Soooo, bringing it full circle, we go on a really epic hike and I end up railing this beautiful blonde stockbroker on top of a waterfall in the Sierras. Bam.
Those are the San Gabriel Mountains, the Sierras are a ways off!
I actually had no idea people went panning anywhere near there, I live right off Azusa, and I've been driving halfway to San Diego instead.
I had to look that one up... It is still the Sierras all the way down to Santa Barbara, just the Madres vs. the Nevadas. It sort of fades in to the San Rafael and San Garbriel range without much distinction.
The east fork is huge for panning. Before the suction dredging moratorium, people used to be there with their rafts and highbankers.
If you live in Asuza, it's worth checking out basically anywhere in the Los Padres and the Angeles National Forest. I pan at Switzer Canyon and Millard Canyon a lot, but only after storms as the waterways aren't too big. I have also had some good luck a Piru Creek, off the 5 up towards the 14.