Steve Didn't Get It All In Reno Parks!

[mn90403]

I'm on another trip to Northern Nevada.  This time I had a change in plans and came a day early for a meeting and to hear Chris Ralph speak at the Comstock Gold Prospectors Club.  I had a chance to detect a local park.  I found a few coins and a half ounce, 10K gold ring that fits me.  Those are the facts.  How I got here is the rest of the story as Paul Harvey use to say.

 

 

 

The rest of the story begins yesterday about 2:30 AM I left Santa Monica for northern California and some claims I've been on several times.  I really haven't found a lot of gold there but I know others tha have so I was on my way.  This was not one of my focused trips as it turns out.  I knew I was going to a meeting in Reno on Tuesday night but I had already delayed my departure by a day.  My hotel room was booked and I was going to stay a night in the 4Runner.

When I was going through Sacramento my GPS was going haywire and I couldn't tell the route that saved the most time so I went up to Auburn and got on the 49.  Anyone will tell you that is a long and winding route to Sierra City.  Many will not go that way if pulling a trailer or have a high camper.  My 4Runner has a peculiar problem with the front stability sensors.  I've not been able to determine what makes one or the other of the wheels 'grab' in the turns sometimes but it does.  This trip was very bad for that problem.  It made me constantly aware on the turns and made driving difficult.

That I can take.  I've done it before but this time they were working on the road.  I got to a point where there was a stoppage for about half an hour.  When I finally got to the claim I wanted to detect it was after noon.  I was beat but I wanted to follow the plan.  I detected for a couple of hours in one spot and then a couple of hours in another spot and my mind said I'm done.  Only trash to find.  

While I was detecting in the perfect weather I noticed a Cal Fire truck had gone past me a couple of times.  On my way out of the forest I noticed a logging crew had left with plenty of daylight left.  Off in the distance I could see something like a cloud over the mountains.  After looking at it a bit I determined it was probably a fire and over 20 miles downwind from me but it got me thinking.  Did I really want to spend the night in the forest?  No.

I drove to Graeagle and added a night to my hotel stay and headed off the 60 miles to Reno/Sparks.  On the way there was another 25 minute delay for road work on Hwy 70.  I had never been this was to Reno before but it could be a good way if you are pulling a trailer.  I think Fred goes this way off of the 395.  

The day is getting long and tiring after 500 plus miles and I finally make it to the Motel 6.  I choose this so I can walk my stuff into the room and charge it and other things.  They assured me I was on the ground floor and then they said it is down the walkway!  What?  I want to park in front of my door.  Well, I couldn't.  I almost went back to the desk to cancel but I found a parking place in one of those 'questionable Motel 6's' but I was here.

The room was ok but the heater doesn't have a working fan.  I went to find a Safeway and it is 9 miles away.  I'm fairly irritated ...  I get in the room, eat, watch until I fall asleep.  I sleep and sleep until 9AM.  I sleep a bit more and hang around the room.  Where to go and what to do?  Nothing grabbed me.  It was just time to recharge my batteries.

So now I determine I'll visit a park.  Which one?  I had looked at some parks last night and had ideas so I put one in the phone and headed out about 1PM feeling a bit like I had wasted a day.  The park was close but the streets are confusing.  I passed by a sign ... Fisherman's Park ... that wasn't where I was going.  I had given thought to detecting the river and remembered some stories of a big flood in Reno many years ago that threw everything into the Truckee River.  I tried to turn around but everything is near the freeways and no turns.  I could have just gone on to my park on my phone but I was 'pulled back' to the river park.  After several turnarounds I made it back.

As soon as I got there I could see all the tents.  This park and part of the river is loaded with what we would call the 'homeless' but in fact this is their home.  There were many fires burning and shopping carts are everywhere.  Their camps follow the river bottom.  I guess this time of year the chance for a flood is small.  Above some of these tents was a bike path and on one side of the bike path was a grassy area and then a slope with some trees and a fence.  I went back to my car and got the detector and headed for that slope.  It had little grass and I thought I'd get a feel for the ground.  If I had to go on to the next park I would.

My first target was the little lock.  It was a scratchy sound but in the 18-20 range.  (I just realized as I'm writing this I used Beach 1 with the 11 inch coil for the full hour!)  I moved up to the tree line and saw a sunbaker quarter.  Around it was a bit of a spill and I kept working this area for several minutes using the pointer for very shallow coins.  Nothing was coming up wheat or silver.  It was all too new.  After a bit of time I moved down closer to the river but was unwilling to work the area because a tent guy and his little black dog were near.  I'd been there about an hour and it was time to go.

On my way out I thought I would hit the grassy area.  I got a couple of tops and caps that were just under the grass but not deep.  Then I got another penny sound (19-20) but it didn't look too deep.  I had been skipping some of these like I do at the beach in favor of finding and digging higher numbers but this one was a digger.  I used the pointer to find it and the knife to lift it a bit and then I saw it was round like a penny but had a hole.   No way ... a RING!  It had some weight but I had my gloves on and couldn't tell.  I rubbed the front and it took some of the dark dirt off of it and looked golden.  I couldn't believe it.

