elementary
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Post by elementary on Dec 23, 2013 18:07:44 GMT -5
Susan,
Not to cut in....
The Northern Cady's are off Basin road, past the river, and down about 10 miles of river bottom. Once there, a couple routes will take you to different stuff, but the most popular is the one heading to Pepto Bismal Hill. From there, it's several miles of greenish hillsides dropping agates from erosion. You just gotta hunt and hike. It sounds like you ended your drive short of that.
The southern Cady's stretches from Ludlow all the way west to the Pisgah Crater Road. Included in this region is the Sleeping Beauty area, and the sections on the interior side of the hilly mountains from Ludlow accessed by driving by the Broadwell Dry Lake (where Mel's Rose Agate - aka Christmas Tree Agate comes from). One the hillsides facing the freeway in the canyons are jaspers and seam agates. Sleeping Beauty has produced some crazy colors recently. At Pisgah, flame agate, red moss, and plume pieces have been dug out the past few years from a place found by the guys at Diamond Pacific. They looked on Google map and plotted a line from Sleeping Beauty to Pisgah, and saw where uplift had shifted a bunch of material to the surface at several known locations. When they walked those few miles, they discovered several new deposits.
And thank you again Mel for letting me clean out your yards......you were threatening to toss all that stuff into the streambed if it didn't go away, if I recall.......Messing with the local geologists again....
Lowell
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elementary
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since February 2006
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Post by elementary on Dec 8, 2013 19:14:22 GMT -5
Here are some Patagonian Agates I've picked up over the last year. I buy them from Anna, the woman who imports the Condor, Crater, and other agates from Argentina. Many of you many have spoken to her at Quartzite, a CFMS show, or other venue. She told me that there is only one other batch of Patagonian Agates (as opposed to the Condor, Crater, etc) that she expects to be handling. It turns out that the ranch that much of the material comes from has banned collecting there. The ranch, she says, is run by an older couple who would allow others to come onto the land, hunt agate, then bring the found material to the couple for a price. Evidently, some people were working a remote part of the ranch with permission, but brought to the couple only a fraction of their finds. When the ranchers found out about this, they closed their land. This information is 2nd (maybe 3rd hand) but I wouldn't doubt it with the way other places have been closed. Anyway, I can't afford the expensive pieces. Hope you find beauty from the rocks from the cheaper end of the seller's table. Lowell Thanks for looking.
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elementary
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Post by elementary on Dec 8, 2013 17:32:03 GMT -5
Bumping regarding fossil/non-fossil question in Fossil thread.
Besides - a cool looking stone.
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elementary
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since February 2006
Posts: 1,077
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Post by elementary on Dec 8, 2013 17:30:17 GMT -5
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elementary
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since February 2006
Posts: 1,077
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Post by elementary on Dec 8, 2013 14:55:13 GMT -5
Thanks all for the comments.
Regarding Index 4 - The Cycad and the Wind River pg 27 and 29 - my master copy has the images, so I don't know why they might be absent now. When I update next year (can't believe it's been two years since the 2nd edition started), I'll double check those specifically.
I'm racing right now to finish the South by Christmas. After that comes the visual glossary which should go real fast. Then next year, I begin updating them all again.
Lowell
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elementary
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Post by elementary on Dec 1, 2013 12:52:44 GMT -5
Always always always always love seeing your work and the fabulous material you have in your backyard.
Hope you have a great time in December.
Lowell
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elementary
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Post by elementary on Nov 25, 2013 22:23:43 GMT -5
Damn it and tarnations - what a stone!
I just let Scott know that I'm hitting the Cady's in late december. I had a great time running around with scott but it was more show and tell and less me roaming the back hills and seeing new sites.
Hats off to Scott for running a great weekend. Happy to have helped the bit I did, but I really would have loved to have gone.
The Oxnard show was a great time for me and picked up some great info and some fun stones, but when time permits, I'll post the photos of the pieces. (I did buy 80 pieces of specimen dino bones for my class - blew their minds!)
Lowell
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elementary
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Post by elementary on Nov 18, 2013 1:58:21 GMT -5
Glad to hear you all made it back!
And a big thank you all for picking up that trash. Much appreciated.
Lowell
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elementary
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Post by elementary on Nov 16, 2013 19:41:01 GMT -5
Hey Scott - we've hijacked your post with comments of hijacking, Kamikaze songs, and Australian bands.
