Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,487
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Post by Sabre52 on Oct 22, 2016 22:46:37 GMT -5
Wow James, all y'all are killin it down on the Rio. How many pounds ya got so far? That ole Bob on top of the knob? Really enjoying the awesome pics. Keep'em coming please....Mel
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quartz
Cave Dweller
breakin' rocks in the hot sun
Member since February 2010
Posts: 3,352
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Post by quartz on Oct 22, 2016 23:00:49 GMT -5
No need to say much, these pictures rate way more than a thousand words.
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Post by rockpickerforever on Oct 23, 2016 4:59:52 GMT -5
Great pics, James. What Mel said - keep 'em coming! My favorites. Like the depth of this one. No words necessary
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Post by orrum on Oct 23, 2016 7:32:15 GMT -5
Yep the web toed swamp thing has migrated to the desert land and is hoarding large rocks to tumble!!! I see mesquite!!!
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Post by 1dave on Oct 23, 2016 8:29:24 GMT -5
And some sort of dirigible. Border Patrol. Yes, from the top - 6th photo down. Lots of metallic dendrites from magma gas bubbles. It looks like some of the "rocks" go to waist, while those not found go to waste.
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Post by 1dave on Oct 23, 2016 8:36:25 GMT -5
Hardpan! Easier to build a hill than dig a hole. - - - - - - - LOVE the rocks BTW. I knew a line crew boss "Stump Jumper" that put a metal plate and dynamite on the bottom of poles, stood them up and blasted them into the hardpan!
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Post by 1dave on Oct 23, 2016 8:43:33 GMT -5
Notice the "rind" - Weathering converting the agate to opal.
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,553
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Post by jamesp on Oct 23, 2016 8:48:06 GMT -5
I can't be silent any longer. PatWe are a short distance from the infamous'Bob's Knob', and yes that is captbob on a knob but not the real Bob's Knob. He is an imposter. But he is working me into the dirt; he is high energy. 2 years difference in age, darn punk. He dialed in yesterday and got the 'patina' figured out and found some beauties. Has been leaving earlier than me and getting a hand up, fired out of a canon. I figured out the layer that the ancient Rio deposited the agates finally on this trip 3. It varies in altitude and is in a layer of concrete like caliche that is exposed in 3 ways: motor grader on soil roads quarry operations Lake Falcon washing it out. Deposits vary, 1 inch to over 6 inch cobbles. Ancient inside bends in the river deposited the larger cobbles. The quarry guys seem to mine those the most. Thanks to Sabre52 for advise over the years in educating me on western agate. The biscuit stuff in the 2-4 inch category is by far the highest quality. You may not want jump on one of these wild horses Mel, they run this 15 mile X 6 mile stretch. Crazy wild horses. Bearing folds and super healthy. I finally worked my way to their trust, stallion watching me, females staying behind him. Not getting close to his girls...pretty sure he will take me out. This photo tells it all. The top 8 foot layer is the agate bearing caliche layer on the little 'butte' on the point. The agate is in the caliche, it sits on a layer of fossiliferous limestone, then nasty clay/sandstone. The point I am taking the photo on is a gold mine, It is long and flat and at caliche level. The wave action seems to have even separated the chert from the agate through density variations. Has pushed a lot of agate through the mesquite and on to my friend's private property unaccessible by lake collectors. Figured this out late yesterday. This batch took 15 minutes to collect these at my new wave action spot at end of day yesterday. Untouched area, no one has picked this spot over. Target for today. Must be several acres, maybe much further. Deposits left along shore at highest lake levels. Impenetrable mesquite between lake and this high altitude shore. Altitude perfect(lake is like 30 feet low presently).
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Post by Garage Rocker on Oct 23, 2016 9:16:43 GMT -5
And some sort of dirigible. Border Patrol. We don't get a lot of that here.
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,553
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Post by jamesp on Oct 23, 2016 9:18:09 GMT -5
Notice the "rind" - Weathering converting the agate to opal. The ones dug by the quarry protected by the caliche have less opal coating Dave. The shoreline of the lake are covered with surface cobbles that have much more exposure to the elements. Opal layer much thicker and whiter, but the patterns of plumes and mosses show up well. This is jasper, less common here, opal layer really thin but intensely white. Will grind it off and then tumble. The high grade stuff is like glass and windows with a hammer blow easily. Telling it is gem grade.
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,553
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Post by jamesp on Oct 23, 2016 9:23:40 GMT -5
I am on a man's private property and his friend's private property. I may offer to secure a lease so I can take more people on future trips. I sense a a lease arrangement might appreciated.
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,709
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Post by Fossilman on Oct 23, 2016 9:26:13 GMT -5
Rio rock area.............Did ya' see any humping north James...LOL Nice score on the rocks ...
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Post by 1dave on Oct 23, 2016 9:26:40 GMT -5
Notice the "rind" - Weathering converting the agate to opal. The ones dug by the quarry protected by the caliche have less opal coating Dave. The shoreline of the lake are covered with surface cobbles that have much more exposure to the elements. Opal layer much thicker and whiter, but the patterns of plumes and mosses show up well. This is jasper, less common here, opal layer really thin but intensely white. Will grind it off and then tumble. The high grade stuff is like glass and windows with a hammer blow easily. Telling it is gem grade. Opal is soft and should easily tumble off.
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,709
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Post by Fossilman on Oct 23, 2016 9:30:42 GMT -5
That one agate looks just like a Montana-SWEET!!!
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Post by victor1941 on Oct 23, 2016 9:53:41 GMT -5
Beautiful cloud pics and some great rios. I can tell you enjoyed the trip.
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Post by Garage Rocker on Oct 23, 2016 10:13:55 GMT -5
Good stuff, jamesp. Thanks for sharing. Looks like a Rio playground.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Oct 23, 2016 10:47:21 GMT -5
congrats on making a trip happen!
bring a ton home.
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Erich
spending too much on rocks
Member since November 2015
Posts: 411
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Post by Erich on Oct 23, 2016 12:29:36 GMT -5
Really enjoyed the photo tour, some really,really nice material. I'd love to do something like that!
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barclay
has rocks in the head
Lowly Padawan of rocks
Member since November 2011
Posts: 510
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Post by barclay on Oct 23, 2016 12:43:44 GMT -5
Where is this?
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Oct 23, 2016 14:59:37 GMT -5
west Texas, Rio Grand region.
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