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Lincoln Gold Panning

      Up on Stemple Pass, on Horse Laugh claim now on Saturday, August 18, anyone can come, sign up to belong to the club and dig for gold that day. The club will hold a meeting at 1 PM and you can dig buckets of gravel before and after the meeting to run through a mini trommel called the Gold Fox Little Monster. 

      You can also go home with gravel from the hillside, pan in the convenience of your own backyard and see what the earth divulges to you. Prospecting is a part of our heritage; it takes the guts of the prospector to make arrangements for this opportunity, so take advantage of it all. 

Community Gold Panning Projects in Lincoln, Montana: 

     Gold panning demonstrations and opportunity to talk prospecting at the Hooper State Park in Lincoln, Montana, brought out politicians, government officials, locals, visitors from out of state and the curious to our national heritage of looking for gold in all the right places...Montana!  The Blackfoot Prospecting Club with Gene Keel as president presented  practice with REAL GOLD in the local park  July 7th along with many other vendors of hobbyists in the area kicking off July. This was for the 100th anniversary of the Community Center. There will be a repeat of this event on August 25th with Lincoln's Heritage Days. If you missed July's event, try the August one. 

     We promoted our right as Montana citizens to go out in our rivers and streams and see what we got.  Access  to our public lands is key to our livelihood in our great state. Gold  is always being washed down from the hills just for us to find.  Go out in search!! You won't regret it.

Going to the Neighbors for Rocks

    For the weekend of September 8-9th the Missoula Mineral Society apparently will be sponsoring a trip into Idaho in search for rocks to Challis.

     If you want to go on an adventure of the rock hounding kind, check out what one can find in joining up with this group to see what you can do to find the unusual with others of like mind. Sometimes tips from others help you in finding specialties of the fabulous kind. It would be worth a try to check it out for an outing of your own. 

Planning Your Weekend Outing Midweek? Try this...

     Wanna align your prospecting outings with other local events to take in? Here's an idea.  In Lewistown, Montana, this weekend people from all over the state converge for frivolity and wares you would see no other place for the Chokecherry Festival. Then on Sunday, head to Hobson, NOT UTICA, for What the Hay event. 

     Both days you can take in Montana minerals. Just a short trip up to the old radar station top in the Judith Mountains you can prospect for Montana diamonds, those double terminated crystals of epic proportions; they are all over the place.

Then you can take in Maiden, prospect for gold like the early gold rush miners did gathering their gold to have assayed and turn into cash.  Find write ups about Lewistown area prospecting fun on Lewistown And Utica and on Treasure Hunting Year 1. Middle Fork of the Judith River I hear is a good place to pan also. Lots of opportunity in central Montana.

What's on the Agenda this weekend?:  sapphires

     Got the sapphire bug? Here's the remedy for that sickness that gets under your skin and doesn't go away until you get your fill of gravel medicine.

     Question is: Where shall I go to get my medicine? Do I hit the piles at Gem Mountain so far away from town? Do I pay lots at Blaze's for not much of anything? Do I get involved in the competition between Blue Jewell and his neighbor? Or do I strike out on my own?

      I knew right where to go: I went to Andrew Luna. "Will you take us to the Helena dig site across Canyon Ferry Lake?"  We got 3 canoes, a boat, and a slew of people who want to go. Seeing what we can get on the Helena claim with digging at bedrock. Coming up just fine exploring Montana's beauty.

To Quote James Taylor: Line 'em All Up!!

      News has come more prospecting clubs are going to Senator Daines for help with access to their claims and rights violations by the United States Forest Service. That is fantastic news because if enough claim holders yelp loud enough, maybe someone will hear. It matters not that the USFS is a national government agency, they are still operating within Montana borders. It doesn't matter either that Governor Bullock's office says, "We're not their boss." But these dudes at their bureaucratic offices are paid by our taxes, Senator Daines coordinates issues within the state, and he needs to know of the illegal, irregular, bullying tactics of unreasonable natures that are being applied in the State of Montana with our citizens by them.

      Line up boys, and holler outside his window and on his electronic email along with making yourself known that you will not tolerate their behavior. Speak out, up, around and all over till the pressure gets hot enough for change. We want to move the prospector up the food chain from the bottom and we would like the USFS to follow their own rules: they can't and  they won't.

Deadlines Looming, Take Action, Speak Up and Out

       There are two important dates to remember. One is the deadline for applications with Governor Steve Bullock's Get Outdoors Recreational Council which ends August 17. Get your application in and help the recreational prospecting boon in Montana. Click here for more details and the form to complete. http://governor.mt.gov/Newsroom/governor-bullock-seeks-applicants-for-get-outdoors-council Now that the deadline has passed, those that submitted applications have to answer some questions about your contribution to the outdoor recreational program for Montana. I am sure I will come up with lots of ideas and contributions since Montana is for all interests. 

      The second deadline is the USFS comment period to end September 6, 2018. If you do not make a comment, then you have no right to redress after the call for comment period is over. There needs to be comments by those who like to exercise their rights to claim workings in the national forest. Make sure you add your two cents for the good of the cause. www.fs.usda.gov/goto/hic/forestplanrevision

Pan for Gold in Montana With an Expert

     Date set to dig as many gravel buckets on a claim out of Helena and run them through the Denver Gold Saver. This machine runs a bucket of gravel in less than a minute and you can see if your diggings will produce some shiny pieces from the earth that are worthy of saving.

      August 22 in Avalanche Gulch from 9 AM onwards. There is room for more. Call Steve Hicks at 406 547-2266 to make reservations or go to green prospecting and get more details. You can also go to his site here: https://www.visitmt.com/listings/general/specialty-tour/gold-panning-adventures.html  Filling up Fast!!  Actually overflowing; there's room for you too!!