snowdog
fully equipped rock polisher
RIP David Fildes, aka: snowdog
Member since January 2005
Posts: 1,527
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Post by snowdog on Dec 12, 2008 0:08:15 GMT -5
Tony, you say this is a "surface" only site? -- is there much " good" stuff there yet ? --- can you take a "4-wheeler" down instead of the truck ? ( you were saying high-clearance) --- also is there any "montana's" around that area ( I didn't look to see on the map ) ?
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rallyrocks
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since November 2005
Posts: 1,507
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Post by rallyrocks on Dec 12, 2008 0:34:36 GMT -5
Snowdog, if you are makin' the haul out to Bruneau from Illinois, you can take I 94 on either the way out or the way back, while it isn't the most direct route, it runs along side the Yellowstone river for some 200+ miles, and another 55 mile side spur up to Sidney covers pretty much all of the Montana Agate gravel bars.
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Post by catmandewe on Dec 12, 2008 0:39:04 GMT -5
Hey Dave, The owner told me that due to the liability issues, there will be no hard rock mining while we are down there. That means blasting, jack hammers, drills, etc. If some overburden happened to cave in while someone was working on it, it would be a really really bad deal. If they have been mining already, there should be stuff laying around on the surface. He told me that he thought we would have no problem finding stuff. I think you should be able to get a 4 wheeler down there, it is a desert road with lots of rocks, the last 8 or 10 miles of the road usually takes several hours, depends on how much you baby your truck. You could easily drive to within 8-10 miles of the site with any pickup. Bring spare tires. No Montanas around here, but there is lots of other stuff within an hour or two's drive if you want to find something else before you head home. We will be in the Owyhee range, and there is tons of stuff still waiting to be found out there, or a couple hours drive and we can be over by Graveyard Point, Succor Creek, Silver City, just depends on what you are after, there really is too much country to cover in just a few days. Some fantastic gold country just an hour or 2 north, also. If you want to stay longer, you are welcome to base camp out of my place, I can even take a few days off and go exploring with ya. Be good to see ya again, hope you come...................Tony
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Post by akansan on Dec 12, 2008 13:19:53 GMT -5
Would this be a situation if those from farther away got to a certain point, others could get them to the camp? My pickup would make it all the way to the site, but I'm not too keen on the 19 hour drive to get there.
Are we looking at a weekend excursion, a long weekend, a full week?? It sounds like an amazing time, and I'm trying to work out if I'll be able to do it or not.
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Post by catmandewe on Dec 12, 2008 21:04:55 GMT -5
Hey Ronda, I am sure if some of you wanted to fly in, we could figure out a way to get you out there. If nothing else, we can carpool till the road gets bad and whoever has good 4x4 rigs can shuttle people in and out. I can probably build a beater trailer to haul gear in and out, that would leave more room in the pickup for people to ride, that way I could haul 5 or 6 people in.
I was thinking more of a long weekend sort of deal, but that is a group decision.
Hey Larry, if you want to come I will drive you down there, you can shut your eyes!!
Tony
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Rogue Trader
freely admits to licking rocks
"Don't cry because you are leaving, smile because you were there."
Member since December 2008
Posts: 839
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Post by Rogue Trader on Dec 13, 2008 6:32:35 GMT -5
For those that don't know, (and it is a very useful thing to know if you are having to haul your waste out with you) there are over the counter drugs available which help to harden your stools and prevent you from needing to evacuate on a regular basis. On some of the ops I was on, we had to take everything away with us, not even allowed to leave urine stains/smells in the soil/grass. We were still eating our 3000 calories a day, and drinking our usual amounts of water. My longest period without having to have an evacuation was 13 days. But boy when I went I went
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snowdog
fully equipped rock polisher
RIP David Fildes, aka: snowdog
Member since January 2005
Posts: 1,527
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Post by snowdog on Dec 13, 2008 13:48:58 GMT -5
Amber --you could come on out ! all the comfort of home !! ;D -- top bucket/lid --new paper, bags, etc. ---- bottom bucket /lid == used ! ---- complete with fresh air & pine scent ! ;D ;D -- if you like the fresh air , you can even sit there and read the paper !
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SteveHolmes
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2009
Posts: 1,900
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Post by SteveHolmes on Dec 13, 2008 14:14:18 GMT -5
That's a fine set-up Dave! This should make Ambers decision so much easier!!! All the comforts like home...and so much more. ;D I'll bet if your lucky enough you'll have a chipmunk, squirrel or even a deer come up and feed out of your hand. Can you arrange that Tony?? Steve
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DeanW
has rocks in the head
Member since December 2007
Posts: 721
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Post by DeanW on Dec 14, 2008 3:16:20 GMT -5
Is the last 8-10 miles simply rocky/rough, or is it also super steep or narrow or ? And I thought camping was metioned right? Is that AT the mine site? Strongly interested (2 people, are we allowed to invite trustworthy others also?) but not yet committed. Dean
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pebblepup
has rocks in the head
Succor Creek Thunder Egg
Member since July 2008
Posts: 515
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Post by pebblepup on Dec 14, 2008 15:04:49 GMT -5
Hello Tony,
I would love to join in on this trip. I will need to ride with someone since my car will not be able handle the roads. I can hardly wait for this one!
