Find Gold in Rivers: A Comprehensive Guide

[@Smithsgold]

Back from Virginia just got time to watch !!!!!!! First Gold of 2024 found yesterday video coming soon !!!!!

[@ChrisRalph]

Hope you had a great trip to Virginia. Congrats on first gold, got a couple inches of snow here. Be a while before I am out prospecting again.

[@virginiarocks]

Hope you had a great time in Virginia 🎉

[@Smithsgold]

Oldest Boy got Married and we ran down to the Outer Banks in North Carolina so it was a fun trip !!!! Thanks @@virginiarocks

[@Smithsgold]

Grab that snow shovel and head for California we have Sunshine and Gold just waiting for ya !!!!! LOL @@ChrisRalph

[@ChrisRalph]

I saw your video and the frost and ice on your car and fence post. Looks pretty cold to me!

[@Integrationist]

Hey Mr. Ralph, first of all thanks for the great content. I just got hired to work the Frac rigs in the Permian basin, 2 weeks on and one week off. During my off-weeks, I plan to camp out in New Mexico on the margins of some of the many collapsed calderas to prospect for gold. My housing is provided while I'm working, so I can save money by camping while I'm not working. There was a report from the 70s which suggests that there are over 30,000 ounces of placer gold still in the Hillsboro mining district, and there is plenty more to explore in NM as well! Thanks for helping me in my endeavors, I truly appreciate your work. May God bless you and your loved ones!

[@ChrisRalph]

There is some good placer in New Mexico for sure. Best of luck to you.

[@DeathValleyDazed]

How did your prospector plan work out? I hope well!

[@MycoHunter]

I absolutely love and appreciate your videos! So educational! I got your book for Christmas and it's incredible the knowledge and tips you know. You are appreciated!

[@ChrisRalph]

Wow, thank you for the kind words!

[@Danhurd]

great video, well done.

[@ChrisRalph]

Dan - Thank you very much. I've enjoyed your videos also.

[@mikew2046]

Great information thanks for sharing your wisdom Where was that campground in the 90's ??? with more violent storms these days that area will be worth visiting since the gold is already there it just needs some good washing out. Thanks again definitely worth watching COMPLETE PRESENTATION

[@ChrisRalph]

Thanks much, and I'm glad it was helpful.

[@davevanderwall7644]

Great stuff as usual chris. You get into things others only mention. One of the things i always do when placering is to just try to imagine what that area was doing a billion years ago.

[@ChrisRalph]

Good point! Thanks for the kind words.

[@fabioferreira8391]

Excellent video. this is a whole course about gold!!!

[@ChrisRalph]

Glad it was helpful.

[@markbelanger5757]

I have learned from you what a large boulder does. How about a log? I see them all the time. Would the gold be in the front " up river side" or in the back " down river side" ?

[@ChrisRalph]

When the water is at flood stage and gold moves around, big boulders can stay put and collect gold behind them. Logs are floating or being washed away and do not stay put to collect gold behind them.

[@markbelanger5757]

The logs im talking about have been there for years.

[@ChrisRalph]

Unless you mean a tree trunk still rooted to the ground, logs move in big floods. You may have years between big floods, but gold does not move around unless the water is at full flood stage. I talk about all this in the video you commented on. If you want try the gravel behind the logs just to see, do it and see what you get.

[@kimandcris]

cool video! My wife bought me your book for my birthday and I'm slowly working my way through it.

[@ChrisRalph]

That's great. I'm sure you will you enjoy it!

[@TotalFreedomTTT-pk9st]

I listened to these to go to sleep but they are really good to watch - lots of work you've done with graphics and charts and pictures - mining and geology stuff is great to sleep to cause you travel to other places and lots of allusions to natural environments - prospectors and miners are outdoor cats for sure

[@ChrisRalph]

OK.

[@toddeftsadams5909]

Thanks Chris! Great information.

[@ChrisRalph]

Glad it was helpful!

[@karlfonner7589]

Thank you for posting this Chris. It’s always good to get a refresher course.

[@ChrisRalph]

You're very welcome!

[@krishannam1346]

The best video I've seen on reading the river. Thanks so much for the diagrams and especially the actual photos. 👍

[@ChrisRalph]

Glad it was helpful!

[@zve482]

Thanks Chris. Always enjoy the in-depth videos you do. Appreciated.

[@ChrisRalph]

Glad you like them!

[@4ninesfinesilver315]

Hey Ralph, I’ve been following you off and on for about 10 years now and you are still by far the best information out there. No wonder you have more than 110,000 subscribers. Keep up the great work. i’m hoping to use some of it over here in Australia one day maybe when I retire.Thank you🤠👍

[@ChrisRalph]

Awesome! Thank you! Best of luck when you do get to retire.

[@jaminoes_]

Always a pleasure to receive his new video alerts. Chris is leaps and bounds ahead of any of the mining cosplayers and pretenders on KZbin (looking at you, Williams).

