It's A Nugget!

[mn90403]

Last night I wanted to go out and see the Comet so I needed to go to a dark sky.  I know a couple of very dark sky places where I have hunted nuggets in the past.  I had checked the weather and it said it was going to be 106 for a high and still at 100 at sunset but it was a pleasant 88 when I got there.

I left the coast at 4 PM and the trip was just awful with traffic.  It took 4.5 hours for a 3 hour trip.  I got to the viewing area at a good time and couldn't see anything because the sky was still too bright because the sun had just set.  Before I could get my boots on a couple of the red ants had already stung me.  While I was waiting I started to detect.  I was getting some little bbs and some trash so I was in an area that had not been completely worked.  Meanwhile the sky is getting dark and then I see a faint glimpse of the Comet.  I tried to take some pictures but I don't have those skills so I'll show a sunset picture.

I could see the Comet well with the unaided eye but it is not possible to see details.  It has quite a long tail against the dark sky.  I was detecting with a light and checking back against the sky until it became too difficult for my eyes to adjust from lighted ground to sky.  I concentrated on my detecting as the Big Dipper rotated and the Comet got too close to the horizon.  At midnight I had no nugget and I wanted to make a short move.

As you can see the moon is a sliver and it set so the desert is a very dark place.  I think I would be there until sunrise if I didn't use the GPS on 7000.  The car gets lost after a 100 plus yards or so.  

I had two detectors with me but I was determined to use the 15x10 Xcoil and find its first nugget.  About an hour at the new location and several hot rocks later I got an almost 'ghost sound' and decided to scrape.  The signal got better and it wasn't surface trash but I had dug hot rocks this deep already.  When I got down 6-7 inches the target was out.  I knew it wasn't big but I could see a little hot rock and I captured it with the magnet.  I waved over the spot and the response was still there.  Could it really be an end to the skunk?

The last time I detected for gold was April 3.  I had been out 3 other times this year with no result.  I had dug bullet pieces tonight that I was 'wishing' were golden in color but all were dull gray.  I separated the scoop material and heard a little thunk and saw a glimmer of gold.  It was time to relax.  This was a .4g nugget.  I've found larger nuggets, smaller nuggets and more nuggets than this night but I had accomplished my goal.  I had seen the Comet and gotten a nugget.  

It was time to get back safely and not fall asleep on the 3 hour drive.  I got back at 5 AM before the traffic this time.

Mitchel

[phoenix]

Good photos Mitchel.  I love the look of the country you get to detect in over there.     I read about that comet but we don`t get to see this one in the southern hemisphere 😞 and well done getting a bit of gold.