Mark Ress and Family Last June East Fork Prospecting Camping Trip GPAA Gold and Treasure Show Pomona Feature Article
Feature Article
Gold Nugget Winners! From Route 66 Miner’s Booth At GPAA Gold & Treasure Show
Feature Article
BirthOf of The The Pick, Pick, Pan Pan and and Shovel Shovel Route Route 66 Crest Birth Dredging: Time To Suck? Gold Trails Films An Episode Featuring Route 66 Club Members At Lytle Creek (Middle Fork) View Pictures From Part of The Day
$42,000 Australian Nugget For Sale At The GPAA Gold and Treasure Show In Pomona Plus The Winner of The GPAA Alaskan Trip
If You’d Like Your Articles, Pictures or Stories Featured In Our Next Newsletter Please Submit Your Content To MarkRess@gmail.com
Mark Ress and Family Camping & Prospecting Out In The East Fork June of 2014
Older story but thought why not! Here are just a few pictures of my family and I last June (2014) when we were out at the East Fork Camping and Prospecting for 3 days. It was a lot of fun and something we recommend to all families. You should try it at least once if you’ve never been.
Get Your Gold Panning Starter Kit – Includes 2 GREENE GOLD PANS (TWO SIZES), 1 MAGNIFYING TWEEZERS, 1 TROWEL, 1 SEPARTOR MAGNET & 3 GOLD VIALS + MORE
Mark Ress and Family Camping & Prospecting Out In The East Fork June of 2014
Older story but thought why not! Here are just a few pictures of my family and I last June (2014) when we were out at the East Fork Camping and Prospecting for 3 days. It was a lot of fun and something we recommend to all families. You should try it at least once if you’ve never been. Pictures Continued
This Is a Different Panning Kit - The Popular Garret Gold Panning Kit Which Includes 2 Gold Pans (2 Sizes), 1 Classifier, 1 Snuffer Bottle, 1 Magnifier with Tweezer Combo
Mark Ress and Family Camping & Prospecting Out In The East Fork June of 2014
Older story but thought why not! Here are just a few pictures of my family and I last June (2014) when we were out at the East Fork Camping and Prospecting for 3 days. It was a lot of fun and something we recommend to all families. You should try it at least once if you’ve never been. Pictures Continued
Best Mosquito Repellent Repel 94101 Six Ounce Sportsman MAX Insect Repellant – 40% DEET – Pump Spray
Mark Ress and Family Camping & Prospecting Out In The East Fork June of 2014
Older story but thought why not! Here are just a few pictures of my family and I last June (2014) when we were out at the East Fork Camping and Prospecting for 3 days. It was a lot of fun and something we recommend to all families. You should try it at least once if you’ve never been. Pictures Continued
Camping Chair
GPAA Gold & Treasure Show Pomona 2015
Here are some photos from the GPAA Gold & Treasure Show Pomona that took place this past weekend February 7th and 8th. View the bottom of this page to see how you can view the pictures in a larger size via a Web Gallery I put together for our members. I think you’ll enjoy the Web Gallery.
To view the pictures in a larger size you can click here to visit the Web Gallery version which also has some embedded music that folks should like. Click here to view instructions on the Web Gallery >>>> Click here to view the Web Gallery.
