| Oct 2025 PLP’s 35th Anniversary Fallfest Celebration at LDMA Duisenburg
Hello Friends!
For PLP’s 35th Anniversary, we held Fallfest at LDMA Duisenburg. Everyone had a great time and it was a huge success! Lots of fun and activities. Having it at the LDMA Duisenburg property made it especially great, with the easy access, use of their clubhouse, great camp host, etc. Antelope Valley Prospectors joined with us, providing many activities including another detector hunt and fundraising meals. Also, San Diego Treasure Seekers club opened their South Freedom Claim down the road for folks to prospect. A big shout out “Thank You” to Antelope Valley Prospectors and San Diego Treasure Seekers!! We had a better outing because of your participation!
The festivities began Thursday with registration (sadly without Judy Lepper who couldn’t make it, but blessed to have Linda Starr step in!) and sign-up sheets for the various activities: PLP detector hunt, Peggy’s tasty Spaghetti Dinner for Friday night, selling tickets for the Grand Raffle, gold bags, T-Shirts, etc. We also had Antelope Valley Prospectors sign-up sheets for breakfast and lunch Saturday and Sunday, their raffle and detector hunt. Marcia Betts was ill, so we had to cancel Ladies Crafts. Roger Plata taught his Fine Gold Recovery class in the clubhouse. Folks already started digging their paydirt piles, and began metal detecting. Fiddling Farley performed at the campfire Thursday night for an hour and a half, which is always a special treat!
Friday we had beautiful weather for digging gold, and more folks showed up. A crowd went to the Owl Café and Museum in Red Mountain for the Randsburg Mining District tour. Jerry Marquez’s Metal Detector Class was a hit, especially with his new book on metal detecting! Jeff Runnells small scale hard rock class had to cancel because they broke down on the way and had to get towed back home. Peggy Schlichter the LDMA camp caretaker made her yummy spaghetti dinner and then everyone gathered around the campfire for Brad the Juggler’s amazing performance, juggling knives, fire and light-up bowling pins!
Saturday was a full day, starting with the Antelope Valley Prospectors huge fundraiser breakfast. Folks continued at the common dig even though the wind picked up, but not enough to stop any activities, although a big gust took off the top of the registration canopy. Then Miner Ma Gold had her very informative presentation in the clubhouse called “Gold and Beginning Prospecting for Ladies and how to use Lidar Program”. It was a treat to have her this year! Antelope Valley Prospectors prepared a great taco fundraiser lunch! After lunch was the Gold Panning Contest run by volunteers Greg Herring and Diana Drake. Thank you! Following the Panning Contest, where Roger Plata extended his winning streak to 2 years, the PLP Metal Detector Hunt got underway. There were tokens for nuggets and other prizes, as well as tons of buffalo nickels, Indian head pennies, silver coins, wheat cents, 60 copper rounds etc. Saturday evening kicked off with the outstanding BBQ and Potluck Dinner that everyone enjoyed and got very full. Afterwards was the PLP Grand Raffle Drawing with really fantastic prizes. Fiddling Farley performed in the clubhouse that evening along with a surprise banjo player – Anthony! A very full and wonderful day!
Sunday morning started off with an informal Miner’s church gathering after the Antelope Valley Prospectors huge breakfast in the clubhouse. Antelope Valley then had their detector hunt and club raffle. A big shout out to President of Antelope Valley Prospectors President Kim Holmes and all of their volunteers! Also thank you to Peggy Schlichter, the LDMA caretaker, for the many back hoe buckets of dirt she scooped and put at the dig area, her spaghetti dinner and so much more. Another shout out to Walt Wegner for the delicious BBQ tri tip, pulled pork, sausage, chicken, and for keeping our campfire going each night. A very big thank you to all of the volunteers in the kitchen, at Registration, the field activities, campfire, road work, trash patrol, you all made this Fallfest the best yet! We couldn’t do it at all without many people volunteering to help! The friendships that have grown here each year make it all worth the while!
Grand Raffle Winners:
Gold Quartz Specimen donated by Meeting of the Mines/Goldstrike Corp – Willamette Valley Pros.
