Gold Prospectors Association of America - GPAA

Hello again!

October has been an interesting month so far.  With a change in my work schedule, co-worker vacations, and a generally hectic life at home, I have not had as much time to truly enjoy collecting over the past few weeks.  This doesn't mean I haven't been busy though!

Today's post is about the GPAA.  The Gold Prospectors Association of America.  It has been a few years since I first got involved with this group.  Back in 2005, Stacy and I started watching the Outdoor Channel.  The first show to catch our attention was Gold Fever, then Prospecting America.  More recently, they have added Alaskan.  These three shows sparked an interest in Gold Prospecting for me and Metal Detecting for Stacy.

We had just relocated our family from Maryland to Pennsylvania, so we were not too familiar with our local minerals and locations.  I was excited about the prospect of getting out into the local streams and rivers and try panning.  I was even excited to try my hand in the back yard.  Ironically, this is where our shared hobby first manifested itself.

Stacy was wonderful and signed me up for the GPAA.  I got the complete starter kit!  A big gold pan, my guide, video, snuffer bottle, vial, stickers, hat, etc.  What a wonderful gift!

In return, we got Stacy her first Metal Detector.  It was a lower end model from the local shops, but it was a metal detector none the less!  We set out on our first adventure!  Right into the back yard!

I set up a nice panning station with some raw material, a water source (hose), a big metal wash basin to pan in, some little shovels, and some excitement!  I started to pan through the dirt in my own back yard.

Stacy was working her way through the backyard slowly sweeping back and forth with the detector.  She had gone no more than 5 feet when she was digging for a "hit". 

A simple TV show had brought us closer together.  By joining the GPAA, we were closer as a family as well.  The entire family was out in the back yard digging in the dirt and trying to find "Treasure"!

Now, bear in mind, we found a BUNCH of treasure.  Rusty nails, some old chain, a few coins (pennies mostly), and some old bullets.  Yes, we had live ammo in our back yard....  As for my panning operation, I found a lot of heavy "Black Sand" in the soil.  I was surprised and excited by this.  Where there is black sand, you sometimes find gold!

I later learned that Johnstown PA, being the coal mining city and Steel Industry city that it is, has lots and lots of "heavies" in the soil.  I mainly found slag and iron pellets used to fill in the driveway.  Stacy cleaned up most of the metallic junk in the yard.

Real life had left us in what we begin to think of as a mineralogical wasteland. 

A few years began to pass (as they do with four kids!) and we were unable to fully expand on that great start.  We continued to watch Gold Fever, Prospecting America, and a few other shows about rocks and minerals, but we didn't have much time to act on them.  The "Fever" just continued to grow inside of us.

A few weeks ago, I renewed my membership in the GPAA.  Stacy and I have been looking forward to some more outings and trips to GPAA claims and mining sites.  This organizations helps people learn the many aspects of gold prospecting and treasure hunting.  It teaches respect for the outdoors and your surroundings.  Many people think that prospectors and seekers are destructive people by nature (we do dig into the ground to find things sometimes), but the vast majority of us tend to leave our surroundings better off than we found it.

I have yet to go on an outing where I didn't remove at least one piece of garbage from the site I was on.  I take out everything I bring in, and even take out more garbage than I made or brought in.

My passion for this hobby has always been there, but groups like the GPAA help me explore the wonderful world in a more responsible way.  I hope you take the time to check them out, watch some of the shows (Tom Massie is a riot to watch), and explore your world.  It is a truly fascinating place, but you have to stop and look around to see it!