Chasing Wild Gold

Panning For Wild Gold

Wild gold? Of course. It's wild until you catch it.

First, you have to find it. Then you capture it using a gold pan or some other means, like maybe a sluice box or a metal detector.

Gold is very clever. It loves to hide deep under rocks, behind boulders, in bedrock cracks and depressions, even mixed at random sometimes within gravel or sand bars. It will even hide on beaches in plain sight (provided your eyesight is good enough).

So seeking gold is a treasure hunt. I call it an "Easter egg hunt for adults." (Wouldn't it be fun to find nuggets that big!)

As a boy, I used to love to go to the site where an outdoor carnival or fair was held, the day after it closed and everything was moved out. I could see the outlines in the grass where the booths had stood. My brothers and I would kneel down and carefully part the grass and find oodles of coins. What a thrill!

We could have made more money going into something useful like
mowing the neighbor's lawn for pay or picking cotton in a farmer's field. But treasure hunting was a whole lot more fun.

The adult quest for gold is a romantic adventure. For most, it not a rational economic pursuit (maybe like fishing?). He or she will probably spend far more on equipment and gas and camping gear than the gold justifies, but that is besides the point. The thrill of discovery is priceless.

With a shovel, bucket, gold pan and snuffer bottle, the gold hunter is set to go. The creek or river beckons. Time to scout. Where is Mr. Gold hiding out today? Patience is called for. And hard work. The gold prospector may have to try many different spots, and pan lots of gravel before he makes his strike.

Most gold is going to be little flakes and specks. Size matters less than quantity. Sure, nuggets are the big prizes, but these are wary and take some luck to find. Every pan of gravel holds a fresh surprise waiting to happen. Even a few flakes of gold can lift the heart and ease a sore back.

The serious gold chaser is constantly learning, and refining his skill. While luck does play a part, developing skill is the surest ticket to success. More often than not, the prospector makes his luck.

Chasing gold makes a man a boy again, if he does it with the right frame of mind. While it may tax his body, it liberates his spirit of adventure, and gives him plenty of tall tales to share with his buddies.

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