Weekend Trip

[AU_Solitude]

I finally was able to break away from the daily grind and get out for an overnight detecting trip with my brother this last weekend. I have had my eye on a certain spot for the last year or so, the opportunity to detect it has never really presented itself, work and other priorities have a habit of getting in the way. 

The hike in was very pleasant with the temperature never breaking sixty degrees. Perfect weather for lugging around a forty pound bag. The views of the canyon during our descent, combined with the scent of blooming Deer-brush and Snow-Drop bushes that filled the air were euphoric. Navigating off trail along old mining ditches is always an adventure; at times, these ditches almost seem to be better established pathways than most trails, until they aren't and you're faced with a blockade of blackberry and the wonderful poison oak. I have an Estwing machete that is usually pretty useful in clearing pathways, I employed this, along with gloved hands, and managed to force a pathway for the next quarter mile to our destination. We set up camp right in the middle of some monolithic tailings where the old timers had hydraulic'ed massive swaths of the hillsides away for almost an additional quarter of a mile at the same elevation. 

After setting up camp, it was getting close to about six-o-clock. My brother and I decided to get some time in detecting the area immediately surrounding us before nightfall. My brother was using a Minelab VLF and I was using the SDC, at times we would check each others targets, his Iron-ID being useful to me, and the mineralization immunity of my SDC useful to him on the hot rocks or spots of bedrock. It was quickly clear that nobody had detected here, or if they had, they hadn't done a very good job. We were pulling piles of square nails, bits of wire, and lead out of the ground, unfortunately, not a spec of gold. Time has a way of escaping you when you have coil over soil, and before we knew it, darkness was closing in and we retreated to our camp for the night.

Rarely do you sleep as well in remote areas as you do in the comfort of your own bed, that said I have had many a decent night's sleep in the wild, this however was not among them. The mosquitoes at this location were absolutely relentless. We were wearing 100% DEET repellent, we continuously stoked the campfire, and I even went as far as to dawn a "no-see-um" mosquito head-net, all to no avail. These mosquitoes were small in stature, but what they lacked in size, they made up for in numbers and aggressiveness. Once the mercury dropped below about fourty five degrees, we finally had some relief as the mosquitoes seemed to vanish, this was about one in the morning and I finally was able to nod off for a few moments. My rest was short lived, about three in the morning both my brother and I awoke to the sound of a bear mauling a nearby tree for grubs I assume, I made some noise to try and get some reprieve from his racket but he continued to do his thing. Sleeping in a mummy bag out in the open is a little unnerving when you know such a powerful creature is close by, I felt like a bear burrito, I think I may have managed an hour or two more of sleep before the sun broke the horizon.

I would have liked to have said that we were able to detect more that morning, that we found ounces upon ounces of gold, unfortunately we had a long hike out as well as a lengthy drive home and we were both physically and mentally drained, after detecting for about forty-five more minutes, we both decided it was in our best interest to begin the 3,000 ft ascent back up the canyon. We didn't get any gold there this trip, I do know it's waiting for us from sampling in the past and we will be back, a little better prepared. 

 

 

[Nevada Brian]

Your quite the pioneer!  I enjoyed reading your story, too bad you didn't find any gold.  Once I made the mistake of hiking the Green Valley Trail out of Foresthill, and that was just a little bit over 2000 vertical feet and that kicked my butt.  One of these trips will pay off big for you.  Keep exploring :)

[1515Art]

Great story and sounds like a fun adventure even without any yellow, it so good just to get out in the open. I was out last week and the only way to describe the mosquitos is they are life and death desperate to eat. I was decked out like you and to not much avail the deet kept them from drinking my blood but it didn't keep them away.

[Roughwater]

5 hours ago, AU_Solitude said:

The mosquitoes at this location were absolutely relentless. We were wearing 100% DEET repellent, we continuously stoked the campfire, and I even went as far as to dawn a "no-see-um" mosquito head-net, all to no avail.

Before the next trip purchase a couple ThermaCell's, 1 for you and 1 for your partner unless you don't like your partner .  They are the only thing I have found to work almost a 100% at keeping mosquito's away. They are amazing!  Walmart or most sporting goods stores sell them.  

Terry

 

[AU_Solitude]

1 hour ago, Roughwater said:

Before the next trip purchase a couple ThermaCell's, 1 for you and 1 for your partner unless you don't like your partner .  They are the only thing I have found to work almost a 100% at keeping mosquito's away. They are amazing!  Walmart or most sporting goods stores sell them.  

Terry

 

Never even heard of this, I just found them on Amazon but there is little info in the description, how do they work?

[deathray]

Awesome.Sounds like me..I dont always find gold or relics, but do always seem to find adventure!  Will take bears over marauding skeeters anyday!

[Au4Gold2]

Great adventure and enjoyed reading your story....

 

[tvanwho]

So how do you tell at night what is making scary noises- bigfoot, bears, wolves, the boogey man ? That was quite the adventure.

 

[Roughwater]

4 hours ago, AU_Solitude said:

Never even heard of this, I just found them on Amazon but there is little info in the description, how do they work?

 

They are a odd sort of device almost like a large handwarmer.  You put the butane cartridge in the ThermaCell and these little perfumed paper mats also come with the kit and you slip one in front of a little window opening in the cell.  When you turn it in it lights up and blows hot air through the little mat. You attach the cell to your cloths.  After it's going a few minutes it forms this bubble of protection around you. You will see and hear a mosquito come near you now and then or fly by but for the most part they are gone!  Hunters buy them a lot around here.  I have tried the deet etc too with little to no effect but these things really work.  They aren't a bad hand warmer either. Be sure to buy the KIt as it comes with everything you need to get started.  There are different flavors of scented mats that you can by but I like the unscented ones myself the best. 

Terry

[beav_can]

I wonder what toxicity effects they have on us? i.e. do they kill you quicker than deet?

Beav