Gold, gold, go…! Nothing generates a rush for the hills faster than echoes of gold. I’ve been prospecting for more than 30 years and contrary to what some folks believe, there’s still gold in our province waiting to be found. Each passing season yields me more riches than the one before. Even though I’m quick to show off an impressive poke full of nuggets, the wealth of spectacular scenery, captivating rivers and wonderful friends I’ve discovered along trails are the greatest unspent treasure of all.

Recreational prospecting for gold is a fun activity that can be enjoyed year round by folks of all ages. I round up my partners in spring and we chase rainbows until freeze-up. Come winter, our exciting adventures are relived in front of a crackling fire many times over, for once the pot’s been hit, the finder never tires of telling. Like the time I got a trophy nugget from a claim…

That memorable summer, I was working an old digging on a bench that was hydraulic in the ‘30’s. After weeks of shoveling through mountains of tailings, and washing gold particles from the hard-packed gravel underneath, I finally reached bedrock where I unearthed a hefty settlement of gold, including a remarkable nugget that won the summer title. Then another time…

Our province has a colorful historic background of gold rushes that have yielded some of the richest discoveries in the world. In 1858, the renowned Fraser River - dubbed the Gold Rush Trail - led miners upriver into the gold-laden Caribou. After Barkerville had seen its heyday, thousands of seekers and settlers ventured further north to other gold-rooted regions including Stikine, Omineca, Cassiar and Atlin.

Much of our province’s regional and economic development today owes credit to the glamorous gold rush era. Modern day gold mining operations like Kemess (northwest of Mackenzie), and Eskay Creek (north of Stewart, one of the highest grade gold mines in the world) continue to contribute to our present day wealth.

As far back as history dates, gold has held spellbinding power over humans. Amazing ancient finds like the breath-taking treasures from Egyptian tombs reveal the incredible durability and unique malleability of gold. It is pliable and easy to work into beautiful objects that can outlast time - this lustrous metal does not rust or tarnish.

Gold originates in veins in rocky formations called ‘mother lode’ and is usually attached to a host material like quartz. Recovering it from a lode is known as hard-rock mining, which involves drilling, blasting, refining and other expensive undertakings that call for heavy-duty equipment and lots of power.

But recreational prospectors are usually in search of placer gold. This occurs after years of weathering action frees pieces from the lode and once they're loose, gravity draws them downward.

When gold reaches water it is picked up and carried great distances. Often it will get hung up on benches above the river. Such was the case with my two-ouncer.

Because gold is much heavier than surrounding elements, it makes its way through other materials to bedrock but cannot penetrate it. Therefore one of the most promising places to expect heavy concentrations of gold is in crevices of bedrock. Other good places to search are gravel bars, banks, and behind large boulders where water looses force.

I have found that the best places to dig are where miners of yesteryear left off. Noted historic regions dot the province and are riddled with placer-tinged rivers and streams. Check your local library for an array of history and mining books that name countless gold producing rivers and streams in the province. The Ministry of Mines and Natural Resources has mineral maps available, and recreational maps put out by the forestry can help you locate reachable stretches of noted waters. Those who are really adventurous can head to the hills in search of gold-bearing ground that has not yet been discovered. And, yes, there are still some out there that old timers like myself never loose hope of discovering!

There are various procedures for recovering placer gold and one of the simplest, least expensive and most proven methods is called panning.

Pans come in a variety of sizes, shapes and materials and can be bought in hobby shops, hardware stores or sometimes unearthed for a few quarters at yard sales. You can get metal or plastic gold pans in small, medium or large sizes and you’ll notice some have built in riffles to aid recovery. There are even newfangled square pans - they're said to work great if you can get the hang of them.

How do you choose a pan? Metal is durable and will last many seasons whereas a plastic pan will crack with wear. Bigger pans hold more gravel - greater chances of riches - but little pans are lighter and fit nicely in a backpack. Metal is heavier to tote and therefor best suited for adults. Little people should be outfitted with small plastic pans which can also be used for building sand castles or be employed for berry picking on days when other riches are to be had.

You’ll also need a sturdy, round-nosed shovel. I use a garden shovel with a reinforced handle but heavy-duty mining shovels are good for hard-packed gravel. There are lightweight collapsible shovels that are ideal for backpacking trips. A garden trowel or big sturdy soup spoon is handy for cleaning out crevices where shovels won’t fit, and they make great diggers for kids.

Everyone needs a whisk for sweeping the gold bearing material off bedrock into the pan, tweezers for plucking pieces from crevices and a poke to hold finds. In old days, pokes were pouches made of leather and they served as wallets. Three corns and handful of ricers from the poke would buy a sack of beans and a piece of salted pork. I find that a plastic margarine tub serves as a good poke; it's big enough to hold all kinds of precious finds as well as fishing lures, pretty stones and other riverside treasures.

