Rye Patch Nevada - Dreams, Adventure, Failure & A Little Gold. - Long Read

[Gerry in Idaho]

Rye Patch, Nevada.  It’s the place so many prospectors dream about the chevron golden riches and yet so few actually succeed.  The openness of the RP desolate dry desert has it’s own natural beauty with some amazing features when you pay attention.   Yet at the same time the exact site poses the most unexpected of weathers, frustrations and or failures.  In reality, Rye Patch area is a love/hate relationship for many.

My Field Staff and I recently returned from our 1^st of three Rye Patch Nevada Field Training/Camping Adventures.  The 3 day weekend (Friday – Sunday) was surrounded by like minded folks who want to learn their gold detectors and how to be most proficient.  Class size was subject by the amount of Staff I had present and we had to keep 3 eager students per Field Expert.

Here’s a run down of how our 3 days unfolded and the knowledge shared/gained by all attending.

Getting to RP is actually quite easy (if you are prepared for the unexpected) and one of the main reasons I prefer to train there is location.  It’s kind of centrally located for the most of folks attending as many of the customers are coming from CA, OR, NV, ID and WA all though I have had customers from all over the world.  Sacramento, CA and surrounding cities are an easy half day drive.  Las Vegas, NV and Eugene, OR are both about 8 hrs.  Salt Lake City is approx. 6 hrs and my home of Boise, ID is jus under 6 hrs drive as well.  So many people from larger metro areas of surrounds states can all do RP in a day.  We always have the few exceptions of distance folks and for this trip was Loren from Gig Harbor, WA., Steve from Zortman, MT., Mike/Sally and Maria from Colorado.  The latter travelers had 11 hrs drive to the RP oasis.

If you are prepared?  This is part of the complete Northern Nevada eco system that makes it so adventurous in good/bad ways.  In my 25 yrs of pointing folks to RP and Northern NV., I try to help get them prepared before they leave their home and start the trek to my stomping grounds.  I have detailed directions, list of things needed and what to prepare for and or expect.  It seems a good part of the class listen wisely and take proper protocol and then there are the few who enjoy winging it.  Yes the thrill of “spare of the moment, off the cuff, just go do it”, is kind of exciting in a way, but at the same time could be a relationship nightmare.  Actually the latter is very true as I’ve witnessed a few spats or a dozen in my times.  I’m assuming part of the party was shared my notes of knowledge and then part of the family was not?

Hazards of RP- Holy flat tires.  Yes some folks will get one, a few maybe 2 and on a rare occasion you become the tire changing king.  Just ask Steve who drove from MT.  I passed him along the main road below camp coming in that Thursday evening.  I could see a rig attached to a camp trailer pulled off the side and figured it was another of my students.  Sure enough, as I inch up closer (don’t want to cover him with desert dust – fine tan power that ends up in every crack and crevice of our truck, campers, electronics, and even orifice of the body) I can see a flat tire on the trailer.  I introduce myself while checking the scene and after affirming my hunch of it being one of my students. I calmly ask if he took heed of my tips for the trip notes. In it is, “please carry 2 spares, a jack and know how to change a tire”.  Yes, Steve said and then went on to inform me that was flat #4.  That’s right folks, Steve was changing the 4^th flat tire and he had not even reached the class site yet.  To be fair, he was only 2 miles away though.  Yes, Steve is a Tire Flat Fixing King.  His wife who was sitting in the passenger seat of the truck, I can only imagine….what a fun and exciting trip this is.. Hats off to Ma’am.

