Clear Creek Options

[swizz]

I'd like to Saturday, but can't guarantee it.

Same here.

[CL6]

I usually go Sunday but let me know

[swizz]

Will do!

[relicsncoins]

Thinking about hitting Clear Creek tomorrow, 3/16 if anyone is interested.

[CL6]

Man I can't

[swizz]

You can't make it this weekend?

[CL6]

Only sundayfor myself

[swizz]

Not sure what CC got, but we just received 23 inches of snow in 24hrs up here. Still snowing.
I'm looking forward to at least a day on the creek this weekend.

[relicsncoins]

Not sure what CC got, but we just received 23 inches of snow in 24hrs up here. Still snowing.
I'm looking forward to at least a day on the creek this weekend.

I ran 9 buckets yesterday. A little breezy in the afternoon, but not bad. No snow in the canyon, probably will change today. Saw some nice gold in the top of the sluice.

[relicsncoins]

Some Clear creek observation from yesterday.

1. I sample panned at various depths, and there seems to be just as much if not more gold in the first 6 or 8 inches under the cobbles than at greater depths. I'm guessing this is gold that was deposited in the floods over the last couple of years.

2. There is a layer of dark material at about 8 inches down, pretty much where ever I dug. The layer is a couple of inches thick and has a rusty black look to the gravels and sands. Not sure if this is the flood layer, and everything above it is recent deposits.

3. There is what appears to be yellow striping paint for roads in most of the holes I dug, and it really makes you look twice when digging, A couple of times, I thought i had a nice picker. :(

4. In a couple of places, I hit a thin layer of clay about a foot down.

5. Some dredgers left a 6 food deep pit right at the water's edge. If a fisherman accidentally steps in one of those, and complains to the county, it could spell trouble for prospecting.

6. Based on my sample pans, I am going to run an experiment next time I go. I'm Not going to dig deep, I'm simply going to turn over bowling ball to beach ball sized cobbles, shovel out the easy gravels down to about 6 inches and move to the next cobble and see what kind of of a cleanup I have.

[swizz]

I think your observations are fairly accurate when compared to most that have prospected there.
The depth of the pay layers that you are encountering can vary. If you are on an inside bend of the river where a gravel/cobble bar has formed, such as you were working last week, it usually has that upper layer of fine pay a foot or less under. There are layers below that as well but sometimes a lot of junk in between. Generally speaking, it's a good plan to chase the layer horizontally. If you're feeling more ambitious then you can never go wrong going deep in that creek, the larger colors always sift their way down. A lot more work though and can be a crap shoot.
That large dredge hole is from the two guys (Steve and Tony) who work it every Saturday. Weekend before last they got a couple grams from it. They aren't affiliated with CP forums or club, just two guys from the front range. I've talked to them every weekend and they're super nice.... they know what they're doing for sure. They also know the Jeffco regs there and I'm not sure what their plan is for any reclamation, that's their business. If they do nothing I can guarantee you that the hole will refill with gravels within one day of runoff when they crank up the dam release.
.... and we all get fooled by the HWY paint!

[swizz]

Judging by the current weather forecast for that vicinity, I'm leaning toward Sunday now... which is predicted to be about 15 degrees warmer than Sat.

[relicsncoins]

Here is the cleanup from yesterday at Clear Creek. Had one of those days where I didn't like the flow of the sluice a couple different times and ended up moving it twice. It was noon before I had my first bucket run. Stepped in a hole and filled up my boot with ice water. I did run 8 or 9 buckets and this is the result. Based on the color I saw in the top of the sluice, I thought I would have had about twice that. A lot of really fine gold, but not much size. Last weekend, I had some decent sized pieces, but not as much fine. Making notes of where and how deep I dug to better maximize my time on the creek.

[EMac]

The friggin highway paint!! Still gets me from time to time...

I agree with Swizz on your observations. I'm looking at the snow in the backyard and debating on tomorrow. Sunday doesn't work for me unfortunately. I'm still working through previous CC cons (2 previous trips, and the 30+ is from the last outing), but I think I've sorted out Blue Bowl operations.

[EMac]

Says 29 in Black Hawk and 38 in Golden....splitting the difference, it'll be cold. Lane and I are heading up tomorrow anyway.