Because you’ll be panning in water, rubber boots are the most suitable footwear (unless you don’t mind getting your runners wet.) In early spring and late fall, when water is cold, lined rubber gloves make the activity more enjoyable.

Now you’re ready to go panning. The whole concept revolves around the fact that gold is heavier than sand and gravel. It has a gravity of 19.3 which means it is this much heavier than water, allowing it to be panned or ‘shaken’ down. Because of its weight, the shaking and rocking process of panning forces gold to the bottom of pan while the lighter material works up and is flushed out over the lip.

Here’s how it’s done. Fill the pan 3Ú4 full of gravel. Find a calm pool in a river and submerge the pan. Let it rest under water, freeing your hands to work the pan. Knead gravel, breaking up lumps of clay. Discard large rocks after you’ve rinsed them off.

Then, pick up the pan with both hands, tilt it toward the river and rock it back and forth, being careful not to let material sweep out over the lip. After several shakings, immerse the pan and - working with the water - let the lighter matter float or flush out over lip. Repeat this entire procedure until there is about one handful of material left in the pan.

To check for gold, allow just enough water inside to make the washed down material swirl. Twirl the pan in one direction using a slow, steady motion. The concentrate - usually consisting of black sand, garnets, pyrites, and other heavy bits - will wash away to the bottom of the pan, sometimes dragging the flour gold with it. Larger flakes and nuggets will remain at the top. This last step takes practice but after you’ve unearthed a few flecks of gold, you’ll see how easy it is to perfect. Empty the concentrate into a container to be cleaned up later at camp.

After supper back at camp, clean up you day’s findings. Pick out the larger pieces of gold and drop them into your gold bottle. Yes, all miners have a gold bottle, preferably plastic, that holds their treasures. (Keep the bottle full of water. This helps to magnify gold, revealing its impressive beauty). Nuggets too large for the bottle can now go into a real leather poke for safekeeping. Retrieving flour gold from black sand (magnetite) is a fun job I save for home as the concentrate must be dried before a magnet can be used to draw off the sand.

Other methods of recovery include shakers and sluice-boxes that come in many sizes, and rockers that were common in olden days. These devices increase production but since one has to apply for water rights and working permits before employing big equipment, they are usually done by claim owners and are not suited for beginners. A dredge is wonderful creation that works like a vacuum cleaner, sucking up gold-bearing gravel from water and trapping it in riffles beneath screens. However, it is very expensive and can only be used in certain waters under strict regulations, so it's not highly recommended for novice. Metal detectors offer fun, reliable nugget hunting and are well worth the investment. I like metal detecting for nuggets on areas of exposed bedrock and have found a few good prizes.

There are lots of open areas where novice prospectors can freely pan for gold but when heading into the hills, be aware that some grounds are legally staked claims or leases. This means that mining rights belong to the registered owner and trespassers can be prosecuted. Stay out of posted areas that warn of danger and steer clear of machinery or other personal property on claims. Asking permission to enter a claim to pan is good practice and over the years, I’m happy to say that I’ve found most claim owners very accommodating. When permission is granted, be courteous and keep your distance. Practice good outdoor ethics and never leave garbage or an unsightly mess anywhere.

Recreational prospecting will lure you through some of the most captivating corners of our countryside. You’ll be drawn into snow-capped mountains and enchanted forests. You’ll retrace the colorful trails of our pioneers and unearth priceless historic traces of days gone by. And, yes, you will, I promise, discover riches beyond belief…

(Linda Gabris is a writer and seasoned prospector who has spent over 30 years mining placer gold in British Columbia. She and her husband Sandor have instructed recreational prospecting for placer gold courses in Prince George through School District #57 Continuing Education for many years.)

GLOSSARY

Digging - a place where miners have dug for gold.
Bench - a flat area of bedrock above a river or stream.
Bedrock - solid rock bottom.
Tailings - waste material left over from mining operations.
Hydraulic - a hillside that was washed down by pressured water. A common type of mining in the 30’s.
Mother lode - gold at its origin
Concentrates - washed down material left in pan after washing.
Rocker, or dolly - A box that rocks on rockers washing gold from gravel.
Sluice box - a box fitted with rug and screen that is used for sluicing gold from gravel.
Magnetite - black sand.
Pyrite - brassy yellow lumps known as ‘fool’s gold’.

RECOMMENDED READING:

Guide To Gold Panning, Barlee.
Gold, gold! A Beginners Handbook, J. Petralia.
Gold Panner’s Manual, G. Basque