First Blood Pocket, 4 year anniversary

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4 years ago had the fortune (literally) of being part of the group that mined out the "first blood pocket".  We pulled out about 2 pounds of chunky Oregon gold while underground mining in Josephine County.  It was found in a limonite seam (oxidized / rusted pyrites, or oxidized sulfides), that when panned, turned the water blood red.  Most was found in the first 2 days! The largest piece of gold was 1.3 ounces, with lots of gram sized pieces (was worth a lot more back then, as gold price has dropped 10% under the current badministration).

Here's a couple of pics from that trip (have a pile)

Will and his dad Bill cutting ore

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Gold bearing limonite seam (iron oxides) adjacent to some bull quartz and argillite (quartz with very little gold, and meta-volcanic mudstone)10389496_10202477382448549_945171199781000536_n.jpg

Underground staging area

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8.5 ounces of gold before the iron / quartz is removed 

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Sorting table outside the mine

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Checking the ore bags with the metal detector, so we don't put any chunky gold thru the mill, and to make sure no nails (etc) go thru the mill

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Your's truly tossing a few bird between loading ore into the mill  

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Lisa checks the gutters bringing the crushed ore slurry to the centrifuge (we wet crush, recirculate the water)

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Gold filled centrifuge!

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Work table

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Weighting up the goods

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man, you've lived a fantastic life so far! not insinuating that it won't continue to be fantastic (gotta throw those *%^@ disclaimers out there)

Chunks, biggest being 1.3 ounces

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Middlin' sized

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Fines

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They first blood crew

Bill, Will, yours truly, Kerby, Ryan 

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As for a bit of back story;  I broke my leg badly that winter, went back to work at the hospital and they threw me under the bus! Meanwhile, I got diagnosed with Crohns and COPD (had other health problems, woes of being a worn out musician, lol).  So I said fuck you to my job, and decided to mine full time...  was the one pass time I hadn't invested more than just weekends into.  I had several claims, and while laid out at home for 3 months broken, spent way tooooo much time on Facebook, networking with that community, which led to being a part of this find! (my name is now on those claims).  Also got me a role in a TV show rockhounding, but it was never picked up by the network.  

All I can say is, pursue your dreams,  whether they come true or not, it's worth the chase!   And while my take after the split was only 1.5 ounces, it was the most exciting 1.5 ounces I'll likely ever find  (ok, that may no longer be true, learned too much dammit,  now the goal is to find a rich surface pocket, and retire on the coast...  figure i've got a 10% chance) 

You mention limonite, find any fire agate out there, Noody?

Whose gun on the table? I'm guessing Kerby.

I know there's fire agate on the AZ / CA border, can't remember if it's near Needles or Blythe, pretty famous spot. 

Good guess on the gun, though several people carried for the trip.  We've got puma and bears that go by the cabin all the time...  

Here's the cabin, built in the 30's 

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