I looked at the sides and it was tarnished.  No way could it be gold and then I saw some bluegreen color.  It must be copper I said to myself.  That is why it has the penny sound.  I didn't have my glasses with me they were a few hundred yards away in the car.  I headed back to get them and I said let me take the pictures.  I did that and then went back to the car.

When I got there I did some rubbing and couldn't see any marks in the usual places.  The tarnish was also not coming off so I said ... no gold.  But then I spotted a mark.  It says 10K!  What a reward for a long trip.

It reminds me of a 10K Masonic ring I found in Tonopah but that is another story ...

 

[vanursepaul]

Looks like River Park Campground area where I stayed for a couple of years....

We had one of the homeless guys try to rob my neighbor, i was in my camper and I heard a gunshot--- i grabbed my pistol and came out just in time to see two goons walking fast away from near the walkway.....my buddy George was standing there cool as a cucumber, talking to the police on his cell phone.

I went over and there was a guy laying on the ground moaning and groaning.. i did a quick check for weapons as i saw George give me the thumbs up... i kicked a 16 inch bowie knife (Harbor Freight) away from the guy and asked George what happened... he said the guy swiped him with the knife while he was bent over picking up some poop from his dog. Cut his arm a little,,,, George pulled out his J Frame S&W and had a laser on the guys forehead when he told him not to come back at him..... well he did, and George dropped the laser to his chest and fired.... thats what i had heard.

The guy wasnt blowing bloody foam and looked to me like he was doing way better than he should be,

but that's what happens when you bring a knife to a gunfight....

I loved that area on the Truckee but that element really made it difficult for families and such to use the park.

Steve H. even came over there and gave me some pointers one day and that was fun....

it was kinda funny because i was used to staying away from someone while we hunted---

you know... not get right on top of them.....

till I saw Steve motioning  me over ....and in his quiet manner said, "You know Paul, the reason I came over here was to give you a few pointers and maybe teach you a couple of tricks"... I cracked up because I was trying to uses some etiquette.... we had a good time..

 

Good ring Michel

[Jim McCulloch]

Mitchell, Jeanie had given me the ok to go with you to Reno, while she flew to the Alabama house, but my mother went into the hospital, so I didn't call you. Considering the ordeals you bravely faced, I admit I am kinda glad I didn't go. HH Jim

[mn90403]

Paul,

Your story reminds me of a sound I heard near my head near the end of my detecting.  I could have sworn it was a wiz-by even with my headphones on.  It made me look around everywhere to see if someone had taken a shot in my direction at a distance because I didn't hear a shot.

Mitchel

[vanursepaul]

I wouldnt doubt it... thats why i dont like headphones....lolol

 

[Gerry in Idaho]

Holy Toyotas and tornadoes...Your luck is a mixed bag.  Yes a 10K gold ring will fade like your did, as it has other alloys that make it harder and last longer. 

Funny thing about your Toyota,  my dad's Sequoia does the same thing and scares the crap out of him on occasion. 

Well glad there was a little gold in the story and hopefully a safe trip home. 

[mn90403]

Well, I'm back from the meeting and Chris showed a lot of pictures I had never seen.  He had some of a red tractor pushing dirt in Rye Patch!  There were others also but I'm going to a Yuba River claim tomorrow.

At the meeting someone told me that the ring has a palm tree on it.  You can see it in my picture but it is upside down.  haha

Now I know.

[mn90403]

15 minutes ago, phrunt said:

holy cows, makes my adventures seem placid, I did slide a bit on some loose gravel and could of fallen over while detecting today.  It's a risky game.  Good going on the ring and thanks for taking us along for the ride with the story and pictures.

There is always 'more to it' than just finding a nice ring.  haha  Most of the time I don't tell it.

[Dig It]

Nice Mitchel, would that red tractor be the 1 sitting out front of my trailer here at Gold Diggers @ Rye Patch ??

 

[Gerry in Idaho]

9 hours ago, mn90403 said:

Well, I'm back from the meeting and Chris showed a lot of pictures I had never seen.  He had some of a red tractor pushing dirt in Rye Patch!  There were others also but I'm going to a Yuba River claim tomorrow.

At the meeting someone told me that the ring has a palm tree on it.  You can see it in my picture but it is upside down.  haha

Now I know.

The antique red dozer was pushing at Rye Patch years back and getting plenty good gold.   I can't remember what issue,  but it was on the front cover of ICMJ magazine.  Those guys doing it would work a few days,  grab the gravy gold and then head back home to their regular jobs and family.   As soon as they left the locals would show up and clean up the smaller ones with VLFs.  It was a win win for everyone and kept the locals happy.  Oh well... nothing wrong with sharing a little gold.   On a side note,  a couple of those guys will be down at Rye Patch swinging next week. 

Glad you were able to learn some history of RP and had a safe trip home.