Gold panning, also known as hand panning still goes on ever year along the Tulameen. The British Columbia government defines hand panning as, the means to wash mineralized earth and gravel by agitation in a hand held pan so as to separate and recover those minerals having the greatest gravity. In other words by using water, a pan and a swirling motion to leave only the heavy minerals at the bottom. Gold is heavier that a lot of other minerals. The only tools you are allowed to use are a pan and small hand tools.
How to Gold Pan:
1) Choose a place along the river where the waters slow down like behind a large rock.
2) Fill the pan almost to the top with sand from the spot you have chosen.
3) Dip the pan into the river water and fill it up.
4) Swirl the pan in a counterclockwise motion. This does two things; it allows the gold to start settling to the bottom of the pan and brings unwanted sand and gravel to the top of the pan.
5) Rock the pan from side to side.
6) Tip your pan into the water and allow the top layer of sand to be washed away. Move the pan backs and forwards to help was the unwanted sand away.
7) Continue to swirl your pan and repeat this pattern until there is on a small amount of sand in the bottom of the pan.
8) If you have been luck, you will see a small amount of gold flakes in the bottom of your pan. Use tweezers to remove the flakes and store them in a small container.
9) Keep going if you are having fun.
Gold is removed from the Tulameen River each year. Unfortunely almost all of the Tulameen River has mineral claims on it so only the rightful claim owner may pan for gold on their claim. As well you may never pan for gold in a park, on a First Nations Reservation or private property with out having permission first.
The coordinates of this earthcache will bring you to where the Tulameen flows into the Silkameen River. The town of Princeton maintains a gold panning reserve here for visitors and residents to gold pan. The Princeton visitors centre loans out gold pans for visitors to use. The visitors centre is located on the south side of the Silkameen River on Highway 3, just over the bridge. The local hardware store in town also sells gold pans.
To claim this earthcache you must;
1) Go to the posted coordinates and pan for gold using the information from this earthcache page. Email a description of the platinum or gold you have panned.
OR
Email the answers to the following questions: a) What is the discharge of the Tulameen where it joins the Similkameen? b) Describe the difference in the appearances of the riverbeds?
2) Post a picture of your GPS or if you wish yourself and your GPS at the coordinates.
Logs will be deleted if your email is not received with in two weeks.If you are answering just the questions you MUST answer both questions. Question a) has only one answer! Question b) can have a few different answers.