I just returned from the Mojave Desert. It’s the driest spot in North America, a forbidding yet beautiful place. But you know what it has a lot of? Gold.
In fact, you might say there’s a new gold wave starting there.
During my trip, I visited an interesting gold developer. The project is a beehive of activity as the company races toward production.
The fascinating thing about this project is it’s not hard to find gold ore. Not at all. It outcrops right at the surface. The project is nestled in the belly of an ancient, highly mineralized volcanic caldera.
In fact, Arizona has a rich mining history. You can’t drive around without tripping over the ghosts of prospectors past: Gold Rush Road, Silver Bell Mine, Silver Creek, Golden Valley — you get the idea.
In fact, the nearest town to this project contains 53,983 mines!
Most of them aren’t working mines, of course. Most of them are death traps. Lures for every wild kid and adrenaline-fueled spelunker. Ancient holes that will collapse on the unlucky and unwary.
These holes are old “adits.” That comes from the Latin aditus, or “entrance.” Adits are used to explore for mineral veins.
Do you want to go exploring in those holes? I sure don’t. But that’s what the old-timers did — chasing visible high-grade gold and silver.
As we often see in gold, the mining comes in waves. The last wave of gold mining in the Mojave ended with a bang — a bang we call World War II. Gold mining was deemed unnecessary for the war effort. The miners were shipped off to fight.
But things change. Now, there’s a heck of a wave just starting to roll up in Arizona and Nevada.
I’m ready to surf that wave. You should be, too.
My trip to this project started with a flight to Las Vegas. That’s because the project is in such a remote corner of Arizona, Las Vegas is the nearest airport of any size.
I piled into a car with another analyst and the CEO of the company.
We had a lot of desert to cross. So, it’s a good thing the CEO drives like the devil is on his tail. We quickly left McCarran International Airport in the rearview mirror and zoomed from the city out to rough country.
Once you get out into real desert, it becomes a moonscape. It’s like driving on an alien planet. Meanwhile, the CEO is a former hockey player, so he regaled us with stories about Wayne Gretzky.
Now who doesn’t love Gretsky? Only the best hockey player who ever lived. And an interesting person to ponder as the desert landscape whipped past the windows at ludicrously high speeds.
The CEO told us what he learned from his old teammate Gretzky: “Never set limits on yourself.”
The CEO took this to heart as he made his transition to businessman. And that’s how he and his team have built a mine faster than might seem possible in the heart of the Mojave.
They aren’t skipping any steps, either. They even did a test-run to make sure they’d get the right recoveries. Importantly, every fund-raising they’ve done — it takes a lot of money to build a mine — is done at higher and higher prices. Investors can see the good news on this project.
Our trip was enlightening. It was also on a day that was as hot as Hades. So after we wrapped things up, we took a quick trip to a nearby “ghost” town.
This area has been a center of gold-mining activity since the 1800s. The miners of yore used burros. When the gold boom ended, they released the animals into the desert. The burros thrived, and now wander the streets of the town, looking for handouts.
In the old days, miners liked to go drinking after a hard day’s work. But the conditions in the mine would turn the money in their pockets to pulp. So, on the way to the adit, the miners would write their names on dollar bills and tack them on the wall of a nearby saloon.
It’s a tradition that continues today. I’ve posted a video showing what the “wallpaper” inside one of these saloons can look like. You can find it here: https://youtu.be/wV5V0fYrVe4
You know who put his dollar up on the wall of this saloon? Ronald Reagan.
You can see his scribbled name on his bill right in the middle of this photo.
I guess that goes to show that there’s a little gold miner in all of us.
As I said, the next wave of gold mining is just starting to build in the desert. There are some extraordinary opportunities before us, in Arizona, Nevada, Utah and across the West.
That’s good mining country, and there has never been a better time for it. As an ol’ time prospector might tell you, it’s time to “get a wiggle on” and get busy.
All the best,
Sean Brodrick
Ernie Gulyas June 26, 2017
Its interesting and I enjoy reading the comments of the many self-styled experts Sean. But not a one of them stopped and acknowledged that wealth is NOT created by turning on printing presses that churn out dollar bills, but by miners mining minerals like gold, silver and so on that creates wealth. Bullion is wealth not piles of paper!
