| Gold was first discovered in the Fraser River of | | | | the shortest time. One former champion was |
| British Columbia in 1858. By 1861 pioneer | | | | observed to find all six of his gold flakes in less |
| prospectors had moved northeast to the Cariboo | | | | than three and one-half minutes. |
| region, where William "Billy" Barker found a rich | | | | A few miles east of Barkerville, in the town of |
| vein at Williams Creek. By 1880, the town named | | | | Wells, Joy Stepan owns and operates Gold Safari |
| after him, Barkerville, had grown into the largest | | | | Tours. She said people still have the urge to |
| city west of Chicago and north of San Francisco. | | | | explore for gold, but gold panning is not allowed in |
| Today, Barkerville is a former ghost town | | | | parks. So the only place visitors can legally pan for |
| transformed into a popular tourist destination. A | | | | gold is on claims where they are given permission. |
| popular attraction at Barkerville is a gold panning | | | | Ms. Stepan, known locally as Cariboo Joy, offers |
| and souvenir shop where visitors can buy a pan | | | | gold panning lessons at her RV campground, and |
| full of dirt, rocks and at least a fleck or two of | | | | allows her guests to pan for gold on her claim at |
| genuine gold. The six dollar price per pan also | | | | nearby Lowhee Creek. Along with picks and |
| includes a lesson on how to pan for gold. Novice | | | | shovels, she rents green plastic gold pans. She |
| panners are warned not to put their fingers into | | | | says they are easier to use than traditional steel |
| the water, because the oil from their skin can | | | | pans because they are lighter in weight and do |
| cause the gold to float to the surface and out of | | | | not reflect sunlight back into your eyes. |
| the pan, instead of staying on the bottom. | | | | When asked how people know where to look for |
| Once each year the gold panning shop hosts a | | | | gold, Ms. Stepan replied that very unconventional |
| gold panning competition, with participants from | | | | methods are sometimes employed. Some people |
| across Canada, the USA, and even as far away | | | | hold a pendulum over a map and then look for |
| as Europe taking part. Each is given a bucket | | | | gold at places where the pendulum swung. Others |
| containing dirt, gravel and six gold flakes. | | | | use a dowsing wand, a Y-shaped stick cut from a |
| Contestants have up to five minutes to splash | | | | willow brand. They walk along the ground, holding |
| and shake their steel pans around in wooden, | | | | the wand out in front of them. Where the wand |
| water-filled troughs, trying to find the most gold in | | | | dips, they believe gold may be found. |