“Shallow water dredging can be very rewarding”

 

When it comes to small-scale gold mining, disability does not mean inability. It simply means that we must make accommodations. If you want to say that you can’t do something, then you won’t be able to do it. Your disability, when it comes to mining, is a state of mind. There is a form of small-scale mining that will fit everyone.

Possibly, I have been fortunate in being able to find miners to show me how to mine. Almost everyone I have run into has been more than willing to help, but better than that, they were willing to share their knowledge with hands-on demonstrations. Using this information, I have been able to determine what accommodations I must make for my personal disabilities.

Most of us are unwilling to accept the fact that we may not be able to do something. I think those of us with disabilities may have a greater failing in this. I’m as guilty as anyone.

I started out with a pan and a couple of buckets, and then added a sluice. What I hadn’t properly learned was how to pan. With two bad shoulders and a lack of breathing capacity, the standard panning style just doesn’t work. An old miner with arthritis in his back showed me how he does it, and it works. Confidentially, I still don’t pan well, and that’s why I own a mechanical panner. The next step up was a 2 1/2-inch dredge. It breaks down into manageable loads, and I call it a “four tripper.” Four trips for me to get it in or out of an area.

Keep in mind that miners are a friendly and helpful group. If you are having trouble moving equipment, then ask for help, but I’ll bet you are offered help before you ask. Don’t let anyone kid you, shallow water dredging can be very rewarding. You may not be pulling an ounce a day, but what’s wrong with a couple pennyweight? Also don’t forget that at the end of the day you are going to have to do something with the concentrates you have produced during the day. They weigh twice as much at the end of the day when you are carrying them to your vehicle.

The biggest mistake I made was to let my desire to move more material overtake my common sense. I bought a 4-inch dredge. It became a six-plus tripper. After putting it in the water twice, being exhausted each time, and having friends become very concerned when they watched me move the loads, I have given up on that idea. I’m now back to the 2 1/2-incher. I recently saw in a magazine article a listing of what the author felt was the minimum dredge set-up to start out. He felt that a 4″ dredge was the best, and this included air. I won’t argue too much, but my concern is really with the many miners who begin using air without training. For the person with a heart or lung problem, the compressed air could be a killer.

Another alternative to consider is having a partner. It can be your wife, girlfriend, or just a friend. This way you can share the equipment-moving chores, and you can complement each other when it comes to the mining. If nothing else, someone has to carry the drink cooler and be “straw boss.”

Small-scale gold mining can be good exercise, but know your limits. Have a talk with your doctor to see if there may be a change in your medication due to exercise or altitude. My medications do change when I’m on the river. Your doctor will probably look at you like you are crazy when you say gold mining. Just show the doctor some of the gold you have found. You may end up with the Doc on the river, too!

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