James June 23, 2017
How’s this gonna effect the Dow Jones? The euro bonds market? How’s this all gonna effect the currencies market? Is the dollar, and euro, gonna appreciate against the other 6 currencies in the world including the newest currency the rembini, is this gonna create another boom. Whereabouts in this boom, recession, depression, recovery and growth cycle are we at. Is the dollar and euro gonna rise in value against the other 6 currencies. Are we gonna see another boom. When we least expected it. How’s this all gonna the stock market? I am bullish about the stock market. I think we are in for a rising stock market. I don’t think we are in for a bear market. A bear market is a falling cautious stock market. OPEC think we are gonna see a boom in the oil commodities and gold market. What’s gonna happen in the gold market? Are we in for a boom in commodities. How big a boom is this gonna be? A big boom. Followed by a big bust lolz. The credit ratings agency is upgrading the financial rating of countries like Ireland to triple AAA bond rating. There’s another boom on the way. The National Association of Securities Dealers automated quotation system claims theirs gonna be another boom in the stock market. A big boom nonetheless. The triple AAA bond rating is gonna create a massive boom in Ireland again and in Europe. What we have used is Keynesian economics to build our way out of a recession? That’s how’s booms are created. Massive booms at that. A huge boom then followed by a huge bust lolz. What we are gonna see is a massive boom, even bigger than the last boom. The Dow Jones and standard and poor credit rating have changed their credit rating to AAA. Theirs gonna be another massive boom. When we least expected it. A big boom even bigger than the last boom. Theirs gonna be growth in the solow steady state level of income. Another boom their will be none the less. We better waste so much time as was wasted in the last boom. Get the construction cranes. We are heading towards another boom. And an even bigger boom than the last boom.
Kind Regards
James
Kenneth Hans June 15, 2017
so after all that . reading your article and you dont give us the name of the company. wtf.
Sean Brodrick June 16, 2017
Stay tuned. I’ll be sending my Red-Hot Resource Millionaire subscribers the name of the company. And I’ll have other gold miner picks here on the free side of the Edelson Institute as well.
Jim Lehmann June 15, 2017
There used to be more in the Mojave desert in California, but it is so hard to get any kind of permit due to the excessive environmental regs. Also, since many of the projects I worked on, for almost 20 years to the day, entailed the use of CYANIDE to complex the Au, Ag etc to recover prior to making the impure Dore(y) bars, all manner of precautions needed to be addressed, in that the regulatory commissions were terrified about a poison, used for a great purposes. I hope you will enjoy your treks to the desert, but I warn you: The desert is more beguiling and captivating than an 18 year old nymphomaniac with an itch that needs scratching. The moonlit nights, the removal of ALL arthritis pain, the lure of the animals and biota that thrive in the harsh environment, the cooling comfort of the thick walled adobe structures, the sheer beauty that IS the desert and that other DESSERT, ice cream that takes on a whole different meaning. Enjoy, and PLEASE learn something about Au and Ag that Larry did not teach you.
Sean Brodrick June 15, 2017
Jim, thanks for writing that wonderful note. Great stuff! Best wishes, Sean
O'Shea June 15, 2017
Lovely prose and poetry, but we pay you for stock recommendations.
If there was one in there, I missed it.
Sean Brodrick June 15, 2017
No stock recommendation this time. I’ll have a pick for you in future columns
W. Wren June 14, 2017
What company and is it public?
Sean Brodrick June 15, 2017
It’s a tiny company, and I’m saving it for subscribers for Red-Hot Resource Millionaire. But don’t worry, I’ll be back with gold picks for you soon enough.
tom June 14, 2017
I sing up for a new letter not to here of your vac route 66
Brian D'Aoust June 14, 2017
And the company?
Sean Brodrick June 15, 2017
Hi, Brian.
t’s a tiny company, and I’m saving it for subscribers for Red-Hot Resource Millionaire. But don’t worry, I’ll be back with gold picks for you soon enough.
William Peavey June 14, 2017
And I thought the Mojave Desert was in California. You’ve mentioned every state around it.
Sean Brodrick June 15, 2017
Hi, William. I was in Nevada, then Arizona. And the Mojave is there. I promise. Thanks for writing in. Best wishes, Sean
Laszlo Erdosy June 14, 2017
Kondradeff was a geneious wiho was executed by the Russian government cause his predictions didn’t sit well with the Russian government because they predicted free societies. That didn’t sit well with the government , because their predictions related to free markets.
Jeff June 14, 2017
When did Sean Broderick come back to Weiss? At the same time as Tony Sagami?
Sean Brodrick June 15, 2017
Hi, Jeff. I have been back since May. Best wishes, Sean.
DIETER SCHMALZRIED June 14, 2017
YOU HAVE NOT TALKED ABOUT GOLD AND SILVER IN QUITE A WHILE – HOW COME ? – INSTEAD YOU SEND ARTICLES BY OTHER WRITERS – IAM NOT INTERESTED IN THOSE – IF THIS CONTINUES I SHALL CANCEL .
Sean Brodrick June 15, 2017
Hi, Dieter. This is a story about gold and silver. Don’t worry, you’ll see picks soon enough.
Marlene Hessler June 14, 2017
The last picture. Eeyore (Al) Gore and 2 of his closest relatives. They’re fighting the war on Global Warming. Starting with the warm piles they leave behind wherever they go.
Hans June 14, 2017
So what’s the name of the company? Or are you taking the first steps in preparing for another upsell?
Sean Brodrick June 15, 2017
It’s a tiny company, and I’m saving it for subscribers for Red-Hot Resource Millionaire. But don’t worry, I’ll be back with gold picks for you soon enough.