Pala is in some very rough country. Looking for photos, I found this:
>>>snip
geology tour reminder
Oceanview Mine in Pala, California
Sunday, December 2, 2007
The geology tour is filling up fast! The Oceanview Mine in the Pala mining district of northern San Diego County is the last operating mine from a region that once had 73 mines, producing beautiful tourmalines (some with watermelon colors of green and pink), lavender lepidolite mica, plus beautiful crystals of quartz, morganite, beryl, kunzite, garnet, spodumene, and many other rare gems. You get to screen as many buckets of fresh material from the mine as you like and keep any gems you find!
<<<
It is rugged and rocky, with parched, desert scrub and tall mesas that drop straight down to deep canyons. Very few people would have reason to go there, other than locals and casino patrons.
Another snip:
Pala, California is home to a total of 39 mountain summits and peaks...