[@ChrisRalph]

Ok, but we are not trying to be too hard on Jeff.

[@gaagaale1528]

​@@ChrisRalphThanks Chris for your Great knowledge about all types of prospecting.Second i live in Horn of Africa and i would like to ask you one question. How many feets Can i dig deep in sandy bar if there are more black sands?

[@edadams1693]

Wow, very informative content. New prospecter here from Nh. Gonna follow you for now on. Gold is here but very small. I ve learned a few tips from you ....thx !

[@ChrisRalph]

Sounds great. Hey have you seen my video on recovering fine gold? It might be helpful for you as that small gold can be difficult to recover. Check it out at: kzbin.info/www/bejne/noe5in57j8RnnaM

[@cacogenicist]

Seeing those images of flood stage waters ripping through a drainage like that, it makes me chuckle to think of folks absolutely freaking out about a little silt from an in-stream sluice, or even a 4 inch dredge. 😊

[@ChrisRalph]

It's not about any environmental impact. It's all about the politics - that is the only thing that counts.

[@robertkrump2015]

I like all this education, It's like going to seminars,. A lot of this is a good confirmation.And I really appreciate it.Thank you

[@ChrisRalph]

Glad it was helpful!

[@Pitbull.Prospecting]

Awesome explanation of river reading. Great amount of knowledge.thank you..And yes I bought the book awesome amount of knowledge in it I still haven't been all the way through it but still flip to certain sections to remind myself of your knowledge

[@ChrisRalph]

Glad it was helpful and you enjoyed it

[@philliprude5997]

This is the best prospecting video I have ever seen...

[@ChrisRalph]

Glad you enjoyed it. I have lots more videos too.

[@Arizonafun-y5w]

Nevermind I found some of your videos that gave me some answers on it. Thanks

[@ChrisRalph]

Glad you were able to find the information you were looking for.

[@madshephard2boots157]

At 26:45 time mark, you were talking about the tributary stream. You went from 7 & 8 then jumped to 10 & 11. You missed #9 the depression in bedrock that is listed in the stream..

[@ChrisRalph]

yep - it was an oversight.

[@justanumbaofnosignifigsnce7971]

Thank you for yet another fantastic video, I really appreciate your knowledge and wisdom!

[@ChrisRalph]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@altonlynch5464]

I've found gold in dried up creek beds too, after digging down 2 feet to the gravel layer. That was years ago, I went there a year ago and water was flowing in places I'd never seen it run from.

[@ChrisRalph]

The gold moves around when the water is flowing fast, but its still there where the waters left it when the water dries up.

[@polymathperspective]

This is because of seasonal rains which makes a seasonal creek and seasonal waterfalls during winter season. Other times of the year completely dry. Water tanks are the same way. No water in summer and filled after rain in winter

[@chuckp3131]

Great video message. Thank you

[@ChrisRalph]

Glad it was helpful!

[@davidboerner2677]

That is the best river diagram I have ever seen,

[@ChrisRalph]

Thank you . Glad it was helpful.

[@ThirteenPercentHxC]

This is a good one Chris. Very informative and of huge relevance to me. Especially the bit about flooding because weve been getting tons of that. Have u ever been to the Antelope Valley of Southern California in Riverside county off the 15 or 215?

[@ChrisRalph]

I know where Antelope Valley is, but I have never done any prospecting there.

[@rlong6968]

Thank you,I always learn more from your knowledge

[@ChrisRalph]

Thanks I'm glad to hear that!

[@virginiarocks]

Thanks for the great info and happy new year

[@ChrisRalph]

Thanks much and a Happy new year to you and yours!

[@bobbeers716]

We revere your river video, no matter the number of Rs (or Vs). Thanks for teaching.

[@ChrisRalph]

I am glad you enjoyed it.

[@Andysfishing]

Where can I find Rive? Ha ha. Great video, much to take in and put into practice, cheers Chris.

[@ChrisRalph]

Glad you liked it.

[@xingtingsun]

Your talk is interesting. Prospecting in Saudi.

[@ChrisRalph]

Saudi does have some gold, just in very difficult and inhospitable locations.

[@ryangoff4813]

Chris do you have a fire assayer you recommend? for hard rock samples.

[@ChrisRalph]

For all my ore testing I use: ALS Minerals, 4977 Energy Way, Reno NV 89502 Their Phone number is [phone].

[@ryangoff4813]

Thanks Chris :)@@ChrisRalph

[@kevin_brown_dc3423]

Thank you for these tips. I can try them out in a few weeks. I am curious. Of all these old mines, before they knew what uranium is, how often do you think they dug up uraninite and just discarded it to the side?

[@ChrisRalph]

Uranium is not common. A very small number of hard rock gold mines have a tiny bit with the gold. So "how often do you think they dug up uraninite"? - almost never.

