ziggy
spending too much on rocks
Member since June 2016
Posts: 483
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Post by ziggy on Jun 29, 2016 21:22:14 GMT -5
I was wondering if that place is still there. Looked it up and its nothing like it was back then.
There was an "A" frame ranger shack where the rangers would rent you a bucket and shovel and then warn you about perhaps meeting up with some bears back in the dig area. The dig area was about a quarter mile mostly uphill walk, which is better than uphill on the way out at least. We were the only people there that day and we were there around four hours. I was last there in the 1990's. Found some nice big star garnets (never faceted any though) that went on to get lost in one of my moves at some point. If I remember correctly they had some water flowing lightly over the dig area literally piped there from a nearby creek to keep the dig area and stones free and easy to dig. The garnets were found in layers of what, if I remember correctly, was mica schist and some kind of gravel.
Now, it looks like the rangers, because of water quality issues, supply the customers with dug up matrix which they then rent a sluice to make it easier to find the garnets. I miss the old days. Has anybody been there since they started this new system?
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,687
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Post by Fossilman on Jun 30, 2016 9:57:35 GMT -5
The new Idaho rock hounding book has that info.....I remember reading about it... Also seen a show,where a group was hounding that area and were pumping water out of the claims,before they could dig..(lots of water)....
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Post by drocknut on Jul 20, 2016 11:25:17 GMT -5
Just happened on this topic so thought I'd chime in. My information is old so don't know if it is still active or not but thought I'd share anyway. I went to Emerald Creek area in 2013 to dig for garnets. The ranger station was set up on the top of the hill (still about a 1/4 mile uphill walk to get to the area). They had an ez-up set up where you bought your permit ($10) for a day's digging. They had brought in dirt and piled it up in one area so you would go there with a bucket and dig some dirt then go to an area for sifting where they had screens for people to use, and then they had a couple of sluce boxes set up for washing the material. I had a lot of fun and even forgot to eat lunch. I got a handful of decent sized garnets but never have had them checked to see if they have stars (maybe one of these days).
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Post by orrum on Jul 20, 2016 12:27:48 GMT -5
Cool Diane!
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ziggy
spending too much on rocks
Member since June 2016
Posts: 483
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Post by ziggy on Jul 20, 2016 18:52:26 GMT -5
Just happened on this topic so thought I'd chime in. My information is old so don't know if it is still active or not but thought I'd share anyway. I went to Emerald Creek area in 2013 to dig for garnets. The ranger station was set up on the top of the hill (still about a 1/4 mile uphill walk to get to the area). They had an ez-up set up where you bought your permit ($10) for a day's digging. They had brought in dirt and piled it up in one area so you would go there with a bucket and dig some dirt then go to an area for sifting where they had screens for people to use, and then they had a couple of sluce boxes set up for washing the material. I had a lot of fun and even forgot to eat lunch. I got a handful of decent sized garnets but never have had them checked to see if they have stars (maybe one of these days). That looks almost exactly like the haul I got there back in 1998 by digging them out of the ground myself. Nice to see the new system still turns up nice hauls.
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Post by drocknut on Jul 21, 2016 11:05:36 GMT -5
Yes, it was a nice haul although, like I said, I don't know if any of them have stars in them but maybe one day.
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