renny1
off to a rocking start
Member since August 2012
Posts: 11
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Post by renny1 on Mar 29, 2015 15:41:50 GMT -5
Have a newbie friend going there in July for a wedding and he would like to do some hunting while there. Are there any pay to dig sites nearby? any known public places to look for cool stuff? He really likes the belemnites we find here in eastern SD, but who doesn't like 60 million year old squid? lol. Seems like I once read about a sapphire pay site in Mt, somewhere. Are sunstones and carnelian farther west? Any help will be greatly appreciated. thank you, Don
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Post by drocknut on Mar 29, 2015 17:02:04 GMT -5
Don, I don't know much about the Kalispell area. I live in Helena which is southeast of there. The only sapphire pay sites I know of are near Helena and near Philipsburg, both about 2-3 hours drive south of Kalispell. Never heard of sunstones or carnelian in Montana. Kalispell does have a rockhound club so your friend might try contacting them. www.kalispellrockhounds.com/
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,680
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Post by Fossilman on Mar 29, 2015 17:17:29 GMT -5
Only sunstones are in southern Oregon...Might be some agates and crystals in that area though..
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Mark K
Cave Dweller
Member since April 2012
Posts: 2,568
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Post by Mark K on Mar 29, 2015 18:38:14 GMT -5
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Post by jakesrocks on Mar 30, 2015 14:23:02 GMT -5
Don, you could try talking to one of our members, Bob, mtmadman. He's from Billings, but seems to know all of the hot spots in Montana. He doesn't come on here often. I'll contact him on Facebook, and tell him to watch for messages on here.
You mentioned Belemnites in eastern S.D. Where about are they found ? I live in Aberdeen, and wasn't aware of any sites in the eastern half of the state.
Don too.
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renny1
off to a rocking start
Member since August 2012
Posts: 11
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Post by renny1 on Mar 30, 2015 15:18:43 GMT -5
Don, I was hoping you would chime in, would love to visit you sometime and bring some stuff for you to ID and see your stuff also. Don't know if you do that sort of thing. That would be cool about Mtmadman, thank you!! I knew you were from Aberdeen and am surprised you don't have belemnites there, I think you probably do. They are on every place I have looked here in Kingsbury Cty. I showed this newbie friend two years ago where and how to find them and he got close to 200 pieces in 6 weeks. All surface hunting so all are broke, but about 10-15% will be front half complete, look like bullets. I had to take them to the black Hills Institute to ID them. One of the Larsons told me what they were, (60 milion year old squid) and that they were one of his favorite fossils. Several years ago I visited one of the Watertown rock club members and he was surprised to know I was finding garnet here also. Very poor quality.
And thank you everyone for the help. Don also.
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Post by jakesrocks on Mar 30, 2015 15:32:52 GMT -5
Where about in Kingsbury are you located ? You're welcome to stop in here any time. Just give me a day advance notice, so I can clean up the mess.
Nothing around Aberdeen except gravel pits. Lots of tumbler size agate similar to Montana agate and pet wood. An occasional mammoth bone shows up in farm fields or the gravel pits. This area was pretty much cleaned out by the last ice age.
Bob, mtmadman is on the road right now. He's a rockhounding heavy haul trucker. I should be able to reach him this evening.
Don
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renny1
off to a rocking start
Member since August 2012
Posts: 11
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Post by renny1 on Mar 30, 2015 18:18:43 GMT -5
Had to go drive school bus, back now. About in the middle of the county. I am really surprised to hear that, I have found here: baculites(rare but they are here), belemnites, brachiopods, crinoids, coral, agates, wood, unknown bone, shark teeth, even found two ammonites(they were quite small,about 1.5 inches). And probably other things I have forgotten. I live on the Couteau, maybe that makes a difference. I don't know if I spelled anything correctly, lol. I am going to try real hard to get up there to see you, and don't worry about the mess, makes me feel at home. Don
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Post by jakesrocks on Mar 30, 2015 19:06:30 GMT -5
Hey Don, better wait for a couple weeks before coming up here. My wife goes in for a knee replacement on Thursday. Gonna be busy playing nurse, chef & house maid until she's back on her feet.