[@ericknight886]

Thank you for the great video. Answered so many questions and learned so much. I was wondering about punching through the clay layer or false Bedrock to see if there was more on the real bedrock. Very interesting lots of good information to use on my next gold dredging trip thank you so much

[@ChrisRalph]

Glad it was helpful!

[@dirtypawsgoldadventures]

Great information as always.

[@ChrisRalph]

Glad it was helpful!

[@peterwiseman]

Great video, your knowledge should help me find more gold during my yearly week long trip to Roaring Camp Gold in California, FYI, river is spelled rive on your white board, no big deal, just noticed it

[@ChrisRalph]

I noticed the mis-spelling right after I uploaded it - but I didn't want to re-shoot it. I was just in too much of a rush while filming. Glad you enjoyed the video.

[@tarina9925]

hi, i just came across this video and i want to commend you on your knowledge of finding gold! Very informative! i live in Calgary and 11 years ago we had a huge flood. I lived and still live on the Elbow River where we were displaced for 6 weeks. The city did a lot of modifications to the river (added a bunch of rock and changed the flow). My question is with the huge flood and being that I live on the sharp bend, do you think there is a chance of any gold deposits?

[@ChrisRalph]

In order to form a gold deposit, there must be gold in the stream. Calgary is not known for its gold deposits. A little gold has been mined near Edmonton.

[@tarina9925]

@@ChrisRalph do you know if Calgary was ever mined? every year the spring runoff hits Calgary - some years pretty hard and there's always a flood risk. Does that mean the mountains carry gold that far?

[@ChrisRalph]

I can find no information that gold was ever mined at Calgary.

[@Arizonafun-y5w]

Hi Chris would this diagram still work in a dry alluvial where only a good rain would carry the gold in the desert? At a steep decline and narrow but alot of boulders would the water have the same effect of laying down the pay streak in such that way? Or is it get it where you find it? 😃

[@ChrisRalph]

If its too steep, the gold will not lay down in a normal way.

[@cheneyish]

Great info!! From NZ!

[@ChrisRalph]

Glad it was helpful!

[@h.carson5414]

Very informative. Thanks.

[@ChrisRalph]

I'm glad it was helpful.

[@CPS24.7]

Hey Chris, your video here is a treasure. Thank you for sharing some of your decades of diverse mining experiences. I'll save to watch again for fun and for technical reference. Good health and Happy mining to you sir. Question: Can 'pickers' be found at or around the Lower American? Say Nimbus, to the Sacramento river?

[@ChrisRalph]

I'm glad to know that you enjoyed it.

[@enriquevega1423]

Just excellent video.

[@ChrisRalph]

Many thanks! Glad you enjoyed it.

[@ebo360]

Great video. I was wondering about where the best deposition zones are for large rocks that are to the side of a brook. I’ve been working around a rock that has water flowing along one side all the time, but has water flowing around both sides during high water events, and even over it completely during extreme events, which there have been at least 3 of in just the last year. My intuition says the best spot should be along and below the side closer to the bank, where there is only water flow when the river is getting high. Thats when the most material is being moved, so the most movement of gold. The rock I’m talking about is big enough that even the last 3 one hundred year storms (again, in a little over 12 months) haven’t moved it even an inch. What about the upstream side of this same rock? There’s a lot of material that has been deposited there. I had been working that last year, and doing ok. Storms over the winter and early summer filled the area I had dug out, while making the downstream side more appealing this summer. For the record I’m in Vermont. The gold here is generally small, but not the super fine stuff you see in some places. A good day here (a couple hours work) is 1/10 of a gram. If I get a few grams for the season I’m happy. No motorized methods allowed at all. Sluices only with a permit. I wish I could post pics to show exactly what I’m taking about. I’d love to see more videos getting into the details of working brooks that don’t have easily reached bedrock. When you see a pile of rocks and dirt in the middle of a brook like a small island what’s the way to approach that? Are there any tricks to keep in mind when going after floor gold from floods that just happened? Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us!!

[@ChrisRalph]

There are a lot of complex factors in gold deposition - size of stream, bends of stream, fall grade of stream, size of boulder in relation to stream, shape of boulder, and others - so simple rules of "just look at this spot" are not possible. Usually the gold does not deposit on the upstream side of a boulder, but is some cases it can deposit there. Take lots of samples to see where the gold is. Often with streams that don’t have easily reached bedrock you are looking for some false bedrock where the gold deposits.

[@altonlynch5464]

This is usually the first lesson you get when learning to pan gold, if you have a good instructor. I had a few old timers teach me, and sorry to say they have all passed away. I've never used a metal detector, if it was know to be in the area that is all I need to know, just knowing it is there is enough to know you can find it.

[@ChrisRalph]

The gold is there for those who know where to look.

[@PERAWATDANPENGAMALPERUBATANISL]

Thanks so much Prof, Im from Malaysia can u tell me about pirates the same looks but not gold. I got reject by gold shop when i bought it and i belive its will be the accept in a few day. Tel me how long you get the gold in the first time and what your best experience will you dont ever forget about gold finding.

