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Post by gingerkid on Mar 4, 2015 16:52:07 GMT -5
Have been conversing with broseph82 about the upcoming dig at Graves. Looking forward to possibly meeting Jimi, Tonya, and other forum members! This will be our first 'official' dig and really excited about it. From Georgia Mineral Society's website: "You are invited to field collect minerals at Georgia's premiere mineral location!"Graves Mountain in Lincolnton, Georgia The caretaker in charge of Graves Mountain, Clarence Norman Jr., has announced plans to hold a three day dig and rock swap on the Mountain during April and October. He will have the mountain open to collecting from 8 am to 6 pm each day. All participants must stop at the welcome table in the Hospitality tent to sign a liability release and make a small contribution to defray the cost of opening the mountain and providing port-o-lets. There will be several golf cart type, four wheeled vehicles available to transport those participants who have trouble walking long distances. The dig will cease and everyone is expected to be off the mountain by around 6 pm each day. Participants will be allowed to park in a designated area on the mountain. Rock Swap and Hot Food/Drinks:Junior will set aside an area in the upper parking lot for tables to be setup for daily rock swaps. Anyone who would like to setup a table(s), please contact Junior at the phone numbers listed below. Hot food cooked on the grill, cold drinks and chips will be available for purchase on the mountain during all three days of these events. Contact Information:Clarence Norman Jr. (Junior) - 706-359-1544 (his business) or 706-401-3173 (his cell) THESE DIGS ARE OPEN TO ALL NO NEED TO SIGN-UP, JUST SHOW UP FOR ALL "ROCK SWAP AND DIGS"! Mark your calendar and tell all your friends about these two great events!April 8 am to 6 pm, Friday, April 24, 2015 8 am to 6 pm, Saturday, April 25, 2015 8 am to 6 pm, Sunday, April 26, 2015Directions:From Atlanta's I-285, take I-20 east to the exit for Washington, GA SR 78 (SR 10, SR 17) and turn left. Travel north to Washington, turn right onto SR 378 and drive 11 miles to the Graves Mountain area. The entrance to Graves Mountain is on your right about 8/10 mile past the Lincoln county line sign. -OR- Just after you exit onto SR 78, turn right onto GA 43 and drive towards Lincolnton about 13 miles. Take a left onto GA 220 going Northwest for about 3 miles to SR 378. Take a left on SR 378 and go about 2 miles. The entrance will be on your left. The entrance is a paved road that goes through a gate and up a hill. Please park along the access road and then proceed to the "Welcome Tent" at the end of the pavement to obtain a liability release form and to make a donation for the portable bathrooms, etc. Source: www.gamineral.org/ft/commercial/ftgravesmain.htmlTons of information on Georgia Mineral Society's website concerning the history of Graves Mountain, the smorgasbord of minerals found at the location (pics, too), safety, and code of conduct. More goodies at Bob's Rockshop website on Graves. www.rockhounds.com/rockshop/graves_mountain.html
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Post by broseph82 on Mar 4, 2015 19:49:25 GMT -5
Heck yeah! Thanks for posting this Jan! gingerkid
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Post by gingerkid on Mar 5, 2015 16:47:00 GMT -5
Thought I would give a shout-out to members that I know live nearby to see if they will be attending the Graves dig. Hope I did not leave anyone out and my apologies if I did. fantastic5? kap? pghram? garock? jamesp? iant? snowmom? Just kidding, iant and snowmom, but wish you could both attend!!
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garock
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since February 2006
Posts: 1,168
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Post by garock on Mar 5, 2015 16:51:31 GMT -5
Don't think I will make this year. I need to go. Been a few years since I have gone
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Post by gingerkid on Mar 5, 2015 16:53:55 GMT -5
Aw, come on, now, garock! I hope you will please reconsider.
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Post by snowmom on Mar 5, 2015 17:36:07 GMT -5
thanks for thinking of me Jan, I wish I could go, too! You know I want to see lots of pictures, right?
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Post by cpdad on Mar 5, 2015 18:53:46 GMT -5
i am right down the road..but will not be going...maybe for the fall dig. but i will be right across the bridge with my little camper at plum branch yacht club...fancy name for a redneck campground ...if anyone would like to ride over and hang out...drink..eat..etc..its all on me. i sold my boat...but i will have my waverunner...anyone is welcome to take it out for a spin...or i can give you a ride (0 to 65 in about 3 seconds)...i am always looking for new victims to give a ride to ...kev.
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,154
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Post by jamesp on Mar 5, 2015 20:40:46 GMT -5
i'm going rock hunting with iant that week
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Post by kap on Mar 5, 2015 21:30:14 GMT -5
I will be there with Mark(munchie). I will also have a booth set up selling make sure to come by and hang out!
