Gone Backpacking and Prospecting

[fredmason]

Backpacking into remote areas for 3 or 4 days and hitting the Undetected areas has always been on my list. Unfortunately, thinking about it is all I have accomplished.

 

I hope you did well and had a great adventure....with no unwelcome encounters from BigFoots...

 

fred

[azblackbird]

Steve,

If you're serious about doing any sort of "off the grid" gold prospecting, may I suggest you get yourself one of these. They can be had for about the price of a Minelab 5000. They'll go about anywhere you can hike, plus they'll carry way more than what you could ever stuff into backpack.

 

[LipCa]

Where are the training wheels?

[Reno Chris]

AZBlackbird -

There are loads of places in California where your Rockon could not be used as motorized transportation is prohibited except on established roads. This is enviro-crazy California we are talking about. I believe Steve is in one of those places where off road travel is prohibited.

[azblackbird]

AZBlackbird -

There are loads of places in California where your Rockon could not be used as motorized transportation is prohibited except on established roads. This is enviro-crazy California we are talking about. I believe Steve is in one of those places where off road travel is prohibited.

 

We have some of the same laws here in AZ with our so-called "travel management" program. Thankfully the lawmakers were smart when they wrote the statutes and for the most part exempted mineral and exploration companies. Seems AZ still knows where it's bread is buttered. CA…. uhhh not so much. 

[Reno Chris]

Your Rockon is a great set up. I'm sure the Rockon is very useful in AZ, and it would be fine in Nevada too, but Taxifornia has another agenda entirely. I believe most national forests and essentially all state lands in CA are motorized on road only. Large chunks of the CA desert too, but there is some where off road is allowed.

[azblackbird]

I believe most national forests and essentially all state lands in CA are motorized on road only. Large chunks of the CA desert too, but there is some where off road is allowed.

 

TPTB would sure love for you to believe that. Makes their job easier. Part of my research on areas I want to prospect also includes knowing and researching the laws of those particular areas. I have no desire to set foot in CA, but nevertheless, here's some material you might be interested in reading. Little do most people know, but us gold prospectors (especially if you're a commercial entity i.e; LLC, DBA, S-corp, etc.) have rights that the average citizen doesn't.

 

FSmininglaws.pdf

CAoffroadlaws.pdf

[Reno Chris]

AZBlackbird -

 

I read your references and nothing in them authorizes off road travel. Even the CA off road laws say other authorities ie, BLM, NFS, etc. can restrict travel to designated roadways, which is exactly what they have done.

The following is for the Plumas National Forest where I do some of my prospecting, but its pretty much the same on other NFS lands in CA.

 

Please read the following:

http://www.fs.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsinternet/!ut/p/c5/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os3gjAwhwtDDw9_AI8zPwhQoY6IeDdGCqCPOBqwDLG-AAjgb6fh75uan6BdnZaY6OiooA1tkqlQ!!/dl3/d3/L2dJQSEvUUt3QS9ZQnZ3LzZfMjAwMDAwMDBBODBPSEhWTjJNMDAwMDAwMDA!/?navtype=BROWSEBYSUBJECT&cid=stelprdb5322854&navid=360000000000000&pnavid=null&ss=110511&position=Not%20Yet%20Determined.Html&ttype=detail&pname=Plumas%20National%20Forest-%20Maps

 

It says:

You may drive on any route designated for use as a motorized travel route. The Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM) displays National Forest Transportation routes (roads and trails) or areas so designated. If a route is not shown on the map, it is not open for motorized travel.

and

If a route is not shown on the MVUM, it remains open for hiking, bicycling and horseback riding but is not open to motorized use.

and

Cross-country travel is not allowed unless specifically allowed with a permit or other authorization.

 

I agree if you have an approved mining permit from the national forest that allows you off road, cross country access on your claims, then you have been approved to do that and I guarantee that your approval will have conditions you must abide by. However if you have no signed permit, you have no authorization for off road travel in CA national forests.

[azblackbird]

Chris,

You're thinking as a recreational OHV'er and not as a "bona-fide" mineral prospector, which is exactly the way TPTB want you to think. Believe it or not, but if you're a legitimate and legal mining entity and are operating under those rules, the law really is on your side.

 

It's all about environmental impact with the government land managers. I don't blame them one bit considering the past history of mining. If you can mine or prospect with as little as disturbance as possible to the environment, the more TPTB will leave you alone and respect your lawful mining rights.

 

I'm not going to get into my modus operandi when out prospecting, but let's just say I have all my bases covered just in case I should ever be called upon on by TPTB. 

 

 

[Steve Herschbach]

Hi AZBlackbird,

I used to be a Rokon dealer. Great little units for sure and they will go where almost no other ATV will go. However, they won't go where I went this time. They can't scale bedrock chutes steep enough I nearly balk at climbing them and this darn California mess of manzanita and other brush along with vines and stuff that make going forward on foot or hands and knees all but impossible. My feet are sore and I have a collection of small puncture wounds and bruises but I survived. Story soon.

Looks like you have just what you need though. Very nice setup!