elementary
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since February 2006
Posts: 1,077
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Post by elementary on Nov 28, 2010 17:41:57 GMT -5
Woody (Woodyrock) was heading down to Temecula, Ca for Turkey Day and asked if I had a day to lead him out into the Cady's. I was happy to oblige and met him last Monday out in Barstow - the same Barstow that had its water supply contaminated by some nasty stuff and had shut down its wells for a few days. Anyway, I met him and his wife Kathy (Cathy) and headed out along the I-40 to a place I had visited fairly recently. He and I rode together and I had a great time talking (I hope he enjoyed listening) and hearing his stories (such as old mining shacks filled with dynamite, diesel fuel melted water in antarctica that made interesting coffee, and other wonderful tales.) So we headed out, pulled off the highway and headed into the hills (into an undisclosed location). We parked and began a mile long hike. This time I took a different route than last time and came across a couple new outcrops of seam agate that produce some interesting plume. We then trudged across the sand and up a saddle to the red moss site I was sharing with Woody. Here is some of the material that was found. While Woody and Kathy hunted, I roamed along the sandy basin below the outcrop and found a bunch of small but interesting pieces of plume/flame agate. I wish I took pictures of us out there but I didn't (my bad.) I hope Woody is able to add a few once he returns to his great white north. I had a great time and hope to show Woody and his wife the Northern Cady's next time. Lowell
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,487
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Post by Sabre52 on Nov 28, 2010 18:46:43 GMT -5
Wow! Excellent red moss Lowell. Gotta say I really miss the Cadys but not California in general *S*. You're doing much better in the south Cadys than I ever did in recent years. Stuff you're finding is as large and as pretty as what my pop and I found there on my first rockhunts way back in the 50's. I had no idea there was still plume and moss that pretty to be had in that area.....Mel
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Post by rockrookie on Nov 28, 2010 19:24:09 GMT -5
Great finds !! --paul
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Post by tandl on Nov 28, 2010 19:26:31 GMT -5
Those are really nice
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Post by cpdad on Nov 28, 2010 19:36:22 GMT -5
sweet dang stuff....i might be able to come to your unknown location with blinders on ;D....kev.
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Post by Tonyterner on Nov 28, 2010 19:40:54 GMT -5
Those are some darn fine looking rocks there. I bet Woody will make some really nice cabs from them.
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elementary
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since February 2006
Posts: 1,077
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Post by elementary on Nov 28, 2010 20:31:25 GMT -5
Thanks, all, for the great comments!
Mel, This place was found recently by a couple friends of mine in a place far outside the normal stomping grounds near Ludlow (my only clue to location) which is why there are large pieces left.
To all, The place has given me the best material I've ever had in the S. Cady's by far. Up until recently my finds have been rating a D. These last two trips have changed that. There are at least two large outcrops of this stuff - some in smaller seam and more in boulders the size of watermelons. The narrower seams can look a little like Paul Bunyon at times. I've been using Google Earth to check out the geology from above and have been staking out the next hike from the remote parking area. There has to be more untouched plume outcrops (they are turning out to be fairly common in this region). One can only hope for the moss. Jasper also pops up here and there, but nothing in quality like Lavic. If I ever get word that this site has gone public, then I'll be happy to offer a trip. BUT I worry about this site getting out. I'm not the one who found it, so I feel I don't have the right to open it up to others. Paul Bunyon was recently put under claim by some group out of San Diego - by people who had nothing to do with the work done by my friends who dug out the bottom of the trench and reopened the seam with huge results. With the way Ebay and such have opened up on-line selling, I worry about places like this being hit by the commercial digger. (To online sellers here, please forgive this comment - but between excessive field trips and commercial sellers, there are sites out there that are no longer viable.) Woody told a story or two about Carnelian sites being closed due to aggressive digging.
So why take Woody? I took him because he was generous enough to send to me a box of Maury moss material for my students (we all know what a nice guy he is) but more importantly, he is from Washington - so I had no worries about him spreading the word around too much.
I am going to be heading out to the Cady's again during my winter break from teaching (OH YEAH - I loved the comments from some of you bagging on teachers in the Life & Universe section....Really enjoyed being smacked around a little bit...much of it for stuff, as a teacher, I have no direct control over... )
and I'll drop a note to see who else might want to come. I promise no results, only a field trip!
Anyway, sorry about the excessive writing. Meet me in person and it will be excessive talking (just ask Woody).
