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Retirement & Detecting / Where To Go ??? Tip #1


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IMG_2441.thumb.JPG.84e185b1af12beb70e01d285fe8d1121.JPGRetirement is probably a non-realistic option for most, in reality it's more like work till you die. But for those of you that can move to your dream prospecting area, where would you consider moving too??? I used to live hours away from my nearest mining camps which were located in Eastern Oregon and Southern Idaho, I was able to plan a few trips during the six months that they had road access due to the winter snows, in the end I realized Montana/Colorado/Northeastern Oregon/Alaska/Idaho/Wyoming/High Sierra's were probably not a good place to retire and be able to get out very often detecting, duck hunting was maybe more fit for these locations. These area's do have very remote areas that are spectacular to explore during the fair weather months and have very little people to worry about running into.

I decided to try living in Winnemucca, Nevada which was probably a dream location for detecting especially in the late 90's. The changes that happened there were the big mining companies open pit mined a lot of the historical mining areas and the easy road access allowed the rest of the mining camps to get flogged with prospecting detectors.  

So Arizona has the opposite affect of the northern states, December is wonderful, but the summer heat is brutal, thankfully its not for six months and you can hunt in the mornings. This area has a mix of remote places and some flogged areas nearer to the snow bird camping areas. Definitely a place to consider for retirement detecting.

California, hmm!!! why would you move to California, is this not the place where you make your fortune and leave as soon as possible? The southern area is surely overcrowded and has mostly private lands. The Motherload's Sierra foothills have a pretty good year around climate ideal for detecting, a lot less people to contend with and a huge amount of mining districts. The downside is lots of private ownership until you get farther into the higher Sierras', then your dealing with the winter snows as mentioned before.

Northern California??? So far this place has a little of everything desirable for a retired detectorist. Lots of mining history, lots of open public lands, considerably less population, year round outdoor weather conditions (close by mountains for in the summer and the valley for when it's colder outside. Remember colder in the northern Sacramento valley is 40 degrees, not even cold if you have lived up north.

I took a trip to southern New Mexico and went to Silver City and some other historical mining districts there, absolutely a beautiful place to explore. It also includes a lot of the qualities of northern California.

I have not been to NZ, WA or other places like that. Maybe someone from there could better describe the places they have found there dream detecting place. Or maybe they do not want to attract attention to it, which makes good sense to keep it a secret. 

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  • The title was changed to Retirement & Detecting / Where To Go ??? (long Read)

i was thinking of posting something similar to this, a retirement post. so im happy to see your post here.
early retirement is something i have been aggressively saving for the last 20 years.
im 50 now, i was planning to retire at 55. i have run the numbers and if i sold the house, i could retire today and go full time beeping
and let my 401k (old man money) grow for the next 10 years.

its funny how material possessions can hold a guy back from doing what he wants to do.

however if i wait 4 1/2 years till im 55 the pension kicks in and the taxes/money works out much better and i could keep the house
and all the crap, that i really dont need.

for me, as far as where to go?
the bradshaws are in my back yard and i know them well.
so there is that.
the outback would be interesting, maybe the mother load in cal or northern nevada.
or drop nugget hunting and pick up beach hunting. the treasure coast Florida or waikiki.
after thinking it over, a lot. i think being a snowbird might be best.
5th wheel toy hauler, wherever the weather is nice.
right now im looking closely at what the market/fed is doing. with a recession
likely on the way and inflation out of control. im stockpiling cash and jamming as much as i can into the market.

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I already live in the best detecting area..Calaveras County, nocal. When I retire though, doubt it will be in Cali at all...most likely Florida. Probably sell my detectors, fish every day.

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Prescott, AZ or Grants Pass, OR are where I'd chose to move to and retire if I could.  Flagstaff or Durango would be close 2nd places.

Realistically though, I can't and never will be able to afford property anywhere I actually want to live in the US. The closest place with affordable real estate around gold now is probably Mexico, or somewhere else in Central/South America. 

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14 hours ago, RONS DETECTORS MINELAB said:

The Motherload's Sierra foothills have a pretty good year around climate ideal for detecting, a lot less people to contend with and a huge amount of mining districts. The downside is lots of private ownership until you get farther into the higher Sierras', then your dealing with the winter snows as mentioned before.

Spot on. The traditional motherload belt is virtually off limits for prospecting due to high urbanization, state and private land ownership, tons of regulations and a miner hostile crowd. In addition, there is a huge amount of claims in those areas that are still open for prospecting. The higher Sierras, i.e. Plumas national forest, still has options for prospecting and there are certainly others as well, but you need to know exactly where to look, and it often requires hiking into steep canyons and difficult terrain and driving on suicidal roads. And yes in winter most of these areas are not accessible. I would probably choose the Mojave desert in the Randsburg mining district. During the summer heat you could then consider the nearby San Bernardino mountains and also Big Bear. So, I would choose So Cal, also due to it's vicinity to AZ for the non-summer months. This area also is not crowded at all. The entire stretch along the I-10 east towards the AZ border also has rich and vast gold fields, including the remote Chuckwalla Mountains, which are practically completed deserted (and forgotten about by most-not me though 🤠). Also, the Dale mining district and the Pinto mountains are right there as well (only July - Sept the heat is really bad).

GC

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The perfect retirement Gold location!  I’ve lived in a few, but even those areas had their seasonal drawbacks.  I recently moved 120 miles from my last perfect retirement home in California to Nevada and can see my favorite California Sierra County everyday from my new home.  Summer Months, became my nemesis and currently live at the 5100’ level to ease them hot days.  There’s plenty to consider when one can afford to retire and then find a strategic place to retire at for our Hobby.  Above many have mentioned some of their favorite areas and I’ve been to all of them over the years.  Secret is, find a home base in your favorite area…not to hot or to cold and not far for a little rattle in your Poke Bottle!

Happy Retirement, you’ll enjoy it!

LuckyLundy

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2 hours ago, hawkeye said:

 Keep your home, use your trailer for some summer adventures until old age tells you to relax at home.

That's what I was going to say but couldn't work out a nice way to say it. 🙂

 

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18 hours ago, deathray said:

I already live in the best detecting area..Calaveras County, nocal. When I retire though, doubt it will be in Cali at all...most likely Florida. Probably sell my detectors, fish every day.

Deathray, love it.... fish every day.... I`m in the process of selling out from anOZ dry goldfield to a move to the coast amongst the fish, only concern is that wet coastal humidity and my gold fever. We reach an age where our driving ability develops limits, limits we don`t have in our younger, drive all night, fish/prospect all day, days. Not going to sell the gold detectors yet just in case.

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 I like to cast a line 100 yds or so out past the surf and stick 'the rod in a tube holder..

Then walk the beach with the Nox.

Listen to Nox ,,,look at rod ,,,,,,repeat.

If I get a fish I just plant the scoop , and lean the Nox.

TIS STRIPER SEASON ! Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr !🤪

 

I thought about a houseboat but got another motorhome .  Gets kinda cold uptah camp for way too long to be tryin' to live out in a frozen harbor.......(.old Arthur the pirate disease , need desert cure ! )🙄

 

 

 

 

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  • The title was changed to Retirement & Detecting / Where To Go ??? Tip #1

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