Went Gold Panning

Hi. All,
Went Gold Panning yesterday. It was a great day (outside).
It is Hard, hard work! Drove two hours South and set up camp
along Broad Creek. We went with a Guide who has panned for
3 years. He really knows his stuff. Alright... I'll tell you what you want
to know. None of us (7 people on the brook)
found anything but flour gold. Very small pieces or specks or flakes.
We were at it for 11 hours! Lots of Garnets... Not the gem type, but the kind
they ground up for sandpaper. Panny is very intense. You dig a whole with
a large shovel and fill a 5 gallon pail with the rocks and dirt. Then you fill your pan
and work it down to a tablespoon size in the pan. You use 4 different pans and
a strainer to do this. The gold, if any will be in there somewhere.

This is not a hobby in which you could hope to make money! Jim's been
at it for 3 years and has not uncovered an ounce.
Few have. Some are lucky enough to find nuggets, but it's rare.
There is Gold out there... Somewhere... It's under Big boulders and you have to dig deep.
The Guide worked very hard is a great instructor in panning.
He charges 80.00 a person for a day or a weekend. Pretty reasonable
considering you feel confident enough to go out on your own next time.
It was a great experience!
Nancyd