[@ChrisRalph]

Sorry, but I can't help with your questions as we have a language translation problem.

[@rebelcast4574]

Great info! Looking forward to the video on bench gravels, I have huge gravel benches on one my best claims,..

[@ChrisRalph]

Glad you liked the video.

[@thomaswolf6507]

New prospector here. I live in the driftless area in Wisconsin. Any advice not mentioned in the video is appreciated. Here we have a lot of clay deposits I hear gold sticks too. I've heard if I find any it needs to be taxed, any input on that part? Not a big fan of the gov in my pocket.

[@ChrisRalph]

Check out my video on Midwest gold - lots of info there. As far as taxes, each state has its own laws, and I don't try to keep up on all the laws in all the states and different countries.

[@thomaswolf6507]

@@ChrisRalph Me either lol. I'm looking into refining gold, silver, etc as well and don't see how they could prove where it comes from once in 999 to 9999 form. I used to be a contract writer for crypto companies and it's largely due to a love for free markets / decentralized finance. There is nothing more boring than tax law. That's no accident, either. Thanks for the reply!

[@thomaswolf6507]

@@ChrisRalph I found gold on my very first pan, decent sized flakes just by watching this video and a few others and heading to the nearest Driftless area stream. I dug in right behind a rock off an eddy where I saw a lot of clay/iron/quartz deposit and what do you know - three flakes on the very first pan! I'm hooked. Lol. Thanks for the motivation!

[@albanesealbanese-yv2sd]

i realy like your video and i have some land with a creek runing through do you think there be gold in it ?

[@ChrisRalph]

Maybe. Go and test it to see.

[@really4957]

Can you analysis the rivers in india ... and where might be good deposits .....it will give you good views as well

[@ChrisRalph]

I will do this eventually, but my Indian viewers are small in number.

[@Mattytube18]

Did you ever do a dedicated video on "bench gravels"?

[@ChrisRalph]

No, I have not done that - maybe one of these days.

[@Arizonafun-y5w]

Chris I have a question about garnets and gold. Found half gramer nugget yesterday and flakes that all together weigh 0.25. an abundance of garnet in the sand. With that said did some other sampling found a couple fly poop in another wash but no garnets. Would the gold run with the garnets or does it have nothing to do with it?

[@ChrisRalph]

Garnet is heavier than regular sand. So, like black sands, the garnets accumulate with places rich in heavy minerals. Gold of course is a heavy mineral and accumulates in places rich in heavy minerals. That is the association.

[@Arizonafun-y5w]

@@ChrisRalph last question on that is it likely to chase it to where the gold is coming or is that not gonna happen? There is a fork at the canyons that we haven't sampled yet. Going for the bigger gold wonder if following the garnet trail is the way? Everything has a indicator that's leads to it

[@Greenandgold888]

Thanks!

[@ChrisRalph]

No problem!

[@blakiniknorguild142]

For the flood waters, I have a question. In general Texas sucks for gold deposits. Apparently we are #1 here - #1 in having the least amount of gold in any state apparently. But we do have some decent floods on some gold bearing rivers. The gold itself is a powder like gold - i.e. really fine. Would these rules apply as well here or because its so fine it goes everywhere? Thinking like the Colorado and Llano Rivers.

[@ChrisRalph]

The skim bar / flood gold rules would apply (toward the end of the video).

[@blakiniknorguild142]

@@ChrisRalph Thanks!

[@djcire1Pauly]

Where are you located ? I have a house up in the Maine mountains and I have found a bunch of really cool rocks, found some gold , but what I keep finding is thousands of tiny ruby like pink hexagonal gems but they are so tiny like sand. The old timers talked about this pink sand . I would love to have you out here on a hunt because I think there is a shit ton hiding I had already lost a gem stone I found because I didn’t know they just fall out id love to send you some pics of things I have found.

[@ChrisRalph]

Nevada - in the west. Sorry - I get quite a few people every day who want me to ID their rock and mineral photos. I do not offer a mineral ID service, mostly because it’s not as easy as you think. Usually, minerals cannot be identified from just a picture. My guess (just based on what is common) is that the pink sands - sometimes called ruby sands - are garnet. Please watch my videos on how to Identify minerals for yourself. Part 1 can be found here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/g6HOiGhuj8qEosU and Part 2 can be found here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/sIC6oGdvjZ5jnaM and Part 3 can be found here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/lZLFZoGknLefjNk - Those videos should answer a lot of your questions.

[@joecant6199]

If you bought a piece of land in Northern California what areas would you buy it in next to gold for retirement and look me recreationally?

[@ChrisRalph]

"look me recreationally"? No idea what that means.

