PiPi Valley or bust, Just got the word from my digging crew that a new site is ready to be prospected.
This has been a crappy two weeks for me concerning work and home life so I'm ready to take a big breath and clear my mind. I'm waiting to see the pictures of this claim but from what I've heard it's going to be a great claim to explore. Sometime this month I also have to make a trip to Mendocino and fire proof/clean up my property. I will be taking up my metal detector to do some swinging.
So here is to a good month I hope and just maybe I will have a new story for my readers.
Oh dredging season starts very soon! WHOOT WHOOT 

It was going to be hot that day! I could feel it coming on when I left Modesto that early morning. I arrived to meet up with Kenny at his house in the foothills. I thought I was early but upon arriving I saw Ken and Beth out planting oak trees on their land. Well so much for this early bird.
We decided to travel light so we could cover more ground. With 40 pound packs we headed upstream. About 1 hour into our trek we came upon an area that was covered with quartz rocks, from 150 pounds down to 1 pound chunks. After exploring the area we finely found its source. Hidden from the river we stumbled upon a deep dark hole, an entrance to hades that time forgot. We discussed on how we would descend this hole safely then dropped in. Beautiful rock formations, crystals, quartz, bugs, crawly things that bite, oh yeah all the good things in a nightmare! It's amazing how people lived and worked like this in the past, carving out their existence in solid stone. Crawling through a self made tunnel of hopes and dreams only to find what we found. NOTHING! But it was pretty dam cool!
Further up river we think we found out where these 49ers laid out their town. So that means a return trip with our metal detectors and this will be another adventure for a future blog.
One more month till dredging season, will it ever arrive?
Photos of this trip are posted at ...yoreplacermine.com... enjoy all.      

Well, I guess I do have a following for my adventures.  Bravenet picked 2 winners for this week's BLOGS and I am happy to be one of them.  Thanks Bravenet.


On to more adventures - Ken and I have discussed what we will be doing in regards to our Gold Seeking and we have decided to explore existing claims that we can dredge on all year long. Trying to figure out which ones are available is a little bit of a chore considering we would like to do creeks as well. I think I have figured it out to a point, but I must be sure because I would hate to lose the dredge or pay a fine. So off I go to work -again- (). So I may plan my next adventure in the California Hills.

Well, I got my MULE. His name is Ken. LOL We packed in over 120 lbs. of equipment up thru the rocky pass  then down to the river of Eden, which I now will refer it to as the " Gates of Hell". Getting there was not too bad because we were fresh and pumped with adrenaline. I had my doubts about moving this massive bolder, but with the engineering mind of Ken we attacked it with the fury of 49er Fever. Being dug out, cussed out, and hammered upon it finally gave up and MOVED! We are not talking inches here folks, but a good 2 feet! Now, of course, we had to follow our plan and move its little brother and sister out of the way. (Only a ton or so piece," groan") We moved the overburden in 5 gal buckets down to our sleuth box about 30 feet down a rocky course of jumbled rocks, about 20 trips, "groan again".

The bedrock was finally exposed and then Ken cleaned it like a crazed housewife on crank! I'm not going to tell you how much gold we found, but I will tell you this....it's never enough!   As for the experience we gained, it was priceless. Now of course we had to pack everything out, plus a couple of pounds more."Third groan"  When I started this day I was 52. Today I feel 90.
Damn, I can't wait till dredging season opens!
Pictures are posted and  I welcome your comments.       
This picture is bedrock that was cleaned out after moving the boulder. Pretty great cleaning job, huh!

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12 ton jack and a 2 ton rock - who will win? What will be under it? Will find out tomorrow morning. Let ya know!   Hoping for some help and someone to carry the jack. Anybody selling mules?