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Email Addresses- If you aren't getting email from me then I don't have your address. Please email me your email address so I can update my list. Thank you to everyone who has updated their email addresses.
VOLUME 4 NUMBER 35 JANUARY 2011
There is NO charge for attending the Western Washington Chapter of GPAA meetings and visitors are always welcomed.
Reminder: Please keep the talking down during the meetings so everyone can hear what is being said. Background talking makes it really hard for our older members to hear what is being said by the speaker.
Next regular meeting on
February 12, 2011
1:00 - 3:00 P.M.
Elim Lutheran Church
5911 East Hillcrest Drive
Port Orchard, WA 98366
Reminder
Before you take off for the hills on a planned event with -WWGPAA. Make sure to check the Website, Face book page, or call the outings Chairman or president Rob Matthews just to make sure there are no last minute changes to the plans. If you have any questions you can always contact Rob or the outings chairman Even though we try to keep our information current, last minute changes do happen.
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If you have tips, news or pictures for newsletter, call me at 360-268-1852 email -jrc98595@yahoo.com, or fill out the form on the Contact Us page on the Web site. You can always bring it to the meeting.
Message from new President Lonny Meadows
I want to thank all of you for the vote of confidence I received by being elected President of WWGPAA. I will do my best to keep the club moving forward.
I want to thank Kim Knise for filling the Vice-President position. I am certain that we will be able to work well together.
Doris, thank you for agreeing to fill the Secretary position. You will do a very good job.
For the February meeting, I want to have hands on with metal detectors. It has been awhile since we had any instruction with them. Please bring your metal detectors, as weather permitting, we will do some practical use outside. If there is anyone who feels confident, and would like to give the presentation, please contact me. I would like a 15-30 minute orientation inside before going out.
As I said in the January meeting, I need ideas for the meetings. It has been awhile since we went over the basics, and as we have many new members, I feel we can all use more panning, high banking, gold table, and maybe dry washing practice.
There will be a board meeting at noon at the church prior to out February meeting. All officers and board members are asked to attend. There is some business that needs to be done, including the signing of papers indicating our change in officers that must be sent to the main office at GPAA.
I will begin taking signups for the Blue Bucket outing in May. Please give thought to this. I believe this will be a great outing and hope for many to attend.
My home phone is 253 333-8931 and my home email is ldmeadows6@yahoo.com or wwgpaa@yahoo.com. Feel free to contact me.
See you in February. Lonny Meadows.
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February Meeting
For the next meeting,, we hope to have metal detecting. We have a lot of new members who have not had the training. Weather permitting, we will go outside and do some searching on the grass. Bring your Metal Detector.
Don't Forget .....Everett Chapter of GPAA monthly meeting Second Friday of each month at 7 Pm Sharp @Patty's Eggnest, 6720 Evergreen Way, Everett, WA
Update from Snowball's Chance
These are photos taken yesterday at Snowball's Chance. The flooding is really changing the creek. The creek changed course in several places and has opened many interesting areas, with lots of gold (We hope!). We are finding lots of fossils and many other interesting rocks. We are really anxious for the creek to recede so that a closer inspection can be made of the banks where there has been slides. Don and Jody
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Highlights from January 2011 meeting
LonnyMeadows reported on the May outing at Blue Bucket in Oregon. The outing will be the weekend before Memorial Day weekend. Arrival will begin on Thursday, and the cost will be $30 per couple. You must be a member of GPAA and or LDMA or present as a friend with a member. Our club will invite the new Everett Chapter members to attend with us. Lonnie has requested six loads of dirt for the outing; also, the site has been improved in the overhang and heavily rocked areas. There are still no showers, but a washer and dryer have been purchased.
Rich Dusatko reported on some regulation: He reminded members that you MUST have the Gold and Fish book with you when mining. There was also some discussion on legislative matters, including the beach mining bill, fees on HPA applications, and the importance of commenting on legislation when comment periods are open.
