Record Snows In The Many USA Nw States = Gold?

[Gerry in Idaho]

While I have been down south of the border scooping a different kind of gold, I was reading some of the reports of all the records of Snow coming down.

Some of the videos and pictures is just amazing and seeing how folks cope with and live through it.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/graphics/2023/03/15/california-snowfall-record/11435377002/

 

Then, I got to thinking about when all that snow melts and those creeks in gold bearing areas will be at levels most have never seen.  Then to go a step further, some of the rivers should just be roaring with life and movement.  Heck I already heard a few washings in AZ that typically don't see much movement, were actually exposing some new layers and a few nuggets were being recovered.

I know for a fact what a good gully washer can do in desert regions, as I witnessed such event at Rye Patch, NV one early Spring (April 2015) while I was getting ready for a 3 Day Field Training for customers.  When driving in, I noticed the roads below were really torn up and a couple washes with deep cuts and ruts.  When I got south of the burn barrel, there was one section of exposed bedrock.  I figured there had to be a few pickers in there and as soon as folks started swinging, sure enough.

Pics are of a lucky lady and her 1st score with a GB-2.  After she swung over it, she looked down and there it was stuck in a crack, finally exposed after thousands of years. 

Later in the class she was able to score another chunkier nugget with some nice character.

 

Do you think the record snows and rains will be a big benefit to for gold hunters or just a few?  How many of you folks do sluicing, crevicing and other gold recovery methods?  I would expect later this season to be fantastic for most who are traditional Prospectors of gold.  I really don't know as my only means of gold recover has been with a detector.

Yes I'll try to get some pics of a few Au rings I recovered down south...just trying to get caught up with customers 1st.

 

[phrunt]

I'm terribly jealous of your big snow dumps, hopefully we get record snow dumps here over the coming winter too.  Every winter has been getting worse lately so it'd be nice to get a good snow year.

I can imagine it's going to turn a lot of flogged ground into good ground again once the floods wash layers away.

[jasong]

Here's a link to .kmz map of snow depth/cover on Google Earth for those wondering where the snow is melting off or not yet in your areas of interest. 

It doesn't show local smaller show drifts, snow filled washes, small snow patches, etc. It's mostly bigger fields of snow. But still, you can get a rough idea and potentially save a trip to someplace covered with many feet of snow still.

This winter was crazy. I just read an Wyoming Game and Fish report that estimates half of all the antelope in the state died this winter due to the record colds and snow.

[dig4gold]

Global warming aye......???

D4G

[GB_Amateur]

Here's a timely answer.  I'm sure some here will recognize places and names:

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/22/us/california-gold-prospectors.html

[Northeast]

Will it also depend on rainfall from now on?

I’ve heard that if the snow melts via sunshine then about 75% is lost in evaporation.

If the snow melts mainly via large volumes of warm rain then the rivers will see the majority of the snow.

What is your spring rainfall outlook forecast?  

[strick]

Gerry That was a fun trip... even snowed a little if I remember right. Lisa was very happy with that chevron nugget. We have not been to Rye patch for a long time. I remember looking at your trailer and thought this might just fit a side by side in it so I found one just like yours lol. We still have it and it makes trips to the Sierras now mostly. Thanks for bringing back some great memories. 

strick

[Gerry in Idaho]

16 hours ago, strick said:

Gerry That was a fun trip... even snowed a little if I remember right. Lisa was very happy with that chevron nugget. We have not been to Rye patch for a long time. I remember looking at your trailer and thought this might just fit a side by side in it so I found one just like yours lol. We still have it and it makes trips to the Sierras now mostly. Thanks for bringing back some great memories. 

strick

Stick,  You getting to go detecting with that nugget, you're a lucky man, gold already in your hand.

Glad you 2 enjoyed your training and I can see the gold in her hands, so I know she's doing well.

Yes that Desert Fox Toy Hauler is quite an impressive home on wheels.

I've since downsized but will be getting a van (hopefully next season).