[@HaRmOn717]

Hi Chris I have a question about different mineral deposits in very deep red coloured dirt. I'm finding huge amounts of brecciated jasper with other metallic minerals inbedded in the rocks also a lot of other metallic mineral rocks and quarts all around. So my question is... Would gold be found in areas with such huge amounts of jasper?

[@ChrisRalph]

Perhaps, but there is no guarantee. You need to test it and see for yourself. Red dirt is super common. Its caused by iron in the soil, and iron is the 4th most common element in the earth's crust.

[@HaRmOn717]

@@ChrisRalph Thank you for the reply, Ok Ile do some testing and see what pops up 👍

[@HaRmOn717]

So I had a more qualified person inspect my large stones and they are actually raw mineralised cinnabar. So would that make any difference if gold would be around as it's similar to gold being a mineral that's formed from the epithermal depths?

[@Inkling2B]

Hey Chris, my family and I moved to South Carolina a few years ago, and we happen to have a sizable creek on our property that runs year round and averages about 2 ft. deep. We are in a unique geological zone called the Augusta Zone - nestly smashed between the Carolina Slate Belt and the sandhills on the edge of the coastal lowlands. On our property my son and i have identified quartz geodes, greenschist, and iron oxide type feldspar. There is also an abundance of black sand in and around the creek. What would you suggest is the best way to sample the area, what equipment do we need, and what would you say are our chances of making a decent find on our own property? I should also mention we are a dozen/two dozen miles south of the Barite Hill bonanza lode. I dont want to be too exact, but if you wanted to examine our situation i can email some photos and maps. Please let us know what you think.

[@ChrisRalph]

I would start out just sampling gravels with a gold pan, a pick and a shovel. If you get gold colors, you can move up to other stuff.

[@Inkling2B]

@ChrisRalph Thanks for the tip. Not sure what sample size to start with but we'll just poke around and have fun with it. Thanks for your very informative and comprehensive videos - I've been watching them end on end since I stumbled on your channel. My son is excited about getting out there and finding some neat stuff. Thanks again!

[@ChrisRalph]

Take a sample that fills your gold pan. Test one pan full at a time.

[@AnubisAchi]

The best channel

[@ChrisRalph]

Thank you very much for the compliment.

[@kevin_brown_dc3423]

So when there are heavy rains in normally dry states or there are earth quakes...does that expose new gold?

[@ChrisRalph]

Earthquakes - no. Flooding will move gold around in streams that have gold in them.

[@kevin_brown_dc3423]

@@ChrisRalph Ok, I see. Thank you. It is really nice that you answer our questions. You are very responsive and interactive and that is very much appreciated. God bless!

[@13thbiosphere]

The smart thing to do with check both sides of the bends

[@ChrisRalph]

Occasionally, there can be gold on the outside bend, but normally, not much.

[@sandratutupoly-grappasonno6114]

Hi. I'm in sac ca. Orangevale area. I been looking in the lower American river area near nimbus dam. Am I wasting my time? I've found fines. But I'm a rookie. I don't see any bedrock by the river here. Just large cobbles. Where's the bedrock?

[@ChrisRalph]

You are down in the valley. There is no bedrock there and you are doing well to even get some fines. Go farther up river. If you go up I-80 to Colfax and take the road to Iowa Hill, you will go past Mineral Bar where the road crosses over the North fork of the American - You will see plenty of bedrock there. I have done well there and found small flakes and pickers in cracks on the bedrock.

[@stevecollier1810]

would reading a wash be same idea as a river?

[@ChrisRalph]

Yes. In general a wash would be steeper.

[@oswald.v.m.france8171]

Chris is those deposit still out there can i invest on it or that is only KZbin gold field

[@ChrisRalph]

We may have a language problem. I never mentioned a company that might be in need of investment.

[@greedygringoprospecting6941]

was in the pinacate district (perris ca). they built a house were the good hope mine was you could see the intrusive bed rock. rust in the dirt. but riddled with bullets. and seeing people shooting. found a old corner post ,some white paint on a 4x4 post laying there. go back further. off santa tosa mine rd. walk a bit more. just trash and bullets. today. have a good day.

[@ChrisRalph]

When you get in areas where there are loads of people, there will likely be loads of bullets and trash. That has been my experience.

[@TotalFreedomTTT-pk9st]

After listening off and on to sleep you must have traveled quite a bit and seen way more than me - it sounds exciting - like hunting all the time

[@ChrisRalph]

Been to 5 of the 7 continents.

[@TotalFreedomTTT-pk9st]

@@ChrisRalph This might be like sending chocolate to a guy working in a chocolate factory but here is a link to this series from 1985 All about metals and minerals great raining day stuff Out of the Fiery Furnace - Episode 1 - From Stone to Bronze kzbin.info/www/bejne/aqendYCPrs1_eNk

[@danhurlbut776]

Hey Mr Ralph. What’s your take on the current band on dredging in California, fish and game lost there ban after 8 years and was ordered by a judge to reopen gredging and issue permits within one year. They in turn gave it to the water resources board and came out with permits but. With regulations banding all rivers and streams. What gives the state the right do that after a court order was issued to reopen dredge I DONT UNDERSTAND THIS

[@ChrisRalph]

I'm not a lawyer, a legislator or a judge, I can't tell you what passes for laws in California. But I can tell you that California is super liberal, and full of environmental extremists. And those super liberal folks elect super liberal politicians and judges.

