Oh yes, this area is rich, this is where we have concentrated our efforts.

If you use the GPAA claims book it will show you the upper and lower Delores claims, these claims are as worthless as a tit on a boar. But there is gold there, but the GPAA claim does not allow you to dig where it is. All of the gold in this beautiful canyon is located in the upper Alluvial Placer that is really high up on the banks. When traveling down Highway 141 at mile marker 89 the upper placer comes down to the river and early this year you would find people in the river and dry washing the area, but that whole area has been closed.

If you are going to dabble with a GPAA claim go after the Silverton Claim, now it does have gold, and all of the supper rugged San Juan Mountains do as well.

I will admit that we have not made it to the Eastern Slope yet to sample, but I have been really impressed at what comes out of Southwest Colorado, and if you have never been to Creede Colorado you need to take a visit and it is very isolated and a long trip, but worth it. There is a mine that is still open that allows rock and crystal hunters in at certain times of the year.

Just type in Creede Colorado and look up the images, I just wish this crack in the earth was created by gold deposits instead of silver and amethyst.

The San Juan's keep surprising us, and a lot of other people.

I was using google Earth and traveled along Highway 141, I noticed sooo much red mineralized looking layers along the road. This seemed to be south of Gateway. Is it worth the try to sample that material up off the road say 20 or 30 yards. When they cut the roads, would that have not exposed possible veins, Or is that topography just not suited at all for gold?

Leo,



There is gold in that canyon but not enough worth digging for, the true value of that canyon lies in it's uranium deposits. At mile marker 89 the upper alluvial placer deposit meets the river but currently that whole are is closed down and it was a private claim.



What you will find in the Delores is a lot of garnets attached to Chalcedony, a few chunks of rock you don't want to keep in your pocket, and a lot or red dirty sand. If you drive West of the Uravan mining company you will find fields of Uranium/Thorium/Iron/Yittrium waiting to be processed, commonly known as Samarskite.



Most of this stuff is harmless because it is a alpha particle, just make sure if you decide to work with this stuff you DO NOT inhale any of the dust or swallow it.



The one thing that canyon truly has in abundance that totally caught me off guard was wild turkeys, they are freaking everywhere. Spring should be interesting to say the least.

Very interesting information. I am surprised that you say not much gold, but you are referencing down low along the creek beds. What about along the hillsides up about 100 or 200 ft up. Could there be exposed mineralization containing gold that is out of reach because no one actually goes climbing along the wall sides exploring the content? I guess what looks like good gold bearing land really is a false appearance.  What about the people that dry wash that dirt, they must be breathing it in. I guess that is a word of caution to everyone when out handling rocks and minerals that we dont know what they are. The stuff can kill us.

 

I guess it would not be wise to take a drink of fresh mountain water from the Delores huh? Is there any value to the Samarskite?

The word Uncompahgre is a Ute Indian word meaning the "Land of Dirty Water." You wouldn't catch me drinking that water in no form or fashion. Though yes there is gold in the upper alluvial placer deposit you cannot dig it, and the only place where it comes down to meet the river is at mile marker 89 and I have seen many people dry washing that claim, but that was before they closed it down last year. Once you travel another 5 miles down Hwy 141 you are in the heart of Uranium Country.

That being said I found P12 Road heading East not far after you cross over the river driving South and besides the incredible rocks exposed by the cut they made creating that road once up there I found two dry wash claims. I don't know if anybody was finding any gold but there are Uranium Mines on both sides of the Delores River at that point, and since there is no market for Uranium or Thorium at the moment they have become ghost mines and towns.

I will tell you that I have discussed the Delores in length with other members and not a one has found a flake anywhere other then the Upper Alluvial Placer that you can't dig on, it may be there and it may run into the rivers during the spring, but try taking a pan on the GPAA claims and seeing if you can even see your sand, that water is so cloudy not even on the brightest of days is it clear enough to do any good and the GPAA claims are all pan only.

Now if you want to go about 20 minutes North of Gateway on 141 I can show you a area that is being hard rock mined right now that has some beautiful quartz veins, but that is all private property. As pretty as the Delores is it is a let down, but if you go just a hour further South and start getting into the San Juan's you are truly in some of the richest mountains out there that are only beginning to reveal their deposits. One even looks like the Dwarf Kingdom from the movie the Hobbit.

Samarskite is a unique rock, globular, fragile, and very pretty, but unfortunately it has no real value unless processed for it's rare earth minerals. Next time you go down there don't drink the water and give the two headed trout a kiss for me. Good luck digging, hopefully mining, and may 2016 be a good year for us all.