The New 49'ers

Asking for a friend , if a guy (or girl) goes out to a bar (open of course) and found some bedrock ripe for cracking (at a later date) was to go out with no mining equipment except a pump, hoses and fire nozzle, was to wash said bedrock back into the bank to expose much more that is there. is this an issue just for washing the bank with no other equipment on bar or in vehicle? could this be construed as mining?

Hmmm, been a member for many years and have posted a lot in the past (not much recent), shows I have only posted twice? Hmmmm

rickther wrote: ↑

Thu Mar 31, 2022 1:50 am

Asking for a friend , if a guy (or girl) goes out to a bar (open of course) and found some bedrock ripe for cracking (at a later date) was to go out with no mining equipment except a pump, hoses and fire nozzle, was to wash said bedrock back into the bank to expose much more that is there. is this an issue just for washing the bank with no other equipment on bar or in vehicle? could this be construed as mining?

It is not a question of mining. The ban says you cannot use any mechanical equipment within 300 feet of the water. The pump is mechanical. Sorry, but I think folks have thought up everything possible already. No harm in asking though.

rickther wrote: ↑

Thu Mar 31, 2022 1:54 am

Hmmm, been a member for many years and have posted a lot in the past (not much recent), shows I have only posted twice? Hmmmm

Due to technical problems we lost the forums for a while, some time back. You probably had to ask to be registered anew, which would have started the post count over again.

Jim, you're to be commended - you were lightning quick on this one - I had hardly started typing and you jumped on it like a duck on a June Bug.

It seems as though it's pretty much time for us all to polish off the keyboards and start posting some more.



- Joe -

Joe.S.AK wrote: ↑

Thu Mar 31, 2022 6:11 pm

Jim, you're to be commended - you were lightning quick on this one - I had hardly started typing and you jumped on it like a duck on a June Bug.

It seems as though it's pretty much time for us all to polish off the keyboards and start posting some more.



- Joe -

I practically live on the computer. If it's not online, it is doing some stuff with MS Word. If my computer is running, which it does all day and evening, then it is also online. I read every post, not only on our forums, but others also. I am also an admin for other forums that are not rlated to mining. So, when problems crop up I am usually in a place to take are of them.

Are we allowed to use our compressors to snipe with? i see on keenes website they are using electric compresors to snipe.

rickther wrote: ↑

Thu Mar 31, 2022 11:52 pm

Are we allowed to use our compressors to snipe with? i see on keenes website they are using electric compresors to snipe.

No one can answer your questions because no one knows. I can guess at the answer, which is no, it is a machine. Law enforcement would be the ones to make that call.

I don't mean to discourage, but there is no clear answer. Remember, we have been regulated out of the water since 2009 and folks have tried about everything possible.

Asking someone on a message forum is not safe; you may get the wrong answer, but it is you that will suffer any adverse consequences, not them. You might try asking Fish and Wildlife if you want an answer that is safe.

So just for the sake of asking, has anyone recently been cited. I know when this whole thing started some folks got cited and I really didn't catch the outcomes. this is when they outlawed dredges and subsequent mechanical means. so I haven't kept up on what's going on. I get that we are relegated to sluice and pan. I do understand the danger of social media on these topics but as a general rule asking club comments should be followed by research before diving in.

rickther wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 01, 2022 4:50 pm

So just for the sake of asking, has anyone recently been cited. I know when this whole thing started some folks got cited and I really didn't catch the outcomes. this is when they outlawed dredges and subsequent mechanical means. so I haven't kept up on what's going on. I get that we are relegated to sluice and pan. I do understand the danger of social media on these topics but as a general rule asking club comments should be followed by research before diving in.

I am not personally aware of anyone actually being cited for working on our claims. Of course there were citations issued in the cases of the lawsuits we and others fought against and lost. But these were not on our claims.

Dace Mack has been very good at keeping club members in the loop as to what is going on over the years. But since this has been ongoing for so long, those posts get lost on the forum because the forum will only hold posts a specific time before archiving them.

Our claims are still accessible, gold is still there; we just have to be more resourceful in our efforts to mine. There are ways to get things like pumps, away from the water to the required distance. It may take more work, or more money to buy special equipment.

Crevicing is still a viable means of mining, and can be very rewarding. Metal detecting is also a viable means of mining and fun to do. Mossing, where you can scrape the moss off of rocks and process it on site, at home or somewhere else is good too.