According to Andy Alberti, president of the Nye Gold Seekers Club, there is.

The Nye Gold Seekers has been around for more than two years and started because Alberti is always on a quest for information. "I've always been interested in mining gold, but I couldn't find anyone here who knew anything about it," he said. "I thought maybe if I started a club, people would come and share information.

"There were 12 at the first meeting and 12 at the second meeting," Alberti said. "By the time we got to the third meeting, 85 people showed up.

"We were holding the meetings at the library and the room was too small. We couldn't get everybody in," he said.

After getting organized, researching the laws governing prospecting with the Bureau of Land Management and the state and setting some goals for the club, the group began to collect equipment. At first it was minimal, but over time, has become more sophisticated.

Members have put the equipment to good use. Last year, the club staked an 80-acre claim in Johnnie, 22 miles north of Pahrump. Every other weekend, the members gather locally and take a trip to the claim to see what they can "dig up."

Most of the gold found so far has been placer gold, meaning it is not encased in rock, but is found in the top five feet of dirt and in the dry stream beds located on the property. "People find gold all the time out there," Alberti said.

"Most of it is fine (grained); because of the club, we've learned what signs to look for to indicate there is gold." Metal detectors, certain plants and geological structure are some indicators denoting where to dig.

Alberti said anyone can go to the claim once without becoming a member of the Nye Gold Seekers. "They just need to come to either a meeting or meet the group when we're going out (to Johnnie)," he said. "It doesn't matter if they don't have equipment. Someone will work with them and show them the ropes.

"We can show newcomers how to pan and what to look for.

"It's a friendly group. They have a good time," he said.

It doesn't hurt to know members and visitors get to keep what they find. Alberti said, "I can't tell you exactly how much gold we've found. No one is accountable for what they find. It's theirs to keep."

The object of the club is not to get rich. The membership fee is $65 the first year and includes a Nye Gold Seekers T-shirt. Renewal is $50 a year. The fees apply as a buy-one-get-one-free membership for couples. The funds are used to buy and maintain equipment, fund outings, produce educational DVDs and pay other expenses.

At present, the club is looking for someone with core drilling equipment so it can discern what might be 20 feet or more under the surface.

"Eventually, we would like to have enough money to purchase a mine," Alberti said. "We're in the process of getting a nonprofit designation. Once that's done, we can start applying for educational grants."

The club is all about learning safety and indicators and practicing prospecting skills.

If someone wants to take that knowledge and go prospecting on their own, they will stand a better chance of having success through knowledge gleaned from other members of the club.

The Nye Gold Seekers will meet at 2 p.m. tomorrow at the Pahrump Valley Museum, 401 E. Basin Ave. Everyone is welcome to attend.

For more information, Alberti can be reached at 727-8771. The Web site is nyegoldseekers.com.