Prospector Alex, the Kern Country is prospector Heaven! Up and Down the Kern River, both sides and up on the Benches are good as well as the Feeder Gulches...But ofcourse you have to do the Research to find the key Places. I think the GPAA has Claims around LiveOak Campground, er, around the Lower and Upper Richbar, which is just a couple of miles into the Canyon from the entrance of the Bakersfield side. I and my Family just got through visiting Our Cousins (they live in Onyx) back in this last Feb, WOW, Lake Isabella is now a Very Small Pond, just around the dam, My Cousin Lee calls Lake Isabella "The Puddle", he's been Fishing and Hunting that area for his lifetime (65 years), his Dad and all of his Uncles and My Dad as well either worked and lived there in the area before WWII. My Cousin Lee's Mom is a "Jordan" from that area North of Kernville, her Direct GG, maybe another Great, don't know for sure, Grandaddy was Captain John Jordan, First White Man to Drown in the Kern River, circa 1850's. My Family stayed at the Kernville Inn in Downtown Kernville, next to the Kern River and I swear the Entire River was only Ankle Deep all the way across, right next to the Bridge. My entire Family and the Miller's (my cousins) always stayed and Camped at "Camp 3" back in the early 50's. There used to be a great Big Rock in the middle of the river there and on the shore side in Camp was a Tree Swing with a Old Tire, when I was 2 or 3, I drowned there and My Uncle Tommy pulled me out, when I was 4 or 5, same thing happened except my Dad went in after me...boy it took me a long time to get to that rock!, when I was around 7, I reached the rock with my brothers..One of the Neighborhood Campers that would Camp there right next to us every year at that time (usually Opening Day Weekend) had his Own TV Show called the "Happy Wanderers", that was Slim Barnett and I think his Wife Lucy, he was a Kick! One of My Dad's WW II buddy's was Dick Paar and so he was Uncle Dick to us and his Wife and Girls camped there with us too, and a couple of times, Dick's brother Jack Paar (The Original Tonite Show on TV, Before Johnny Carson) would also camp there with us. One of the Old Time Rangers there My Dad Knew cause the Ranger was Old Friends with one of my Dad's Uncles, My Dad worked for his Uncle one summer in 1939 on his Ranch close to Whiskey Flats, er to the east, out going towards the South Fork. Boy those were the days! I personally have Sluiced and Panned Gold in various spots all thru-out that region, some of my Indian Buddies are from that area and ofcourse it's all adjacent to the Mohave Desert of where alot of my adventures in years past, took place. WHAT A NEAT AREA!!! ....LOVE THE KERN RIVER COUNTRY, REGION!!!!!!......Darrell
?? Does anyone get a gram in a whole day of work
