Western Colorado Chapter

MEMBER'S STORIES

Prospecting at Rattlesnake Canyon submitted by Bill Armour

When prospecting at Rattlesnake Canyon (730 Rd), have you ever thought on just how far up the river you would have to go to find the mother load where the gold you are finding came from?
Here are a couple (or three) things to help add more mystery to that question.
1. An old timer used to tell that when he was a kid, the railroad was in the Black Canyon. It was nothing to walk it and pick up a gold nugget now and then.
2. At the mouth of the Black Canyon there once was a dig. You can still see some of the equipment laying around. The black sand streak is said to be six feet high. once you get the over burden off. It was abandoned because equipment kept mysteriously breaking down over night, and some people complained of the noise.
3. A fisher person came across a quartz vein laced with gold in the Black Canyon. Chipping off a piece thinking of having it assayed and filing a claim, he proceded to do so. When he return to get the results of the assay, he was told exactly where he had got it, not to go back because it was in the Black Canyon Monument, and then the specimen was confiscated. It was or my still be on display the the Grand Junction airport.
Now that we know where the gold comes from, all that has to be done is figuring out how to get it without getting caught.

The Yellow Rattlesnake submitted by Deb Littlefield

Last summer while on our first prospecting trip on the San Miguel River by the Pinon Bridge, Marlin and I, Mindy and Lester and our 2 dogs were dredging. I was going back to the camper to start dinner. As I was walking up the path, I was about to step on a twig when I saw it move. I stepped over it and it moved off into the bushes.
The next morning, Mindy came running up to the camper door telling me not to let the dogs out because Marlin and Lester were trying to kill a rattlesnake. They were trying to shoot it with a .22 rifle and were having a hard time seeing it in the scope. They finally got the job done and put the snake in a 5 gallon bucket. They brought it back to the camper....it was the "twig" I almost stepped on.
Lester wanted to take the snake home but a couple of days later they looked into the bucket and couldn't figure out what the yellow stuff was. I had been watching our Rotweiller, Chester, pee in the bucket...not on it.
So be careful down on the river. Watch out for the moving twigs.

Rock Hunting submitted by Bill Armour

Although all the prospectors I know have to look closely at any and all rocks when prospecting, I suppose there are some that only look for the shine of gold. It might not hurt to study a book on rock hunting and carry one when out prospecting. Some of of those "leaverite" (leave er rite where you found it) rocks, although not worth as much as the gold you are finding, may be worth enough to keep. Rockhounds love to tumble those small pieces of agate, etc. Even if they do not sell them, making a gift of them might just gain some information on where to try prospecting, open the gate to some private land, or just make yourself a friend. I have thought of doing the above several times, but seem to get caught up in looking for the shine of gold. My time seems to be completely tied up with shoveling, unplugging the dredge, cleaning the dredge or highbanker, packing buckets of wet sand, convincing muscles to let me stand up, convincing myself to bend back down, or just go to camp and take a nap instead of having so much fun.

NEWSLETTERS | SUPPORT OUR MEMBERS | CAMP WAPIYAPI | WEBMAIL