The Adventures Of Snakejim And My Goals For 2026

[snakejim]

I grew up in south Texas. I panned my first gold in 1956 at Knott's Berry farm in California and I was hooked. I built my first metal detector in 1968. I didn't do any prospecting or mining until I moved to New Mexico in 1970. I was detecting in parks in Albuquerque and a friend of mine started a treasure hunting club. He and I and a couple of other fellows went to Alaska in 1980 to get in on the Gold Rush of 1980. We were camped at the Battle of the Little Bighorn National Park when Mt St Helens erupted. We woke up in the morning and everything was covered in ash. We packed up camp as fast as we could and headed for Canada. There we were above the ash stream. We ended up in Anchorage, Alaska. I researched at the BLM there and found nearly everything was claimed up all over the state. We tried dredging a couple of public areas with little success. I met Steve H and his dad at Crow Creek (a pay to mine public area south of Anchorage) We bought a few things from Steve's Alaska Mining and Diving store. We finally ended up working a fellows claim for 20% of the gold we found. The best week we got 27 ounces.

Back in New Mexico I met an old timer and we prospected together for years with our detectors. We prospected all over New Mexico and traveled to Arizona and California. I met up with Jim McCulloch and "Woody"Woodworth in California. I have had claims all over New Mexico. Mostly those I staked my self.

Any way my goals for 2026 is to stake 6 more claims to give me a total of 10 to meet the small miner's exemption from paying the maintenance fees of $200 per 20 acres. With the price of gold near $5000 an ounce, I expect many folks will do the same. 

How about You?

snakejim

 

[Jim in Idaho]

All the best on your goals for this year, Jim. You've had an adventurous life...LOL I'd be green with envy if I hadn't had one myself...Ha!

Jim

[phrunt]

Thanks for your background, Jim, you certainly have lived the dream, best of luck with your 2026 goal.

[snakejim]

2 hours ago, Steve Herschbach said:

Hi Jim,

You have been living the dream and glad to see it continuing for you. I resigned from the Board of Directors of AMDS effective Dec 2025 and so am now fully retired. My goal for 2026? Piddle fart around as I please.  You take care, and best of luck to you in 2026!

Thank you Steve and best of luck to you also this year!

[snakejim]

23 minutes ago, phrunt said:

Thanks for your background, Jim, you certainly have lived the dream, best of luck with your 2026 goal.

Thanks phrunt and best of luck to you also!

[Ridge Runner]

Jim

 Many years back I knew this guy that went by the name Cougar Jim and he acquired that name being one almost got him.

 Now you go by Smakejim did you acquire that name maybe the same way the gentleman above did ?

 I myself have had some close calls with snakes in the past. It’s surprising how high and far out a person can jump on one leg if he needs to.

 Chuck  

 This is like Paul Harvey in now we going to hear the rest of the story. A lot of you may not remember him. 50 years ago you would have.

[Jim in Idaho]

Chuck, one leg is nothing. When I was 16 I got out of a 12' room without ever leaving my sleeping bag...LOL. An evil trick played on me by a younger brother.

Jim

[Ridge Runner]

45 minutes ago, Jim in Idaho said:

Chuck, one leg is nothing. When I was 16 I got out of a 12' room without ever leaving my sleeping bag...LOL. An evil trick played on me by a younger brother.

Jim

Jim don’t leave us hanging tell the rest of the story. I don’t think I could completed that feat.

 Chuck 

[Jim in Idaho]

Well... it goes like this. The summer of '64 the dad bought a ranch in the Bitterroot valley in western Montana. We lived in Simi Valley, CA, and moved to Montana in 1965. it took a couple of trips to hall all our stuff up there. The ranch was empty, so the old man had the idea to leave John, my younger brother, up there to keep an eye on the place. He is 12, and alone. But, he's like the kid in "Home Alone" So, while we were gone for a week or so, he devised a plan. The house was in poor shape, so mom and dad lived in a camper next to the house with my even younger brother, Mike, and little sister, Shelly. John and I slept in the ragged house. The room we slept in, in sleeping bags, had an attic hatch in the ceiling. So the first night there, after a long day of driving, John and I are catching up. One of the things he told me was about hearing noises in the attic at night...like somebody crawling around up there. He said one night he made sure the hatch was closed, but when he got up in the morning, it was open. Of course, we both look at the hatch to be sure it's closed. So, after a bit more talking we turn over to go to sleep. A few minutes goes by and our German Shephard, Lindy, starts barking. I figure I better go see what's going on. When I came back in the house, I heard a thump, but just passed it off. I crawl back in the bag, and turn to the wall to go to sleep. I'm about half-asleep when John says "I got to check that hatch one more time". the light comes on, a second goes by, and I hear John say "Oh My God", and I turn over, look over my shoulder, and see the hatch, which is half-open, and I was out the door, bag and all before John could get out, and he was standing at the door already. I hear a cackle as I go by, and realize I've been had. He still never lets me forget it...LOL. I was standing outside the room door, still in the sleeping bag, and having no idea how I got there. Obviously the "thump" I heard had been John jumping down from the chair he'd used to open the hatch.  He lives at Los Lunas, NM, and has a campground in Colorado, near Antonito.

Jim