The Expedition has been in home port for some R and R and also to plan the second phase.
The original plan was to head west for the big rivers of northern California and southwestern Oregon, but after what this gold miner witnessed in east Tennessee and somewhere in Alabama, along with how late in the season things are getting to be, the choice is easy. Phase 2 of Oro Expedition '13 will take place on familiar ground. I look forward to returning to the Coker Creek area and taking up where I left off with dredging. There are a few places on my list that still need to be investigated deep in the National Forest along with preparation for the fall dredging season at Doc Rogers Field which starts the 1st of September. I have a spot picked out where I retrieved some small chunky stuff with the 852 sluice. The plan is to hit 3 spots along the same line of bedrock where it meets the blue clay with the "Dragon-Dredge". My learning curve on gold prospecting and mining has dwindled down to nothing. I'm not saying I know everything there is to know, but I do feel confident in my abilities and the knowledge I have received. The amount of gold available in the area of east Tennessee, North and South Carolina, along with Georgia and Alabama is very exciting. Being here at the KDCL studio I have been able to spend a lot of time on the Internet looking for new ideas for funding the Expedition. Even though "crowdfunding" is fairly new concept it seems that there are a large number of people using it with success. Miss Paula has contributed to various projects in the past, but I didn't think about it as a way to fund the Expedition. During my stay we took time to set up a campaign for Oro Expedition '13 at GoFund Me. One of the ways to inspire people to make a contribution is to offer "rewards" and I figured what better reward than to share some of my gold. I already gave away the First Nugget so giving away more just seems natural. Miss Paula and I have been involved with "social media" since the mid 90's when the only outlet was a place called AOL and Windows was a new concept just catching on. Today there is an explosion of sites that are social media related and Miss Paula is always expanding our reach. I also wanted to take as few minutes to explain what I see for the future of Oro Expedition '13. Just before the beginning of all this most people I talked to about it said "there's no way you can make a living by prospecting and mining gold," and some are still saying that but I know different. Even though the success of Phase 1 was small it was still a success due to the amount of gold recovered. The future of Oro Expedition '13 is in the making with Phase 2. With the addition of a 3" dredge to the operation much more material can be moved which will result in more gold recovered. Two locations are on the list for Phase 2 and the only thing left to figure out is the order in which I will visit them. The first of September brings dredging season on Doc Rogers Field in Coker Creek, Tennessee, so it is a safe bet I will be there for that. An invitation back to an undisclosed location in Alabama could be a great way to spend the month of August dredging along with a stop off in Tennessee so time will tell how it goes. More later...
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As my time at the Rooster Ridge GPAA claim in Coker Creek, Tennessee draws to an close, the Smokey Mountains gave me one heck of a going away party.
The severe thunderstorm that passed through Coker Creek Friday afternoon left a trail of injuries and destruction in its wake. Tree limbs came down, canopies were thrown across the fields, leaving cuts and bruises behind. Tents and camps overturn and torn. So we patched up the cuts, downed painkillers for the bumps and bruises, and tried to set camp back to rights as best would could. Though it could have been much worse, the storm took its toll on Expedition '13. It appears that we'll be able to finish this leg of the Expedition, but before we head west, the Expedition will need a new tent. Since the First Nugget Contest is winding down, though you can still participate until we get the nugget home, Miss Paula has established the Oro Expedition Tent Fund. You can click the donate button anywhere on the website, or if you're a business that would be willing to do a barter exchange...one large three season cabin tent for the equivalent in advertising on KDCL Media, and recognition as a sponsor of Oro Expeditions--contact Miss Paula. We leave behind many THANKS and BLESSINGS to the friends we have made in Coker Creek and Tellico Plains, and are already making plans for a return trip in the not too distant future. SPECIAL THANK YOUs TO: Ron at The Welcome Center Bill & Marsha at Bill's Pit Stop of Coker Creek Dixie at Caney Creek Village Rose and the crew at Subway Tyler at KramBonz John & Nickie Mississippi Joyce & Vern Chris & Jack Michael & Melissa Ralph Cotton James, Christina & The Girls Linda Jim & Trish Yosemite Sam The Coker Creek Chapter of the GPAA for being our home away from home |
AuthorOro Cas shares his thoughts and experiences as he travels the country on his Expeditions. Archives
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