Thursday, July 8, 2010
Tofte Ranch
Larry: Yesterday was a day of rough hiking, equipment problems and heat with no gold. It makes for a sore, stiff body. We only have 2 segments for the Gold Bug so it's a little short! Even though I'm sore from clamorring over rocks, mentally, I'm encouraged by it all. Our detectors work fine and we're learning their secrets. I purchased a Fisher Gold Bug Pro Detector in the spring and I have been itching to get to the river to try it out. We're going to stay on the ranch today and get caught up around here before we tackle the river again tomorrow. I'd like to try downstream from the bridge.
Charlotte: We spent a long day on Shirttail yesterday. We definitely need to be in better shape. The creek felt like rough going. I am so impressed that when we were first married, we moved all of our camping and dredging gear down into this area of Shirttail and even more impressed that we hauled it back out of Shirttail Canyon. We must have been really tough in our youth - well, when we were 30 and 40. The gold continues to elude us but we are learning our equipment. We are really looking forward to a week at Duncan. We are looking forward to easy and fun. Easy and fun.... The theme for our lives thus far seems to have been about testing ourselves. We are saying it's OK if our lives get easier. It's been wonderful spending a couple of days down in our old prospecting haunts.
The spirit of the California gold rush permeates the early years of the American West. The river canyons literally echo with the cries of the 49ers, the crazily wonderful body of men and women who rushed to California to make their fortune. Evidence of their efforts abound. One cannot help but get caught up in a feverish energy that pervades your spirit. I am going to share my gold prospecting adventures with the hopes of inspiring a few readers to become "The New Gold Prospector"!