05/06/08

To all GPAA members and friends. If you are not a member, or a friend, maybe you should be....
Subject: Llano chapter of the GPAA monthly meeting. (Library meeting place not scheduled for us this month) It was previously planned to have a meeting/party at Todd's house this Saturday, but his house caught fire, and burned. First, keep Todd, and his family in your prayers, and second, lets transfer the meeting place to my house, but the time will have to be from 5:00pm, till...........I have an earlier engagement from 12:00 noon, till 4:00pm, and will be home around 4:20 to get things ready. I too, will have coffee, and tea ready. Bring snacks, and cold drinks if you like. We will probably have a bull session, and who knows what. I think Earl will talk to us about some future outings, and I have a little bit of news also. We will be passing the hat to help Todd, and his family, so bring extra money! He has helped us in so many ways that most people do not even know about, so it is time to help him for a change.

Duane Arnold

 Current News:

  News from the past:

April  07

April--- 13th-15th   Our next outing will be at the Mason ranch that we have tried to get onto in January and February that was rained out.  The group will camp at the Mason city park 325-347-6449.   You do not have to make reservations to camp there.  Full hookups cost $15.00 per day and tent camping is less.  The cost of the outing or ranch part is $15.00 per day for digging and $5.00 per person for non diggers.   NO OVER NIGHT ON RANCH

   Directions to Ranch: At the intersection of hwy 29 and hwy 377 take the hwy 377 turn to the left and go toward Junction.  About 4 1/2 miles down that road there will be a sign that says Streeter on it.  Right past that sign on the left will be a pink/red sign with the words Rocky Hill rd.  Go down that road for a mile or so and there will be a GPAA sign on the right. Turn in there and stop at the house and pay and sign in.

  Suggested Equipment:  Screens and things that will separate dirt from small rocks.  Dry Vacuum, Dry washer with dryer, recalculating sluice,  metal detectors, and digging tools.  Seasonal creek with no or little water.

  Pictures from the San Saba Outing are here.  For those that found gold please send us a picture or email telling us what you found in San Saba.  I know a few people found some fair size gold and most found some very small stuff.  Small equipment got better results than the 3" -4" dredges that were running.  I found a nice 4 1/2 " spear head while digging and feeding my high banker. One other found a nice skinning or scrapper tool.

  Mr. McBride was very pleased with the way everyone treated his property and said we could come back anytime as an outing or smaller group.  We had around 100 people show up between the two days.  Everyone I talked to said they wanted to come back and loved the location.  I think we will see more fishing pole's in the water than gold pans next outing.

March 07

Our next Group Outing will be held on the San Saba River March 17-18th 7:30am at Ronald McBride's home three miles outside of San Saba, TX on the San Saba River.   This area has not been touched since the Spanish were working in the San Saba Area.  We will have 50+ Acres and over 1 mile of river frontage to work.  Dry and wet methods can be used alone with back-up and un-load dredge access. In and around the river we will be working gravel beds mostly on top of a clay bed. Highbankers and small dredges will get the best results at this location.  We will be camping at the San Saba City Park 325-372-5144.  Hook-ups are 11.00 a night and tents are 4.00 a night.  Shower/bathroom house at camp ground alone with fishing pond. Outing cost are 20.00 a day or 35.00 for both days per person over 13 years old. Family (man/woman + kids limit two over 13) is 30.00 a day or 45.00 for two days.  No restrooms are located at area, but I will have my small travel trailer that the ladies can use or we will try and get a port-potty.  Remember to cover holes and leave the property in better shape than you found it.  This will be a test outing with this property owner.

  Directions from San Saba are take Hwy. 190 West towards Brady. Take CR. 204 to the right about 1.5miles outside of town.  Follow road to the right at first and second Y intersections go a little over one mile.  Go over small bridge up hill and take right at top of hill.   The owners house will be on the right about 300 yards.  Follow signs to parking/meeting area.  The owner will have a sign-in and pay area please check in first.  

  You can reach me at 325-372-7652 for more information or Contact Todd at 830-798-6131.

  Click on link to see the area: San Saba River  If you move the map up a little you can a small house (owners house) and then to left can see a road that crosses the river.  Follow the road towards the south to Hwy 190. To see the road numbers click map on the satellite image.