The hazards of RP vary as much as the temps from day to night with occasional bigger swing than most realize.  We started off Friday morning around calm 40 degrees and sunny.  Heck one of the students was in shorts already.  The noon break showed the high desert sun was more than a few expected as we were slapping the sun screen on cheek bones, legs, arms and nose tips.  By that afternoon the temps reached 80 degrees and a cool water was a must.  Come Saturday morning and we had a change of heart and 27 degrees with 20 to 25 mph winds and gusts of 35.  No bear skin that day and all desire of a cool drink were denied while we looked for hats, scarfs, gloves and warm coffee.  I realized 3 rigs had those fancy tents that come off the back of your trucks and all were near by that 1^st Friday night and Saturday morning.  But on Saturday evening not a one of them was near?  Probably pretty wise, as the 19 degree morning on Sunday was a tough one for us.  Snot rags, chapped lips and chattering teeth was the norm Sunday morning and all I can say is we were lucky the winds were not around to make it even worse.  Around noon things turned to decent and the folks started to enjoy themselves in the NV desert again.  We have no control over the weather so when I pick dates many months in advance and customers sign up to lock in those dates, we just have to go with the flow.

Now for some smiles, a little gold and the fun.  Of the 12 folks who were hanging around the class and learning what my Staff/I had to offer, all but 3 went home with a Rye Patch nugget (piece of gold).  Yea I realize some of them were little picker nuggets, but to go home with gold is much better than going home with no gold.  I make sure everyone realizes the purpose of the class is education and to not expect gold.  If it happens, then you are doing things right and it goes to show you paid attention.  The big winners of the weekend were the girls who attended the class. 3 ladies and all 3 dug gold.  Sally was the Big Nugget Winner with a stunning 8.6 gram slug of gold.

   

Her GPZ-7000 had no issues smacking that one about 10” down. 

 

We tested the GPX-6000’s and they screamed “Golden Glory” at the top of their lungs as well.  On a side note, this is the biggest nugget to be unearthed during a training session in at least 5 yrs. 

Well done Sally and I heard the 2 of you ended up with over a dozen by the time your trip was over.

 

Local lady Diane (below) from Winnemucca was on her A game over the weekend and her 3 nuggets proved she had the proper coil control down.  

Diane saved the best for last and the nicer nugget of about 1.5 gram. 

The last day Maria (below) from CO was able to pull a decent nugget at depth nearing 10”. 

Funny thing was the GPZ-7000’s had issues with this nugget and gave a goofy wishy washy response while the 6000 was smooth a s butter clear and clean.  The lone GPX-5000 had not chance on the target until we were much deeper in the dig.  No VLF machines could hear it as expected.

Some of the other students with their 1^st gold of the trip, a couple 1^st gold ever and so they were all smiles.  I too was able to pop my cherry for 1^st gold of 2022 and of course as expected it came from Rye Patch.

Steve (above) from MT was able to ease the pain of his pocket from 4 flats after he scored this chunky nugget.

Andrew (above) from CA is proud of his GPZ-7000 nugget.  I know more will be coming his way.

Boyd (above) from Oregon was quite relieved when on Sunday morning he popped the GPX-6000 cherry.

 

Loren (below) from WA hits a nice triangle piece at RP with his 6000.

 

Randy (above) is proud to show off his 2 ounces of NV gold he uncovered with is GPX-6000 in less than a yr.  He came to my class last Fall and has been scooping gold ever since.  Another ounce (probably only take him a few more weeks) and he'll have his GPX-6000 paid for.

 

Spencer (below) thinks the buggy can go anywhere.  That mud hole is the only thing left of Rye Patch Reservoir which happens to be the lowest I've ever seen in my 25 yrs.

.

 

Sorry I did not get pics of George from Idaho and his gold with his GPX-6000 as I know he found at least 3.

The overall results were as expected.  The GPX-6000’s found the most pieces of gold.  A couple of the small nuggets at depth, the GPZ-7000 did not hear at all.  The old school and proven many years over GPX-5000 did not score gold, but was able to pop a strong signal at depth over the 8.6 gram slug Sally found.  The lone VLF had issues with the moisture and many times we could not get an exact ground balance on it.  Plus, it was running the larger 11” round coil when in fact I would have preferred the operator to use a smaller 6” coil to up his odds.  Moral of the story on the detectors for Rye Patch is not going to be the same for other areas in NV or even for sites the customers themselves may be detecting in their states as each site varies.  But as I new would happen for RP, is the GPX-6000 is the bread winner and will continue to be the nugget collector of machines for the near future.  Yes the GPZ-7000 can still find gold at RP for those are on their A game and know the area, but when comparing signal after signal and target after target, the GPX-6000 walks away quite easily.  A prime example of this is Mike/Sally from CO.  They own both and swing both each day trading off machine the next.  Mike’s comment to me was the GPX-6000 scores 4 or 5 nuggets to 1 on the GPZ-7000.

