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GOLD EXPEDITION 2023

Hello, and Welcome to the USVC Expedition page.  We are more than excited about the upcoming Gold Season.  This season is already breaking gold records in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, and the high county will open up soon.  

A once-in-a-lifetime rain event over far northern California has caused major flooding in the high country of the Trinity Alps, "Gold County."  Massive amounts of water poured down the slopes ripping apart the land, rolling huge boulders, and unearthing gold like never before,  creating a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.  

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GOLD COUNTRY 

The Trinity Alps are as rugged and unforgiving as they come, demanding respect from those who seek to remove her treasures.  Only those willing to risk it all and venture into the high county will recover her riches of raw gold. 

UNLIKE ANY OTHER TIME 

Our expedition leader knows the Alps well, and members of our team have called this place home for almost 20 years.  New technology, a historic rain, and a plan like no other make the 2023 gold season unprecedented.

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NEW OPERATIONS

Picture of the largest nugget ever found to date with traditional methods of picks and shovels.  Our new approach to operations uses portable solar panels and lithium batteries to power military-grade metal detectors, high-powered wet-dry vacs, and portable air delivery systems to locate and recover gold like never before.

DEEP PULSE TECHNOLOGY

Pulse induction technology developed by the US military to find land mines in the Arabian desert has changed metal detecting forever.  Our crew uses machines by Garrett, 100% Made in America. The ATX and AXIOM models are true beasts penetrating feet, not inches, in the great search for gold.

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WATER RECOVERY ENHANCED

By far, the most exciting, challenging, and dangerous thing we do can also be the most rewarding "Hooka Diving."

The Alps are home to hundreds of creeks and thousands of waterfalls.  At the bottom of the falls are large pools, some 30 feet deep, all with the potential to hold large nuggets.

The new battery-powered, lightweight pack-mounted "Hooka" air delivery system allows us to venture deep into the high country and effectively prospect below the falls in search of large, pure gold nuggets.

ENHANCED CRAVASING

"Crevicing" is the removal of gold-rich paydirt from bedrock,  Crevicis, and large cracks in boulders.  In the past, this process has been extremely labor-intensive and time-consuming.  Our team uses backpack-mounted high, power 20 Volt wet dry vacs to remove twice the paydirt in a fraction of the time.  

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BEHIND THE GATES

Over two decades ago, the Forest Service began installing and locking big gates across hundreds of forest service roads, closing off thousands of acres of land to motorized travel.  Most of these roads are now so overgrown that not even pack animals can enter the backcountry.  The new age E-Bike has a range of 180 miles with a single spare battery pack and can safely deliver our team miles into the high county.  Large areas previously inaccessible now become virgin gold hunting territory.

The maneuverability, dependability, and the lightweight

E-bike opens the gate to the backcountry and the chance for Big Gold.

Alps Approved

Our team leader has done many things in search of adventure and treasure.  He has climbed mountains, repelled down cliff faces, crawled thru caves, and has had the occasional stand-off with a curious bear.  Our team members have hiked the Pacific Northwest Trail taking radiation readings after the Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011, and are all experienced hikers inside the rugged Trinity Alps.

 

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