**The dry washing at Longs this past weekend (Feb-24) turned into a highbanker - trommel - panning group.  Jeff from San Antonio had a trommel he built and we had a large Highbanker running.  I know some small gold was found by panning, but the concentrates were taken home.  I will pass alone the results of the trommel once Jeff has a chance to work the material.  Todd and I crushed a few small pieces of quarts lying around. I found three small specks in the rocks, but Todd said he did not find any.  I took some samples home and last night I found a small silver flake in one rock and four small pieces of gold in a second rock. 

October 06

Download The Llano, TX Knappers Rendez & Gem Show poster to print and display in your community to spread the word on this fun weekend in Llano, TX. 

Todd brought the 4" dirge out to longs this past weekend August 5th.  And everyone got a turn on the end as we cleaned out a long crack in the middle of a channel.  A speedy cleanup in the hot sun produced several large flakes and allot of smaller ones.  Todd took a five gallon bucket full of lead, junk and maybe a nugget or too home.  We had about a dozen people show up at Longs with a 4", 3", and a 1" dirge working the river.   Thanks Todd we all enjoyed working with the dirge...

August 2006

A few of the members are getting together this Saturday and Sunday (August 5-6) at Longs fish camp near Kingsland, TX.  We have had allot of request from people new to prospecting wanting help with locations and how to find gold here in Texas.  We will meet at 8am on the 5th to go out on the river and show the new people where to look and find color.  With the weather being so hot we will break at 11am and pick back up 5pm.   Longs Fish camp charges 20.00 a day for adult and 10.00 for a helper (better half) kids are free.    We will also have information and sign up forms for those that wish to join the GPAA.  We are also going to try and have a 4" dregs.

 The phone number for Longs is 325-388-6131 you will need to call and make reservations for a camp site. Longs Camp sales fishing and prospecting supplies (fishing baits, gold pans). Longs Fishing Camp on the Llano River, just outside of Kingsland Texas on Highway 1431.

  May 2006

  Showers and bathrooms facilities are located in the general camping area alone with a restaurant that serves hot meals, drinks and snacks.  RV hook-ups are available alone with many tent area's. 

 April 2006

  Our next outing will be April 28,29, and 30. This is our big outing of the year. It will be held at the  Longs Fishing Camp on the Llano River, just outside of Kingsland Texas on Highway 1431. The phone number for Longs is 325-388-6131 you will need to call and make reservations for a camp site. Longs Camp sales fishing and prospecting supplies (fishing baits, gold pans).

   If you are new to prospecting this is the outing to come to. You do not need to be a currant GPAA member to attend the outing, the outing is open to everyone. There will be members form most of the Texas chapters and maybe some from other states. If you are interested in prospecting and want to join a chapter or the GPAA, do not miss this outing. If you have never been prospecting before and would like to learn how to get started prospecting, come to this outing.  You can also call Todd Pickens at 830-798-6131 for more info.

  MARCH 2006

  Our next outing will be at Oxford Ranch on March 18 and 19. This is a dry ranch so you will need to bring your dry prospecting equipment. We will take the group out to a new location on the ranch sometime after 9:00 am on Saturday. Everyone will have a chance to work up their own concentrates to take back to camp to process. The Oxford ranch is offering a fajita dinner with a drink and desert for $10.00 plus tax. We did this last year and it was great. You will have to notify me in advance if you want to join in on this meal you can call me at 830-798-6131 or 325-388-2720 or send me an email to pickens@moment.net This must be done before March 11. This ranch has been a good gold producer in the past, maybe this year we can find the mother load, Hope to see you there.

  February 2006

  This is the outing schedule for 2006 February 11 and 12 we have the gold show at the Will Rogers Memorial Coliseum in Fort Worth. March 18 and 19 we will be at Oxford Ranch. April 28,29 and 30 we will be at Longs Fishing camp. Some of these dates could change so keep looking for updates. I will have more info on each outing as they come up... Thanks

 November 2005

  "Thanks for the turn out this Saturday, Nov 12, 2005. We had a total of 27 people @ my house, and most said that they enjoyed it, and all said it was interesting to learn something new about prospecting. I hope it was worthwhile to those that drove over from San Antonio, Kerrville, and Johnson City. We had one person from the 361 Prefix on their phone number. If I am not mistaken, this is extreme south Texas telephone prefix. Several of the members, and a few of the visiting non-members brought some "wonder rocks" to saw on the diamond blade rock saw, and a few guys, (and girls) brought some cons to run through the electrostatic dry washer. Of course I only let the air hose slip off on MY concentrates, but at least I didn't foul up their cons.( if I keep practicing, maybe someday, I'll get it right.
We discussed having a December meeting at the new Rock Shop in downtown Llano, and it looks like we may swing it. We'll keep you posted. Thanks for making this meeting a success! Duane Arnold"

