Two Tires, Two Days, 0.56 Grams

[1515Art]

I spent a few hours time checking out a club claim just a little southwest and over the hill from Rye Patch with no success, although the GPZ did find about an ounce of scattered lead and copper. on my way through the desert heading to rye patch at what i thought was a safe speed to avoid tire damage, my luck ran out and my right front tire turned into something that looked more like a birds nest. 

 

I haven't used the spare for a while and forgot it was one of those skinny you don't really want to be driving in the desert type of get you home jobs. I pull the thing out and damed if it don't feel just a bit soft... I grit my teeth, put on the tire i wish id checked before i headed out and hope for the best. I probably had a good 20 to 25 miles before i had any hope of paved road. kept the speed around 15 until i hit pavement and breathed a big sigh of relief.

 

I detoured into lovelock and after a quick stop at Jim's Tire Store, (not to be confused with Jim's Auto Service a few blocks away) and i was on my way with a good used tire for 50 bucks mounted and balanced.

 

I was finding bullets and very small pieces of metal also a single strand of very fine copper wire from graded wire about 2 cm long, most of this stuff was shallow. Ive been thinking i have to be missing something, but my 3 grain and spongy 149 grain test nuggets provided a great signal. finally very close two a small desert shrub i hit another signal, it sounded like the other signals, but the location next to the bush was more hopeful for me and when i removed the first inch or two my signal stayed in the same spot. I could be off but I was pretty cautious and dig my holes wide, id guess this was at 5 to 6 inches deep and a strong signal. Finally my first piece not much at .56 gram fully cleaned, but a start and much better than lead. i worked that area very hard with no more luck and drove back to Lovelock for the night.

 

next day i headed back for another session with renewed hope, finding a little nugget gave me a little confidence the detector was really working. just as I was nearing the first place i wanted to check out my left rear tire found a sharp little piece of bedrock. I was only going 10 mph or so, to no avail another flat... at least my crappy donut spare tire is now filled with air. 

 

so, i spent another couple hours as long as i was there, but did not have the liberty to do any scouting around at different spots as the only reasonable route at this point is one that takes me back to pavement.

[1515Art]

BTW my settings were fairly basic, high yield, difficult, sens 10, volume 12, low smoothing, thresh 27

[Lunk]

WTG Art! Reminds me of my first foray into the Nevada outback...plenty of trips to see "Two Pound" Dick Bailey at the Burns Brothers tire repair shop...oh the memories!

[beatup]

From your photos it looked like it was quite the trip,congrats to you.

[vanursepaul]

Slap a boot in that tire and you will be good to go!!!! lolol

[LuckyLundy]

Art,

Many of us have had the same luck as you. Them rocks are sharp and act as the guardian of the nuggets! Glad you GPZ showed them who is the boss. Until the next hunt

Rick

[WesH]

  To bad about the flat tires, have had it happen to me also.  I never go there without at least two spares and at least 6 ply tires, preferably 8 ply.

 

Wes.