dan could WHAMP him quite! heck id drive out there to watch that!:)
Hey Crusty,
Keep me in mind and when you get home in August and if you need a quick fix let me know. I am in need of someone to help kick around a few rocks myself.
I know what you mean about that heat, I am out in Ft Irwin NTC. It has been 114 degrees a few times and is expected to stay that way for a while. But at least it is still the good ol’ USA and I will be back home in a few weeks. Stay safe, Woody.
i agree Dan! the shows that are on now have been watched by MSHA and others and they have acted!why would anyone want to be scrutinized by the wacoenviromentalists and our own gubermint? Gold Rush,Mountain men,Gunsmoke (the Colorado gunsmith)that logging show have been "enlightened" !
Well, it's an incredibly biased and blatantly nonfactual article about the show "Prospectors" (not Ice Cold Gold... which sucks). I can only speculate that the writer's (not thinly veiled) agenda is merely to slant public opinion.
That's a shame. This is actually the best of all those goofy shows. The only outfit I've seen using mechanized equip was the Dorris family and they are a legitimate mine with all POOs and NOIs filed along with reclamation bonds as well, I'm sure. The article does mention that the Dorris' hadn't violated anything but then went on and on with complete nonsense about the smaller miners (whom are also claim owners). Rambling about "permit" BS. I saw nothing they were doing that would require a "permit".
This show is very tame to the environment, especially when compared to any of the Gold or logging shows, by far. That's why I'm surprised to see it getting attacked. These miners haven't even disturbed a single tree in any of the episodes I've seen, hell most of them are above timberline. I have not seen a single episode of Prospectors where any of these miners have used "dynamite" as mentioned in the article either. I don't recall seeing anything more than hand carried tools and brutal hard hand work.
She's really grasping at straws by writing that article. It will certainly tarnish her credibility if she has or had any if anyone is curious enough to watch the show. Those miners work hard and are pretty skilled.
I do see how opinionated people like that try to twist things, but her article was amateur-hour compared to The Sacramento Bee editorials. Those are even more entertaining.
You can prospect w/o a permit (or NOI) on any and all federal public land open to mineral entry (that has not already been claimed or placed in special status - for example, an ACEC) in Colorado. This is direct from the BLM office in Canon. Even most battery powered (and some gasoline powered) equipment falls into the "casual use" category - this even in some "ACEC's" (but not on the Arkansas River - I guess because of it's popularity in the other "recreational use" communities). Almost all rockhounds I know dig, and do more than just a little bit of "surface scratching" And what the hell does someone's former profession have to do with it? Former bikini clad model or former beauty pageant contestant? Also, most - and I mean MOST - prospectors I know or have met carry weapons, firearms and otherwise. I seem to be the only one who does not, but only because I frequent "public areas" and am technically a "recreational use" guy (for the time being). Rest assured, when I do go out and actually prospect in a less "public" area, I will carry as I am lawfully and Constitutionally allowed. "Rambo" can carry that AK-47, or any other weapon he chooses as he is allowed to do the same. Claim jumpers have no respect for the law and do carry weapons themselves, and do threaten and abuse (bully) others when they think they can get away with it.
In most of what I saw on Prospectors, no "permits" or NOI's were needed. Some needed a POO, but most are doing little more than "surface scratching", and in a scree zone, anything you do is going to be covered up by Nature. Interesting how the Dorris's are labeled as the only "Legal" prospectors on the show - because they are actually using mechanized equipment and are disturbing more than 1,600 square feet in one dig, and have filed the appropriate paperwork and paid the appropriate bonds to do just that. By the way, that lightning strike on Amanda's claim disturbed a hell of a lot more than 1600 square feet - but that's just Nature at work, doing some "mining" Herself! - No permit needed. Nor is any permit needed to pick up the "float" that resulted from it (Only a sanity check for actually doing it! )
The "explosives" that were used in one and only one episode barely classify as such - they only expand under intense pressure, hence the CO2 cartridge "trigger" mechanism. And, if you don't get it right, they will not expand - as perfectly demonstrated in that episode. Dangerous only in the immediate use of, not in storage or transport. Dynamite was never used that I saw in any of the first 9 episodes I watched - only mentioned once in passing - "The oldtimers would have used black powder or dynamite - " or something similar. Obviously, the article writer never actually watched (or paid attention to) the show, and showed her bias - as I am BLATENTLY doing here!
Thanks for reading!
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