Colorado -- Cache Creek Sluicing -- 16 Nov 2016

Hey Gold Adventurers...

Time for an almost winter "get out of the house" Trip Report for about 2 1/2 hours of diggin' and a sluicing up at Cache Creek on Wednesday.

The weather report was for a winter storm to come into the area on Thursday, give us maybe 1 to 3 inches of new snow and much colder temps, so I decided to beat the storm by a day and go hit the hills.  It was a balmy 27F at my house and probably 25F up at Cache Creek when I got there at 9:15AM.  Hiked to my spot, setup my Le Trap sluice and got my first 2 pails of dirt dug and was sluicing about 9:30AM.

Here's my Le Trap in operation:


Since my right shoulder has been bugging me lately, I brought along my home made Chinese bucket carrying rod I put on my shoulder and carry 2 pails more easily, without having a heavy bucket pull on my shoulder socket all day.  


A really nice view of Mt. Elbert & Massive, both with a tiny bit of snow on them and the beaver pond with a layer of ice on it:


The ground was partly frozen and frost on some of the grass/plants starting out.  The ground is freezing fast up here now, with nights well below freezing and many areas in the shade all day, like my dig hole.  Was tough going using my pry bar and shovel to bang, scrape and get material, with the ground so frozen in spots.  From this view you can see the ice flow running down the bank to the creek:


Good thing was basically NO wind.  Probably warmed up to maybe 40F by noon, in the sun.  I got 10 total trips run with partly full 2 1/2 gal pails.  8 from one spot, 1 from another spot and the last from a 3rd spot I wanted to test.  None of the sample pans I did looked all that great, so I suspected my cleanup wouldn't be all that great either.  I was right...

I had a ham sandwich at noon and let the sluice clear out and I decided to cleanup, pack out, hike back to the Jeep.  The day was actually now getting nicer, warmer...........but the hard/frozen ground made diggin' a royal pain.  

Here's two pics of my Cache Creek gold...  Only got 3 grains or .19 grams this trip out:    



So, despite not getting "rich" with gold for my 2 1/2 hours, I sure had a fun time out in the hills, all by myself, enjoying nature.....the hawks flying overhead, the Brown trout swimming in the pool above my sluice...

May have to hit the Arkansas River next trip out, as the ground at Cache Creek is starting to freeze up pretty well....  Bummer.

I made one short video, posted to YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fBsGf2NX-A

Hopefully you can get out too, before winter sets in.....get a little "wild" gold too!

Randy  C-17A  

Sir:

Once again I'm jealous, I got to spend about an hour in the Dr office yesterday while you were playing in the dirt, which kept me from meeting up with you and you in all reality probably sluiced Cache Creek for the last time prior to BLM shutting us down. Going to really miss those brisk and peaceful morning on the Creek.

Nice chunky looking Cache Creek Gold, even looks nice and clean. We have had occasional snow showers today as well, not sticking, to warm, mid 70s yesterday. Hope you can get over to the river a few time before the end of the year. Who knows may be we will even have another nice couple of days and I can make it over for a day of "Hard Fun"......

Ron

Well I got to agree with Ron . Im jealous also! BUT our weather for today got up to 85 and rain tomorrow and dropping temps to boot! Ive been building my portable hooka with the 2.5 HP Briggs I bought from Harbor Freight and setting up and modifying my 2 inch Keene dredge. I stopped on building the 2 inch light weight dredge I was building and am going to turn it into a frame work for my 5 inch subbie that I want to build for my "bucket list" project. Im debating if I ought to buy the Gold Hog mat for the 4 inch Keene that I bought off Leonard Leeper , because if I cant maneuver it around then I need to sell it. And I hate that thought of doing so. This Spring I want to get the 4 out to somewhere and give it a try ,and would love to have the GH mat in it when I do. Im all dressed and nowhere to go! What a dilemma this has turned into!

Wish I could have been there with you. That place is just beautiful for sure. The gold has always been good and never a bust for me. Mining with you guys is awesome for sure. maybe next year will finally be different for me and can get up there more. Remember this pan!!! I'll never forget it..

Johnifly,

Thanks for looking and chiming in.......and posting a picture too! Yep, I remember several of your pans that day sure looked good.

Glad you got to go with me to this spot, get some High Kolorado gold before heading home. We won't be able to go to this spot anymore IF the friggin' BLM is successful in cramming their new EA/Mgt Plan down our throats after the New Year.

Chief05,

Ha. Missed you there... The beavers both said "Hi" and asked "what up, no Chief?" They were obviously bummed you couldn't show, curry comb their hides, scratch them under the chin, around their ears and let them rub up against your rubber boots like last time.

Had 8F for the low yesterday morning and at 6:12 AM this morning back down to 10F. Will probably drop a degree or two more when the sun just starts to rise in another 45 minutes or so. So, up at Cache Creek it will be colder and more ice on the pond and the ground there will be even more frozen. Bummer...

Oh well, maybe we'll hit the Ark someday soon...........drag Matt & Gary out with us and have a "sluicing party"!

Randy C-17A

I also remember your pan, remember all that fine gold in the shade of the pan. That was incredible. I hope we can go back and mine again that would be a shame. You know how I feel about the AR River I love that place to. I love my little back pack dredge, cant wait to get back up there. Yes I would love to mine with Matt and Gary. I did the same thing you did and went with gold hogg matts, Talon and scrubber.