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Post by iant on Mar 6, 2015 3:06:53 GMT -5
You lot crack me up! :-)
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,154
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Post by jamesp on Mar 6, 2015 9:31:32 GMT -5
We lot are the southern crackers Ian. Land of lovely mermaids and very ugly mermen.
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Post by iant on Mar 6, 2015 10:07:55 GMT -5
You're not wrong there - great picture!
Is that a good spot for coral or did everyone roll down the bank and fall in?
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Post by fantastic5 on Mar 6, 2015 11:46:38 GMT -5
gingerkid and broseph82 I told my husband that the Graves dig is the only thing I want for my birthday. We should be there Saturday and Sunday. If for some reason my husband can't go I'll do all three days. You all will love this place. Although it can be quite intimidating the first time you go due to its size. Take the first day to just try and see as much as you can, then settle in to a spot of what you like the most and get to digging. This year I think I will focus on the lazulite in quartzite if my husband is with me. This material takes bruit force to remove from large boulders.Here is a sample from a past dig: @
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Post by fantastic5 on Mar 6, 2015 11:55:58 GMT -5
munchieYou're not wrong there - great picture! Is that a good spot for coral or did everyone roll down the bank and fall in? kap and munchie actually found this spot. We were at a shoals that jamesp took us to on the first day. This was on the second day that they started digging in the white clay in the bank (underwater) and were pulling out some very nice corals. It didn't take long for Tina and I to want to join them. And being of a very generous nature they let us get right in the spot with them! Which is actually saying something, because it gets very deep very quickly through here and we were all trying to dig with our feet and not slide backwards into the deep dark alligator channel.
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,154
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Post by jamesp on Mar 6, 2015 11:57:45 GMT -5
You're not wrong there - great picture! Is that a good spot for coral or did everyone roll down the bank and fall in? That aquatic mining claim was staked out by the ones in the photo. It seemed to be a corporate arrangement, digger, critic, consultant, comptroller, President and VP, etc. Their 10 seat jet had pontoons on it so lets say they skeeted across the water and drifted to this point. Forgot to get photos of the jet.
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Post by captbob on Mar 6, 2015 15:33:40 GMT -5
I was going to ask if ya'll had pulled any Lazulite out of there. Thanks for posting that fantastic5! Happy hunting My only specimen of Lazulite from Graves Mt. I've always been awed by the iridescent Hematite from that location. Have yet to find the right piece for my collection (as it would probably equal a house payment) but I keep searching.
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Post by fantastic5 on Mar 6, 2015 16:00:41 GMT -5
I was going to ask if ya'll had pulled any Lazulite out of there. Thanks for posting that fantastic5! Happy hunting My only specimen of Lazulite from Graves Mt. I've always been awed by the iridescent Hematite from that location. Have yet to find the right piece for my collection (as it would probably equal a house payment) but I keep searching. That's a fantastic specimen! If you are looking for the iridescent specimens give kap a try, I know he has pulled some killer pieces out of a hole that almost made a pancake out of him!
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garock
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since February 2006
Posts: 1,168
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Post by garock on Mar 6, 2015 18:27:01 GMT -5
fantastic5, I always like going to the left or west pit, mid level. When you reach the high ridge road bare to the left. Walk along the trail until it sort of stops. Some rutile, lazulite, irresdescent hemitite, and blue green and red stained phyrophilite. Also in the west side crazy quartz crystals with hemititle on them. They look like the were heated and bent a little. A study says the area went thru 3 extreme heat cycles. There is also what folks call, volcanic bombs, mostly fist size. They will be reddish in color and when broken have black hemitite cavities. Some rare occasions, they will be rediescnet. If there is standing water, don't walk in it with regular shoes. The water is highly acid from the sulfer. There are neat specimens of blue kyanite and pryrite there also. Most of the good rutile is in the west pit. I don't think they let anyone dig on the high walls of the west pit. The ruble pile of the high walls has some nice small rutile specimens. The hemitite is heavy. Once nice thing about the 3 day hunt is you can ride in and they will take you and your rocks out. I think I may be talking myself into going. Will have to wait and see ! Hope this helps. Most folks there will offer help if you ask. Been going there since 1993. First time there were 2 tornado warning while we were in the pit and raining cats and dogs. My wife found a 100 lb or so boulder with light phyrophilyte cyrstals on it. Had hand trucks and started hauling it out of the pit after the rain stopped a little. Mud would pack between the wheels and frame of hand trucks and then it was drag time. Had to stop and clear out the mud. Ok once you got on the gravel and paved part. That trip everyone had to park down on the highway, walk at least a 1/4 mile up like Stone Mountain. Don't know what was worse, pulling the boulder out of the pit or trying to keep it from running over me going down. After delivering the boulder to the car went all the ways up the steep grade and into the west pit and collected some more. About 4 pm, I didn't realize I was dehydrated and had leg cramps in both legs, top and bottom with 3 - 5 gallon buckets of material. Was not going to leave the rocks ! Leg cramps really hurt when you get them in both legs, top and bottom. I was moaning ! Drank what water I had, two bottles, got some relief from cramps and it took us about and hour and a half to get out. Really dreaded going back up the steep trail out of the west pit. It stop raining! It had rained all day. Graves is always fun. Lots of micro-minerals too ! Do drink plenty of fluids and something salty.