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Post by catmandewe on Dec 14, 2008 22:57:36 GMT -5
Ok so far we have 8 for sures and 4 maybes.
Dean, The last stretch of road is rock crawling for quite a ways, then it drops down into the canyon. The drop into the canyon looks far worse than it really is, if you have ever done any off road driving, this is very similar. The claim maps on the geocommunicator shows the claims on the other side of the river, and I have not been across the river before, so I can't say for sure how the other side is. But people have been driving to the claims for about 30-40 years now, so it can't be that bad?! As for inviting other people I will leave that up to you. I don't like rules, so I am not going to try to make some up. Just remember in your decision making, if we make a good impression, we may get to do this again.
Steve, I will bet if we leave the toilet paper out in the open, the chipmunks will come get it, they love the stuff for their bedding. At elk camp we have to put the toilet paper in a metal can, they can go through a 12 roll pack in less than a day!
I am sure we can come up with a latrene to take down there. We will draw straws and the short straw has to haul it back out!! LOL
Tony
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Post by Bejewelme on Dec 14, 2008 22:59:16 GMT -5
Snowdog: You know that photo almost makes me want to do this trip, it looks so spacious, you can't argue with the square footage of that bathroom!! I would have plenty of room for all my beauty products and my butane curling iron, hahahahah I will live vicariously through you tough guys. Amber
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Post by Tonyterner on Dec 15, 2008 14:23:26 GMT -5
Cant you guys move the canyon closer to PA for me? lol That looks like a blast and would love to come but probably won't be able to afford to go. Let us know if you decide to fill some boxes for RTHers who can't make it.
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rallyrocks
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since November 2005
Posts: 1,507
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Post by rallyrocks on Dec 15, 2008 15:26:19 GMT -5
Man Tony, I don't know if you realize what you've started here, I'm envisioning this massive invasion of the canyon, dozens of rockhounds all over the place- probably with a few broken cars stranded along those last 8 miles...
I sure hope I can make it!
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brent
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since November 2008
Posts: 1,316
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Post by brent on Dec 15, 2008 19:38:28 GMT -5
Is this trip open to outsiders? I don't have a rock club here and do most of my rock hounding on my own or once in a while with saskrock.
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Post by catmandewe on Dec 15, 2008 21:41:46 GMT -5
Pete, I told the mine owner I expected between 6-10 people to show up. He said he thinks that is a good number, we will see when I go talk to him next. I figure I will talk to him again in January and give him the preliminary numbers, see what he says. I think he is somewhat intrigued that this is an online rock club, and that people get together from all over the country for a rock hunt, may be what prompted him to say ok.
Brent, Not sure what you mean by outsiders, it is basically open to RTH members, and you all know that just means you have to sign up and log on. If you have a name here, that makes you an insider.
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brent
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since November 2008
Posts: 1,316
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Post by brent on Dec 16, 2008 9:42:58 GMT -5
Cool....If the people in the local club would have been more net savy, maybe the club would still excist. It's good to be an insider. Put me down as a maybe then.
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snowdog
fully equipped rock polisher
RIP David Fildes, aka: snowdog
Member since January 2005
Posts: 1,527
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Post by snowdog on Jan 16, 2009 14:18:13 GMT -5
Haaaaaaaay Tony ! have you got to talk to that guy yet ? what weekend is this going to be ? (also wanted to bump this back up before it got lost)
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turnedstone
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since January 2006
Posts: 766
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Post by turnedstone on Jan 17, 2009 2:12:44 GMT -5
Thanks for the bump Snowdog. Had not seen this it has been my dream to make it out there for a very long time. Will have to put some thought into making this trip. Sure is a once in a life time thing for me. I am a maybe for this trip wife will kill me for sure but in death I will have full filled a dream lol. George
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Post by catmandewe on Feb 8, 2009 10:32:58 GMT -5
I talked to Gerald yesterday, they are doing shows almost every weekend, the first available weekend will be either the end of May or in June. They have a show scheduled for the first weekend in June so that one is out. He is still out of town and said he will not be home until March, I am supposed to call him back in March to figure out which weekend will work for him. He said to make sure that everyone knows that the road is not a good road and that it will take about 4 hours to drive in. I was trying to get a weekend nailed down so people who need to could request work off, but I couldn't get a date nailed down yet.
Tony
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