sierra nevada gold pospecting day tour

Clay (the owner) took my 8 y/o and me gold panning. I had defined success as finding even a speck of gold but he helped us find lots of specks and flakes. And that was not even at his best site since so much rain had fallen that we couldn't get to it. The site he chose was perfect for us. A toilet nearby for me, a way to sit on dry gravel while panning and, of course, good sand if you know where to dig as he did and two hours was plenty long for my daughter to stay engaged. He helps with every step (and does as much for you as you need him to) and you keep all the gold. He is nice and low key with adults and was great and patient with my daughter (he also has an 8 year old). I had trouble finding gold panning in the Auburn area (where my relatives live) on a weekday in March and was going to go to a much more expensive and inconvenient place in Jamestown that required mud boots, couldn't go if it rained and would NEVER guarantee we'd find gold, even a speck, or even speculate on the probability of finding a speck. I found Clay by calling a museum and asking about referrals. He has a company and a number of employees and offers regularly scheduled group lessons as well as taking us out privately. He also can teach/guide (or provide guides) for other forms of gold mining which sound fascinating (he blasts, digs, etc.) One multi-day trip I'm considering for my husband involves a rigorous hike to a location where you dig for nuggets.