Having the day off and no money to enjoy it, I decided to strike it rich up in the mountains above Azusa – the East Fork of the San Gabriel River.

Jeremy, who works in the same building as me at my real job, wanted the “adventure” and experience to go Gold prospecting.

I was happy to help him out.

We arrived around 7:15 AM and hiked maybe two miles up river to find a good spot.

Another perfect day in the mountains!

We came across a huge hole that someone had dug on the river embankment.

I thought, “There must be Gold here, someone kept digging.”

Jeremy dug and classified a bucket of gravel in the area surrounding the hole, while I supervised.

I instructed Jeremy on how to feed a sluice, while I drank my breakfast Chelada.

After a while, I dug while Jeremy classified.

Another prospector, who later introduced himself as Ted, walked down to us and asked if we were digging in his hole.

“No,” I said, “have at it, but I was considering it.”

Ted digs in his hole; apparently he is up here every week.

After a few bucket fulls of nothing, Ted was nice enough to point out some places where we may have some luck.

Jeremy said, “If I even see a tiny flake of Gold, that will make my trip worth while.”

Ted lent us his huge 16 pound crow bar to move some rocks.

We dug a few more bucket fulls of gravel from underneath some of the rocks that we moved.

Jeremy gained much experience in feeding a sluice.

I’m now an expert at setting up my sluice, adjusting for water flow and angle.

As it turns out, all three of us live in Long Beach and Ted frequents the grocery store where Jeremy’s wife works.

I picked Ted’s brain about prospecting here; he bragged about once getting $15 worth of Gold up here in one day.

We told Jeremy basically, that prospecting is something that you “really like, really hate, or something that you like to hate, but nothing beats a great day in the mountains.”

I panned the last sluice full of concentrate and low and behold – there was Gold!

A few flakes, that is.

A few tiny flakes that I couldn’t take a picture of, because I don’t have a microscope.

I gave Jeremy all of our Gold, not only as a souvenir, but also so he wouldn’t go back home empty handed.

We packed up, said good bye for now to Ted and hiked back to the truck.

Jeremy said that he had fun and would do it again; hopefully next time we’ll have better luck.

Once again, I was called upon to use my advanced Dive Mastering abilities to make sure all the participants at the Gold Star Dive would be safe.

I also couldn’t turn down the pay – a T-shirt, free food, free water and the ability to write off transportation as a charitable contribution.

Registration begins along with food sales.

Divers prepare to enter.

As I mentioned in previous posts, The Gold Star Dive is a charity event that benefits the Catalina Hyperbaric Chamber and the LA County Sheriffs’ S.T.A.R. program.

Participants paid $55 to register.

At a particular time, a canon fires and SCUBA and free divers then try and find one gold star that corresponds to a later prize; a raffle is also held.

The participants are briefed on the event and safety.

The 2008 Gold Star Safety Crew; I am the guy in the back row wearing the cool green hat.

I was going to be on the rocks with a lifeguard can and snorkeling equipment.

We had people working the stairs, in the water and on kayaks; others reconciled C-cards.

Do I look macho holding a lifeguard can, or what?

The event started with the firing of the canon; a few free divers plunged down and came up with stars they had spotted previously.

So there I sat, on a rock, fins on, can in hand scanning the water for trouble.

I know that many participants are new or only dive on occasion.

A signal for help is an overhand wave of the arm; a surface “OK” sign is placing your hand on top of your head.

How many times did I see a wave, only to hear, “Hi Mom!”

I’m looking, asking divers who seem tired if they’re alright.

Someone yelled, “That diver needs help!”

I looked over, and I saw a big clump of kelp with a waving hand sticking out.

I jumped in the water and swam over; Steve, who was working at the stairs, pointed the diver out to Jake and another safety worker.

I got there first and handed her the can, which she promptly grabbed.

I asked, “Are you just caught in the kelp?”

“Yes, I was about to panic.”

“Don’t do that, you’ll be fine.”

I started untangling and breaking the kelp off her gear.

Jake and the other guy swam over and helped with the process.

She was diving with a group of three; apparently the other two just kept going when she ran in to trouble.

Once free, I tank towed her back to the stairs to an awaiting Steve.

The diver thanked us and apologized for putting us through the trouble, but we told her that she did the right thing and that’s what we’re here for.

I was getting hot sitting on the rock, so I should have thanked her for the swim.

The kayakers towed some tired divers.

Once all the divers were accounted for, Steve and Laurie told us we could leave our posts.

Another rewarding day as a highly paid event safety worker!

I took the early boat back.