The 2009 Italian Bar outing brought us some of the most beautiful weather we have seen at an outing this year. With the nights in the high 40s, and the days in the mid 70s, we could not have enjoyed the conditions any more. I believe it was one of the best outings Italian Bar has ever had.

The gold operation consisted of several combo units and one trommel. With the number of participants for the week at around 100 people, we broke into morning or afternoon shifts and ran the equipment up to eight hours per day. The gold started showing up at the first cleanup on Wednesday around noon. The sight of gold excited a lot of the participants and led to more gold over the next few days. With a combination of stockpiled dirt from the rich gold-bearing material found in the heart of the Mother Lode country and the hand-worked limestone bedrock areas at the dig site, we were able to recover some pretty good color that week. A lot of people learned just how much work is involved in finding gold.

At the outing, we were greeted on Saturday morning by Tom and Cindy Massie who spent the rest of the weekend visiting with the members, sharing stories and taking photos with everybody. With a blending of classes, contests and visiting with friends new and old, the trip provided a wide range of fun for all.

The new caretakers put their mark on the outings with adding the campfire every morning as well as every night, more get-together meals and some changes to the camp in general. I probably would have enjoyed the outing even more if I had not taken a fall the week before the outing, breaking three ribs in the process. With the excellent staff and crew for the outing, all went well and I am looking forward to the next outing at Italian Bar.