My wife and I spent 5 days at this claim last July. it is about 2 mile south of town on the Animas river. Very cool location. You can camp there if you like up to 14 days. As a matter of fact we are going to be in Durango the first 2 weeks of July this year also. We like to go to the Four Corners Gem and Mineral Club annual show at the La Plata county fairgrounds. Maybe we will see you at the claim.

Colorado BLM land you can camp on for free for up to 14 days. They have bathrooms but little else, but they are very nice with grills and fire pits. I cannot emphasize this enough to visitors, we have bears, very large cougars, and rattlesnakes so please come with a handgun no smaller then a .357mag, or and a long gun, shotgun with slugs or semi auto large caliber rifle.

Open carry (No Permit Required) is legal in Colorado so don't be afraid to wear your pistol on your hip, just don't conceal it unless you have a permit.

Water is super high and fast right now but coming down quickly, in 2-3 weeks it will be time to hit the claims, if your going to be in that area at that time, you can join us on our private claims not far from there.

 

I would stay clear of the Animas River, I was down there two weeks ago and it was still yellow from the EPA spill.

We were out camping 2 weeks ago north of Rye Patch Nevada. 3 oclock in the afternoon we were sitting around under our canopy shelter from the hot sun, just BS'ing. There was a large sage bush about 2 feet from the corner of the shelter. All of a sudden I hear a noise which I thought first one of our propane tanks burst or leaked. My friend was sitting right at the end of the table closest to the bush. Right about a foot away  a rattler had appeared from no where, and my firends son seen it, grabbed his dad, and yanked him away. Damn thing seemed aggressive. He made no attempt to leave either. Well I was able to introduce him to my little Colt .38 special with snake shot in it. Sure worked fine. First time ever had an encounter that close. Always carry some firepower, especially matched for the critters you may encounter. Still worried more about having a badger pop out unexpected.

I saved my fathers life with a snub nose .38 when I was 12 years old, dad had back problems and laid down on the ground, under lantern light I saw the Copperhead headed towards his feet, 2 out of 5 shots hit their target, my father made me carry a sidearm. As an adult one of my friends was drunk and started to back step out of a cabin and I saw the copperhead coil up at the base of the stairs, I tackled him with all my might to carry him over the snake and one of my other friends ripped the lid off the beer cooler and pounded it to death.

If you don't know the ways of the desert stick to the trails.

Well I have taken out three rattlers in Arizona so far this year.Yes be very aware of what is around you.If not it can be deadly.

I was wanting to know if you are able to find any color on the little Georgia claim or do you have to dig a lot of over burden to get to the pay layer,I will leave here on the 5th of July heading to that claim but it states in the mining guide that you see the BLM office prior to going to the claim so I wont get to the claim tell late.

Hmmmmmmmmmm Greenhorn here listening in. Please do tell us more.

The water is flowing at such high rates right now not even our most experienced would climb into the river. We got a lot of snow this winter and we got a lot of heat right now. I have been in 400 and lived through it, please wait until 200, and I will let you on our private claim. That is 2-3 weeks away.

Please do not get into the river right now, just last weekend I saw kayaks with nobody in them floating down the river. I know we are all anxious, just be a little patient.

 

I went to the claim wish someone had told me that there was a BLM office in silverton but I found out about it later also it needs to be stated that it is at 12,000 feet above sea level I had a hard time breathing could not get agusted to altitude also where the parking lot is is under water and there is a swamp between parking lot and railroad tracks I sunk all the way to my chest and bugs were bad could not get to the claim.

GARY did you put your information about the access in the online mining guide? Please do that so the next guy can look up your notes.

yes it is already in there plus the BLM office only ask for your name,date, and your mumber number To go on claim