[@danhurlbut776]

Thank you for your quick reply , and your right about the environmental extremism. It’s a shame we have the best gold bearing rivers in the US and we can’t recreational mine in them anymore

[@ChrisRalph]

Its not the same as dredging, but one can still get away with sniping.

[@danhurlbut776]

@@ChrisRalph ABSOLUTELY I still due a lot of sniping now a days and metal detecting

[@markbelanger5757]

A couple of questions. There is a river in new hampshire called the Swift River. It follows the kancamagus highway. It cuts right through the mountains. Everyone around here knows about it. It's very beautiful. It cuts into the mountains, making gorges. Some times bed rock is exposed. When prospectors around here talk about which rivers and brooks have gold. No one ever mentions the swift river on the kango. The swift river " not to be confused with the swift river in Maine" " or the diamond swift river in northern newhamshire" has gold written all over it. Weather it comes from a outcropping or the last ice age. I have prospected twice there. And both times there were signs of alot of others digging there. I don't know if they found anything, I know I didn't find one speck. But i'm not giving up on that river. Question... Does the water move faster on the inside or outside? How about a strait away? Does the gold keep going deeper? Also is there a way to find out how deep the bedrock is in certain places? I mean you can"t just take a metal pole with a point on the end and keep pushing it until it stops. The bedrock could be 10 feet down or more. The swift river I'm talking about, usually gets a good spring flood because of all the snow melt and spring rains coming down the mountains. And it's in the white Mountain national forest. They let you pan for gold there, but with tight restrictions. You can't use a sluce. Which I think is kind of silly. You can just use a pan and small gardening tools. I can see not alowing a highbanker or Dredge that runs off of gasoline. None one wants anybody possibly spilling gas in those beautiful places. But not alowing a sluice, just slows you down. A sluice does no harm. Thanks for the great videos Chris! I have learned alot from you.

[@ChrisRalph]

The water moves faster on the outside of a bend. Even on a good gold bearing river, if you dig in the wrong places, you wont get a speck. Gold moves deeper during floods when everything down to bedrock is moving. Gold resists moving as everything else goes by, and when the other stuff moves, the gold moves downward. I talk about all this in the video you commented on. A lot of being successful in prospecting is knowing what you are doing and where to look.

[@just_inolredneck8319]

So kinda like the recent flooding in Nc mtns from the corner of nc/tn/va…?

[@ChrisRalph]

I'm sure some of that flooding moved gold around.

[@ChaplainDaveSparks]

I have a question about gold. I watched a man selling gold coins on a cable channel. He was throwing in a small tube of gold leaf. He made an interesting statement about it, though. He claimed that you can’t *MELT* gold leaf because it would *_BURN_* first! I somehow doubt this. Can it possibly be true? Even *IF* it would burn *under normal circumstances,* couldn’t you put it into a vacuum or inert gas first?

[@ChrisRalph]

People make stuff that is "gold leaf" that actually contains no gold - its gold colored stuff. I have some. It does burn - but its not gold. Let the buyers beware of the hucksters on cable TV.

[@nabeysafarlo4730]

Hokey ❤thenkyo 🎉

[@ChrisRalph]

4

[@AurProspector]

Great Video

[@ChrisRalph]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@kirkstewart-vf6hg]

Through vibration expansion and contraction crevices open up or close shut. My dredging partner years ago took our bar and started prying on a big crack you couldn't squeeze a piece of paper into. I said what are you doing nothing can get into that crack. He opened up a slab of bedrock as big as a bed we took over 1/2 ounce outa that crack and nuggets up to two pennyweight . Made a believer outa me as the crack or fracture was shut tight

[@ChrisRalph]

Big cracks like that can have hidden side entrances too.

[@mathman1475]

We had a well that pumped black sand. Doesn’t anyone know if that black sand was likely to have gold in it?

[@ChrisRalph]

black sand is a million times more common than gold. Iron is the 4th most common element and oxygen is the first. Black sand is a combination of the two. If you think it might have gold, test it and see.

[@mahammudibra657]

Hi.I ❤ it.The best.

[@ChrisRalph]

I'm glad it was helpful!

[@TotalFreedomTTT-pk9st]

2nd question is why can't they dig below like 8 miles or however deep the KOLA mines or holes ? in Russian go ? is the 'earth' too hard or the opposite where it is too hot and melting ? like do the drill bits melt ? I'm curious on the limitation outside of let's say economic factors like there is nothing useful below 40,000 feet

[@ChrisRalph]

Yes, iron gets soft at bright red heat. and no one gets stuff from 40,000 feet deep because to get it from there, it cost 1,000 times more than its worth. Want to pay $200 for a single small nail? you get the idea.

