2024-06-03 Mark Schuessler - North to Alaska

·1 hr 10 min·5 clips

Mark found a 3.2-gram gold nugget at 10:30 PM in Alaska's endless daylight, forgetting the rain entirely.

The episode begins with hosts Butch Holcombe, Jeff Lubbert, and Debbie Schiffer Blades introducing the show and its sponsorship by American Digger Magazine. They share personal updates: Jeff found a diamond earring for a client and his girlfriend Stephanie found a class ring, while Debbie's metal detecting club event with Boy Scouts was canceled. The main segment features guest Mark Schuessler, author of "North to Alaska" in American Digger Magazine. Mark recounts his week-long gold prospecting trip to a camp near Nome, Alaska. He describes the landscape, 22 hours of daylight, and weather conditions. Mark explains using an Equinox 800 metal detector and borrowing a gold monster to learn gold detecting, digging through mine tailings with brass blasting cap fragments. He found a 3.2-gram nugget one rainy night. Mark details other gold recovery methods: high bankers (elevated sluice boxes) and a slick plate that processes large volumes of dirt with a team. He estimates processing 6-8 yards of soil and ending with about a quarter ounce of gold total. The camp provided cabins, meals including locally caught salmon, and accommodated dietary restrictions. Safety protocols included tracking all participants. Mark mentions wildlife like musk ox and bears, and a visit to the native village of Teller where residents live off the land. Gas cost $7 per gallon, and vehicles were often abandoned due to part shortages. The episode concludes with hosts thanking Mark, promoting the magazine, and encouraging listener support.

As heard by us

A chatty, practical prospecting episode with concrete gear talk for listeners already into the hobby.

American Diggers Relic Roundup stays conversational and useful as it works through gold finding and prospecting talk. The best stretch is the plain explanation of how a high banker, a slick plate, and a sluice box fit together in the same hunt; that material gives the episode a…

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Why you'd press play

For a funny walkthrough of prospecting gear and finding gold and silver, from high bankers to slick plates and sluices.

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