I Wonder What'll Happen, When the word Get's Out?

[flixter]

Now that statement may sound a little strange, but here is what actually happened.
While hiking this Thursday between Lower Lewis River Falls and Middle Falls along the river,
I met a young couple panning for GOLD, and they did manage to score some color. I assured
them I was only taking Long exposure photo's and none of them. Since it was getting close to noon
and all they had brought was a small shovel and pan, I overed my extra sub way sandwich and we had
a little chat and they showed me the color they had managed to pan so far, which felt like about
3oz to 4oz, I had to admit that wasn't bad for a few hours with small nuggets like that. My thoughts
was they may have washed down from Quartz Creek over the years and was surprised when they asked
where is Quartz Creek. So I explained where Quartz Creek was. Now let be perfectly clear on this point,
this couple was respectful in what they were doing, and was leaving no trace of there panning, which
I can't say that of clear cut logging now days. Now that leaves me with the lingering question,
What happens when The word GOLD on the Lewis River gets out, believe me they are no secrets where
Gold is concerned.
FYI: Last time I panned for Gold was back in mid 60's on the upper John Day near the Green Horn Mountain.
Anyway like to hear your opinions or thoughts on this subjects. Go Enjoy, Pnwhiker....

[retired jerry]

3 or 4 ounces with a shovel and pan in one day? $6000 to $8000

I'll be going up there with my shovel and pan immediately.

There was some relics of mining above Spirit Lake a bit. I think it was gold. Buried by eruption now. Streams around there with mining claims.

[flixter]

To Retired Jerry:
Back in my day Gold was only $70.00 oz., didn't realize the price had raised a bit.
Good Luck, and I'm sure you won't forget to report your newfound riches to the IRS.
Watch this video that was created on the Lewis River around Jun 25, 2020.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfAZE9VJC_k
[/youtube]

[Webfoot]

Back in my day Gold was only $70.00 oz., didn't realize the price had raised a bit.

Gold is gold. The Dollar is in the crapper.

[drm]

You sure that wasn't 3-4 grams? Mg?

[BigBear]

Back in the 1980s, I panned for gold in Josephine County and yes, I did find gold without much effort. However...we're talking flakes, not nuggets. Without the use of tweezers and a pill bottle, I just let the gold fall back into the creek. I have no doubt there are nuggets out there for people to find, but I would strongly suggest a person limit this activity to a "hobby" and not approach it as a way to make rent, etc. If the creek was profitable for mining, it would have been mined out a century ago.

[retired jerry]

I have a vial with a few flakes of gold in it. I spent several days to get several dollars worth of gold.

They say that the people that got rich in the gold rush were the people that sold shovels

[jvangeld]

You can join a club and pan for gold for fun on any of that club's mining claims. There are a bunch of claims around Silver Star Mountain, for example. http://www.swwgoldprospectors.org/index.htm

And it turns out that this last weekend the national GPAA gold show came to the Portland Expo Center. So there might have been more prospectors in town. https://www.expocenter.org/events/gold-treasure-show

[retired jerry]

a lot of gold mining claims along the Rogue River and Graves Creek.

I was camping near the trailhead once and a miner came along. After I assured him I didn't steal his stuff, we talked about gold mining.

A trick of his was to make a glass bottomed box, place in water and look around for any glints of gold. I guess a swim mask would work pretty good.

[drm]

They say that the people that got rich in the gold rush were the people that sold shovels

And whiskey, and a few other things people can guess.