26 | LIFE IN SOLERA | JUNE 2024 |
Gold Mining in the Craon Hill of Yucaipa
At our June 3 meeting, local author Paul Wesley La Canfora will
share his love for outdoor exploration and bring some of his books
he has written to sell, including his talk subject William Roach's Lost
Mines, so those of you attending … bring your wallet. The History
Group meets from 4:30 to 5:30 pm. The following, drawn from an
interview Paul gave to the Record Gazette in April, should excite
Solera residents to come and listen:
La Canfora, who grew up in Yucaipa and Banning, has a long
history hiking and exploring local wilderness. He says it's a passion
that began early in life as it was an inexpensive way to get some
excitement as a kid.
"e cheapest thing to do is go hike," he said.
When Paul married and had a family of his own, he continued the
hiking habit in order to build memories with his children and instill
in them a love for adventure, hiking and the outdoors.
About the lost mines, Paul says, "It's exciting. When you're back
in there, some of these valleys are just laden with grass, it smells
damp and it's so quiet. It's like you are there in that same time,
almost. One of the things I do is look for things that do not look
natural. Much of the many canyons he visited behind Craon
appeared unchanged and that the mines themselves may have not
been visited in about 100 years."
HISTORY GROUP
