Specialty travel ideas planning a prospecting or gold mining trip

Posted: 02/09/2007--25/11/2008 || Rate this Article: 3 || Views|| Sign In || Register ||Hello Guest

If you want to mine for gold like the prospectors of days gone by, there is still no better place than Californias Gold Country. Californias Mother Lode covers approximately 100 square miles in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. While many of the Golden States colorfully named mining communities, like Mugfuzzle Flats and Hell-Out-For-Noon City, disappeared long ago, over 50 mining camps spanning 11 counties still remain. In some places, towns that began as mining camps have thrived and continue to exist, while in others, only remnants of once-lively mining camps are left behind to tell the story. Traveling through northern Californias beautiful and historic Gold Country along CA-49, the Mother Lode Highway, your trip will take you through the old mining camps of Auburn and Mariposa and all points in between. Armed with a gold pan and a little bit of luck, you will be ready to seek your fortune.

THERES GOLD IN THEM THERE HILLS!

During the Gold Rush of 1849, gold was both plentiful and accessible in northern California. Over time, due to natural processes like erosion, gold ore had been washed from solid rock in the high mountains and deposited along riverbanks. Undisturbed for thousands upon thousands of years, unbelievable amounts of gold had accumulated by the time gold was first discovered at Sutters Mill in 1848. Prospectors practically scooped pans of gold from the banks of the American River. Back then, prospectors easily found as much as 96 ounces of gold in one pan, which would be worth well over $40,000 today. It wasnt long before these readily available deposits of gold were gone. But what most people dont realize is that the vast majority of Californias gold ore deposits, estimated at as much as eighty-five percent, still remain in the Mother Lode. Geological changes, including earthquakes and mudslides, expose new gold veins and placer deposits every day. You may have to look a little harder, or travel a little farther off the beaten path, but the gold is still there. And, although gold isnt as easy to find as it was in the 19th century, many of todays self-employed prospectors consistently pan $500 worth of gold a week.

When most people think of panning for gold, they picture rugged old prospectors up to their knees in the river, swishing water around in big pans and yelling, Eureka! The truth is, the riverbank is only one place to find gold. When you pan for gold in or along the river, you are looking for placer deposits, crumbling rocks and gravel mixed with deposits of gold that have been eroded from solid rock deposits over time. Placer deposits may be washed into a stream or river and thus become alluvial deposits, transported by the water of the river and eventually deposited in the riverbed, along the banks of the river or in rocky crevices and hiding places. When you get farther away from the river, you may find the actual source of the placer deposits, the solid rock or vein containing the gold ore. Then you have found the lode, or in Californias case, the very rich Mother Lode. The solid rock lodes are where gold mines were built and where miners conduct lode mining or hard rock mining.

To make the most of your gold prospecting trip, it wouldnt hurt to take a physical geography class to learn a little about geographical movement, or a geology class to learn something about rocks, minerals, erosion and sedimentary deposits. There are many good books on the market about gold mining that will give you some background knowledge about prospecting in general or more specific information about gold mining in the western Sierra Nevada mountain range. It is also a good idea to understand something about the potential adverse effects of panning and prospecting on wildlife and water quality, so that you will know how to lessen the impact of your gold mining activities on the environment. Also, it is important to know that there may actually be mining seasons in the area you are planning to visit, so be sure to check ahead to make sure mining is allowed during the time of year when your trip is planned.

HOW TO PAN FOR GOLD

Panning for alluvial placer deposits is the easiest way for the beginner to get the hang of gold mining. Although there are many new and technologically advanced gold mining tools on the market, all you really need to get started is a gold pan, which has ridges or riffles on one side. Remember, when you are panning for gold, you are basically attempting to recreate the action of the river in washing gold downstream and depositing it in various locations along the rivers banks. There are many techniques and, with practice, you will soon develop your own, unique panning style.

First, find a good location, where the water is moving slightly, enough to help you out by washing away dirt and gravel, but not so much that it takes the gold with it! Also, if you are planning to be at it for any length of time, it doesnt hurt to find a comfortable spot with a big rock where you can sit down. To start, fill your pan about half full with dirt and gravel. Then check it carefully for sticks, twigs and leaves and remove these items. Before discarding them, look them over carefully to make sure there are no gold flakes clinging to them. Then, hold your pan in the river, with the ridged side away from you, and let it fill with water. Pull the pan close to the surface of the water and then, holding the pan in one hand, shake the pan fairly vigorously from side to side, tapping the bottom with the heel of your free hand. The goal here is to cause the lighter materials to float to the surface and the heavier gold ore to deposit itself at the bottom of the pan.

Now, dip the far side of the pan slightly down and pull the pan toward you and slightly upwards, allowing some gravel to slide out of the pan over the far edge. Repeat this process, each time allowing the pan to dip a little lower so that most of the debris gradually leaves the pan. Once you begin to get rid of most of the debris, you may begin to see flakes of gold at the bottom of the pan. At this point, when all that remains in your pan is black sand and gold, begin swirling the pan gently so that the sand moves to the outer edges of the pan, while the gold, which is heavier, remains in the center. Then, you can remove the gold flakes from the pan using either tweezers or a special suction pipe made for that purpose.