You gotta come back and talk about the rocks! We're desperate!
Now back to your regular programming!
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elementary
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Post by elementary on Nov 16, 2013 19:39:00 GMT -5
Glad you guys enjoy a bit of chaos and tomfoolery.
My brothers (surfer folks) came across "Like Wow - Wipeout" on a surf movie following by the Kamikaze song. Hooked all three of us.
I even hunted down the rare singles collection from Australia. Regret that I never saw them live.
Also like "Leilani" about a man's love for the island chief's daughter sacrificed into a volcano. "Please don't go ... to the volcano. I'll miss you so!" (The follow up single was called - no kidding - "My Love is a Red Red Rock". You just gotta love the frivolous nature of the group. )
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elementary
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Post by elementary on Nov 16, 2013 19:31:14 GMT -5
Love the trip report. Don't love the flat. I've had enough of them over the years.
Can't wait to see the slabs coming from that frothy yellow material.
Lowell
Oh - and that teardrop is killer! If I didn't have a growing 7 year old, that's the type of ride and sleep I'd love to pull!
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elementary
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Post by elementary on Nov 15, 2013 21:46:22 GMT -5
I've found similar pieces in the desert North of the I 40 near Afton Canyon (but not in Afton). I'll see if I can find the couple I am thinking of - see if it is a close match.
That blue is not unusual for the area east of Barstow.
Hope this helps a little. Not a specific ID, but if I would not be surprised if I came across that out there.
Lowell
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elementary
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Post by elementary on Nov 15, 2013 21:41:17 GMT -5
I was a , was a kamikaze pilot They gave me a plane, but I couldn't fly it. Taught me how to take off, but I don't know how to land. They say it doesn't matter, and I just cannot understand. Left my happy homeland in a zero Had engine trouble so I couldn't be a hero!
From my favorite Australian Surf band of the 90's - The Hoodoo Gurus.
Sorry - your comments brought back that song loud and clear.
Now back to our regular program.
Lowell
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elementary
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Post by elementary on Nov 11, 2013 11:44:05 GMT -5
That is a great piece!
Is your plan slab and cab, face polish, or a combo?
Wonderful stone!
Lowell
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elementary
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Post by elementary on Nov 10, 2013 19:56:41 GMT -5
Just three quick samples from the trip last week 1st - Seam agate from final site A couple nodules and one of the flowery plumey jasper pieces from down the canyon from the fluorite access point: Before After Just trying to prime your interest for this trip. Lowell
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elementary
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Post by elementary on Nov 9, 2013 16:55:21 GMT -5
Hey all you N Cady trippers! Had a great time with Scott roaming the hills. Starting off with the Pepto Bismal hill, Ron (aka Bob) and Jean and I led the way over to the Fluorite mine. Here I found the largest chunk (couple fists put together in size) I'd ever had the luck to run into, set it down on the tailings, and left it there. Go check it out. Might still be there. Better though, we traveled up the gully above the Mine to find Mel's plume jasper site. Up to the right, as you walk, is a massive travertine deposite with jasper just beyond. I never made it. A large boulder sat in the middle of the gully showing an agate type I had never seen from the cady's before. It wasn't new - just new to me. So they moved ahead and I lumbered up the hill to the left to find the source. Within a few minutes i had, and I let Ron (aka Bob) take Scott to the jasper. Now, for those who are interested, this agate wasn't the nodular material found in the green hills. This stuff was different. It was fortified with either quartz in the center, hollow space, or, rarely, actually completely filled. The color also was different. Most nodules you'll find are smaller, with blue and white being the primary colors. These were white with some pastels scattered within the agate. They were also highly fractured, and I'm wondering if these come from an older deposit somehow. Pictures: the Big one: Hollow with crystals from same deposit View of outside of agate bearing rock with sample interior (agate surrounding crystals - looking forward to cutting off 3/4 an inch to get a smooth surface.) Old-weathered piece again showing that it seems to be forming in cracks and gaps in the rock rather than bubbles in basalt. And finally a cleaner piece (still fractured) showing the reddish dots. There is banding here too, but the light washes it out. This isn't the prettiest stuff, but I'm wanting to go back and see if digging produces better pieces. (especially seeing the size of the big one...) After we finished there, we hiked away from the fluorite canyon entrance to another jasper deposit that shows flowering and plumes. The pieces I found were small but bring your gads