Several of us have been hitting Clear Creek in Jeff Co Open space hard this winter. I think I've been out for 8-9 days already this year! Kinda icy at times, but the creek is pretty low, so there is lots of area to work! A couple of us will be back out Friday if anyone wants to join us!

Awesome pics there Yukon Cornelius! "Peppermint! What I've been searching for all my life! I've struck it rich! I've got me a peppermint mine! Wahooooo!"
See ya's again on Friday!

Looking good guys! I'm going to try and get up there Sunday. What mile marker are y'all working near?

I'm not sure which MM but it's the last large pull-off on the left before the HWY splits to Central City. I'd say about 1/4 mile before that traffic light.

The big parking lot where we hooked up last time.

Had an "OK" day today! Swizz and I Will be back at it tomorrow if anyone wants to join us!

And back at it we were......
Another excellent day on CC with you guys!! Awesome weather, good Gold all around, and great peoples! Here are a few pics from yesterday's winter excursion.

Looking upstream
CC Upstream by GhostCreekMine, on Flickr

Looking downstream
CC Downstream by GhostCreekMine, on Flickr

Jason attempting some home-made waders.... Timber taking great interest
Jason P by GhostCreekMine, on Flickr

Been a great week, 4 of the last 5 days spent on the creek with friends and GOLD!

Very nice, looks like it was awesome weather and more on the way this coming week. Spectacular for February digging's!

We've been choosing our weather carefully.
I'm snowed-in again today, so... time for some bowling!
Blue Bowl by GhostCreekMine, on Flickr

Sorry to hear that... but then you do live in WINTER Park lol


Gonna be in the 60s all week down here in the flat lands!

Look forward to seeing what you've gotten!

Clean-up is looking good. Only a few specks over #30 mesh but the fines are off the hook. I'm spinning the last of the -100 mesh now and I've never recovered this much micron from CC. Pretty sure everything I have must be flood Gold. I'll post up some pics soon. .

.... here's what I mean, this is just the minus #100 mesh in the Blue Bowl (kudos to Angus MacKirk sluices). That's a lot of micron for only about 1/2yd of material that I moved. I'll do a grand total pic soon with the #30 and #50 mesh combined. Need to final clean and dry it all in the ol frying pan next.

Micron CC Gold in BB by GhostCreekMine, on Flickr

Happy. Gold fever is cured for the moment.
Your turn Crusty. Should be able to spell out the whole web address with all the dredging you did!
Winter Gold by GhostCreekMine, on Flickr

My fever is getting worse! I packed the car Saturday night, but ended up getting a late start Sunday, then errands left me with little time to go up. Getting the high wind warnings for Golden and Central City yesterday, I'm guessing it was howling through the canyon.

I shifted things around though, and want to/plan to go up next Saturday. Weather looks like it'll be nice still.

Did a quick pan of Saturday's haul... Another good day! Tomorrow I'll blue bowl it.

Whoohoo! Yeller in the pan! Nice man.
I'm packing my gear up for a day of digging, pronto. This weather has been unbelieveable.
My wife said she'd be sluicemaster if I'm digmaster. It's on!!!

Looking great Mike, can't wait to see your totals!
Friday or Sat looking good for anyone? Ready for more diggin, still 3 months to kill before my claims are accessible. Gotta stay in shovel shape.

Friday might be good; headed to Mike's new spot on Sat/Sun.

Alrighty then. Anyone else up for some fun in the sun on Friday?

I have to work during the week, so I'm planning on setting the alarm for Saturday morning to get a good day in. I plan to go near the boat launch with the CC sign that it sounds like you're working near.

We've been hitting the upper reaches of Jeffco, just before MM260. There's a major pull-off there with the big brown wooden Clear Creek Canyon open space sign and a HWY camera on a metal post. I'm not sure where the boat launch is. If it's that one up near the restaurant and I70... that's out of the Jeffco Open Space boundaries. Is there a boat launch lower in the canyon that you're referring to?

That parking area by MM260 is where I see a lot of the rafters and kayaks put in, so I call it the boat launch. When the weather warms up, there's usually at least 1 rafting tour bus sitting there by the sign on weekends. I haven't worked that far up, usually sticking to the area just west of Mayhem Gulch (paved parking area) where the creek oscillates from flowing southeast to northeast then back to due east (MM 261 or so I think...there's an island in the stream there). Last time I drove US6, they had heavy equipment and jersey barriers blocking where I previously parked, and they were putting a bridges in. I just looked on Google maps, and the barriers are still in the image.

All of the areas that have heavy equip, barricades, etc are closed to rec use until they are done with work unfortunately. Everyone is chomping at the bit for them to reopen because of all the dirt and boulders that they moved... and are still moving.

Have you sampled downstream of that construction at all? I'm wondering what has been put back into the stream and re-concentrated. May have to check Saturday.