[@TotalFreedomTTT-pk9st]

@@ChrisRalph Without being difficult - you remove the carbon down to 99.9995% pure steel and you'll pay $200 for a nail at this point I try to buy super soft iron for Free Energy experiments and am amazed how expensive super soft iron is just an aside

[@kirkstewart-vf6hg]

Over 40 years gold dredging and believe it or not most all my gold I found was on the outside bends not inside or middle of river or in the riffles after a deep hole...

[@ChrisRalph]

Ok. Not my experience or the experience of many dozens of dredgers I know, but I don't doubt what you say.

[@pauly51]

14:15 or clay

[@ChrisRalph]

ok.

[@TotalFreedomTTT-pk9st]

You're like Home Depot where they have to accept all returns and you will answer all questions so here goes - I live in Northern Ohio and below me is there potential 'gold' albeit tiny atomic amounts ? like I'd watched a great series called "Out of the Fiery Furnas" (which all episodes are on KZbin - 1985 British excellent ) but one comment in there was that almost all handfuls of dirt contains tiny amounts of bauxite but it's concentrations are so so low - is that true of Gold ? like is there Gold below where I'm typing do you think ? and this is not so I'll start digging but more a philosophical question it's fascinating to think of a 'world' of earth below me

[@ChrisRalph]

Yes, rocks contain tiny, tiny traces of lots of stuff. Aluminum is fairly common as its the 3rd most common element in the earth's crust. Gold is rare and present only in the tiniest, parts per billion traces. Deposits that are mined are natural concentrations of the elements caused by geologic action.

[@TotalFreedomTTT-pk9st]

@@ChrisRalph Mr Encyclopedia ! you must have taken typing like me - most people send emojies

[@jamest.5001]

So drill and dig testing! I was thinking with my zero experience drill a hole 3"-12" possibly to bed rock. Then possibly spray water in the hole, then dredge it out test panning each level, use a gas or electric auger , i have seen up to 16" diameter, and capable of going over 10' deep! Take about 5 gallons of water, a high pressure low volume 12/24,v pump capable of 100+psi. Basically a car wash spray, then spray tge bottom of the holes, and pump the water out i to a gold pan or sluice! If the hole is 8-10' or less! If it brings up gold, follow it with a shovel! This is basically the same idea behind well drilling! Only alot different! Also a pocket can be opened a couple feet around the bottom of the hole similar to hydraulic mining. Onle concentraited using a tiny amount of water and recycling it! Pass through classifiers, a gold or heavies collector, then settling pond. With a large sentiment filter i was thinking about sewing large socks make a 18-36" ring with a 8-10" diameter tube filled with coarse sand, with another sewn on top possibly,3-4 put it in the tub , place the pump in the center! It should keep the solids out! The Pump being 5gph or less , im from the east, we have plenty of water about anywhere, id like to go out west prospect about a bit! Maybe get a old mine claim! Probably not a so great one. And possibly find something the miners though was mined out! As long as i can get a 1/4-1/2 oz every few weeks , month or less, id like to find a drift mine, like jeff Williams, though a quartz vein would be ok also, Maybe sneak a bit of black powder on a few holes. Use some feather and wedges, possibly a core drill, drill a 3"-4" core 6' place a peanut butter jar of powder in there bottom. Cement about 5' of the core back in the hole! Drill about 4-6 holes around it for displacement, go far away and let it rip , surely A pound or two of powder will break rocks! Haha. Probably not go that far! But i could definitely build a small wash plant. Rock crusher, pulverizer/hammer mill, possibly even shaker table! I even looked into a bit of ar,500, for a hammer mill, if you are going to crush it just as well turn it to dust! Jason at mbmm makes some nice EXPENSIVE equipment! Im thinking running everything from a single engine like a factory back 150 year ago! Possibly use. A car /truck engine a 5.9 Cummins diesel from dodge truck, or tractor, all kinds of equipment used this engine! It can generate power, spin a shaft to powe all the equipment and pumps. I was thinking, mount everything on a 20-30' trailer. With the sluice hanging off it. But what i was thinking to start would fit everything in s 8' trailer! Sorry to ramble. Have a awesome day. Thank for the info. If i ever make anything of it. Ill send you a nugget!! Or gem. We have gems in my area of NC!

[@ChrisRalph]

You will find out drilling a hole in loose gravel is an adventure in itself!

[@blakiniknorguild142]

Your ears had to be burning as we were talking about this the day before your video was released.

[@ChrisRalph]

I've been working on it a couple weeks - you must have overheard me!

