Some Unique Desert Nugget Distribution

[Condor]

Another forum member and I decided to explore some new ground about 80 miles from home in Sunny Yuma.  We were working off some of the old USGS pubs for ideas on new areas or at least new areas to us.  We set off yesterday exploring offroad in the RZR for these extinct placer works.  The first 2 locations really did not look like gold producing areas and we couldn't find any evidence of old workings.  Abandoning that area we just started driving some of the old tracks looking for evidence of placer works.  By early afternoon we had about decided to give up when I spotted a new, bright yellow claim sign down the end of a wash.  We drove down there to see what was the ground looked like.  A quick hike revealed the claim owners were drywashing a small gully to bedrock fairly recently.  We decided to take an adjacent wash and see if we could find similar looking ground.  We drove to the end of the wash and although it was getting late in the day we set off to explore the zone about 1/2 mile from the other claim.  There was no sign of placer works in a series of desert washes with shallow bedrock.  About 30 minutes in, I get a decent target sound and started digging.  My friend ended up in the same gully and came up as I was digging.  We got to bedrock and using a pinpointer found a small nugget.  He went on while I finished up.  I swept the hole one last time and got another tone.  To make a long story tolerable, I found 4 nuggets in the same hole.  I got another couple tiny nuggets on the way back to the RZR, he got 1.  

We hit it again today trying to expand on our search.  I found a decent nugget right off, then nothing for the next hour.  We met up to compare notes, he had found 1 as well.  We split up again and not 50 yds away I got a good tone right next to a bedrock dropoff.  I dug for close to 45 minutes pulling 8 small nuggets out of the same hole.  I found nothing else the rest of the day.  He found a spot that produced 3 nuggets in the same hole and a spot that produced 2 nuggets in the same hole.  It's not unheard of that certain conditions concentrate the nuggets in a favorable spot.  But, the rest of the wash was apparently barren.  I supposed if we dug through the overburden there might be more small nuggets on bedrock, but that's like working.  

We were in essence "blue sky" detecting, not having any specific knowledge about the area.  Here in Yuma you can't find a desert wash that hasn't been drywashed, so you have a clue that gold has been found before.  Out there, there were no clues to previous gold finds or what might be gold producing areas.  So we were lucky, or as Louis Pasteur said "Luck favors the prepared mind".  Hard work and persistence paid off this time.  

It's the possibilities that keep us going, not the probabilities.  

I'm not computer literate enough to fix these angles, Steve H will step in at some point and make them more viewable.  2.38grams is yesterdays single hole.  2.78 is yesterdays total.  2.52 is todays from a single hole.  1.10 is the lonesome nugget I found this morning.   The scoop in the hole shows the glory hole of 8 nuggets.  The other photos are both our nuggets from today on the tailgate of my truck.  I don't have a weight on his nuggets.  

[Lunk]

I believe Jim Straight called that style of detector prospecting, “hit and miss”. Good shooting, guys.

[Mike C...]

Good job on the gold buttttttt to close to what use to be a border for me-if you know what I mean-Stay safe 

[LuckyLundy]

Now your Prospecting!  WTG

Rick

[Cascade Steven]

Good job and congratulations!😀  Thanks for sharing.

[Valens Legacy]

Good looking gold no matter how small or large it is, it took time, research, and skill to get it.

Way to go for sure, and keep up the good work.

[mn90403]

Good go Steve.  I wonder if the Yank will make it out there with you.

[beatup]

well done steve it seems when you and dmitry are out detecting good things happen

[Condor]

8 hours ago, mn90403 said:

Good go Steve.  I wonder if the Yank will make it out there with you.

He said he might come through here, we'll leave a light on for him.  

[Joe D.]

    Reading about all you nugget hunter's exploits has infected me!! I got this from UPS two days ago, and have no memory of ordering it, or use for it here in S. Florida! Look familiar!! I guess it will become my mini beach scoop!!🤣👍👍