Hibernation mode

Winter is coming and it's time to store the mining gear until next summer. I checked Mother Nature's Sluice Box and although the water level on the Clearwater is ideal, I'm not comfortable trying to negotiate the rough, ankle breaking terrain that makes up the gold capturing features of Mother Natures Sluice Box. My time now will be spent sitting by the fire with a comforting adult beverage.
Here's a shot of the view overlooking the 18th fairway. The critters are pretty tame around the golf course.

Easing into it

90+ degrees hot? I guess so. This little creek will cool you with just a glance.

A coyote hole that usually shows color offered up some good looking material so we ran a few pans.

We brought a few buckets back to camp for future panning. The hike in is a little rough but I made it just fine, even with my limited vision.

After running a few buckets of coyote hole mud through my sluice, a little bit of color was saved to a glass vial. 

We stopped along the Southfork Clearwater to check out the dredgers working their 30 day window of opportunity. Got a pic of AMRA President Shannon Poe modeling his new pair of skivvies.

Some 'Good Ol Boys' from Texas (John & Dave) were giving it a good show a little further downstream. They are parked a few spots from us at the RV park.

This is our camp that we are renting from the RV park owner. With 3 slide-outs. It is quite spacious.

When the owner heard of my medical & vision limitations, he moved a nice deck up to the entry door which made it so easy for me to gain access & egress. The guy is all right.

2018-The Reload

I'm going to give the 2018 mining season my best shot. I've got a pacemaker implanted in my chest so I won't have to worry about my prior heart problems. I also picked up a new, more powerful ATV that I've outfitted with a spare fuel cell, an ATV TEK internal framed cargo bag, a large steel drop basket and a pair of fender bags. Plenty of room to haul almost anything I'll use in my pursuit of the mellow yellow.

Cheating the Grim Reaper

I guess it's finally time to post an update. After suffering a stroke prior to my cancer treatment back in August 2015, my stroke induced double vision finally went away after 5 months. I went through my cancer treatment with great success. I thought I had clear sailing ahead until August of last year when I suffered another damn stroke. This one damaged the occipital  lobe of my brain which took away all vision left of center in each eye.(left peripheral).I had an Angiogram (no fun) and the doctor told me I had cheated the grim reaper based on the blockage of my carotid artery. He also told me my 2015 stroke was a Warning Shot. There is no medical treatment but I now take all the right meds to prevent another stroke. I do exercise my brain reading my collection of Tom Clancy novels and doing "word seek" puzzles. Since I now live along side the 18th fairway of the Lewiston Country Club, I thought I may take up Golf. If someone asks me what's my handicap?...I'd have to say TWO STROKES. I hope to get back to gold country again this summer even if it's just to visit my mining friends and watch them pull the gold off the bedrock. Next update will hopefully be 100% gold related.

Ready - Willing - Almost able

Did a little exploring in a section of river I had never found access to until this weekend. A steep trail up and around a gated area put me on some unfamiliar ground.

I found a likely looking spot and proceeded to scratch around until I found what I always hope to find...BEDROCK.

As you've seen in my past blog posts, I always use a viewing box to get a good look at the river bottom. In my opinion, it's the only way to really see the character of a stream bed. In this situation, the cracks in the bedrock were running with the flow of the river so I really didn't hold out much hope of scoring anything meaningful. After an afternoon of scraping, picking, prying and panning, I did manage a little bit of color.

I had intentions of working this spot for a couple of days, but one afternoon of work really took it's toll. I may be ready and willing, but I'm barely able to hit it like I used to prior to the fall of 2015. I guess a little more testosterone would really do me some good but until that happens, I've got to pace myself. I just feel lucky I'm able to do what little I can to put some color in the pan. I've got a new Grizzly Gold Trap sluice box ordered and as soon as they finish manufacturing their first batch, I'll return to gold country and hopefully find another spot that will give up a little more color.

Almost ready

Mining tools are out of storage and secured in our new place here in Lewiston. Picked up the new ATV and outfitted it with a drop basket, ATV TEK Arch Bag and front tool holders. Took it to mining country last week to look at access into a few spots I want to prospect. Only a few of the spots I wanted to explore were open to entry. We spent most of the day just riding around getting used to the new ATV and annotated the spots on my map we could access next week.

The water level is ideal in the larger creeks (below) but the remote seasonal creeks I want to explore are going to be just a trickle if I don't get on them soon.

Can't wait to get into the water because the air temperature around here has three digits ! 

New Year - New Me - New Gold

It's been a long haul since my cancer diagnosis and subsequent stroke, but I feel like a new man.
I went through two radiation treatments -one internal and one external. Lot's of fun...NOT.
My PSA numbers are .4 (point 4) and my testosterone is up to normal male levels.
Wife and I have spent the last year getting our house ready for sale and after only 12 days on the market, we sold it at full asking price. We'll be moving to the big city (Lewiston) where we won't have to deal with all the snow here in the high country.

Once we get settled into our new place and move all my mining gear out of the storage facility, my first move will be to the Can-Am ATV dealership to pick up a 2017 Can-Am Outlander Max 570 XT.

I've got half a dozen new prospects to check out and we plan on touring the back country in style.
I'm really looking forward to a fun and leisurely 2017 mining season.