Scouting out areas today to place the 8"

[MineralEstateGrantee]

Rogue River (Ennis Riffle and Galice (Rocky Barr area) running a bit high yet, and Illinois River (Green Bridge area on Eight Dollar Road) I find is all claimed up. BUT, some miles down (beyond the claimed areas) is looking real good...may have to have it flown in though.

[kerbyjackson]

Point of Rock, below Sardine and Galls - if you can get in (maybe possible just upstream of the bridge on Rogue River Route). Masses of rough looking, fractured bedrock in that area.

I know a secluded, unclaimed spot on the Little Applegate. It's secluded enough that you could leave the machine in there with no real worries. But maybe tough enough that you won't get it out either.

Applegate, downstream of the mouth of Slate. Wonderful exposed bedrock on the west side of the river. In addition to the nice gold, I know people who've found lots of nice rings that people lost swimming right there. You could possibly load out at the remains of the old bridge via Neill Rd. or maybe strike a deal with the blueberry farm on Helms Rd. to gain river access via their road system.

There is also lots of easy access on Ferry Rd. and quite a number of huge bedrock outcroppings on the north side of the river.


Just FYI, the area by the green bridge on the Illinois was nailed by a 6" last summer and the crew was smart enough to wash the far bank down with their flusher hoses despite a JoCo sheriff and 50 people watching them. Those guys were in there for about a week. This area is easy enough that it has been dredged year after year for the last 25+ years. Don't bother.I don't believe it's claimed (public recreation area), but the area downstream is - past Star and Kerby Flats until the Wild & Scenic section. There are some other access points to the Illinois via Westside Rd. on the CJ side.


How long is the powerjet on that machine from header box to hose?

[MineralEstateGrantee]

Just FYI, the area by the green bridge on the Illinois was nailed by a 6" last summer and the crew was smart enough to wash the far bank down with their flusher hoses despite a JoCo sheriff and 50 people watching them. Those guys were in there for about a week.

Yeah. There were at least 4 and maybe 5 machines working the river just below Green Bridge yesturday.

[contenderplacer]

WOW!!! i cant even imagine what it takes to pack in an 8" dredge, it must be insane..let alone use one,,impressive for sure...id like to see one in action some time....good luck

[MineralEstateGrantee]

Well, it’s pulled out from under its cover, cleaned-up, been fired-up and practically ready to go. Water’s depth and flow is just about right.

[kerbyjackson]

I guess that means it WASN'T you who had a large machine (8 to 10 inches?) working under Caveman Bridge at 2 AM with a slew of lights the other night then, was it?

[MineralEstateGrantee]

Well it was the Illinois for the last three days...working a fella's claim. Large drive onto beach, water depth 16'+ in the deeper portion, massive rocks (more like boulders) throughout. First two days only found bed rock twice in the shallower section (4-8’)...out side the imagined gold line. Lead shot, couple bullets (38s I’m thinking), fishing weight, and some specs of the yeller stuff.

Today we moved further up stream and closer to the inside bend of the river. Got into a pretty good looking layer of material when all hell come down on us by some people wanting to take possession of that particular area for their swimming pleasure. A big ol temper tantrum. Stomping around, yelling and cussing at us…this is a public beach and you can’t be coming in here and do what your doing.

One of the ladies there with us informed the more vociferous of their members they are on a mining claim and what we are doing is by right. His reply: I’ve been coming to this beach since I was a little kit, and your all not welcome here…yelling out you F***ing Bitc* as he went stomping up the road.

Us guys on the machine hadn’t a clue what was going on (one of the fellas and I under water and the other focused on the machine and not hearing it all over the engines running). It wasn’t until one of the engines run out of fuel that I came up to be informed by the gal what had taking place.

Now with the engine shut down and they knew us guys could hear them, they had quieted down a bit, but still pissing and moaning. It wasn’t long after the hordes of people started showing up. It looked like it was going to be us and a hornet’s nest that just had a stick put upside it.

It wasn’t looking to be a very pleasant remainder of an afternoon trying to stay focused on what we were there for and a bunch of people on a rampage. Haven’t got the cons cleaned up yet, but with a quickie panning, we know where the color is now, and we’ll be going back sometime soon…maybe when it’s a bit cooler and the hornets aren’t so active.

Whatcha all think, “Wild and Scenic” Rogue River next?

[kerbyjackson]

That's the thing I REALLY despise about that area. You have a lot of people in there and every one of them thinks they own the place, never mind the fact that the area is heavily claimed and there are vested rights and jurisdiction involved. Tom Kitchar once told me that he had a pretty similar experience to yours in that same section of the Illinois years ago. Probably the same assholes.

Hell, if you want an effect, I'd have the claim holder make a report to Gilbertson and tell him to inform the public that it's a crime to interfere with a mining operation and a form of mineral trespass to attempt to violate the rights of a Mineral Estate Grantee.