and bars and picks cause the source seems to be still up there - just imbedded in solid rock. Here's a couple samples from this site: (working on this one and should have it finished by end of day - will post) From here we drove past PB hill and down to where there is a parking spot surrounded by the green agate bearing hills. Here Scott rested while Ron (akaBob) and Jean and I went to a place I call Flattop HIll. A few years ago Ron and I found this spot and thought it relatively unscarred. Small to medium agate nodules littered the top - basically almost half of all small rocks on the hilltop were agate nodules. I've been there 4-5 times in the last few years (great for specimens for kids) so many of the bigger nodules are gone, but there are many many left. Inside the nodules can be (from most common to least) waterline agate, fortification agate, sagenite sprays (watch as many are not fully agatized), and pseudomorphs. White dominates with some blue. Simple example: Many of the remaining larger pieces are broken, but halves are still good to work with: From here I led the group down the wrong road (which led to my less than favorite photo of me being taken - less than flattering of a more than overweight individual. I asked for a light filter and soft lens, but Scott said he forgot to bring those. Oh well. I got my bearings and we finally went down one last road, where after a little probing of the hillsides, we came to a ridge crisscrossed with seam again. My largest nodule of the day come from here: I also found a chip of a sagenite chunk of rock on the way to that last stop (can't find it now - will photograph it when I do - which made me want to scour the hillside but everyone was ready to move forward). The seams were not the thickest, but their colors included greens, blues, reds, purples, and pinks. With some hiking, thicker seams were spotted, but by then we had to haul ourselves out to the highway with an hour or so of light remaining. I grabbed a bag of tumbling material. And that was the day...... Man am I already to go back and am thinking of hitting the N Cady's during christmas break. Ron won't be availabe this time, so maybe I might find a couple others to accompany me. Have fun everyone, Lowell
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elementary
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Post by elementary on Nov 4, 2013 10:05:23 GMT -5
Well, I am seriously envious of all people heading out on this trip. My day with Scott was an enjoyable romp across the hills of the North Cady's.
I'll write up my side of things later (with photos of my stuff), but I'll let Scott begin the story.
Couldn't show all places in one day - too big - but hit all the basic sites and showed Scott the benefits of roaming past the end of roads. Even found an agate site I'd never come across before and hauled out my largest agate - unfortunately shattered but the size and color was completely unexpected.
I do have a suggestion though:
Everyone going should list what they are hoping to find. Scott is zeroed in on larger pieces for his sphere-making, but his taste in rocks doesn't match mine (which is excellent cause then you're not fighting over the same rocks!) By listing interests, he might be able to now map out a general plan for Saturday and Sunday. I can also then pipe in with additional details if needed.
Really want to go!
Lowell
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elementary
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Member since February 2006
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Post by elementary on Oct 27, 2013 14:58:05 GMT -5
Hey John -
A huge thanks for bumping this out there again. Greatly appreciated!
Glad to know people are enjoying this reference.
Now I just need to get off my keester and finish the South and get the Glossary going.
Lowell
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elementary
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Post by elementary on Oct 6, 2013 14:40:43 GMT -5
Some samples: Saddle Mountain AZ Hauser Geode Beds CA Pepto Bismal Hill - Northern Cadys CA Another Northern Cadys Scene - farther down the road from PB Hill - to the right is a parking spot leading to nodules, sagenite, jasper, and plume. Kramer Junction - Purple Agate Site Pisgah Crater Road Red Moss Agate Site Southern Cady Mountains - Agate Location thanks for looking Please share where you've been! Lowell And just for fun ----- When on line shopping goes bad:
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elementary
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Post by elementary on Oct 6, 2013 10:26:39 GMT -5
I'm finishing up the last 2012 Agate Index: The South, and am starting to think about the Visual Glossary of Terms/ Series Index that is the final volume.
I was wondering how to pep up this last volume up and am considering adding photos of different rock hunting sites.
If you have photos of dig locations or landmarks near rockhunting sites, I'd love to see them here. I don't need exact locations, but rather a photo with a caption such as "Thumb Butte/ Wiley Well" or Sheep Springs/Ridgecrest.
I would love to see your photos and would think that others would too. If you don't want to post, just drop a link to your field trip report and I can pull them from there.
Thanks for your support and help.
Lowell
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