The small-scale miner has reasonable opportunity to exploit some of these small, rich placer gold deposits. 

For the prospector, knowing what oxidized hydrothermal alteration looks like in the field is an important exploration tool.

…my intent is to distribute this information in layman’s language so that even the “backyard/shade tree/mom & pop” fire assayers can benefit.

There are times when being able to recognize a type of rock can make you a much more successful prospector.

When my “anonymous” friend told me the rock tub was probably a hundred miles from where he safely stashed it, I decided to build another sled and improve on my old design.

The first and most important thing of the sampling process is to try to be as unbiased as possible. There is a natural tendency to select rock that looks the best—even unconsciously.