Ice Nuggets

[tboykin]

I took a quick day trip to an old hydraulic mine since the itch needed scratching. It was 22f (-5c) when I put my backpack on and started up the gut. Definitely a long Johns and layers day!

First signal was a little .8g nugget about 5 inches down. I was focusing on little islands of red dirt the old timers missed. This nugget was sitting right on bedrock.

The steep ground was frozen solid so it made climbing very hazardous. I had to cut steps into the hillside to make progress in some areas. And when it got above freezing in the afternoon the ice turned to slick mud. I ended up on my ass several times which I’m sure the animals enjoyed.

Second nugget was shallow and encased in a sheet of frozen red dirt! I had to use my pick to break it into pieces to find the nugget like a piece of conglomerate. First time finding an ice nugget! This one was smaller and rougher.

Found with the GPX6000 in Josephine County, Oregon.

[wltdwiz]

brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr good job

[delnorter]

Good job finding those nuggets on a cold morning. Pine and manzanita I see. I like that type of country. I’m just across the border from there in Del Norte County. With beautiful, clear weather lately, there’s a pretty hard frost in the mornings.
 

I did a little panning in the Smith River a few days ago. This was painful, not a good idea. The cold water was too much on my hands and I had to give it up after a couple hours. Just sampling around a new gravel bar so no loss and a little more knowledge.

Mike

[beatup]

good on you

[rvpopeye]

Digging nuggets outta the ice , and they're lookin' very nice!

I have ice nuggets here too , but mine are white all the way through..

I have so many , but diamonds they're not.

I also have them under my nose , butt they're frozen snot !

(sorry about the lame rhyming thing , songwriter's curse....can't control it sometimes)?

 

 

[green]

gr, grains or grams?

[Lanny]

Icy gold is the best--requires true dedication and extra skill.

Nicely done, and all the best,

Lanny

[tboykin]

17 minutes ago, green said:

gr, grains or grams?

Edited to fix, sorry! .8g (grams)

I didn't weight the other one since I gave it to my buddy before I got home.

[Valens Legacy]

Very nice finds on such a cold day, stay safe and have a great hunt again when it warms up.

[Gerry in Idaho]

Very nice gold to start the new year Tom.  Good to see you out there enjoying our freedoms and finding a few nuggets with the GPX-6000. 

BTW, did you ever own a GPZ-7000 and if so, what do you miss about the 7?  

I've owned both and the only thing I miss about the 7 is the extra money I made when I sold one.  GPX-6000 is a dream gold gettin machine.

Nice pics and thanks for sharing.