While we were diligently digging and washing, a lady in our party, who had just had her nails done and wasn't about to get into the stream and dig mud out of the bank, was wander wandering around the bank. She reached down and picked up a nugget about the size of her pinky fingernail. Alluring tales of people stubbing toes on outcroppings of gold, or plucking nuggets from stream beds while fishing, still attract weekend and full-time prospectors. Sometimes the Golden State rewards them with its treasure. Getting organized At Happy Camp on Highway 96, halfway between Interstate 5 and the ocean, Dave McCracken heads the New 49ers, an organization that has more than 50 miles of claims, mostly along the Klamath River and its tributaries.
Members have access to the claims for varying periods of time.
Working in groups or alone, they get to keep all the gold they find. The best records of success go to those with experience. Many of the 1,500 members are families who want their youngsters to have a feel for what the Gold Rush was about. Those who find their interest in gold wavering between buying a bracelet and finding a personal supply of the precious stuff should visit the gold exhibit in the lobby of the Siskiyou County Courthouse in Yreka. Displays of pans with nuggets spilling out and scales with piles of gold dust may be all it takes to tip the scales in their direction.