AP Photo / Las Vegas Sun, Leila Navidi
Tony Rhodes shows off some of the gold he found over many hours of panning Sept. 28 during a Gold Searchers of Southern Nevada outing at a claim near Meadview, Ariz.
Gold fever prevails among Las Vegas club members LAS VEGAS, N AUCTION
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LAS VEGAS (AP) — More than 20 people set up camp on a plot of Arizona desert in the middle of nowhere, just beyond the Nevada border on a recent weekend. Nothing but brush and dirt are visible as far as the eye can see. Equipped with shovels, buckets and holstered guns, they spread out along the desert expanse, shoveling dirt and rock into sifters and hunching over tubs of water to dip ridged pans filled with a black-sand-like concentrate into the water. A few waved beeping metal detectors, bending over to dig out buried items when the noise sped up; most only found trash. Maria Boyle is at the sifting station, dipping a ridged, dinner plate-sized saucer into water, when she spots the unmistakable metal — the one that brought everyone to the desert — in her pan. Her eyes widen and she lets out a shout of joy. She struck gold. “Bingo,” Boyle shouted. It’s been 150 years since the Gold Rush sent people scrambling to the deserts of the West, but gold fever still exists today. The group of people combing the desert this day belong to the Gold Searchers of Southern Nevada, a Las Vegas-based club whose members still are hooked on finding the elusive metal. “They call it gold fever, but it’s the entire experience,” club member George Niederriter told the Las Vegas Sun, “from the time you pull up (to the claim) to the time you drive home.” The group has five claims in the seemingly limitless desert expanse in Nevada and Arizona. They prefer to keep the exact locations secret to those who aren’t members to prevent against claim jumpers. There are about 400 total members in the club — which gives members unlimited access to each of its claims. The prospectors range from retired men and women looking for a hobby to outdoor enthusiasts to families. They conduct meetings and outings once a month. During the outings they often have potluck meals, a metal-detecting scavenger hunt and panning contests. Everyone helps one another to find gold. Dues are $45 for the inaugural year’s membership and $30 annually thereafter. The dues cover the member’s entire family. “Most people need an excuse to do something,” Niederriter said. “Gold is the excuse. Hobbies do not pay typically. What we do pays for itself in being outdoors, the socializing, family bonding . and the cost is minimal.”
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44 MINING QUARTERLY, Elko, Nevada WINTER 2013