Birth of The Pick, Pan & Shovel Route 66 Crest Feature Article | Feature Article | Feature Article Article & Pictures Submitted by Victor Wolf
I have always loved everything about gold prospecting and treasure hunting. What isn’t there to love except for the backbreaking shoveling, sore feet, blazing heat or bone chilling snow melt rivers? Biting flies don’t bother me much because my blood is toxic so they can have it. So why do real prospectors go through this voluntary insanity? Because it gives anyone who does it the thrill of finding free gold to the seeker. Gold never seen or touched by another human. That is just plain cool. So I checked out a few prospecting clubs over the years and had not found one that was a fit for me until I came across the Brea Chapter Route 66 Club. Walked in with some buddies of mine back in 2013 and met some mining junkies like me and thought I would stick around for a few more meetings. I’m still here. One thing I noticed back then at the meetings was just a dry eraser board with a few notes here and there about the Club. I had been planning on putting together a vintage pick-shovel & pan coat of arms for myself of which I collected over time and then like a cheap shot from Batman, “POW” it hit me! Why not share it with the Club so at meetings or GPAA shows, everyone who sees it knows who and what it represents. The pick and shovel symbol is known worldwide and to me is a bond of prospecting brotherhood or sisterhood to those who see it. When I was helping with the set up the Friday before the Pomona Gold show, the only thing we had in the booth at the time was this new Crest and I noticed quite a few other members from other local Gold clubs just standing and staring at it. I talked to one gent who said simply, “ That’s really nice, I don’t know why our club doesn’t have something like that”. I said “ Well, you can join our club and stare at it every month for free if you want”. He just laughed and kept staring at it like a first love. Anyways, that is the story of how this new old rusty crest sign found it’s way to the Route 66 Brea Chapter. I just wish that it had real gold in that pan. Maybe someday I will have it in mine. Pictures Featuring The Route 66 Crest On The Next Page >>>
Birth of The Pick, Pan & Shovel Route 66 Crest Featured Pictures | Featured Pictures | Featured Pictures
Photo above shows Victor Wolf and his wife Tammye as well as other members of the club.
Thanks to Victor for his submission of the Write Up and pictures of how our awesome Route 66 Crest came to be. We appreciate the effort you put into this and it does elevate our club’s status amongst the other clubs. This crest definitely gives me a sense of pride and can’t say thank you enough for putting this together. It is nice to know the story and inspiration for our beloved crest!
Dredging: Time To Suck? Submitted By Our President Kevin Tatum
Well as many of you have heard by now, judge Ochoa ruled in favor of miners in our fight for our rights to dredge on federal mining claims. The Judge's Ruling -Besides citing the 1872 Mining Act in his ruling, Ochoa cited the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution, which states that federal law supersedes state law as “the supreme law of the land.” -Referencing other cases in which states have in the past unsuccessfully attempted to skirt federal mining law, Ochoa writes: “The general rule is the ‘where state law stands as an obstacle to the accomplishment the full purposes and objectives of Congress,’ it is preempted.” - Ochoa continues in his ruling to cite Perez v. Campbell, decision which states: “‘any state legislation which frustrates the full effectiveness if federal law is rendered invalid by the Supremacy Clause’ regardless of the underlying purpose of its enactors.” --“PLP makes essentially the same arguments,” Ochoa wrote in his ruling. Ochoa also mentioned the argument of the New ’49ers: “The New ’49ers acknowledge that the State of California has lawful power to enact reasonable environmental regulations that do not materially interfere with mining regulations (Granite Rock), however, the New ’49ers argue that the State cannot lawfully require permits and then refuse to issue them, forbid mining entirely in certain areas, or require miners to participate in a lottery to obtain a very limited number of permits.” -Wegner applauded Ochoa for recognizing miners’ congressionally granted right to mine and taking a stance against the state’s ‘scheme’ to prohibit dredging. -“This is a great ruling in our favor ... They can’t stop us from dredging,” he said. Lets fire up the dredge!!!... Right??? Well, as far as the state is concerned, is still illegal. Basically the state has not conceded that we should be allowed to dredge on our federal mining claims, no mater what Judge Ochoa ruled. PLP suggest “if an individual should decide to exercise one’s federally granted rights that one should first apply for a suction dredge permit from CDFW. If you are denied a permit, record the date, time, location and the name of the CDFW official that has denied your request. This will be valuable in the event that one is cited by either a federal or state agency.” Basically this will go one of two ways as I see it. One, both sides can get together and agree on a reasonable suction dredging set of rules and guidelines or, this fight, like the Rinehart case, will be fought all the way to the state supreme court. Which is where my money would be on. So in a nut shell we won the first real battle but the war continues on. As President of Route 66 Gold miners we will stand tall with PLP and their partners to fight this all the way to the very end. Kevin Tatum, President, Route 66 gold miners
Gold Trails Films An Episode Featuring Route 66 Club Members At Lytle Creek (Middle Fork) Pictures From Part of The Day On Tuesday February 10th Kevin Hoagland and his film crew shot an episode of his Gold Trails Show featuring The Route 66 Goldminers Club. A few members made it out to Lytle Creek out in Middle Fork. Below are some pictures of part of the day’s filming and prospecting. We had a lot of fun and hope you enjoy:
Click The Image Above or Click Here To View The Slideshow Once You Click The Image Above or Link Above It Will Take You To YouTube
$42,000 Australian Nugget!
