2. Vacation
  3. Stanford Graduation Trip

Gold Mining in Jamestown, CA

After picking up Jonathan's cap and gown from Stanford University, they headed East toward the city of Jamestown, CA... in the heart of Gold Country! (June 15, 2006)
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After grabbing lunch at a local diner, we made it to this creekside location right at 1:30pm. It was a steep walk down, and it looked like it could get messy!
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After grabbing lunch at a local diner, we made it to this creekside location right at 1:30pm. It was a steep walk down, and it looked like it could get messy!

  • Driving out of the Bay Area, toward Jamestown, California.
  • A patriotic scene as we drove through the hills, toward Stockton.
  • They say it gets breezy in the hills, which must be true, as these wind-generators can attest to.
  • Approaching the Central Valley... and thankfully, traffic wasn't a problem.
  • Quite a different scene than the congested, over-crowded, Bay Area.
  • We were driving rather quickly, as we didn't want to be late for our Gold Mining adventure.
  • After grabbing lunch at a local diner, we made it to this creekside location right at 1:30pm. It was a steep walk down, and it looked like it could get messy!
  • California Gold, ran by Joshua Vick. He is an awesome guy, and he sure knows about his gold! Check out his website: <a href="http://www.goldfun.com">http://www.goldfun.com</a>
  • gold dog
  • Joshua Vick, owner of California Gold. He's bailing water out of the hole he's standing in, which is where we will be digging for gold! The hole is against (and digging under) the large creek bank, with the roadway above.
  • Woods Creek: Said to be the richest creek in all of California, as it cuts through the MotherLode and Sonoran Quartz Vanes.
  • Millions of dollars have been pulled from this creek over the years... let's hope we can add to that!
  • These trees provided some great shade, which was welcomed, even though it wasn't a particularly hot day.
  • As the winter snow melts, the otherwise calm creek turns into a raging torrent of water, carrying all kinds of things along with it... including gold.<br /> <br /> As Josh threw water out of the hole, we all worked to clear paths to move the water away, using shovels, rocks, and our bare hands.
  • Without hesitation, or regard for her health, Hilliary was the first to venture into the abyss. The knee-deep water was muddy and frigid!
  • This hole is a window back in time. Looking down the walls, clear layers of sediment are visible. A black layer marks the level of a huge fire that swept through the area about 100 years ago. Below that, we found iron-rich, blueish colored mud. Iron is heavy, and so is gold... so this layer was a great place to dig through! The bedrock in the hole is millions of years old, and is decaying to the point that it can be broken with your bare hands.
  • Jonathan's Mom rinses her hand in the chilly water of Woods Creek. Little did we know just how much of that cold water we'd be enjoying.
  • The creek is fed from the run-off of snowmelt in the mountains, and the water is quite cold. Listening to the creek, one could hear the "babbling" --- pretty cool!
  • After filling two paint buckets with mud and rocks, Hilliary crawled out of the hole and took a break!
  • Still smiling, even after being up to her butt in a muddy pit. Did those hands find some gold???
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