'09 Colorado State Gold Panning Championships

Come one, come all to the '09 Colorado State Gold Panning Championships this Friday, Saturday and Sunday in Breckenridge, Colorado. Brought to you by Gold Prospectors of Colorado, we will hold three days of gold panning competitions that will include Jrs., Old Timers, National, Teams, Women's, Men's, State, and Worlds Dry.

GPOC will also have their panning troughs out for the public to try their hand at gold panning as well as watching some of the best panners in the country compete for this year's titles.

Come on out and join us for three days of fun in the high country, and try your hand at finding gold with a gold pan like the old timers did! See you there.

Good Prospecting to You,
Shirley
www.hookedongold.com

Resolution of Issues at Cache Creek

I posted this today on the ning site, too, and rather than have to retype the information, I am going to just copy it for you here. I can't really make it better or different. Spelling probably will be better here, though, as I wrote this very early this morning. :>D

I am VERY happy to report to you this morning that the situation at Cache Creek this past week has been resolved without arrest or revocation of permit. I also want all of you to know that the BLM was very cooperative in sending a team to get this under control, going so far as to pull a ranger from Montrose to assist while the Canyon City field office ranger was unavailable. We want to thank them for their response.

The person in question was successfully contacted by Ranger Ted and other BLM department heads and was made to understand what violations he had made and what consequences there would be if he did not cease his line of belligerence. No matter what happens up there, assault is not OK. It is against criminal law and we still have the option to have this person arrested and prosecuted, so watch your conduct out there. This is not the wild wild west.

For any one's information, the distance from each other needs to be at least a shovel's length or ten feet. An 18 foot perimeter around you is unreasonable and BLM officers have said that no one may interfere with anyone else prospecting there that is doing so lawfully. The area is public land and any one has the same rights to digging in any spot as any one else. We will continue to respect, at minimum, the 10 foot rule and not digging in someones hole that has a bucket in it and shows up each day by noon to work that hole. Let me make it clear here, that we are not required to do this. We are trying to extend some common courtesy to all of you.

Only one highbanking permit is permited per person for the year and can be extended for an additional 10 days for a total of 20 days per season. On the KIOSK you will also see a regulation that says if your highbanker is set up and you do not run that day, you must count that day as a day used. We lost two days ourselves this past week on our permit dealing with storms and this situation. THRILLED that we lost a day to this mess!

Anyway, rest assured that the situation has been dealt with and this individual is now aware that BLM does know what is going on and that they are prepared to defend us and what we are doing. Also that we, under the hosting contract with GPOC, are under their federal employee umbrella for defense. We cannot control the bear, however, and all of you are on your own where it is concerned. LOL! Make sure you keep you food, toiletries, and anything that has scent under control at all times. You are in his backyard, not the other way around.

One other thing I would like to bring up is that BLM will be modifying the regulations this fall to deal with some new things that are coming up this summer. One will most probably deal with the number of days sluicers will be allowed to use the area. This is NOT an area to come in and mine all summer like a claim, monopolizing large areas that others should have equal access to.

Please help us bring a good experience to the hundreds of people who access this area.

Good Prospecting to You,
Shirley
www.hookedongold.com

Obeying Gold Prospecting Rules and Regulations

Natural Granite Arch east of Buena Vista

Time is just going too quickly. I think I'm doing OK with information and then find out that I haven't blogged for weeks! As you can see, we have been having a bit of fun with the UTV wandering around seeing things we cannot see with the truck. Oh, we find some gold, too. :>D

Hosting occasionally up at Cache Creek is interesting to say the least. We find all kinds of people there, and most are very nice. We enjoy talking with them and giving them out information along with tips on what to do with equipment or how to use a pan. Every once in a while, we come across someone who just does not play by the regulations and it makes it VERY hard for everyone there, least of all us. Law enforcement has had to be called this last week, and we are still trying to get everyone in the same place at the same time to straighten out a few people who think they have a 'claim' up there on some of the ground.

Yes, we have been threatened and acosted, too, as many of your have read elsewhere, but we do hope to be able to solve this problem without anyone getting hurt or arrested. A word to everyone about public land; you cannot come to Colorado and set yourself up to make a living finding gold on public land. First, you have to move too much dirt, and second the BLM frowns on it. Yes, it is hard to catch you at it, but, come on, people, you are on the honor system with this, and apparently some of you are pretty dishonest. The area can be shut down in an instant, and quite frankly, we are getting tired of a few others coming here from other states and ruining these areas for us, the residents of this state. Just because you can does NOT mean that you SHOULD. Right now, if they close down Cache Creek, I will not miss it. I am REALLY tired of the B.S.

Good Prospecting to You,
Shirley
http://www.hookedongold.com/

Time Passes Quickly When You Are Finding Gold

Mountain Vistas in Gold Country!

It's July 5th. I am having a hard time believing that my last post here was on June 27th! I am online almost every day writing somewhere and answering questions, so if I have neglected you here, I am sorry.

Gold closed last Friday around $931.00 and it is at $929.60 now. The 4th of July weekend was quiet at Cache Creek, and we are looking at our second trip back home to pick up mail. That might not seem significant to you, but that means we have been away for almost a month, since the P.O. will only hold for 30 days. Our oldest son will be celebrating his 35th birthday this week, and the youngest is moving. Needless to say, this trip back will be very busy although short.

We have found gold most days we have looked, and with the Arkansas still near flood stage, Cache Creek and Point Bar are about all there is that can be worked right now. Lots of nice gold is still coming out regularly. Most days there is one highbanker to every 4 sluices at Cache Creek, and some days there are no 'bankers at all. Weather has been cool with rain most days, too. New signs have been placed by the BLM concerning trees as too many are being undercut and taken down. They also placed a piece of plexi glass on the permanent information side of the Kiosk so weather and wind doesn't send the papers flying all over the parking lot.

We had our water pump go out on the new UTV on Saturday, and we suspect it was damaged in the first place, as I could smell coolant and water vapor from the start. The impeller also does not turn, so we are looking at conversations with the shiper tomorrow morning to see what needs to be done. We are looking forward to some July sunshine, and then will probably complain about how hot it is. LOL! DID find some more old markers and got a better look at others that we have photographed before the pump went out. Until next time...

Good Prospecting to You,
Shirley