The weather looked poor Sunday morning, with heavy dark clouds in the sky in Anchorage. I left town and was surprised to have the weather clear as I approached Crow Creek. It was sunny but a bit cool at 9AM when I arrived at the mine. Brian Berkhahn was waiting when I arrived, and Jeff Reed arrived shortly after. We were all there to metal detect for gold, as were several other people that morning.

I had decided to try Tesoro's Lobo SuperTRAQ detector for the day. This unit features automatic ground balance and seemed fairly powerful when I bench tested it. Other items in my kit include a set of headphones, a heavily used pick, plastic scoop for retrieving targets, and a plastic vial for my finds. A short-handle hoe/rake comes in handy for removing leaves and rubble from areas. Finally, leather gloves and bug repellent go in the rucksack, along with something to drink.

Tesoro Lobo SuperTRAQ and accessories