Happy Hunting folks and we look forward to another eventful and fun filled session coming up in June.

[Gold Catcher]

21 minutes ago, Gerry in Idaho said:

Happy Hunting folks and we look forward to another eventful and fun filled session coming up in June.

Awesome write up, Gerry. Always inspiring! I agree with your comments about the 6k being the RP king, but to be fair it all depends on how you are using the 7000 and on how experienced you are with this machine. An expert 7000 user who knows all the settings inside out will be equally successful at RP IMO, especially with the NF Zsearch coil, unless in wet saturated conditions where the 6k/14DD will steel the show. 

GC

[abenson]

Nice write up Gerry. I was hunting not too far from you that same weekend. Good to see most people in your class was able to pull gold.

[Gerry in Idaho]

3 hours ago, Gold Catcher said:

Awesome write up, Gerry. Always inspiring! I agree with your comments about the 6k being the RP king, but to be fair it all depends on how you are using the 7000 and on how experienced you are with this machine. An expert 7000 user who knows all the settings inside out will be equally successful at RP IMO, especially with the NF Zsearch coil, unless in wet saturated conditions where the 6k/14DD will steel the show. 

GC

Gold Catcher,  I have yet to get one of the aftermarket coil for the GPZ-7000 as I don't like the idea of voiding my warranty.  As for factory shipped vs factory shipped it not close at all.  Now I would like to do a comparison for a day on undug targets just to know for a fact.  I'll never go back to the GPZ-7000 though at RP as the GPX-6000 is just heaps lighter and easier to swing and handle.  In the few areas I need the extra depth of the GPZ-7000 for really big gold, I'm certain the stock coils with it are most ideal.  If you happen to be around Rp this coming June, maybe we hook up for a day and compare some nuggets.

On a side note, I see the long thread of GPX-6000 issues and you folks know I've posted on that thread before, but I would like to say that of the 7 GPX-6000's I listened to were all good operation with no issues.

[Gold Catcher]

1 hour ago, Gerry in Idaho said:

If you happen to be around Rp this coming June, maybe we hook up for a day and compare some nuggets.

Looking forward to it, Gerry. The 6k is my every day detector and the best overall product, all things considered, that ML has ever made (IMHO). My 7000 is long out of warranty but since the NF Zsearch is a ML endorsed coil I speculate ML would still honor the detector warranty, even if I still had one. Interesting question though. I suppose the same will be true for the 6000 when the Coiltek and NF coils come out. Because they will be ML approved ML should still cover the detector warranties, even though you would then be using after market coils. The NF Zsearch is a huge upgrade for the 7000, I am in Rob's camp in this regard. Well, for that price it better be. 😉

Best,

GC

[Lunk]

Great blow-by-blow account of the weekend, amigo; good times as always!

[GB_Amateur]

17 hours ago, Gerry in Idaho said:

That mud hole is the only thing left of Rye Patch Reservoir which happens to be the lowest I've ever seen in my 25 yrs.

Excellent report, Gerry.  Was anyone detecting in the currently dry reservoir bed or is that off-limits?  (I assume your class was at the burn-barrel, as usual.)

[Gerry in Idaho]

29 minutes ago, GB_Amateur said:

Excellent report, Gerry.  Was anyone detecting in the currently dry reservoir bed or is that off-limits?  (I assume your class was at the burn-barrel, as usual.)

I've never detected that low but I did notice in a few areas quite a bit of heavier rock material which would be great for catching nuggets.  We did the burn barrel again.

[Swegin]

Congrats on a successful training session.  The gold is nice but I really like the Beast Mode Camper.

 

 

[beatup]

well done everyone