Strike gold at gold, gem and mineral show Feb. 21, 22

Looking for something new to do with your family? At the 20th-annual Gold, Gem and Mineral show, hosted by the Washington Prospectors Mining Association, families can try their hand at prospecting and possibly experience that thrilling flash-in-the-pan for themselves.

The show runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 21, and Sunday, Feb. 22, at the Evergreen State Fairgrounds in Monroe (14405 179th Ave. S.E.). Admission is $5, and kids age 13 or younger get in for free when accompanied by an adult. The event will include informational lectures, prospecting supply displays, equipment dealers, instruction on how to pan for gold, supplies for "rock hounds,GÇ¥ prizes, jewelry and gold and gem displays.

Each day at 11 a.m., "Gold RushGÇ¥ TV personality Melody Tallis will make a special appearance. Prospecting since 2002, Tallis advocates for females becoming more involved in mining.

A show raffle will offer guests the chance to go home with a 10.86-gram gold nugget, and a silent auction will be held at 1 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday. The event will also feature an XRF Analyzer, and guests are welcome to bring rocks or ore samples to be analyzed for instant results on what elements are present in the sample.

Show Coordinator Terrie Espinoza has been prospecting for about 10 years and has even purchased a few claims. She explained that prospecting can be a recreational activity for the entire family GÇô everyone enjoys splashing around in a river on a nice day.

"It's a healthy, outdoor activity, away from computers, video games and technology,GÇ¥ Espinoza said. "A day spent with your family by a river finding some gold is a day that you'll remember forever.GÇ¥

And the gold is there to be found. From Snohomish, Espinoza has spent time prospecting in the Skykomish and Sultan rivers and has indeed hit pay dirt. Referred to as "placer gold,GÇ¥ the gold in these rivers has broken free from its source and collected in the waterways.-á

Espinoza has spent time prospecting in Washington and Alaska, and is looking forward to prospecting her new 20-acre claim in California.

"Every year, I've found more gold than the year before,GÇ¥ Espinoza said.

Clubs like the Washington Prospectors Mining Association can help new prospectors get started, provide them with legal access to gold-bearing claims and teach them the basics of how to "read a river.GÇ¥ Gold panning involves strategy, and experienced prospectors are able to examine the way a river or creek flows and determine the best areas to locate gold.

"Because it's so much heavier than everything else, you can actually predict where it'll be,GÇ¥ Espinoza said. "You can really zero in, and you get better at reading the river each year.GÇ¥

Club membership fees are typically $75 or less and paid on an annual basis. A total of six clubs will have informational booths at the gold show. Espinoza belongs to multiple clubs, which gives her access to even more claims.-á

"For a family, it's actually a very inexpensive way to have a really fun hobby,GÇ¥ she said. "There aren't too many hobbies that have the opportunity to pay for themselves.GÇ¥

Prospecting clubs guide their members to ensure that the prospecting they are doing is legal. All new prospectors need to be aware of where they are digging, to make sure that they aren't "claim-jumping,GÇ¥ which means digging on somebody else's privately owned claim. Clubs typically purchase their own claims, which are available for members to use at their leisure. And they often hold group events, which are a convenient way for new prospectors to, quite literally, get their feet wet.-á

"The club will maintain active gold claims for you and your family to go to, and the best part is that you get to keep all the gold that you find,GÇ¥ Espinoza said. "In addition to handing you a treasure map to the gold, the clubs provide you with a group of experienced people to learn from.GÇ¥

New prospectors can pick up the basic gear, including a pan, snifter bottle and a display vial for about $30. As prospectors gain experience, they can transition to sluicing and dredging, both methods that offer the opportunity to sift through more material.-á

Good panning skills are important GÇô no matter what equipment a prospector uses, it always comes down to panning at the end. The trick is to always keep the material in the pan liquefied and moving, allowing the lighter material to leave the pan while the gold settles to the bottom. When she was learning, Espinoza practiced panning with BBs.

"I took 10 BBs and put them in my pan with dirt, and I just practiced panning the BBs,GÇ¥ Espinoza said. "As soon as you don't lose the BBs, you won't lose any gold.GÇ¥

For more information about the gold show, visit www.washingtonprospectors.org.