[@TheScmtnrider]

Great topic Chris! Most helpful. I live on a 55 acre ranch with a patented placer lot on 7/8 mile of Mill Creek in Scott Bar Ca. 1½ miles from the Scott River. (You may have heard of Scott Bar. It's 15 pound pure placer nugget, and the largest placer strike ever in California around 1850.) Somebody up there likes me. 😁 You know, it's hard to focus on your words because I can't unsee the word "Rive" on the white board 😂 Thank you for all you share here bro! I have a guest house if you ever wanna check out this region and community. Contact thru my channel ✌️ J 👍

[@snakejim]

Yep, you live in a neat area. Lot's of Gold in your back yard.

[@TheScmtnrider]

@@snakejim I'm truly blessed. Thanks!

[@ChrisRalph]

One of these days, maybe. I have so many projects on the list.

[@TheScmtnrider]

A small community of 54, was 19,000 in the 1850s. Many old prospectors who'd love to meet you and trade golden lies... 😂

[@ChrisRalph]

I always wanted to go up into that general area and hunt platinum.

[@seanb3516]

The missing 'r' was stolen by Pyrites. Arrrrrrrrrr.....

[@ChrisRalph]

The dread pyrite Goldbeard, no doubt.

[@ChaplainDaveSparks]

*-Cry-* Read me a river … 😀 Seriously, I love your channel. I need to search your videos to see if there's one that estimates what it would cost in equipment to pan for gold. Sounds like a fun *HOBBY* if not a real money-making enterprise!

[@ChrisRalph]

It's doubly not a real money-making enterprise if you care coming in with no experience, no knowledge - and a lot of the guys who have never found any gold before think its just easy.

[@ChaplainDaveSparks]

@@ChrisRalph True … Of course, most hobbies are expensive. (Maybe chess?😀) My most expensive one was aviation! Just *FINDING* gold would be fun, though. Sort of like fishing … sometimes you don’t catch anything, and sometimes it would have been cheaper to buy fish at the store, but it’s the _”experience”_ … 😀

[@GoldenBoy-et6of]

​@ChrisRalph gas cost is the biggest thing that makes it unprofitable so the only way it's rly possible is to find a pay streak and camp at it for weeks at a time , I only know one spot in my whole life that's acctually able to make a legitimate profit and it was a spot I was shown by old timers who basically only go to that spot xD

[@johnnyappleseed2058]

You have a high degree of teaching ability, if you had chosen to be a teacher none of us would need gold!

[@ChrisRalph]

I come from a family full of teachers - some of it rubbed off.

[@shucksful]

It would be a lot easier to find gold if people would stop saying “GET OFF MY PROPERTY!” Meanwhile, the owner has never panned in their life. Ohhhh, it’s great to be an American! 😂

[@ChrisRalph]

And yet if the owner allows folks on his property and one of them stumbles and falls - that person can sue him for every nickel he has. Given the way the laws are, I can't blame the owners.

[@shucksful]

@@ChrisRalph Yeah, you’re right. But…….it sure would be nice to go wherever you want without all the heat. If I sprained my ankle in a private creek, I’m positive I wouldn’t even think of suing the owner. Lol. I’ll sign the paperwork and everything. 😁

[@johnmcclure4946]

“Glory hole” is another name, lol

[@ChrisRalph]

that term has a double meaning -

[@ringhunter100]

a grappler moment

[@ChrisRalph]

And that is...........?

[@ringhunter100]

@@ChrisRalph i never commented on this video . I was referring to a live car chase in California.....weird?

[@ChrisRalph]

That is weird.

[@Arizonafun-y5w]

The funny thing is no gold ever reported in the area the gold was found😂

[@ChrisRalph]

Not sure what you mean.

[@vincentbugalia3858]

River...r-i-v-e-r.

[@ChrisRalph]

You did see the comment, right?

[@vincentbugalia3858]

No, I only check for spelling errors.@@ChrisRalph

[@ChrisRalph]

You didn't watch the video where I noted the mistake.

[@shanelocke237]

"ONYA CHRIS" Another GREAT INFORMATIVE UPLOAD/VIDEO LOADED FULL OF EXELLENT CONTENT THAT YOU YOURSELF PREPARED FOR US FELLOW PROSPECTORS.I was wondering if you can do a upload/video about pressure & suction eddy's,just some food for thought about eddy's for those who don't know or heard about.MANY MANY THANKS CHRIS YOUR A TOP BLOKE/MAN.Shane Bathurst way Australia 🏞🇦🇺

[@ChrisRalph]

Glad you enjoyed it. eddys are difficult to see. The ones you see when the stream is flowing at normal levels are nothing like the ones that exist when the stream is at a high flood flow level.

[@THATPROSPECTORSLIFE]

I’ve been binging your videos all day. God I wish you had been my teacher back in school I would have for sure gone on to be a geologist myself I think had it worked that way. You explain everything so perfectly and easily digestible teachings. Ok off to go watch 100 more videos from you 😂🫡🫡🫡

[@ChrisRalph]

Wow, thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed the videos.