Merry Christmas Everyone!

[OregonJim]

It has been several years since my last visit to Happy Camp, so I am sure few will even remember me, but I miss all you folks and the good times everyone had on the outings. I think of you often. Dave, wherever you may be, I hope all is well with you. Be safe everyone, and have a very merry Christmas!

[Joe.S.AK]

Oregon Jim! Great to hear from you.

While we've never met I certainly recognize your name.- and with 75 posts you are certainly remembered by many.

Are you, perhaps, still wandering around, without adult supervision, while searching for elusive pay streaks? It's certainly not the quantity of Gold found but the search that's important - just look at all of us with smiles on our faces and stories to tell.

Bring us up to date a little. You know, the usual 'stuff' like big strikes, living the good life and such.

Waiting to hear the latest.

Joe S

[OregonJim]

I have wanted to visit Happy Camp again every summer for years, but forest fires, Covid worries, money issues, and some family matters have kept me away. Maybe I'll get back next summer.

My last few visits to the claims were a bit lonely. There was just nobody around and I was all alone. I miss the old days when large numbers of people gathered for the weekend events. I joined the club the year dredging was made illegal in California, so I missed the real glory days of the club, but I had some of the best fun of my life in the weekend events with my highbanker. I have to admit that I was never very successful at it. I never found more than a few grains in a day, but few people have ever enjoyed shoveling and running gravel through a highbanker than me. I had the mining bug bad for a while, and like many others I spent a lot of money building and modifying gear, but every time I came up with something new, it quickly became illegal. I even built a small dredge and managed to get it into the river for a brief test, but that very morning I saw law enforcement hauling another dredge away on a trailer. Mine was out of the water, disassembled, and packed away in my RV soon after they passed by. Despite all the effort, expense, and frustrations, everything I did on the claims was exciting, educational, and exceptionally fun. I had a great time with all the folks I met there. I managed to do some really stupid things there too. I have been dangerously overheated, too damned cold, and nearly drowned twice during my visits. Let me just say that my quest for gold has not always turned out quite as planned, but it has frequently included some awesome adventures. My wife likes to remind me of those things when I talk about prospecting. Hence, my need for adult supervision. I will say in my own defense that I have always had fun while I was there, even when I found mere grains of gold. I have also seen deer, bears, a cougar, and even a wolverine while camping on the Klamath around Savage Rapids.

I hope to get back for a visit one of these days. I had a good time crevicing around some big boulders one day, and I have wondered what might be exposed if I could move them a little bit. Me moving big heavy boulders by myself... what could go wrong? My little pea-brain has been working overtime on that plan. I have enough gear to get me in a lot of trouble... there could be another story in the making. I hope it leads to gold and not hospitalization! Maybe the wife will turn me loose for a few days next summer. I miss the good times.

I hope Dave is still around and enjoying his adventures. When we last spoke, he was having the engines on his big boat overseas rebuilt and having some substantial modifications done to provide him some exceptional lifting capability for one of his adventures. I don't want to say too much, but he was onto something that sounded intriguing to me. I'd like to hear how that adventure worked out.

I miss everyone! Happy New Year to you all! I'll see you when I can.

[Jim_Alaska]

I feel your pain Jim. But it could be worse. I live right on the river and have access to lots of other places on creeks, but this only makes the ban even more discouraging, to be so close and can't do anything.

I have resisted selling my mining stuff for all these years, feeling sure that we would get back in the water one of these days. Now that this has gone on for so long, my age dictates the reality that I am not going to physically be able to mine any more. If I were still physically able, I would still hold on to my stuff, but for me it is over and I have to accept it.

On the bright side, the club is still here, the claims are still here, as is all the gold on them. The only thing lacking is a political and lawful change in the present rules.