I am following John & Parker Schnabel on Gold Rush Season 3

I am super excited that Season 3 of Gold Rush is finally here.  I got together with my family in Arizona to watch the season premier.  It is fun seeing Parker Schnabel, John Schnabel, and Porcupine Creek on national television.  Especially since I got to take tour guests to the Schnabel's Big Nugget Mine all summer long to pan for gold nuggets.

 I didn't write many blogs about the Gold Rush to Porcupine tour this summer because I had to be careful not to post photos that would "give away" what was happening at Big Nugget Mine, but now that Gold Rush is airing I can post photos after the episode airs and not show things before they happened, right?
I was elated when John Schnabel suggested me as his gold panning tour guide back in 2011.  Rainbow Glacier Adventures ran the gold panning to Big Nugget Mine tours for the Schnabels and hired me as their "Gold Girl" guide.  I am so lucky!

It has been the perfect job for me as I was born in a family with gold fever.  I grew up in Arizona with a family that went gold prospecting for fun all the time. We are always looking for the Lost Dutchman Mine in the Superstition Mountains and other hidden gold treasure, as Arizona is rich with historic gold lore.  Here I am panning for gold around the same age that Parker Schnabel is now (18 yrs).  I am a little wild and expressive, yea I know, I love gold panning. 

 In celebration of the Gold Rush Season 3 kick off I went to A & B Prospecting Supplies in Mesa, Arizona and got my gold weighed. Yep that is right... I have Porcupine Creek gold of my very own.  Parker Schnabel let me keep the gold nuggets I panned out on each gold panning tour at Big Nugget Mine.  I would get to show the guests how to pan for gold, and if I found gold in my pan it was mine to keep.  Isn't Parker Schnabel the coolest?   I think so!

Last year I visited Steve Robertson at A & B Prospecting and weighed my Porcupine Creek gold which was 108.5 grains, or 22% of an ounce.  Steve offered me approx $250. for my Big Nugget Mine gold.  I kept my "kitty".

 This year my gold was 438.73 grains, 78% of an ounce.  Steve offered me approx $430. for my loot.

I kept my kitty again, but told Steve if I spend all my money while I am visiting Arizona then I will see him in a few weeks and sell my gold kitty so I can afford a plane ticket back to Haines Alaska.  hahaha.

The summer of 2012 was more lucrative for me at 56% of an ounce of gold recovered.  Hey does that make me the gold miner they are talking about on TV who hit the Mother Lode?  Glory Hole?  Am I the big winner?  Just kidding.
Rainbow Glacier Adventures had more Gold Panning guests visit Big Nugget Mine in 2012 than in 2011 (Thank you Discovery Channel for putting Haines, Alaska on the map).

 I would have more gold nuggets but every once in awhile a guest would not find gold in their pan.  Sometimes they pan their gold out with the dirt, or even dump their rich dirt on the ground.  In these rare cases I would reach into my gold kitty (trying to hide my reluctance) and let them pick a gold nugget from my loot.

It is usually the children who get to take one of my gold nuggets, and children are very smart.  They always picked one of my biggest and prettiest pieces of gold.  hahaha.  Oh well, I am sure they will cherish it as much as I do.  Except I would hear them say something to the effect.... they were going to sell their gold nugget to buy a Lego set or some other toy.  So much for sentimental value.  See you next week gold fever fans.