Colorado -- Prospecting a Remote High Mountian Creek

Hey Gold Adventurers...

One of the blessings of living here in Buena Vista, up in "High" Kolorado, is that I am centrally located in the middle/middle of the Kolorado Mineral Belt:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorado_Mineral_Belt

SO much old gold, silver and other metals mining history around here.  Basically EVERY town up here was back in the day a mining town, or a supply town for miners, or a smelting/rail hub that supported mining, etc.

With that said, it's a possibility that most ANY drainage, dry gulch, creek/stream in this area COULD have at least SOME gold in it...

I decided a while back to spend a few hours exploring and prospecting a high mountain stream on public land.  Who knows, if I found gold, I MIGHT stake a claim of my own!  

Here's a view down the canyon of the creek. Now totally under snow & ice:



The water was flowing fast, clear & cool...........that's Kolorado for you!  I did my first sample pans behind a big boulder.  Plenty of black sand, but no gold:



A nice shot of the creek.  Think I'll come back some day with my fly rod and see if I can't catch a few trout here!



Another of my sample/dig spots.........beside this boulder.  Again, black sand but not a speck:



Having walked up the creek about 1/4 mile, and having no luck directly in the creek, I sampled a few pans from the bench material:



Well, bummer..........again, nothing.  

I hiked a little ways further up the creek, came across some old abandoned mining "stuff"..........so, that should have meant gold, BUT every pan I did, no matter where, had black sand, but no gold.  O.K.  The proof is in the pudding...



So, a lot of adventure for about 3 total hours.  I did a picnic lunch on the side of the creek, then hiked back to my Jeep.  No gold to be found there, BUT..........off to the next prospecting gulch/creek.....just as soon as the snow melts & ice disappears!  

Let's hear about your adventures!

Randy  C-17A