June 05 Outing

  Hello all, I just wanted to let everyone know that the outing at Longs was great. I know that we did not get as many people that we usually do because of the rain and holiday weekend, but, everyone had a good time and we had persons from 4 chapters there. Walt got to know many of the members from Texas and Oklahoma and was open and available for everyone to meet and talk to. The special LDMA offer of reduced down payment for joining is still in effect for a few more weeks if any of you or your chapter members would like to take the opportunity to join the LDMA. We had several members sign up or are signing up now and if you would like to join but are having a hard time getting the down payment. This would be a good time to take advantage of the low down payment and join. The Llano chapter is having an outing June 25-26 in down town Llano. There is several thousand feet of permitted river there for dredging and highbanking and a number of RV camping areas. If you would like to come down you can go to the Llano chapter web site, www.llaontxgpaa.com for phone numbers to call about camping or staying in motels in town. If any of the chapters would like to help at the outing and or have an outing in this area please let me know. We have been having one outing a month and it would be nice if the chapters would swope off months. There are other areas of the state that could be looked at to have prospecting outings that would be closer to some of the chapters and we could explore the state in quest of long lost minerals. Don't laugh. There are many old stories of minerals in the state most everywhere that needs looking into. An outing is the best way of finding these and getting some fun out of it by being with people like prospectors. How many of you have been into the National Forests of Texas looking for minerals or rocks? Please let me know if you have any ideas that we could help each other on or talk about. Earl Theiss

May 05 Outing

Hello to all. If you don't know Walt Easten, national chapters director for the GPAA and founder of Equal Access for Justice, which is a not for profit org. to stand up to the anti's for all outdoor recreation activities, will be in Llano at Longs camp May 27 - 30 to meet with all members that want to talk with him and give several talks about GPAA, LDMA and EAJ plus several other items. He will be camping at Longs and is looking forward to being here. We would like to have a silent auction on Sat. with the proceeds being donated to the EAJ org.. If you have any thing or know anyone that would like to donate please bring the item or let us know if we can get the item there. The agenda for the outing is as follows: Friday the 27th - in the evening after 5:00 pm you will not be charged for a full day if you come to camp. Camp fire that evening for BSing. Set up for Sat. Saturday the 28th - meeting at 9:00 am. NO commons at this outing. Equipment will be available and help for clean up participants keep all they collect. Silent auction begins, pot luck supper (bring enough food and drink for you and/or your family. food will be set on tables for all to eat on) Bring chairs and tables if you have them and eating equipment for your family. Chairs are a must. We will have a pit to warm food up on. Pot luck will start at 6:00 PM. After supper, silent auction over at 7:00 pm camp fire and meeting with Walt till ? We will have two closures set up for bathing in at the camp. Bring your own water holding or showering devices. Sunday the 29 and Monday the 30th on your own with no activities other that mining, visiting with Walt and other general, metal detecting and arrowhead hunting. There will be a vendor that will have Barbeque sandwiches, breakfast tacos on Sat and Sun that you can buy. The prices are cheap and the food is great. BRING SUNTAN LOTION, INSECT REPELLANT, PLENTY OF WATER, SWIMMERS EAR (IF YOU ARE GOING INTO THE WATER) AND COOLER CLOTHING. If you need more info, please contact me Earl Theiss at 325-423-0497 or Todd Pickens 830-798-6131 or Longs camp 325-388-6131. Prices quoted are for GPAA and WATTS members. Call Longs for other prices and camping info. Hope to see you or members of your groups at the outing. Earl

March 2005 Outing

The March outing at the Oxford Ranch was a big success. We had 67 members show up for a perfect weekend to go prospecting. We moved lots of dirt and found some good gold. We found a piece of wire gold and a good size flake/picker plus some fine gold. The dirt was pretty wet and clumpy so there was probably plenty of gold left in the panning trough. Fred Buckholdt won the commons gold draw and Jimmy Harris won the Blue Bowl kit that we raffled off. Boo Coo was there and he provided the entertainment he also donated a few more prizes for the raffle. I would like to thank everyone that helped out with the outing, without your help it wouldn't have been near as much fun as it was. I hope to see everyone at our next outing on April 9th and 10th Thanks Todd Pickens