Bob Nelson reported on the outings schedule. He said the Red Bird claim was experiencing low-enough water right now, and prospecting was possible. The Blue Bucket outing will be in May. (More on this to come later in minutes.) Bob plans to hold pre-outing information meetings before each outing to go over terrain, water, ease of access, etc., so that no one is taken by surprise by condition of each site. Bob also asked other for suggestions for outings in other areas
WWGPAA Facebook Page
Continued from last month
GOLD TRIP 1876
By Ray Pierce
There*s the pile of rock from the wash down the mountainside. I grab the shovel and gold pan and start digging and throwing rocks. The sun is real hot, but it doesn*t slow me down. Looking at the gold concentrates piled up on the leather sheet, it looks like a lot! This gives me more encouragement to dig and pan. I get down to the worn hole in the bedrock and get it cleaned out. Few of the prospectors realize that if you go down to the bedrock and cut some deep gold traps, you can get a lot more gold after major storms. The months spent building a gold route can pay off for many years. If nobody finds your route and starts competing with you to clean it. If you use some smarts building the gold route you can live off it without having to work the mountains for several months a year. Of course, some of the prospectors would rather stay in the hills until winter drives them out. I don*t think it is the gold that keeps them. I think they are basically hermits.
Now to use the frying pan to clean the concentrates. Wow! There must be at least 4 ounces and a half of gold! I put it in my buckskin poke and fix supper. While eating I see a small rabbit. I pick up a rock and hit it. This is tomorrow*s food, fresh meat. As I lay down to sleep I think what a good day this has been and I*m glad I*m not in town.
Lucy woke me up at daylight pulling on some brush to get the new shoots to eat. I heat a couple of biscuits with a slice of bacon for breakfast. There are a couple of clouds in the sky. I don*t need any rain in the mountaintops. It will start a water flow in the next wash on my route. Then I will have to stay there long enough for the bottom of the wash to dry up so I can dig. It is about 2 to 3 feet down to smoothed bedrock there. I*ve polished a pretty good rock pan at that spot. Time to take the hobble off Lucy and get started before it gets too hot. I*ve got a long distance to go.
It*s after noon so I*m going to stop for a biscuit and piece of rabbit. While it*s cooking I hear some rock falling from the next draw. Walking up to where I can see the draw, I see three men on horses coming down the wash. They look pretty rough. I don*t see any food pack or a donkey or mule. I bet these are the guys who robbed the stage. I run back to camp and put out the fire. I lead Lucy up behind some rocks. About an hour later they passed by pretty close. They don*t look good at all. Gaunt and pale and the horses look real bad. I bet after a couple more days out here they will be part of the landscape. That*s some outlaws that the sheriff will never catch. You have to know how to live in this semi-desert and have the equipment necessary to survive any length of time. I feel somewhat sorry for them. But they should have thought it through before robbing those stages. These mountains may be a good place to hide out, but a rough place to live. After waiting another hour I go back to my lunch and eat the biscuit and rabbit legs. Back onto the trail.
I found another spot where the spring rain washed into a large rock and piled up some gravel. This might be promising, so I set up camp here. I dig down to the bedrock here a little after dark. Time to get some beans and then some sleep. I*ll pan the material after breakfast. As I start to set up my bedroll I hear a snake. Using a piece from the fire I find him and present him with a large rock. That would have been a problem if I had lain down next to him.
After a breakfast of beans and the rest of the rabbit, I looked at my hole. There was a good amount of sand with the gravel at the bottom. Time to start panning.
Important Board Meeting 12:00 February 12 meeting.
WPMA Gold, Gem and Mineral Show 2011
Gold & Mineral Show
2/26/2011 - 2/27/2011 9am - 4pm
Admission: $5 (13 & under free)
Where: Evergreen State Fairgrounds, Monroe, WA
Location: 14405 179th Avenue Southeast, Monroe, WA
GPAA Gold & Treasure Show
Dates: March 26, 2011 - March 27, 2011
Location: Expo Hall Puyallup Fair and Events Center
Hours: Sat: 10 am - 5 pm; Sun: 10 am - 4 pm
Admission: Adults: $5; Children under 12: FREE
Contact: Nancy Defalco Phone: 951-699-4749 x123
Workers will be needed to help with setup and teardown for the GPAA Gold Show. Sign up at the meeting next month or call Lonny @ 253-333-8931
Changes in the 2011 Offericers
WWGPAA Officers for 2011
President Lonny Meadows 253-333-8931
Vice-President Kim Knise 425-221-1418
Secretary Doris Meadows 253-333-8931
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