Cache Creek Gold Prospecting Responsibilities

Trees should stand tall at Cache Creek, not down in a hole!

Cache Creek is becoming a challenge to keep things from getting out of control. While most miners in the area adhere to the regs, there are those who feel the regs do not apply to them when no one is watching. Several violations will be addressed here, and hopefully get the word out that these types of infractions jeopardize the continuation of keeping the area open to the public.

First is the undermining of trees. NO ONE who has NOT contacted the BLM about tree removal is allowed to remove ANY tree for ANY reason. The tree above was undercut three feet past its' tap root. This tree was also marked in orange and was to be saved. Who in their right mind would undermine a tree to this extent and cause such a hazard to all who are in the area? Camp Hosts called BLM concerning it and obtained permission to take it down, but if this irresponsible conduct continues, BLM will close this area due to the unsafe nature of the area to all who visit.

FIRES MUST BE CONTAINED IN A METAL FIRE CONTAINER, AND MUST BE OUTSIDE THE DAY USE AREA! In case you are not aware, the middle mountains of Colorado are under extreme fire danger regardless of the amount of rain we get. Beetle kill is so wide spread that any fire is potentially the start of a fire here that will be unstoppable due to the number of dead and dying trees. Certainly, no one using Cache Creek would want to be responsible for or prosecuted for starting such a fire. This is NO JOKE! It is VERY serious, and beyond being ticketed for having a fire on the ground and not in an elevated metal fire pan, the Federal Government WILL jail you for starting a forest fire, as they have before for irresponsible behavior.

PICK UP YOUR CIGARETTE BUTTS!

FILL IN YOUR HOLES! While we are aware that many leave the holes open for themselves or others to use after they have left the area, this poses a danger for anyone walking above them. Camp Hosts are constantly filling in holes and pits that others leave. This is exhausting work, and if you think it takes too much of your time, imagine how much time it takes for those who did not make them in the first place.

The bear is becoming more aggressive. It is appearing earlier in the evening and is getting used to people, their noises and movements. This is creating a situation where the camping signs will need to be moved so that all the camps are not so close together creating a foraging opportunity for the bear. You are in its' habitat, not the other way around, and it would be prudent for campers to spread out a bit so that a confrontation with the bear is less likely to happen. The area being used now may be convenient, but it is creating a problem with congestion, etc.

We are hopeful that all will abide by common sense and the regulations posted on the kiosk, as well as not pushing the envelope when no one is watching. We are not there to babysit all of you, but it seems as if some of you need that. We truly do not want to lose this area to the irresponsible actions of a few. Please do not shoot at the bear. An attack will close the area and the bear will suffer the consequences as well as you will. All of you are responsible for policing yourselves and questioning your neighbors if their actions are not in compliance with regulations. Enforcement is NOT your duty, but you can ask why they are acting the way they are, and report to the camp host any questionable activity as soon as possible so that action by them can be taken.

Good Prospecting to You,
Shirley
www.hookedongold.com

New Gold Prospecting Toy

Ready to find those yellow rocks!

Wow! getting everything written and posted while being involved with all we are doing in reallife is becoming more challenging. I will have several posts in the next couple of days concerning gold and Cache Creek, and other things going on.

Today, the UTV is finished and ready to roll. Cloudy weather may keep us close to 'home' and not out finding gold, but we should be able to take our new toy out for a spin on some back roads to see how it handles. That's it in the photo, and yeah it's for us old people. Originally developed for light duty use on a farm, it looks like it will be just what we need to get around on those roads we cannot get the truck up.

The gold prospecting season here on the Arkansas is starting to heat up, even though weather has been a hinderance. Most days have been warm until early afternoon when we get showers, sometimes lasting into the evening. Everything here seems to be about a month behind and we still have cottonwood cotton flying around. We have found gold with our pans while we are hosting at Cache Creek and taken the metal detectors out to find some more gold, too. Website should show you the changes in the claim status at Cache Creek in the next day or so. We have active claims now at the cemetery, so you need to stay out of there. All for now. Stay tuned!

Good Prospecting to You,
Shirley Weilnau
www.hookedongold.com
www.hookedongoldprospecting.ning.com
hookedongold@gmail.com contact us

Cache Creek Gold Prospecting

Building from days long ago

Ok, Ok, it's been a while since I have had time to enter a blog post on this site, but we have been SUPER busy. Twitter helps with info, but it just isn't the same, is it? Weather has not been with us so far, but it should be getting better as June turns into July.

We have begun the Camp Host program at Cache Creek and begun trying to address some of the problems in the area. Undercutting of trees is still going on and everyone needs to remember that you need to stay 10 feet from the trees leaving their main roots alone. Cutting of trees is prohibited and the digging of straight down pits is dangerous. Anyone doing that needs to fill those in completely. It is NOT the Camp Hosts job to clean up your mess.

Another item that came to our attention is the claims at the bottom of the valley near the highway and below the cemetery. Those are now active and everyone needs to respect that and stay out of there.

The Porta Potty has been a big hit, so much so that GPOC is looking into having it pumped either twice a week or putting in a second one if funds permit from the grant money. All for now.

Good Prospecting to You,
Shirley
www.hookedongold.com
www.hookedongoldprospecting.ning.com
hookedongold@gmail.com

Gold Prospecting in the Rain

Another great shot of Mt. Princeton from Snowy Peaks RV Park.

Last week was dismally wet with rain nearly eveny day. This is one of the last shots I got of the mountains before everything went cloudy and grey. I have a couple of great shots out my back window of the park and how wet and gloomy the day was yesterday posted on hookedongoldprospecting. You can see them on the main page.

Snow lines were below the trees today as we sped our way through South Park on our way back to Arvada to open mail and finish getting everything ready for our summer escape. We will still have a few trips back and forth, but we should be able to stay most of the time in B.V.

We have injoyed our stay at Snowy Peaks, too, even though the weather has been less than great. Even in the rain, the staff goes busily about their chores and everything in the park is kept tidy. Six shower/restrooms and an onsite laundry makes keeping everything clean very convenient. Many activities are scheduled throughout the week in addition to everything that is going on in Buena Vista.

With all the snow and rain we have had these past couple of months, I want to remind everyone that we are in Spring runoff in Colorado, and all the streams and rivers are running high and swift. It only takes a couple on inches of swift water to knock you down and send you tumbling along the boulders. 6 inches can turn a car over.

Gold prospecting season is heating up. Have fun out there, but remember you are looking and finding gold in wild places, so be careful.

Good Prospecting to You,
Shirley
www.hookedongold.com
www.hookedongoldprospecting.ning.com
hookedongold@gmail.com