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Post by captbob on Mar 7, 2015 11:41:55 GMT -5
garock, even though I won't be attending, I wanted to thank you for what is one of the best site dig information posts I have ever seen here. I know that took you some time, but what a wealth of information for those going. I'm not even going, but I read it twice because it was almost like being there!
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Post by fantastic5 on Mar 7, 2015 16:59:20 GMT -5
fantastic5, I always like going to the left or west pit, mid level. When you reach the high ridge road bare to the left. Walk along the trail until it sort of stops. Some rutile, lazulite, irresdescent hemitite, and blue green and red stained phyrophilite. Also in the west side crazy quartz crystals with hemititle on them. They look like the were heated and bent a little. A study says the area went thru 3 extreme heat cycles. There is also what folks call, volcanic bombs, mostly fist size. They will be reddish in color and when broken have black hemitite cavities. Some rare occasions, they will be rediescnet. If there is standing water, don't walk in it with regular shoes. The water is highly acid from the sulfer. There are neat specimens of blue kyanite and pryrite there also. Most of the good rutile is in the west pit. I don't think they let anyone dig on the high walls of the west pit. The ruble pile of the high walls has some nice small rutile specimens. The hemitite is heavy. Once nice thing about the 3 day hunt is you can ride in and they will take you and your rocks out. I think I may be talking myself into going. Will have to wait and see ! Hope this helps. Most folks there will offer help if you ask. Been going there since 1993. First time there were 2 tornado warning while we were in the pit and raining cats and dogs. My wife found a 100 lb or so boulder with light phyrophilyte cyrstals on it. Had hand trucks and started hauling it out of the pit after the rain stopped a little. Mud would pack between the wheels and frame of hand trucks and then it was drag time. Had to stop and clear out the mud. Ok once you got on the gravel and paved part. That trip everyone had to park down on the highway, walk at least a 1/4 mile up like Stone Mountain. Don't know what was worse, pulling the boulder out of the pit or trying to keep it from running over me going down. After delivering the boulder to the car went all the ways up the steep grade and into the west pit and collected some more. About 4 pm, I didn't realize I was dehydrated and had leg cramps in both legs, top and bottom with 3 - 5 gallon buckets of material. Was not going to leave the rocks ! Leg cramps really hurt when you get them in both legs, top and bottom. I was moaning ! Drank what water I had, two bottles, got some relief from cramps and it took us about and hour and a half to get out. Really dreaded going back up the steep trail out of the west pit. It stop raining! It had rained all day. Graves is always fun. Lots of micro-minerals too ! Do drink plenty of fluids and something salty. garock I have to agree that the upper middle pit was my favorite as well! I tried to find some of my pictures of the different levels but none of them do the actual scale of Graves any justice. Here's my hubby walking towards the upper middle pit, this is just before it swings to the right and ends in the amphitheater. Digging in the walls. Freshly out of the wall. It's a nice day here (finally) so I went outside and took a few pictures of my yard rocks from Graves. This first one is a quartz plate with the hematite coating. It had very little color development, but slowly, thanks to acid rain, it is beginning to show some. Up close: Another yard rock. This one has the quartzite, kyanite, pyrite and lazulite all in one. Up close: I pulled my Graves boxes and took some pictures today. captbob here is my favorite lazulite specimen piece. garock here is one of those 'warped' quartz points that you were talking about. Seems like all the quartz points that we found were quite ugly. But I guess that makes them Graves Quartz. Here is an assortment of iridescent hematite/goethite coated quartz, all from the middle upper pit. Here's a piece of Pyrophyllite that I have in a Graves box. Seems to have the 'Graves dirt' on it but it seems too hard to be from there, so it's possible that I put it in the wrong box. Here are some pictures of the lower pit: Here is my favorite rutile specimen that I've found so far. It came from the bottom pit near the wall. The big crystal is a twin. gingerkid and broseph82 I hope this gives you both a little something to look forward to! Thanks for looking
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