$42,000 Australian Nugget!
Alaska Gold Expedition Winner Member of Route 66 Although I purchased the tickets my daughter Isis was the one who got to go up and represent us as the winners of the coveted Alaska Gold Expedition Trip that the GPAA gave away Sunday at the Pomona Gold Show. I wish I had been there to have seen the excitement or to have been able to shoot pictures and video but I was busy helping folks and working the booth. So below is a picture of Isis for those of you who don’t know who she is and a picture of the prize envelope.
CONGRATULATIONS!!
Route 66 had a lot of winners over the weekend including Lee and Linda who won the Trommel and several others who won gold nuggets and one member even won a Metal Detector. Way To Go Route 66 Goldminers!!
Backpack Dredge
The Gold Buddy Floating Backpack Dredge is a great lightweight, transportable dredge. Powered by a 2.5 HP Honda engine it can move large amounts of material through the Gold Wedge flared aluminum sluice to trap even the smallest flakes of gold. • • • • •
Unique light weight one piece flotation that works without a metal frame The revolutionary Gold Buddy brand 10 x 17 GOLD WEDGE SLUICE Gold Buddy Uni-Float one piece flotation system 4 cycle Honda engine coupled to a JOBE brand 95 GPM high pressure aluminum pump Polypropylene flotation platform is 27 x 41 x 8 inches
For More Information On The Gold Buddy Backpack Dredge Click Here
News From February Club Meeting February Outing Will Be Saturday February 21st Out At The High Five Claim In Barstow Folks who want to attend this month’s outing need to be at the Slash X Café by 7am. You can Google the location by typing in the following into the Google Search box: Slash X Cafe, Barstow Road, Barstow, CA Or click the following link which will take you to the Google Maps page for the Slash X Café: Slash X Directions via Google Maps (Once you click the link you’ll just need to enter where you’re coming from)
Bear River Club Outing Planned for April – Room for Only About 60 People So Sign Up Now The dates for the Bear River Club Camping Outing is scheduled for April 17th through April 22nd. The cost for this is $50 per person and kids 16 and under are free. The camp site has room for about 60 people. You have to sign up soon if you’re planning on attending this outing. There will be on Potluck day which is on Saturday the 18th of April but other than that you must supply your own food and other necessities. You may sign up or get more information by contacting Victor or Max at the March club meeting. You can also try reaching them via email. If you don’t have their email shoot me an email and I will forward it to them. I can be reached at markress@gmail.com.
Kevin Tatum Will Not Be In Attendance To Run Next Month’s Meeting So Max Will Be Standing In for Him. Kevin Will Be Attending The AMRA (American Mining Rights Association) Summit AMRA has called for all mining clubs, manufacturers of mining/prospecting equipment, organizations and groups who fight for our rights to ban together and hold a summit on the urgent need to establish a communication network to better organize how information is disseminated to all of us involved with prospecting and mining so that we can be just as prepared as those who wish to take our rights to prospect and mine away. Kevin Tatum has been invited to attend and represent The Route 66ers at this meeting. We look forward to the information he’ll be bringing back from the AMRA Summit. This first-of-its-kind meeting is on a Per Invite basis according to the AMRA video shared at the club meeting held February 14th. For more information on AMRA you can visit: AmericanMiningRights.com
Backpack Prospecting Kit 9 Pieces of Gold Mining Equipment
This Backpack Prospecting Kit is lightweight and ideal for any prospector who hikes to his or her favorite spot. The 9-piece Backpack Prospecting Kit comes with: Mini sluice that's 6" wide and 24" long with 3" sides made of .080 aluminum 12 inch 3 stage Keene gold pan Scoop (scoops color may vary that shown in photo) Two half ounce vials for your gold Two 1 ounce gold vials for your gold 4-oz snuffer bottle Backpack with many pockets to carry your concentrates, your gold, cell phone, GPS, water, snacks, etc. Backpack you receive may vary slightly in style and color from the one shown in photo. • • • • •