Remember, as with anything, becoming a proficient gold panner takes practice, so be patient. While it hasnt been accumulating undisturbed for thousands of years at this point, gold is still being washed down from rich veins in the upper Sierra Nevada mountain range every day. Many areas, including Jamestown, Columbia and Placerville, offer prospecting classes, guided group and individual gold panning day trips, or gold mining tours that are great for the beginner. You can even practice at home using dirt and gravel. In fact, dont be surprised if you find a little gold right in your own backyard!

PLACES TO VISIT

Aside from panning or prospecting for gold, traveling through Californias Gold Country offers the additional excitement of experiencing the history of the area, including exploring the many ghost towns and mining camps. Each of the numerous destinations along CA-49 has its own, unique flavor and history. Many have museums and still-existing architecture from the gold boom period. A number of areas offer live history reenactments and gold panning demonstrations. There are many special events in Gold Country from June through October, so make sure to find out in advance what is going on in the area to best enjoy your trip. Be sure to take in one of the many Gold Rush Days festivals, jubilees or fiddle and banjo competitions. Hotels and restaurants are available in many of the towns along the way.

Here are just a few of the locations that should not be missed, listed in order from north to south along the Mother Lode Highway:

Auburn: This town is interesting in that the Old Town area has been restored to its 1848 boomtown splendor, while a new, modern city has been constructed on a hill overlooking Old Town. There are several museums and historic buildings in Old Town, including the old courthouse, post office and firehouse. To the north is Grass Valley, settled by immigrants who followed their wandering, starving cattle into what they thought was just a rich feeding area. Unbeknownst to the settlers, heavy ore deposits would soon make Auburn the richest gold mining area in California.

Placerville: There are still a few functioning gold mines in this town, including the Gold Bug Mine which is owned by the city and open to the public. Placerville was once as populous as San Francisco and was the big city of Gold Country. At one time, the city was known as Hangtown because of the many lynchings and hangings that took place during its days as a wild western frontier town. The Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park has many interesting exhibits, including a working replica of Sutters Mill.

Sutter Creek: This camp was right in the middle of the Mother Lode and once boasted seven gold mines, all within a two-mile radius of Main Street. It is here that Leland Stanford made his fortune recovering more than $2 million in gold from a mine he received in payment of a debt. He then went on to help build the first transcontinental railroad, become the Governor of California and eventually become a U.S. Senator. He eventually founded Stanford University with a portion of his riches.

Angels Camp: This mining camp is home of the Calaveras County Frog Jumping Contest made famous by Mark Twain. Twain visited Angels Camp often and reputedly enjoyed shooting pool at the Angels Hotel Saloon. The Calaveras County Fair and Jumping Frog Jubilee is held here in May of each year in honor of Twains notorious tale. Bret Harte also wrote a number of stories depicting western frontier life based on his visits here.

Columbia: If you want to get a real feel for what it was like during the California Gold Rush days, Columbia is the best place to visit. Now designated a State Historic Park, the town is a fully restored gold mining town, which offers gold panning expeditions and tours of a working gold mine. More original Gold Rush-era buildings remain in Columbia than in any other place. Especially recommended during the summer are Columbias 1850s-style Independence Day festivities, the Celebration of the Glorious Fourth.

Jamestown: Jamestown is one of the best places to visit for first-time gold prospectors, offering a number of mining and prospecting classes and tours. The town features an exact replica of the mining camp that existed in this same location in 1849. By all accounts, the town was named after a San Francisco attorney, George James. James had no desire to engage in the backbreaking work of mining himself, but he saw an opportunity to make money by opening a trading post at the camp. According to legend, James then won the miners over with champagne and persuaded them to name the camp Jamestown. Sounds just like a lawyer, doesnt it?

Mariposa: Many historic buildings remain here, making Mariposa well worth the visit. Mariposa is the home of the oldest still-active courthouse in California. The courthouse was the site of the murder trial of Lafayette Punch Choisser in 1857. Convicted of murder, Choisser served five years in San Quentin. After his release, Choisser became a deputy sheriff, beloved by the townspeople as well as the local Indians. His most famous exploit was the rescue of 18-year old Indian Willie, who faced certain death at the hands of the Chowchilla Rangers, vigilantes intent on lynching Willie for a crime he did not commit. With the angry vigilantes in hot pursuit, Choisser spirited the young boy out of town on horseback in a daring rescue and got him safely to San Francisco.

GETTING THERE

From Sacramento, take I-80 east 33 miles to the town of Auburn in northern Gold Country, then travel south along CA-49, the Mother Lode Highway, through approximately 20 former mining camp towns, ending up in Mariposa 191.6 miles south.

From Fresno, take CA-41 north 45 miles to Oakhurst, then CA-49 north 27 miles to Mariposa, continuing north along CA-49 to Auburn.

Remember, this trip takes you high up into the California side of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. Many of the roads are winding, making this a slow, leisurely drive. Also anticipate frequent road closures in winter. This trip is best made late May through early November.