I have not. I doubt very much material (if any) has moved downstream yet since the flows have been really low since they started. It'll take a good runoff or Georgetown Dam release to get things going.
They had a full size excavator in the water for a long time scooping riverbed onto the new path upstream from where we're working now. Made me drool every time I saw him scoop a big bucket from the middle of the creek and dump it on the path. Saw that every day when I was commuting the canyon this winter.

Spending my afternoon blue bowling. Here's a few pics

My wife is a saint, letting me blue bowl in the living room lol

My results from sluicing Mon-tue.

My 12&18 mesh from dredging FRI-Sat

A sneak peak of my 30 mesh spinning;/battery pack died, so I'm at a stoppage

Quit teasing us.

Got a little more done this morning... I've got some really cool little "raw" (?) gold; very rough, one even still has a little bit of quartz still attached. Will get some macro pics of them. At the museum all day today, so hopefully I'll get it finished up this evening.

Calling for 70mph gusts in the canyon tomorrow. Anyone headed there... hold onto your pans, buckets, and sluices! Friday and Sat still looking pretty good, I may do both days.

I want to go tomorrow but not if it is windy. So, I will be there Friday if work does not interfere. Ok, I will see ya all soon!

"High wind warning" forecast holds in the canyon until Friday at about noon. I think we're good to go for tomorrow. I can live with some wind as long as it fading by noon. I pinpointed our location here: CC Forecast

The ride in this morning was sporty, so it should be fun out on the creek!

I'd love to go today and tomorrow, but have to wait until Saturday. 10-14mph winds with some 23mph gusts forecast for Saturday....not good for skydiving, but I see no concerns with digging.

Looks good! We're up to 6 folks; not bad for a mid-Feb prospecting trip!!

That is awesome! I might be joining you as well on Sat Eric.

Finished blue bowling my 2 days cons from last week. Not bad!!

50 mesh

Final total

I need to come out there and dig with you guys sometime. My wife says I should take a road trip out there and dig with you all for some golden chunky. Its been awhile since I've seen dirt and its GOT to be warmer than Gunnison, although it's like spring now suddenly.
Speaking of spring, we were in colo spgs yesterday to pick up some things and it seemed like every corner in town had a beggar with a sign on it. I couldn't believe how many bums around there now. There was always the random beggar with his dog but now it's big business I guess.
Wow, it's changed since I was there two years ago. I was shocked.
Are you guys digging sunday too?

Come on down! I think Swizz and EMAC will be there Sat; not sure about Sun. I'll be out checking out MikeS's new Barite area.

I'll wait till you guys get together next time, next weekend or whenever.
My wife wants to come if she can get away but I didn't think of going until yesterday. We have friends in Highlands ranch to stay with and visit in the evenings so she really wants to go with.
We have animals and chickens to take care of here and our wood stove has to be fed so I'll see if I can get my daughter to come up from town and stay here for a few days.

We had a blast there today!
Headed there again tomorrow and I think EMac and Joshua too if anyone would like to join us, weather looks spectacular.
Everyone was showing great Gold again today!

Crusty, Dypheron, and Timber
Mike, Brandon, Timber by GhostCreekMine, on Flickr

Joshua feeding his sluice
Joshua Sluicing CC by GhostCreekMine, on Flickr

CC Gold upper mat by GhostCreekMine, on Flickr

.....and, for the ladies
Stone Heart by GhostCreekMine, on Flickr

Hey, another fine day on CC! Was there today with EMac and his better half... along with the three kids. again, good Gold all around.
Another upper sluice pic of the Angus. Transient Gold, hangs there for a while and then travels to the drop riffles. Should be another good cleanup.
CC Gold in V mat by GhostCreekMine, on Flickr

Had a great time as always, I'm fighting the temptation to crack open the boxes with all of my processing gear so I can see the final result. I still can't believe how well Clear Creek is producing at the moment, I'm pretty sure there was more in the 5 buckets I dug Friday than all other times I've been there combined. Great way to spend one of the last days I have in Colorado before heading to Texas.

You crack me up!! Would love to see that in Crusty's pan someday.

Fantastic finds and pic Chris!

lol, awesome!

I did finally get a scale and I've gotten 2.5 grams this year... haven't cleaned up from the last trip yet.

That's quite a bit for a little winter prospecting on CC, NICE!
My pic ("CP" in Gold) is about .25 gram. I may have time today to do a cleanup from the last trip there, will post a pic.

Just about to start Blue Bowling from the last trip.
This is what I recovered that is larger than #30 mesh.
CC +30 Mesh by GhostCreekMine, on Flickr

#30 - #50 mesh in the Bowl, working my way down....

CC Gold #50 - #30 Mesh by GhostCreekMine, on Flickr

#50 - #100 mesh

CC Gold #50 - #100 Mesh by GhostCreekMine, on Flickr

Jackpot on the minus #100 mesh. I'll put it all together and take a better pic after I dry it all. Happy!
CC Gold Micron #100 Mesh by GhostCreekMine, on Flickr