Meadview Az Back To Montana

[abenson]

Nice report Reese. It was good meeting you down in Gold Basin. Hope to see you again. Enjoyed reading your book too.

[Goldseeker5000]

I got another 6 nuggets today and 1 yesterday. I have been here a week today and I have 30 nuggets. A much better ratio of nuggets per time put in detecting than Arizona. 

[Goldseeker5000]

Got some more nuggets recently, I think my total so far for this new area is around 38. Got another 6 yesterday for 1.14 grams. This area is very similar to Gold Basin and Meadview, geologically speaking. Applying what I did in Gold Basin and Meadview is working out here very well. Both places have alluvial/ ditrital fans descending to the east, volcanic activity in the immediate area, caliche in some of the washes, geologic upheaval separating the gold field east to west, shallow nuggets and thousands of washes. Though I think some of the washes in Radersburg area are in fact old timer diggings, perhaps from the Chinese. In Gold Basin and Meadview the rock type holding alot of nuggets is Greenstone and here in Radersburg it is also another greenish volcanic rock type, though not greenstone. This rock is Andesite which is a greyish color ranging to a greenish grey with larger darker inclusions inside. It is an igneous extrusive layed down with lava flows and this rock is trapping alot of the gold. Another interesting observation is myself and the large hard rock mine owner here both believe the placer gold and the hard rock gold are not accociated with each other, but infact two different deposits. One interesting fact with Radersburg is there is Skarn deposits in Radersburg. Not sure yet if these skarns are iron skarns, copper skarns or gold skarns, but this will increase the likelihood of larger detectable gold. Both areas have cactus, which so far in my opinion the Prickly Pear cactus is by far, worse to deal with in Radersburg than the  Choya cactus and Cats Claw of Gold Basin and Meadview. This stuff is everywhere and it hides within the prairie grass and soil very well. No matter how careful you are, it will get you at least one or two times every day. I am developing a healthy respect and fear of this nasty cactus.

[geof_junk]

Those hands show the effort put in. Well done. 🤲

[Goldseeker5000]

Got one nugget today and I paid a painful price for it. Pulled dirt out and off of the bedrock where the nugget was resting and pulled the dirt back with my hands right into prickly pear. Damn that hurt. Went in around a quarter inch and a little piece broke off inside my finger. Then after that I moved my pick to my left side and put the same hand in another prickly pear to my left side. I really hate prickly pear. Yesterday one went right through my knee pads and got me.

[GotAU?]

Watched two people share a cholla ball between each other like a game of toss one time- the gal was yelling and her friend pulled it off with two sticks and flung it onto his arm. She pulled it off and got it back!  Hope those spines work out, Ive had to throw out light hikers that had a bunch through the soles.

[geof_junk]

They were a big problem in Australia.

A good read.

 https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0014/55301/prickly-pear-story.pdf

I must admit they are delicious and one of my best liked exotic fruit 

Prickly pear, cactus pear, tuna fruit, opuntia, nopal. They come mainly in two different colors, purple and green. Cactus fruit or prickly pear is very nutritious, it is high in fiber, vitamin c, antioxidants, and other healthy vitamins and minerals.

[Goldseeker5000]

Nice to know that geof_junk, my luck, I would miss a small spine and it would get stuck in the roof of my mouth 😆. I always wondered if Australia had cactus. Prickly Pear in Australia?!, man, that stuff is everywhere.

[jasong]

The green part is ok, but the red part that flowers grow out of in spring is way tasty. It actually tastes a bit like pear to me. But like with blood red orange Sanpelligrino soda and apple flavors too. Hard to pin down, but slightly familiar and good.

The small ones in the Rockies are way more flavorful than the big ones in Arizona, I think.

As you guessed, they leave tiny almost invisible microspines in your tongue (and fingers) though if you don't remove the skin entirely. 

[GotAU?]

One thing to try is burning off the spines in a fire- that’s how some Native Americans prepared the pads and fruit for eating them. But I can’t believe how desert tortoises can eat those without getting thrown off by the spines in their mouths and throats- Ive seen several wild ones munching on pads as well.  And captive tortoises do the same with the fruit, so it isn’t for the lack of water, they just really love the stuff even if it has spines!

We ‘modern’ humans are so fragile! 😉