Scheeming to come up

[DregeDE]

So I been kicking around some ideas that have been only a slight probability for years and now may be a first as well as last resort. particularly wildcat mining and guerrilla gardening
obviously the most important thing in all this: location! location! location!
Northern California is out of the question as its too easy to stumble upon someones plantation and get shot at that just leaves west central Oregon, western Washington, Alaska and the Colorado to Montana rocky mountains.
I'm talking about pulling pure gold and silver out of the ground in fractional increments and over time accruing very large amounts of basic currency and of course growing food outside of the influence of modified and government entitlement controlled rationing - naturally I don't think I could ever do all this my self. but I have a feeling that alot of us will be scurrying to feed ourselves real soon, and while I have northing against cannibalism I would rather eat eggplant and okra than eat some walking skeleton smeared in feces and dying slowly from botulism from slurping gutter slime and twinkies.

A few 100 hours of work put in by a small handful of guerrilla farmers could turn this clear cut field - An open sore and a blight on the face of the earth into a garden of fruits and veggies that could feed a small militia for a long time if need be, perpetuating itself, utilizing natural and unaltered glacial runoff year round with simple aqueduct techniques - this kind of deforestation is especially prevalent in the cascade mountains . . . the same mountains that fueled the 1849 gold rush, where 20 lbs of gold was chump change. People say I'm fucking crazy but I just don't think so, a little eccentric maybe - but not CRAZY!
One problem . . . I don't know the first thing about gardening . . . Guess I ought to start reading about it . . .

 

[Kim Chee]

There's places in OR/WA that I don't believe are typically being used for growing although I think they may be suitable. When I'm riding inb the mountains and the train slows way down or goes into the siding I often have thought that it would be cool to plant a garden, tend it and use the train to get to/from. The thought about going to prison isn't appealing to me so I'd rather not entertain this idea. However, I guess they probably wont send me to prison for mining gold... Hmmmmm...

 

[DregeDE]

Though my favorite Chuck Palahniuk Fight club quote is "On a long enough time line, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero."

I think its more appropriate to say: "On a long enough time line, you will be incarcerated for something, you choose what you do time for" and think hard on it will it be for harming someone? Or for surviving.

 

[Shadowmarque]

I'm interested! I can tell you're in the fetal stages of developing this idea into a plan, but I'll take a piece of it if the offer's there when the time comes. I don't know if you're vegetarian or only want plants/veggies but I know a wicked site to get smaller animals cheap (goats, chickens, ducks). Also, how are you figuring out where you want to post? By scouting, research, or waiting for destiny to throw it in your face?

 

[DregeDE]

hmm fetal stages: check. offer:maybe. Vegetarian: fuck no, but I know whats good for humans and what isent.
Post:Wat? If you mean, like, location weeeeel theres a 1,000,000's of little rarely traveled dirt roads like veins and arteries all through the cascade mountains, some gated, some with dirt barricades, some open it'd just take some time and fuel to scout the perfect plot. then comes the making it inaccessible to anyone else: gate it ourselves or ramps to get lesser vehicles over a dirt hump hidden nearby . . .

 

[Rambing Roots]

i dont think this idea is crazy at all.
you might even be able to do it legit if you choose to.
i have done something like this a few times in B.C.
i did a bit of scouting found a nice spot that showed some good colours in the creek went to the mining dept., payed them $50 and got a claim for 40 hectare and started panning.
i set up my yurt, planted veggies,no hassle at all.
the land i had was about a 3 hr hike from the highway and a 30 min drive to the nearest town which was easily hichible.
it sounds like you are looking more for a bugout type of deal so you might not want to go the route i went.
the only thing i would worry about would be being mistaken for weed growers by pigs in helicopters. they are always on the look out for camps deep in the hills, it may draw some unwanted attention.
good luck brother and if you need any advice on small scale placer mining i'm your man.

 

[DregeDE]

Thanks man, I'm liking the level headed feedback I'm getting so far and who knows maybe this will solidify into something real, really just hinges on getting a car to explore the mountains in.

 

[Rambing Roots]

i would start this winter by using google earth, its a great tool to find likely spots, check elivation and terrain, water sources ,roads and nearby towns.
as far as a vehicle is conserned it can be more trouble then it is worth, they draw a lot of unwanted attention, add cost and seem to end up being the target of vandals and thieves.
i always traveled by bus and hitch or had a friend bring my start up supplies and yurt as far as they could.
if things keep going the way they are in north america you are going to want to keep a low profile and draw as little attention as possible and being near any road that a vehicle military or civilian can have direct access to you camp is inviting trouble.

 

[travelin]

I can do this, have the land, have good multiple water sources on the land, have tractor and implements. Land is at dead end road and entrance is gated, no other access except by foot.

30+ acres.

Hopefully someday I'll have part of it under the plow again.

Working land for crops is hard work, seriously physical labor.

Past personal experience shows that folks talk about it, but very few have the knowledge or fortitude to actually do it, and won't learn the knowledge necessary to ensure sucess.

Gonna take some study on your part. Study specific to whatever area you wind up doing this, soil types and plants appropriate to soil types, growing season, irrigation schemes, producing natural fertilizers from compost and animal waste, how to work plants for maximum yields.

Don't take what I'm saying there as discouragment. Hey, I'm all for folks growing their own food!

Just be sure to cover the bases on plant production and animal husbandry.

One simple thing to know is how to get around a hundred pounds of potatos off ONE plant.

The information is out there on the net how to do this but basically you build a 2x2 foot frame of 2x4's, put 1x4 boards for walls, using screws so they can be taken off easily.
Plant one potato eye in the center and as it grows, fill in more dirt and put more boards on the sides. By the time it gets to about 4 foot tall there will be shitloads of taters in the soil off that one plant.

 

[Rambing Roots]

i agree with you it takes a shit load of work, i've never grown for self sufficency, only for veggies to accompany my staples of rice n beans n flour and what ever small game i could trap or fish and the wild plants i could gather.
my main concern was to get gold out and that was alot of work in itself.
it will take a lot of soil amendments to make large scale growing possible in alot of land in the backcounrty of the PNW, the natives practised very little in the way off tradional agriculture and relied on stewardship of they abundant resourses available in the forest.
i think a mixture of small scale growing, foraging, traping as well as some well stocked staples are the way to go.
it has worked for me although i have never lived in the bush year round.
the potato box works great i remember my parents doing that as a kid.
i will have to try that again when i head back in the hills again.

 

[travelin]

(coool!)

 

[Pheonix]

One problem . . . I don't know the first thing about gardening . . . Guess I ought to start reading about it . . .

are you looking for gardeners to feed you while you fill your pockets with gold?

 

[DregeDE]

are you looking for gardeners to feed you while you fill your pockets with gold?

LOL! good play! Ideally it would be a equal shares to all coop effort but I can imagine there would be alot of pocketed nuggets and downright sneakthievery - backstabbing.
But I suppose as long as there is food to eat and people to talk to I'd be happy.