Found East of Gardnerville, Nv.....near the Monarch Mine

Here a few items that my girl friend found using my Fisher Gold Bug Pro w/5" coil around the mines....that I was drywashing at. We were in a one square mile area for about 6 days. There are no operating mines....and most of the shafts and adits are blocked with barb-wire by the Nevada State Dept of Mines. We did find two mines that were abandoned....but fully equipped with rock/ore crushers, converyor belts, trommels, sluice boxes, generators, and numerous other pieces of equipment & vehicles. What was really surprising is.....nothing was shot up. I didn't find any bullet holes in anything. The Monarch has been shut down since 1991...as that is the paperwork date of ore testing that I found scattered all over the floor of one of the buildings. What really surprised me was the huge antiqueted "dry-washer" on-site. The other one had all the old vehicles....but the windows were broken out.
My girlfriend....worked the mine tailings....washes that went through the property....and the large open pit....NO GOLD!! But a few trinkets, pictured here. Oh...I forgot, she did find a hatchet head...that didn't get photographed.

Posted on: July 09, 2012, 04:06:00 PM

---

Oooops!! Forgot the items she found. Here they are. What is the buckle from? Its cast steel. The glass is purple in color, and found near an old cabin. The Remington UMC 10 gauge shotgun shell base was found at the entrance to the pictured mine adit. Here are some other pictures....of the two mines and some of their antiquated equipment.

Linkback:

You are not allowed to view links.
Please Register or Login

http://www.thunting.com/smf/index.php/topic,37049.msg227839.html#msg227839

Pictures are worth a 1000 (or more) words. Sheila and I get out almost every weekend....and we always take pictures. Once we're in the "rocking-chairs"....all we've got is memories and those "pictures" we took. LOL! When I was in the antique gun business....Research was my thing. Now, I've found out that history and gold go "hand-in-hand" with a little research. And the internet has sure made that easier. So, I've been finding gold from the very 1st time that we've gone out over the last 3 months(except for this last weekend). And, after much thought....as to why we were skunked.....I have a feeling that the open pit hard rock mine, below where I chose to dig.....was actually fill dirt and run-off from above (from 50-75 years ago) that had settled into and ontop of the tailings that had been flattened off.
Yes....we have the "BUG"!! 
And of course there are these great natural rock formations that facinate us, wherever we go. Here are just a couple.....a 4 foot tall "arch", and a 30ft tall "chimney".
I see a lot of prospector's go up to the GPAA claim at Gold Mountain in Big Bear....every weekend. But, I was wondering if anyone goes out to the GPAA Red Cloud Claim (where these pic's were taken) I've been there about 10 times....and "the pickin's have been slim". Its only a 45 minute drive from my house in Palm Desert. If anyone wants to go out....I'd be glad to join them, as I know my way around the canyon's pretty good.

Linkback:

You are not allowed to view links.
Please Register or Login

http://www.thunting.com/smf/index.php/topic,37049.msg227883.html#msg227883

Which Mine....? Monarch? I think its for sale. The equipment is well used-abused and out-of-date at the Monarch. The other mine....has most of the equipment and is about 90% complete. Of course....who knows the "life" left in it. I also did some research on opening a mine in Nevada....that has employees. I know California is restrictive.....so is Nevada. I went to a web-site that shows the required permits (including their cost)....and what departments you have to go through (there are over 30). The state now is geared for large companies to commercially mine. They are good in that they leave the "small miner" alone....and don't put any real requirements on us. But anyone that has an employee....now puts themselves into another category. If you have about 6 people working for you.......I added up the cost, and its close to a $300,000 in fees and licenses. There is even a $300 permit for a port-a-poty. Most of the fees are for "remediation".........the cost of a bond that enables the state to bring the property back to its original state....after the gold is gone, and the mine abandoned. Abandoned mines are a liability to the state........and there are 1000's of them. I think they are neat....and show the history of what "made the state".....now the City-Slicker's thing they are ugly.

Linkback:

You are not allowed to view links.
Please Register or Login

http://www.thunting.com/smf/index.php/topic,37049.msg227911.html#msg227911

Oh no! I just got "timed out".............there went 20 minutes of work. Yuk!!

Linkback:

You are not allowed to view links.
Please Register or Login

http://www.thunting.com/smf/index.php/topic,37049.msg227919.html#msg227919

  Yes....it would be a great place to detect. If I lived in the area....I'd be there every week.....maybe even camp out. Lots of history at these mines...that are pretty much virgin territory. I saw very no signs of "recreational" prospecting/mining. And the same with detecting.....no signs of digging.
This trommel was in great condition and is at the other mine (Chukar Explorations, Inc), about a mile (as the crow flies) from the Monarch mine. In fact most of the equipment looks recently abandoned. And again, no bullet holes in anything....but, the vehicle windows are all broken out.

Linkback:

You are not allowed to view links.
Please Register or Login

http://www.thunting.com/smf/index.php/topic,37049.msg228366.html#msg228366