Don
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renny1
off to a rocking start
Member since August 2012
Posts: 11
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Post by renny1 on Mar 30, 2015 19:23:01 GMT -5
Yeah, no problem, I was thinking after spring planting. She will be down for a while so just wait and see how things turn out. Thanks.
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Post by jakesrocks on Mar 31, 2015 10:54:55 GMT -5
All's cool. That'll give me a chance to get my coupe down off of the jack stands, and the winter dust washed off. Maybe take you for a quick ride in it.
Speaking of spring planting, The first of the huge tractors came down the hill this morning. They'll be tearing up the fields around here soon.
Did you get in touch with mtmadman ? He was logged in for a while last night. Bob is a heck of a nice guy, and will help you any way he can. If you get the chance to meet him in person, you'll leave with the tail of your car dragging. He usually has close to a ton of rocks stored on his truck, and loves to share his finds.
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renny1
off to a rocking start
Member since August 2012
Posts: 11
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Post by renny1 on Mar 31, 2015 13:19:41 GMT -5
No I did not, I thought he would chime in on this thread. I like nice guys, would love to meet him. Giving and getting is nice amongst friends, but there is a special thrill finding it on your own too. Some day I will be to old, and it is sooner than I want it to be. Got my second SS check last week. lol. No one to talk to about rocks where I live. All the rock clubs have closed around here. Yeah, they are spreading fert. like crazy around here. Won't be long.
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Post by jakesrocks on Mar 31, 2015 18:24:37 GMT -5
Send a message to Bob at forum.rocktumblinghobby.com/user/5314. I'll tell him to check in again tonight. His profile says 0 posts, but he's been a member for a few years. He forgot his user name and had to rejoin. LOL. I've been getting those SS checks for 12 years now. Already too old to go digging my own material. Legs & back just won't take it anymore. Aberdeen used to have a rock club. It closed just before the wife and I moved up here. Tried to get the Boy & Girl Scouts interested for a couple of years. Kids now a days would rather play their electronic games or talk on their cell phones.
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renny1
off to a rocking start
Member since August 2012
Posts: 11
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Post by renny1 on Mar 31, 2015 20:46:42 GMT -5
ok, I sent him a message. Last week I took a 1/4 lb. bag of amethyst crystals and passed them out to the kids on the bus. Some of them thought they were diamonds. lol. They really really liked them. It was fun.
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Post by jakesrocks on Mar 31, 2015 21:41:44 GMT -5
You may not hear from him until tomorrow evening. He loaded his trailer this evening for a haul at first light. He's hauling those long blades for the wind turbines. Every once in a while he has to haul them from the factory here in Aberdeen. That's when we get to have a day together to swap lies & rocks.
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megalotis
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since April 2009
Posts: 226
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Post by megalotis on Apr 6, 2015 16:11:21 GMT -5
If it was me, I might head over toward West Glacier and walk around in the woods to see if any silicated, or meta argillite could be found. I have just one small chunk from Holland Creek, which is quite a ways south of there, but argillite is really widespread in the area, and the silicated stuff works up pretty well. Most of it isn't silicated, however, and won't polish at all, be selective. www.westerngeohikes.0catch.com/Montana/Rocks.html for some information and attached photos.
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chassroc
Cave Dweller
Rocks are abundant when you have rocktumblinghobby pals
Member since January 2005
Posts: 3,586
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Post by chassroc on Apr 7, 2015 8:53:23 GMT -5
I've been through Kalispell and Glacier NP . Not easy for hounding if you are a casual rockhound.
Gem Mtn in Phillipsburg and Spokane Bar in Helena are the Sapphire pay mines.. I've been to both and got better finds and liked the people better in Gem Mtn(but others may have had different experiences). Both will also (for a price) have your gems heat treated and faceted; I believe in india but certainly somewhere in Asia. I remember garnet fee places and a Montana State Park with Gems along the roads but that was probably much further South.
Charlie
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