Hi Friends,
This post is an entry into the weekly contest of 
With 
I have had my eye on a claim in San Diego county that I wanted to check out, so I decided to give it a go as the location was a bit more elevated at around 4,000 feet so it would hopefully be a little cooler.
I drove to the claim and started my hike - it was an intense hike through heavy brush. The “river” the claim was on was more like stagnant water so the sluice box I brought was no help - I was limited to panning.
I searched around the claim for most of the day, trying this spot and that, but was largely unsuccessful. I only managed to find two pieces of gold and was rewarded with a poison oak rash for my efforts!
Here are a couple of pictures from the adventure:
I had this little snake hanging out with me in one location - he swam right up to me at one point while I was panning and was practically in my gold pan:
It was a hot day, and the claim kicked my butt - better luck next time.
Thanks for stopping by,
Brian