Post by chris1956 on May 5, 2023 16:02:51 GMT -5
I was in Michigan last week to see my brother and his family and of course to look for rocks. I don't think I found the quantity of rocks that I have in the past. It might have been because the lakes didn't freeze over last winter and material didn't get moved around as much. Or maybe my eyes are getting worse.
The first area I looked at was in southwest Michigan on Lake Michigan at Van Buren State Park, Pilgrim Haven Natural Area, and Pier Cove Park. I found some lightning stones, chert, and jasper. The following pic shows (in the distance) someone paragliding off the dunes.
After arriving at my brother's, we went looking for rocks on his property and the surrounding State land. I looked for pudding stones in Lake Huron later on but didn't find anything worth keeping. My brother found the following one in one of the rock piles on his property.
He also found the following rock which I thought was quartzite or quartz but the small round structures on the surface have me stumped. I think I have seen something similar but can't remember what it is. Let me know if you know what it is.
I found the following rock in the State land by his property. Wasn't sure what it was until I got it into into good light and got it wet. It appears to be unakite but with more and deeper orange than most I have seen. Will see how it cuts and polishes.
One day when my brother and I were looking for rocks in Petoskey, two people came along. They are obviously more into rocks than we are as you can see from the following pic. And here I thought my rubber boots and rock pick were uptown.
I went to the Rogers City area on Lake Huron one day and looked in the Rockport State Recreation Area, Thompson's State Park, and Besser Natural Area. Found some Petoskey Stones, other fossils, chert and jasper. It was another sunny but cold and windy day. You can see a freighter on the horizon of the next pic.
One day I went to Wilderness State Park (on the northwest tip of the lower peninsula). On Waugoshance Point, I found some chert, jasper, and more unakite than I found anywhere else on the trip. Photo below is looking west along the point.
I also found this, what I believe, is a cold water agate in Wilderness State Park. The material appears to be chert.
In Petoskey, I made the find of the trip in an area where I think, at one point, material from an old quarry was piled up along the shore and has been eroding out of the banks because of the recent high water levels. This Petoskey stone is similar to the one in my avatar which polished really well. Hopefully, this one will too. But there is no way to do this on my cabber. I am going to have to spend money on a hand grinder if I want this one polished. You wouldn't think, looking at it that it would polish with all the holes in it. But they tend to be harder than other Petoskey Stones I have found and really polish well once you get below the surface pits.
I threw the next pic in because it was the only calm day where I could wade into the water to look for rocks (Lake Michigan in Petoskey).
I hope you enjoyed the pics. I walked more than my joints wanted to walk but had a lot of fun.
Chris
The first area I looked at was in southwest Michigan on Lake Michigan at Van Buren State Park, Pilgrim Haven Natural Area, and Pier Cove Park. I found some lightning stones, chert, and jasper. The following pic shows (in the distance) someone paragliding off the dunes.
After arriving at my brother's, we went looking for rocks on his property and the surrounding State land. I looked for pudding stones in Lake Huron later on but didn't find anything worth keeping. My brother found the following one in one of the rock piles on his property.
He also found the following rock which I thought was quartzite or quartz but the small round structures on the surface have me stumped. I think I have seen something similar but can't remember what it is. Let me know if you know what it is.
I found the following rock in the State land by his property. Wasn't sure what it was until I got it into into good light and got it wet. It appears to be unakite but with more and deeper orange than most I have seen. Will see how it cuts and polishes.
One day when my brother and I were looking for rocks in Petoskey, two people came along. They are obviously more into rocks than we are as you can see from the following pic. And here I thought my rubber boots and rock pick were uptown.
I went to the Rogers City area on Lake Huron one day and looked in the Rockport State Recreation Area, Thompson's State Park, and Besser Natural Area. Found some Petoskey Stones, other fossils, chert and jasper. It was another sunny but cold and windy day. You can see a freighter on the horizon of the next pic.
One day I went to Wilderness State Park (on the northwest tip of the lower peninsula). On Waugoshance Point, I found some chert, jasper, and more unakite than I found anywhere else on the trip. Photo below is looking west along the point.
I also found this, what I believe, is a cold water agate in Wilderness State Park. The material appears to be chert.
In Petoskey, I made the find of the trip in an area where I think, at one point, material from an old quarry was piled up along the shore and has been eroding out of the banks because of the recent high water levels. This Petoskey stone is similar to the one in my avatar which polished really well. Hopefully, this one will too. But there is no way to do this on my cabber. I am going to have to spend money on a hand grinder if I want this one polished. You wouldn't think, looking at it that it would polish with all the holes in it. But they tend to be harder than other Petoskey Stones I have found and really polish well once you get below the surface pits.
I threw the next pic in because it was the only calm day where I could wade into the water to look for rocks (Lake Michigan in Petoskey).
I hope you enjoyed the pics. I walked more than my joints wanted to walk but had a lot of fun.
Chris