Tuesday, February 25, 2014

There's (Still) Gold in Them Thar Hills

Drought Has Created California’s 2nd Gold Rush
Prospectors in Southern California are heading to the hills, saying the severe drought has exposed gold that has never been touched by human hands. As water levels continue to drop more nooks and crannies are easier for these gold hunters to access.

“A lot of time you would just see a husband. Now you’re seeing the whole family out,” said Kevin Hoagland, of the Gold Prospectors Association of America.

Prospectors at Lytle Creek, 60 miles from Los Angeles in San Bernardino County, pan for gold, using metal detectors and sluice boxes. CBS2/KCAL9 reporter Art Barron witnessed veteran prospector Jack Barber pull up large pieces of the precious metal.

Armed with simple equipment, anyone can look for gold as long as it’s not on someone’s property or violates an existing gold claim. Many amateur prospectors are joining in the search.
When I was a little kid, and my parents had a vacation cabin near Lake Arrowhead, Calif. (in San Bernardino County, he took me on a few day trips to a place reputed to have had a minor "gold rush" in the good old days, Holcomb Valley.  Equipped with pans and a home made "rocker" sluice box, we (I should really say he, because I'm sure all I did was run around chasing frogs and lizards) tried our hands at gold prospecting.  I even recall a few flakes of something that might have been gold and not fools gold.

Thanks, Dad!

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