It was a nice day for a ride so we loaded the bikes into the jeep and headed to the Pinenut range which is about eight miles from our house. One road in particular provides direct access but recently someone posted "Keep Out" and "Private Road" signs at the entrance. It leads to old mine so we decided to drive there in hopes of getting permission from the owner to use it. I suppose it was a bit risky but we were, after all, wearing crazy bike clothes and hardly looked like claim jumpers.
00:20
It's only a few miles in, winding between the foothills but one turn and all the development, McMansions and frenzy in the valley fades to naught. Went we got to the mine we parked and weighed the possibility of getting shot. We considered going back but heard a generator and decided what the hell? After all, we're here. We went the rest of the way on foot. As it turned out a really nice old couple, Lee and Ted, work the claim. They've lived there for years, even in the winter when temperatures fall to 30 below zero. They look a bit like Jack Sprat and his wife, except she is the one who is thin as a bean. They have quite an operation, crushing rock and separating, by degree, particles of gold from everything else, magnetic sand (lead) being the last to go. At the end stage, they use water, hand, and eye. The process requires great patience, more than most people, or at least I, could possibly muster. I don't know if they sell bags of gold flake somewhere but they do make jewelery. They fill transparent lockets with gold flakes and hang the little pods from necklaces and earrings. Pure Nevada gold. They should have a website.
2 comments:
They were probably happy for the company, but capable shots. Glad you were wearing neon clothing.
I'm sure they were very happy for the company. In fact, they invited us back, anytime. We finally had to grab a pause and escape on it. Yes, neon clothing. Forget tan and dull green. Who wants to look like a sage brush anyway?
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