A new gold rush is happening! Television series and programs spark our sense of adventure, and they also spark in some of us a deep desire for treasure-seeking. I am one of those who have gotten “gold fever” without having yet found any substantial amount of that alluring, romantic, mystical, and hard to find mineral. For me prospecting and mining is now, and prospecting and mining is my future. This update is about my “gold rush” prospecting and mining 2016 plans.

For years… since 2012… I’ve been researching and preparing for an extreme life-changing adventure. My goal is to prove that one can still make a decent living from mining the land. This was started by a dream. That dream evolved into hundreds of hours of research.

That research evolved into goals, and plans to reach those goals. Therefore, I am shifting my IRS business description from Photography to Mining. I’ll still be involved in photo and video to the extent of documenting my travels and the operations involved. So you’ll still see and be able to order scenic prints and photo albums.

This year, 2016, will consist of deciding which area I will prospecting and mining, and I’ll soon decide as to the location where I’ll begin. The main factor in deciding will be finances and the ability to acquire a few needed items to better assure success. So far my prospecting and mining areas of interest are Alaska, Colorado, Arizona, Wyoming, Montana, and Nevada. I’d like to eventually do some suction dredging, so Oregon, California, and Idaho are ruled out right off the bat because of their bans on this method of mining.

I’ve acquired a few necessities in preparation towards meeting my goals. Some necessities are still needed, but so far I’ve acquired a 2010 Outback travel trailer (Arctic package), a 2004 diesel Sierra 4X4 3500, welders, various hand tools, emergency equipment/gear (hard hats, vests, a cordless lug ratchet, emergency road beacons, etc), a river sluice, two Honda ATVs (a 2012 & a 2013), an ATV utility trailer, and various appropriate clothing for rain, cold, and insects.

I’ve also acquired maps, books, digital claim maps, a screen tent, two Trojan high amp-hour batteries, battery chargers/maintainers, numerous fuel containers (including an auxiliary 60 gallon diesel tank for the truck), a truck bed cargo rack, a solar charger, and many other items too numerous to list. I’ve done some modifications to the travel trailer to accommodate my mission. So, as you can tell, I am VERY serious about this endeavor. I intend to succeed, not to fail.

Some equipment I still need to get is a Keene 191 dry/wet washer, a Gold Cube with trommel, a security camera system, and an electric perimeter security system. I may have access to another highbanker and a gold wheel but I still need to check on that. New all-terrain truck tires are on the needed list as well.

And then there are some camper mods still needing to be done yet: fabricate and install some wall tables to use as work benches, fabricate and install a battery storage compartment on the tongue, fabricate and install under-carriage storage compartments, and install a mast for a directional WiFi antenna. On the truck I need to redo the brake lines, install off road lights, install an auxiliary water supply tank, and install a CB and its antenna.

As you can see, I will be quite busy for preparing all of this for my departure in May. I’ll keep you up to date on my progress, including my decision as to where I’ll be going for this prospecting and mining challenge. Stay tuned! 🙂