March of Dimes
Barber Dimes that is - found in March 2011. Yep - finally bagged a barber dime. A 1911. This highlights the activities of late. Winter weather and a busy work schedule has limited my time in the field in Q1 2011, but here's what I gots so far. Daily FInds - Q1 2011
Jan 2011 - Slow but interesting start to the new year
got around to Rancho Cordova, Orangevale, and a few other spots, but overall, not much of a start for 2011. Reseaching old sites, and may even get into scuba and underwater diving in alpine lakes this summer. But for now, here are the Jan '11 finds. Daily Finds - Q1 2011
Brett Harte Hotel Ruin
Welcome to 2011. I have been researching and found a great old ruin in the national forest 6 miiles east of Mosquito Ca. Its the Deer View Lodge and Brett Harte Hotel. It takes a 4-wheel drive vehicle, and legs capable of a 1 mi trek into the forest on an old, abandonded, deeply rutted road. I plan on doing some treasure and relic hunting around the old place.in the near future. The first time I went, Google maps let me down and I got horribly lost on foot in the thicket of the forest - waste deep in brambles as the sun was setting and no provisions or flashlight, bear crap all over the place...yikes !
This time, I was much better prepared, used Mapquest instead - much better as it gives you forest roads as well and there number designations. Anyway, to learn more about Deer View, the ecccentric who built a 250 room luxery hotel in the middle of the forest, check ou the story on at the Mountain Democrat online paper. Click on the picture or the title link to see photo's I took on the scouting trip.
http://www.mtdemocrat.com/photo_gallery/mosquito-part-9-a-visit-to-deer-view/
This time, I was much better prepared, used Mapquest instead - much better as it gives you forest roads as well and there number designations. Anyway, to learn more about Deer View, the ecccentric who built a 250 room luxery hotel in the middle of the forest, check ou the story on at the Mountain Democrat online paper. Click on the picture or the title link to see photo's I took on the scouting trip.
http://www.mtdemocrat.com/photo_gallery/mosquito-part-9-a-visit-to-deer-view/
One Day in September
Literally. I havent been hunting at all thie month till today. It was short trip on way home from office. Old empty lot in older part of city for about an hour, interupted by like 5 calls, but even so, interesting finds today ! check em out on daily finds aug/sept/oct page.
August's 3-ring Circus
Slow start to a busy month..not much hunting..then, got an afternoon in the field on the 18th and struck silver thrice and a monster diamond (or so it would appear)..have to have the diamond ring appraised. Nearly fell over when this little beauty popped out of the ground at about 5", below a root ! I stuck with it and this was the reward. 4 hour hunt yields 53 coins (20 quarters, 17 dimes ++), 3 925 silver rings, and a marine world Africa USA token. What a day ! Check out the rest of the pics on the August daily finds page.
Mercury Rising - Friday 7/30/2010
Yes ! at last - Silver again. It's a '43 S Mercury dime in superb condition at over 6" depth in rock hard clay. Check out this and other finds for the week in the July Daily Finds page.
Quick Silver Monday - 7/26/10
Popped out for a quick hunt at a local soccer field after work today for about 2 hours. Got 21 coins and nice little silver ring ! finally ! its been quite a while since I fiound any silver, and forever it seems since I found a silver coin. Lately, they have been eluding me. But not today ! this was this first thing I dug tonight - perked me right up. Ya baby. Now I hope to go on a silver streak !
Saturday In The Field - 07/25/10
Had a day pass to go into the field on Saturday as family all tied up with other things - leaving me free to hunt. Headed west into the big city to hit old parks, street strips and abandoned lots..this all weather permitting. Got to get out early so you don't melt. Well, I did melt a few times but a gallon of diet coke and tea propped me up against the mid day and afternoon sun. Rather dissapointing day for old silver - None found. But did manage to end the day on the way home at a secret new middle school that has never been hunted. Got 2 50 cent pieces in one hole ! and another sacajaweya dollar ! so that sort of save the day. Its been over a month since I found any silver coins or rings..bummer. Still, the hunt goes on. They are waiting for me..Just got to find em ! Chedck out the rest of the cache on the Daily Finds - July 2010 page. The picture here is of a 10F coin - I have no idea what country its from ! never seen one like it before. Still researching it..update ya when I figure it out. UPDATE: Its a French Republic 10 Franc coin from 1988 ! My First Fench Coin ! Happy Hunting !
The Old Dirt Road - Relic Hunting in the Gold County
Long ago abandonded, a little stretch of road in the gold country get overgrown and forgotton. I spotted it in winter, and made one scout trip to the site before the rains finished. Today I ventured back in the late afternoon in the blazing heat for about 90 mins and found an old chain and some other bits of iron. Visit the Daily Find - July 2010 page for the collection of relics from today and the previous visit earlier this year.
July 2010 - Summer Daze
Yo. Time to catch up. June slowed the hunt down a bit. We had heat waves for weeks over 100 degrees here in the west and work piled up..took a vacation in July with freinds and have started migrating my way back out into the field. Here are my finds from the last few weeks. 145 coins in all - mostly clad, and some interesting other little things..Oh, started hunting abandoned lots and came up with a few oddball relics..Check out the pics on the Daily Finds - July 2010 page.
Camping 2010 - Mattos / Maydeck Excursion @ Shaver Lake, CA
Yep. Got up and on out there with Alec and the Maydeck boys. Vacation at last ! A little fiesta at Shaver Lake's Camp Edison. It's a ways to go - 4.5 hours south east of Freso n the Sierra National Forest, round about 6000 feet - a fair trek for Al and I. We had a blast - Swim, treasure hunt, fiesta, jetski, fishing, more fiesta, kayaking, ghost stories, smores - the real deal. Sorry, no girls on this venture, just the boys - Alec and I, John and Michael Maydeck and Zach (Mike's pal) - and of course the steely-eyed missle man metal detector - my trusty Whites MXT-300.
Summertime -and the digging is easy (at the Beach !)
They are calling it the year with no spring. We went from freezing rain and snow to summer heat, all at once. Anyway, Here comes the summer hunting series, starting in the June Daily Finds section.. Right out of the gate, I got to the beach with the kids for some wave riding and jewelry sleuthing in the soft white (blazing hot) Pismo Beach sand.
Tools of the Trade - White's MXT-300 - World Class Metal Detector
Since I was a kid, I have owned and used White's premium metal detector products. My current model is a White's MXT-300 with a White's Spectra Series 10.5" DD coil. Excellent for mineralized ground.
The MXT is a deep-seeking machine which works well for coin/jewelry, relics or gold prospecting.
The MXT is a deep-seeking machine which works well for coin/jewelry, relics or gold prospecting.