Dusty prospecting by Russ Ford

Here in central AZ we have gone over 130 days without measurable rain or snow. That’s an all time record folks. That may not be a good thing, but it sure hasn’t hurt the Drywashing for gold. Thought I’d post a few thoughts on the subject here….hope you enjoy.

Between sniping, metal detecting, and Drywashing, I find more gold when the creeks are dry than when they are running. The reason for that is everything is so much more accessible. I have found that one of the best tools for sampling during these dry times is a small hand crank Drywasher.

Many people are unaware of the benefits and usefulness of the ol’ hand crank drywasher so I always like to point out a few of the advantages so prospectors won’t eliminate the idea before they understand it. So.. (keep reading)

There are many areas in the desert SW where you will absolutely NOT be able to stand in one spot and shovel the dirt. It will be hard, compacted, caliche, clay, rocky, false bedrock, and the list goes on…
In these areas you will have to use picks and screens and may only get a 5 gallon bucket of material in 15 minutes or sometimes it may take an hour. Rather than hauling in the extra weight of a big DW and starting and stopping your motor for such a small amount of material, the hand crank is PERFECT. Of course if you are close to your vehicle you could just take your buckets of dirt home to process, but let’s say you are in an area of multiple dry washes and really need to hike from one to the other and check them all. Carrying sample buckets from each would be impossible, however bagging up and carrying the concentrates from your puffer is the way to go. Don’t forget to take a GPS reading and place it in each bag. (grin)

Many of us are also being faced with new housing and subdivisions encroaching upon our old gold areas. In these areas you don’t want nosy neighbors poking around to see what you are doing and possibly report you to authorities for “devastating the environment” (in their uneducated opinion). In short “STEALTH” is going to become more important to the serious prospector as the years go by. The hand crank drywasher is perfect for that.

As the environmental movement takes a stronger hold and “big brother” forces more and more restrictions on mining activity, motorized equipment is becoming difficult to use or outright banned in some areas. The hand crank drywasher is considered “non motorized equipment” by the Forest Service and BLM. I know for a fact that Forest Service personnel park and listen for the sound of motors in some areas, so chances are you will not be disturbed if you are just using a silent hand crank. Unless “mechanical equipment” is banned also, the use a hand crank drywasher is unrestricted in most areas at this time.

If you need to move a large volume of material, have your own claim with a plan of operation, or you only work on your club claims, I can see where a motorized DW could be your best solution. However, if you prospect in different areas, like to backpack your DW to test new spots, need to use stealth or silence, or are working areas where only a small amount of material will be processed, you will start to see the advantages of a small puffer. I have all types of DWs, and it depends on what type of prospecting I will be doing and where I plan on going as to which DW I take with me. They all have advantages in certain situations, but my favorite way to DW is with my little backpack puffer. Nothing beats the thrill of finding an undiscovered high bench, uplifted ancient stream placer, or some remote dry wash area someplace where no one else would bother to look. Good luck.
The photo below was designed and built by Sam Radding. I have removed the hopper and made it a little more backpack friendly.

…….. “dust in your nose = gold in your poke! ” Russ Ford