The San Jacinto Mountains and the Garner Valley have been one of my favorite outdoor stomping grounds for a long time. I visited the YMCA’s Camp Lackey and the Pathfinder Ranch as a school boy and have since fallen in love with the area. Many have. Indians for years have used the area as a high altitude refuge from the hot summer whether common in the valleys and desserts that surround this mountain range. Ditto the ranchers who still summer their cattle in the Garner Valley. I have camped and hunted Thomas Mountain as well as explored the area for the gemstones that have been found in the past. As far as Gold is concerned; I have not found any in the area. Admittedly I have not searched all that much, but have never left wanting any time I have visited. Well maybe wanting a Cheeseburger or a Pizza.

The best way to get to our rally point is via the town of Hemet. Don’t get Hemet and “The Lake Hemet Store” confused they are nowhere near each other. Lake Hemet is accessed via HWY 74, witch is Florida Ave. in Hemet. From HWY 215 / 74 junction head east through the town of Hemet, eventually Florida leads up the windy road to the small town of Mountain Center continue on 74 into Garner Valley. The Lake Hemet Store is on the right once the road flattens on the floor of Garner Valley. It is the only place of its size on the north-west end of the valley. We will meet at 8 AM and leave shortly after to the Hurkey Creek Park nearby on Apple Canyon Road. The address is 56375 Hwy 74, Mountain Center CA 92561. Phone is 951-659-2050. Call for camping details.

The outing will be primarily a Metal Detector oriented trip. However bring some panning stuff, water and a sack for rock and mineral samples. There are areas to camp for free in the valley and very nice campgrounds at Hurkey Creek and Lake Hemet for 20 bucks or so. Campfires are allowed in sites with fire rings. The wether should be warm though. It is high altitude so bring sunscreen and sun glasses. It should be fun call me with questions at (909) 821-0979.

THX Jay

The April outing will be at the GPAA’s Crystal Claims #1 & #2 (CA-60). Officially known as the Crystal Group, as shown in the GPAA’s Yellow cover Guide with prospector & donkey water color.

The claims lie in the Cajon pass near San Bernardino just south of the summit. We plan to meet at the Hwy 138 off ramp, just north of the truck scales. There is a McDonald’s and a Chevron station and I will be at McDonald’s. If you go over the hill you’ve gone to far. Look for a white ford Van. I will be there at 8:00 AM and we will depart at 8:20 AM. I will give a brief orientation once we are on the claim and Prospector Gary and I will give a presentation on dry washers and there use.

The claims are good for both metal detecting and prospecting. Bring water to drink and pan. You are responsible for everything required for your participation. Bring food, water, warm clothes and any medicine you may need.

If you have any questions about the outing you can call me at (909) 821-0979.

March’s outing will be at Red Cloud Canyon.

There are three GPAA claims in this area, the Rusty Sieve, the Red Cloud and the Bumper Cactus.

We will meet Saturday morning 3/21/2009 at 9 AM sharp!!! at the Red Cloud exit.

Directions
Go East on the I-10 toward Indio, stay on I-10 past Indio about 35 miles to the Red Cloud exit. There is a large dirt area just off the freeway where we will meet.

Bring
Food, water (for drinking and panning), hat, gloves, camera, tools and anything else you might need.

Mining Comments & Member Reports
Dry washing good, metal detecting, small nuggets and fine gold.

Hope to see you all there.

H. Metcalf

I had given everyone terribly bad directions. Lack of preplanning on my part had the TVP’ers looking for the Barstow exit, but there wasn’t one. I was half right about the gas station… there was one but it wasn’t a Chevron as I had told everyone. We planned to depart for the claim at 8:15 am but waited ‘til 9. A lot of people had found me, actually us, as a group had assembled. As we left the station I saw Mark Weaver, getting on the freeway going in the opposite direction, at least I thought. Mark was in the passenger seat. Driving was his old friend Red, someone I had never met. I tried to call them via cell phone, but it was off in the back of the truck, reserved for emergencies.

What should I do? Would my friends get lost? I was supposed to be leading a group of prospectors to the claim. They all wanted to look for Gold, so we set out for Coolgardie Road. Mark and Red would do whatever.

After heading out north toward the diggings on Copper City Rd. I saw a truck in a cloud of dust ahead of me. It was going slow so we gained on it quickly. At the top of the grade the fellow in the truck pulled to the side, I slowed and to my amazement it was Red and Mark. Somehow in their detour the “Wrong Way” they had managed to get several minutes and many miles ahead of the caravan. “Is this the way to the claim?” Red asked. I had never met him but somehow I knew he already knew the answer. “I think so,” I replied. Red smiled and said “Well… we’ll follow you.”

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