Rockhounds?

[shreadhead]

I'm not sure where to start this thread, but I figured the hiking section might work.

My name is Brent & I hiked, backpacked, and mountaineered most of my life. My most recent passion is rockhounding, and having a vehicle to do it in has made my adventures more fullfilling in that I can get much further out than most. My truck is a 99' Toyota Tacoma 2.7 with a 2.5 inch lift, just enough to get through most blm roads I've encountered. I live in Olympia, WA, and like getting out to Eastern Oregon the most. As much as anything, I think the hobby is mainly motivated to just be out there, way out there. This hobby has alot in common with everything else this site discuses, though I haven't seen subject come up yet. I am really curious if there are other rockhounds out there and where would a discussion on this topic fit in the best.

 

[James86004]

My wife and daughter have the rockhound bug BAD. I am happy to be their chauffeur to the backcountry.

I knew they were bad when we were at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, and they spent the whole day in the rocks and minerals exhibit.

 

[spunky2268]

Rocks, gems, and gold; OH MY!

Things like this make our journeys (the real reason we are out, not the destination) all that more enjoyable. I keep a gold pan and "classifiers" in the back of my X and prospect when I'm out. Just getting into the gem and rock thing. Andy Dufresne borrowed my rock hammer and never gave it back... Come to think of it, I just might head Zihuatanejo way and get my hammer back.:sombrero:

 

[cruisertoy]

I hound. We went out the Pony express trail here in Utah and collected some very nice Geodes and Trilobites this past spring. My grandparents got me into it and my kids are always excited to go. We've collected petr. wood, apache tears, panned for gold, collected Opal in Spencer Idaho, Obsidian for knapping near beaver, sandstone dots our yard everywhere, agates and even hav found a non-metal metiorite I hauled into a local university for verification. It's always fun.

 

[shreadhead]

I'm happy to see that there's at least a few of us on the board, and I'm sure there are others too. Of all the rockhound sites out there, none of them get into detail of the importance of the rig you need. Though they do often mention the need of a high clearance vehicle to reach certain areas. I first found this site a couple years back through a rockhound site, and I believe it may have been the now defunct Lars Rocks Rockhounding. Anyway, I was hoping there would be enough of us to have our own section in the Adventure Activities forum to promote this pass time for those that are going to be out there in their travels. If anything, just for interesting suvenirs.
Brent

 

[kellymoe]

I am a pure novice hound but would like to get into it more. I took my son out to the Hauser Geode Beds last winter and found some nice examples. This summer we spent some time in the White Mountains near Bishop and found some very nice crystals in bands of quartz.

As a river guide years ago my interest was sparked when guiding a trip on the Middle Fork of the American River, I had just eddied out behind a large mid river rock and was holding the rock so the boat wouldnt drift into the current while I waited fopr the rest of the rafts to make their way through the rapid. I grabbed a quartzite dike that ran through the rock and noticed a LARGE vein of gold mixed in with the quartz. I knew what gold looked like in quartz from seeing several examples at the local gold rush museum. Since the rock was mid river at the bottom of a large rapid it is no wonder it had not been discovered before. I vowed to come back with proper tools and a boat and get that gold. Well, things got busy and summer ended and I went back home without the gold. I know the general area and if I am ever back up there I wont miss the chance again.

 

[James86004]

Kellymoe, that is an awesome find!

 

[James86004]

One of our rockhound books had a paragraph in the introduction about how the author learned the limits of a 2wd pickup and traded it in for a 4wd. It also rates the sites on how difficult they are to get to, and how difficult it is to get rocks out. We have found the easy ones are pretty well picked over.

We are getting pretty good at picking out likely sites from a distance. Desolate desert areas now look a lot more interesting.

 

[shreadhead]

The Gem Trails books seem to be the best bet for locating areas. I've also found quite a bit on the internet from locals in the area's I want to be. Recently I joined a local group that does field trips with other groups all over the state. The further you can get out there the better because the best material I've found has been in random areas not even mentioned in any book. I guess that's why old rockhounds have "secret spots." I'm not old yet though. My biggest drawback is a lack of recovery gear. My truck will get me there, but conditions can change w/o warning. Last fall I was leaving a spot & snow came in less than half an hour down the highway. The spot was "too" easy to get to and the roads had been washed out due to rockhounds not following simple ethics.

 

[James86004]

We were camped at a site in New Mexico, and it was easy getting in. Getting out was horrible, because it started pouring. After it rained an hour, and after we saw how slick the mud got, we decided we should get out before it got worse. It took us an hour to get in, and 3 to get out. Of course, once we hit pavement it stopped raining and didn't rain again in that area for weeks.

On the other hand, we have found some of our best stuff right after it rains.

 

[shreadhead]

That's usually the case, especially when it washes out others previous digs. Now that I've keyed in on some local spots I'll be able to head out on day trips, but I'll always be looking forward for the bigge ones. If I can get out twice a year I'm happy. I just need to find a rock to afford a complete truck makeover and other equipment, but that's highly unlikly. I've found alot of nice stuff. Looks real pretty in the flower beds! :ylsmoke:

 

[BIGdaddy]

man, you guys have me interesting just reading these
few words.

Any resources for a total newby down here in San Diego?

I know that we just found ANOTHER mammoth skeleton
right in downtown san diego, so there's definitely finds to be made
down here, be it fossils, gems or minerals...

 

[shreadhead]

If you look up Rockhounding California on Amazon, that and several other books will come up. Just make sure you get the most recent additions because they do get updated. I bought the Oregon book about two years ago and another one is already out. Gazetteer map books also mark where mine sites are.

Also, look into various groups. There is a lot of very nice rocks down there and some clubs will be into certain types of minerals and/or fossils. And yes, there is still alot of gold still out there, just expect to work for that. Be carefull to avoid claims as they do have the law in their favor to shoot trespassers.

 

[RHINO]

i'm a big rockhound as well.

shredhead, if you like oregon do a google search for oregon sunstone, there are a few great areas to pick it up. i have a jar full, its cool stuff and polishes well for lapidary.

 

[James86004]

Be carefull to avoid claims as they do have the law in their favor to shoot trespassers.

You can check for active and inactive claims here:

http://www.geocommunicator.gov/blmMap/Map.jsp?MAP=MC

although it probably does not have any very recent (last couple of months?) claims.