# Dredge vacation



## ME CO (May 5, 2007)

I bid you all farewell for a couple of weeks- gonna go get ME potOgold the old fashion way- wet and dirty haha. Take care all, Mark


----------



## aflacglobal (May 5, 2007)

Find one for me. Good luck.


----------



## taborc (May 5, 2007)

Me to Mark I will take two or three LOL good luck !!! be safe


----------



## ME CO (May 23, 2007)

Just wanted to let yous know I'm back- been playing catchup at work last couple days and just made it here this afternoon- looks like yous been busy posting haha. No I didn't get ME ozs. or lbs. I was hoping for but it was my vacation and I did enjoy most of it haha. The weather here in Colorado last winter kindof set the stage and the moisture continues even now. I have never seen the river rise so fast in May (runoff is usually June) and we got screwed for where we put in at but when you go into God's country there are no rules- you take what you get and be thankful you lived through it. 4 or 5 days ago I came up the steep bank out of the river and startled a young buck (nice one), he jumped about 10' back and I started in with "Hey Buck, how's it going? blah blah- He sniffed the air as if to say "You don't smell like a human" - weren't that the truth haha. I talked to him for about a minute before he got tired of me and wandered off with me intow saying "Hey Buck- where ya goin? Got cold beers in camp." haha I made it to my camera later and got some shots of him but not nearly as nice as the one I could have got with him only 10' away broadside to me. I'll put them in ME Photobucket acct and post one here for yous- same with ME Hummingbirds- stand a few feet from the feeder and wait haha. OK so I'm easily amused haha.
Before someone asks how much I got- what I got is in "concentrates" (dirt) and I won't know for a week or so when I get to work them down. I'll do the photobucket thang now- later, Mark


----------



## ME CO (May 23, 2007)

Here's my friend Buck- after the first 10' encounter the closest I could get to him was 20'.





and here was my Hummingbird friend, I could hold the feeder and she would still eat haha. Mark


----------



## lazersteve (May 23, 2007)

Mark,

Looks like you had one great vacation!! I love nature and wildlife myself. I grew up running the woods and creeks! :lol: Mayhem is talking about a GRC get together maybe we can all meet each other one day.

Great Post!!!

Steve


----------



## ME CO (May 23, 2007)

This is what the river turned into a few days after we got there- I didn't get a pic of when I got there but out by that rock sticking up is a large island gravel bar. unfortunately we couldn't get out there then & fortunately we weren't already out there when she came up like that.


----------



## ME CO (May 23, 2007)

This is what happened to my experimental recovery contraption in slow water when the river came up 1.5' overnight- imagine if it had been in the real channel like it was sposed to have been. Can you say GONE. Mark


----------



## ME CO (May 23, 2007)

As I said I enjoyed MOST of it- I was prepared for the weather- we had snow first night, lots of afternoon rains, even some slushy hail once, and lots of sunshine in the mornings. Just wasn't prepared for the rivers tricks so not much gold- will have to make up for it in September haha. Mark


----------



## aflacglobal (May 23, 2007)

Now this sounds like a typical vacation for me.  

Glad to hear that you didn't let the problem get you down. 
Like lazer said, If you can't enjoy the gold , enjoy the nature. I'm a outdoor freak too. 

One thing to point out. If you are in a caynon, valley, or any mountain chain. Be careful of where you camp or find your self prospecting.

When it rains or the snow melts off in the spring. Water can rise several feet, in a matter of minutes. (Even in the dry desert. )

I lost a couple of items myself. Like you said, At least you made it back safe and sound.

Where's the gold. :?: :?: 

Ralph


----------



## AuMINIMayhem (May 24, 2007)

ME Co.. too bad you couldn't have stayed and watch where the eddy's were and waited til the water dropped.. Anywhere that the water slows down quickly or goes around a bend or the backside of that big freakin boulder would probably have paid off really well.. I learned this from an old prospector.. he always goes out prior to a storm and makes notes of the way the river flows, any kind of obstructions, bends, etc and then watches it during the flood in order to "read" it.. the theory being gold is way heavier than water and anything less than a very swift current is going to be where the "placer" gold will drop and get lodged.. 


also, here's a really good article that better explains the same thing he had told me and then some..

http://www.nuggethunters.org/Readin_it.html


----------