Thanks for listening,
Lowell
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,487
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Post by Sabre52 on Nov 28, 2010 22:30:36 GMT -5
*LOL* Let me be the first to say that Lowell is one of the good teachers and one of the few folks that can almost out talk me ( an incredible, nay, miraculous accomplishment). Lowell, I don't think most the talk was bagging on teachers but rather on teacher's unions that protect crappy teachers, illegals that crowd our schools and take time away from the students of good citizens and lazy ass parents who think schools are mainly babysitting services. Enough on that though. Lowell, your next duty for the south Cadys is to rediscover the old seaweed moss location ( if it still exists). My dad took me there long ago and I've never ever seen that type of moss again except for a few kind of similar pieces from Lavic and Basin RD . It had a white weathered exterior crust not unlike a lot of Lavic Jasper but the agate was clear with mainly white and green loosely arranged streamers coming from both the top and bottom crusts and hanging in the agate like Spanish moss or seaweed. Almost eerie looking stuff.I cut all I had making jewelry for a girlfriend in college and have never had a hunk since. Only thing I remember was it was way back in the hills north of Hwy 40 and west of Ludlow....Mel
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Post by Woodyrock on Nov 29, 2010 1:47:21 GMT -5
Kathy, and I are home again, all the white stuff is gone. We did go through a wee bit crossing Siskiyou pass. For my two cents worth, I believe Lowells students are pretty damned lucky they have him as a teacher. BTW, I had no problem listening to Lowell, and would certainly welcome a chance to listen for a longer time. One day just was not enough. Here are a couple of photographs from our day in the south Cadys with Lowell. Woody Louie on guard duty Some plume on site Louie and Woody on the hill The site
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Post by frane on Nov 29, 2010 16:45:31 GMT -5
That really looks like a wonderful trip and even better, two RTH'rs meeting up is always fantastic! That is such fantastic material you found also! Fran
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Post by Bejewelme on Nov 29, 2010 21:23:31 GMT -5
WOW that looks like fun, if onlky I had been into rocks when I lived in CA, Temecula was the first town me and my cousin lived in then San Marcos, then Oceanside
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Post by beefjello on Nov 30, 2010 10:38:48 GMT -5
Nice finds and terrific company, what more could you ask for? ;D
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AGATEGRRRL
spending too much on rocks
AGATEGRRRL
Member since October 2007
Posts: 466
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Post by AGATEGRRRL on Nov 30, 2010 17:26:15 GMT -5
Hi Lowell, I've been collecting in the Cadys for many, many, years & it's been very disheartening over recent years the way that so much material has disappeared. It is absolutely true that you have to hike farther & farther away to find anything of any size or quality any more. Sadly, it's not only the Cadys, but many other fine collecting areas too. Yes, with the advent of the internet & so much information available today to pretty much anyone who wants it, areas can be hit hard by commercial diggers & large numbers of people that no rockhound would have conceived of thirty or forty years ago. I have learned through personal experience that if I want to protect a private location that I have found, I don't tell anyone except a close, trusted friend or two & that's it. Once the word is out, it's pretty much all over. I have seen too many good locations wiped out by a few greedy, commercial diggers, or by just the sheer number of people who wind up going there, once they hear about it. People have accused me of being a selfish jerk for being this way, but all I have to say is to go ahead & give away your own best spots freely to anyone who asks & see for yourself what happens. Believe it or not, I used to have people try to figure out my private locations by looking at my collections on my website, but I learned not to even slightly mention area names any more - only publicly known locations. It's a shame. I've also collected at Paul Bunyon & I'm sure now that it's been claimed, it's only a matter of time before there's nothing left of any quality for the common rockhound to pick up. I'd bet that within 3 years there won't be much left except scraps... Sorry to be such a bummer, but that has been my experience.
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Post by Toad on Nov 30, 2010 20:54:49 GMT -5
Very profitable trip. Awesome finds.
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NDK
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 9,440
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Post by NDK on Nov 30, 2010 21:49:00 GMT -5
It's great to see two members meeting and sharing their finds. The pics look like it was a fantastic trip all around. As far as not disclosing the location, good for you Lowell. I read what Agategrrl wrote, and have heard of the same thing happening locally with hunting. There's not a public area that hasn't been exploited, and it gets frustrating. I think the people that badger you for not telling them where you found a rock are the same ones that want an easy find and won't work for it.
Nate
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Post by Roller on Dec 1, 2010 0:05:06 GMT -5
wow super material ... dont disclose ...just dispose......more pics here that is ... hehehe
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