Gold Quartz Specimen donated by Meeting of the Mines/Goldstrike Corp – Tim Trask
Gold Quartz Specimen donated by Meeting of the Mines/Goldstrike Corp – Woods
Gold Quartz Specimen donated by Meeting of the Mines/Goldstrike Corp – Valley Prospectors
Dredge cutout custom Handsaw donated by Skookum Gold Camp – Ronnie McCoy
Detector cutout custom Handsaw donated by Skookum Gold Camp – Tim Trask
20 Acre placer claim donated by Mac cerberusminingsolutions@gmail.com – Tim Trask
1 Oz Silver Rounds, 35 prizes! www.publiclandsforthepeople.org – winners contacted (see below)
1/4”x24”x48” Rock Harness www.MoveitCableSystem.com – Cassy F
Lifetime PLP Membership www.publiclandsforthepeople.org – Douglas County Prospectors Association
Minelab Xterra Metal Detector www.minelab.com – Ronnie McCoy
(2 prizes) 1 Year Membership to www.ReinkeGoldMining.com – Kevin Hoch / Natalie
Paid admission for 2 to the next PLP FallFest – Dino
Garrett AXIOM Pulse Gold Detector www.garrett.com – Linda Starr
Thompson II Puffer Drywasher manufactured by Mad Mining – James Jupena
PLP Golden Paydirt Bag – Jason Lonsford
Roaring Camp 4 days/ 3 nights donated by www.roaringcampgold.com – Kevin Hach
Gold Cube 4-Stack donated by www.goldcube.net – Del W
1 Week Alaska Mining donated by www.SkookumGoldCamp.com – Kris Jones
1 Yr MineOperator Pure Au Membership – Roger Sims
$300 Gift Certificate to the Carraige House Inn Downieville – Tim Trask
$300 Gift Certificate to the Riverside Mt. Lodge Downieville – Kim Holmes
$50 Gift Certificate to the Cold Rush Café Downieville – Mary Mitchell
Riverdance Mini-Jig Donated by Riverdance Gold Mining – M. Paylen
(2) Coarsegold Prospectors One Year Membership – Thomas Heflin & Trish King
Golden Rule Classifier www.goldcube.net – Rick Mitchell
Hand painted gold display case donated by Mad Mining – Sam Alexander
Custom Skinning Knife Donated by LDMA Camp – number only ticket/given out at raffle
Metal Detecting Book (1st Edition) by Jerry Marquez – Ward
AKAU Paydirt Bag Donated by AKAU – Roger Sims
Sniping Tool donated by Gold Cube /Mike Pung – Tom Jimenez
Handmade leather Horseback bottle carrier – Casey F
Tow strap for 4×4 – number only ticket/given out at raffle
Handmade necklace made and donated by Marcia Betts – Willamette Vally Prospectors
Hand painted Round Mirror donated by Mike and Mindy – Wilson
2 antique metal signs – Joe Green
35 ONE OUNCE SILVER ROUNDS
1. Ryan C
2. Ronnie McCoy
3. Gary Emmons
4. Frenchie FCM
5. Waldo Mining District c/o Tom Kitchar
6. William Lieberman
7. Adam Sauceda
8. Hampton
9. Del W.
10. Dean Anderson
11. Robert Thurber
12. Steve Sannes
13. Christin Isakson
14. Adam Sauseda
15. Frank and Tammy Serroni
16. Roger Plata
17. Alan Hurt
18. Mike and Mindy
19. Kim Holmes
20. Robert Thurber
21. Ed Pate
22. Number only ticket – given out at raffle
23. Waldo Mining District c/o Tom Kitchar
24. Terry Wright
25. Scotty Ingle
26. Art and Rosie
27. Willamette Valley Miners
28. Kris Jones
29. Ronnie McCoy
30. Tim Trask
31. Kris Jones
32. Ronnie McCoy
33. Tim Trask
34. Number only ticket – given out at raffle
35. Fred A
Your PLP volunteer Board of Directors… are working hard for you!
The original. No compromise. Standing 35 years strong for Multiple Use on Public Land “RIGHTS”! |
