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Looking at the Snow Report widget in the right hand column today, I realized that it is getting to be that time of year when I normally head back out into the gold fields and start prospecting. When the ski resorts begin to shut down for the season it signals warmer weather. Warmer weather equates to snow melt, which washes more gold down the mountains, which creates more for me (and you too, I guess) to find.

Many of the places that I like to prospect at are on the Arkansas River and the Spring snow melt causes the river to rise creating problems if you are using a sluice box. The water gets high and swift and makes finding a suitable spot to set up your sluice troublesome, to say the least. I usually create a diversion with some rock to bring the water to the sluice instead trying to find a place to set the box.

If you are into rafting, this is the best time of the year to hit the Arkansas River around the Salida area. The water is high and swift making for the ultimate raft trip through the area. It is a thrill ride that you will never forget… But, I’m getting a bit off topic here…

Dredging can also be a challenge during the Spring runoff. You need to find a calmer area and have some good strong rope to tie the dredge (and yourself) off with. The calmer water will also be where gold is more likely to drop out and sink to the bottom, so finding a calm area on the river should be a priority anyhow.

Personally, I prefer to use the highbanker this time of year. Regardless of how high the river gets, I can always find a place to set up the rig and go to work. In most of the places I frequent, I am digging a ways from the river’s edge so this makes less work for me in transporting my material to be processed. But sometimes…

I just want to sit in my chair with an ice-cold beer in a secluded spot and lazily shovel material from my bucket into the sluice box and take in the scenes around me. The relaxation, both physically and mentally, that this brings me is worth all of the gold that I have ever found in all of my years of prospecting.

Unfortunately that will have to wait this year as I am in the process of preparing to move to Colorado permanently. No more long drives from Henryetta, Oklahoma to Salida, Colorado. Its taken me nine years to convince my wife that it is where we need to be, and by the end of June it will be. I’ll miss out on some early season gold mining, but in the end, it will be all worth it… And who knows? I may just sneak off and do a little relaxing on the river during the move.

Until next time… See ya’ in the gold fields!