I think you did well enough to get a nice picture of gold in your pan. There never seems to be enough and that is what keeps us going. At least you know how much effort it takes to get that much gold from that specific spot on the Kern River. Move three feet left it might have been more or less. At least your mining with your Dad. Keep doing that.
Time spent outside is time spent exercising and bot watching tv. It's not always about the gold for me. I get just as excited about being out of the house, hiking through the woods, and having an adventure that most only imagine while they sit at home shoving hand fulls of chips in their mouths.
That waterway is very cold and dangerous, be careful, but as the water drops, it should expose some very nice areas. Congrats on a great trip with your dad.
Yea, Alex you be careful with that pan and all....and take great pride knowing you wrangled some of the most treacherous gold in the state.......glad you made it back in one piece to show us the pictures