While information on claim reports may be going to the chapters, I can tell you straight up that I have not heard ANY information, other than a quick

"hey there is a new one or this one is now gone" at my chapter meeting in over 3 years.......  so that information is not getting to the ground in some cases, and when we do get something, it is what is in the P&S.

Note-----your experience may vary by chapter.........

We have a claim that I have been told has been turned over with dredges at least three times, and another that unless you are a healthy 18 year old or have wings or a UH-60 you are not going to get to(virtually a vertical slope and at least 800 feet to the creek).  The last one all it says is the road gets rough getting to it (true enough)

HI All

Thought I might jump in with some information from my point of view. The mining reports could have a great positive effect on individual knowledge of each claim before a member goes out and this would be very valuable in my opinion. There are other very valuable items also in mining reports such as administrative knowledge of how much a claim or claims in an area are being used to lesson damage percentages. How valuable a claim is to members so we do not remove one that members like and the opposite is also true. Where we need to add and where we have to many so we can add more somewhere else. The one issue we have in the claims department is that we do not get enough reports overall to be able to accurately figure out data from one claim to another. This takes multiple reports on groups of claims, not everyone mind you an analysis can be made on occurrences of reports and lack there of.  We have the tools to create the models already just not any wide spread data to justify action. This type of modeling also would generate accuracies for claim updates. For instance I will transverse roads in a 2-wheel drive pickup that other members even in the office when we went out said they would never think of taking their 4x4 truck out on. So much of what one report says is in the eyes and experiences of the beholder. So send in reports and get others to send them in, through the internet (web mining report) is best and most usable.

With regards to a physical mining guide vs a electronic one. The electronic Mining Guide would be great for updates I fully agree. A physical Mining Guide and the need to have it with you is very important in some instances also. These days there are many claims that are back to back and some that are over-staked. A person can make a mistake in where they are suppose to be and some over enthusiastic agency personnel have been known to ask for a person to show proof of where they are allowed to be as in mining claim rights are different from collecting rights. If you accidentally get in the wrong location the guide shows an intent to get it right or if another person is in the wrong place or they think it is an open area it show reasonable proof of claim location. The same is true if your location is in question and the map may provide help in getting you to the correct location. So both Mining Guide types have their uses. Hope this helps and I really like the valuable input that is coming out in this forum. The members ideas helps our direction and keep up the good work.    

Nicole,

The mining guide should be available in a PDF version, either online or downloadable...that way we can print pages as we need. I know that you all are probably thinking...."Oh well other people will get it that shouldnt have it." Well the bottom line to that is....if people are caught on the claims that don't have a right to be there prosecute them. If you need help to create the PDF document, let me know, I have the means.

An online addition to the claims book would be a good idea, as we have no way to access the info other members send in. I take my Mining Guide into the field or on trips so I can use the GPS info. Chances are you can't get internet service on a lot of claims anyways. Also there are a lots of info on Public Sites and Pay to Dig sites. I usually go to CA. every year, to the Sierras an try to do an outing whilst there, So cool being out there. As for claim jumpers, I have also had this privelidge as it's hard to find an unmarked claim at times an sometimes you are really close but maybe not close enough. Was told to move one time but have never been shot at. With my little suitcace sluice I can't harvest much gold anyways. Driving out is much better as it only takes me about 4 days and the drive is beautiful, once you get near Wyoming. An I can take lots of stuff. Plus there are cool places to go like Yosemite or Happy Camp. The State Forest Campgrounds NW of Reno are nice and there are quite a few of them. 

Posted By Benjamin Crain on 14 Jul 2015 01:46 PM
Brad,

The easiest way to update the maps for people that don't have a GPS is to put mile markers down, or distance away from nearest mile marker so people can at least find them that way. I WISH I could get my hands on the 1/50,000 scale maps we used for landnav in the Army, I would prefer the oldschool method with a pace count and compass any day over a GPS. Anybody that has ever successfully complete the SF Star Landnav program at night can get a person within 10m of their desired destination, but the problem is I have never met a civilian that has had any of that training outside of the military.

What the maps should say is follow this road to mile marker such and such, 100 meters past the mile marker pull off on left side of road and look for trail to claim or if the claims could actually have the claim markers up that would help even more.

I understand your frustration, I have dealt with some of it myself here in Colorado.

One concern I do have about using the Compass system is that magnetic North is shifting right now and I am willing to bet my angle of declination has changed more than a few degrees since the last time out, I would have to recalculate. The old corps of engineer maps we used will be off by a few degrees and without recalculating at a thousand meters you could be off by at least 60 meters. Don't you miss it though?

Benjamin,

Love your post, brought back some memories of landnav at Benning and other less hospitable locales.

Yeah, I do miss roaming through the pines of NW Georgia with my PC marching though my consciousness (which {pace count} has greatly increased since the early 90's, lol)... and not so much on missing the MREs.