Backpack Prospecting Kit is lightweight and ideal for any prospector who hikes to his or her favorite spot Backpack with many pockets to carry your concentrates, your gold, cell phone, GPS, water, snacks, etc. Backpack you receive may vary slightly in style and color from the one shown in photo. Mini sluice that's 6" wide and 24" long with 3" sides made of .080 aluminum 12 inch 3 stage gold pan, scoop, vials, snuffer bottle For More Information On The Backpack Prospecting Kit Click Here
East Fork Update From Mark Ress & Family 02-15-15
My family and I arrived to the East Fork about 10am and there were no other prospectors in the area that we were in. We were just past Camp Williams but before the turn off which approaches the Cattle Canyon Creek Bridge. The spot is very near where RVs usually park on the side of the road. Max told me that area is called Nugget Alley. After unloading all our equipment and hiking down a bit to the river we set up a couple sluice boxes and started digging. There were 7 of us in our group so we were not hard to miss but never saw any rangers come through there. We saw one other prospector who was walking up and down sampling the soil with a pan. Other than him we saw a couple families come down and pick spots to play in the water. Below are some pictures we took of our day out at the East Fork which was my son and his girlfriend’s first time prospecting for gold. Everyone had a lot of fun and we did find a little color.
East Fork Update From Mark Ress & Family 02-15-15
East Fork Update From Mark Ress & Family 02-15-15
East Fork Update From Mark Ress & Family 02-15-15
East Fork Update From Mark Ress & Family 02-15-15
East Fork Update From Mark Ress & Family 02-15-15
East Fork Update From Mark Ress & Family 02-15-15
East Fork Update From Mark Ress & Family 02-15-15
East Fork Update From Mark Ress & Family 02-15-15
East Fork Update From Mark Ress & Family 02-15-15
East Fork Update From Mark Ress & Family 02-15-15
A little bit of East Fork color
Backpack Gold Vacuum Know a good spot or two where a vacuum device for recovering fine gold would really come in handy? Then the VAC PAC is for you! It's not newit's tried and true - having been first manufactured in the 1980s. Weighing less than 15 pounds, the VAC PAC is simple to operate and is the perfect tool for every miner. This machine was developed as a low priced, light-weight, complete gold collecting device that can work all day on a quart of gas. The VAC-PAC has a 2 inch inlet hose that can vacuum those rich concentrates at the rate of one gallon/minute, and has enough suction to lift a rock larger than the hose diameter. The VAC PAC includes: High quality engine, throttle control, on/off switch, exhaust port • 4.5 gallon capacity durable plastic container with screw on lid; all accessories pack inside the container • 6 foot flexible suction hose fits into friction inlet with downward circular projection inside • Crevice nozzle • Aluminum pack frame • 10.5 inch riffled gold pan • Special crevice brush tool • Fuel bottle • Recommended oil Benefits and Features of the VAC PAC: Comes complete with an aluminum pack frame with attachment fittings • Works mainly on dry materials, but will pick up damp materials • Operates with a 2-cycle gas engine that requires 50:1 ratio oil mixture • VAC PAC has a 4.5 gallon capacity • When full, the VAC PAC still has 5 inches of space between the inlet fitting and the exhaust port. This space is great enough to keep all material in the container so none is lost out the exhaust • You can carry this machine while it is operating, but it is advisable to remove VAC from the PAC and work the small crevices thoroughly, since that's where the gold is generally found • Vac Pac fittings can be interchanged with Shop Vac accessories -- how convenient! • • • • •
Gold collecting vacuum on an aluminum pack frame with attachment fittings Designed for recovering black sand and gold that settles in moss, rough bedrock, crevices, and in desert dry washes Weighs less than 15 pounds so you can backpack in to your secret gold locations High quality engine, throttle control, on/off switch, exhaust port 4.5 gallon capacity durable plastic container with easy screw-on lid; all accessories pack inside the container
For More Information On The Backpack Gold Vacuum Click Here