Finally...my chance to pan
 

When I was 15, I hopped the bus to BC to visit my uncle for a week. I was going to try panning, even bought a plastic pan, but the birth of his daughter was early and I never got the chance.

Fast forward about 30 years and I'm heading west again on vacation in August. A few days at a cousin's cabin new 100 Mile House, some time on Vancouver Island, and then meandering my way back home along US #2 for a week.

I've already told my wife of my intentions to pan, and she thinks it's great and hopes I have fun. Many of the areas in this trip have creeks in gold country, but its not the finding but the search.

I can't wait......:elefant:

Re: Finally...my chance to pan
 

ever think about visiting Barkerville ?

i've always wanted to hike the Chilkoot Pass and follow the path travelled by the oldtimers

Re: Finally...my chance to pan
 

Good luck! It is hard work (another way of saying "great exercise"). I hope you'll make out better than my last trip ;)

Re: Finally...my chance to pan
 

GREAT ! It's a lot of fun......I've panned eastern creeks in Tennessee and North Carolina, California and the Black Hills of South Dakota. I've love to go to Alaska someday and try there, but I'm afraid I'd never come back.....

Re: Finally...my chance to pan
 

CG: My wife's cousin is taking us to Barkerville. I've seen the website, but no idea of what to expect really. I've been to Deadwood, but this looks much larger.

<SLV>: I've done enough crashing through and working in the bush, I should be alright. Just have to make sure that if I see the gold, that I don't forget to watch where I'm going. I may want to get back.

damnit, I want to be there already...:favorites21:

Re: Finally...my chance to pan
 

I'm back from vacation and finally caught up with my work.

In the last short while I've driven 6000 km from here to BC and back, then another 3400 km from here to Sudbury, ON and back.

For the gold panning I was in the South Caribou region. I hopped in a kayak at my cousin's cabin and paddled about a half hour to a stream mouth. The stream originates somewhere up mountain and is fed mainly by melting runoff from the mountain peak area.

I spent most of the day making my way upstream, test panning deposits from promising looking locations, and checking out quartz peices I was coming across. To make a long story short, I found nothing. Probably just my inexperience, but I found no black sands either. Just pure silica sands.

I cannot think of a more relaxing way to spend a day. It was hot, the water was cold, my back got sore from panning, and I wouldn't have missed a minute of it.

When the latest priority in my life slows down (preparing to build cabin/retirement home), this looks to be a great hobby to take up.

I look forward to the next time.:D