What should I be looking for?

[AveryLindgren]

I go to beaches in upper peninsula (MI),and im wondering what rocks im looking for.I would appreciate if someone could tell me the shape,color,size,etc...Because im not well knowledge on rock names.

[wigglinrocks]

The rocks come in all shapes , sizes and colors up there . It all depends on what you are looking to do with them . Lake Superior Rocks And Minerals is a good reference book to start with . I could show you some pics of some we picked on the beaches or some we polished . Unless you have an idea what they are , they look like buckets of rocks . If you're looking to polish , most of the lake rocks will take on some sort of a shine . Some will take a super high gloss shine . Let us know your intentions and maybe we can be more helpful .

[AveryLindgren]

Apr 10, 2017 14:21:57 GMT -5 wigglinrocks said:

The rocks come in all shapes , sizes and colors up there . It all depends on what you are looking to do with them . Lake Superior Rocks And Minerals is a good reference book to start with . I could show you some pics of some we picked on the beaches or some we polished . Unless you have an idea what they are , they look like buckets of rocks . If you're looking to polish , most of the lake rocks will take on some sort of a shine . Some will take a super high gloss shine . Let us know your intentions and maybe we can be more helpful .

I'm most interested in agates,and yes some pictures would be well appreciated.

[wigglinrocks]

Apr 10, 2017 14:40:47 GMT -5 AveryLindgren said:

Apr 10, 2017 14:21:57 GMT -5 wigglinrocks said:

The rocks come in all shapes , sizes and colors up there . It all depends on what you are looking to do with them . Lake Superior Rocks And Minerals is a good reference book to start with . I could show you some pics of some we picked on the beaches or some we polished . Unless you have an idea what they are , they look like buckets of rocks . If you're looking to polish , most of the lake rocks will take on some sort of a shine . Some will take a super high gloss shine . Let us know your intentions and maybe we can be more helpful .

I'm most interested in agates,and yes some pictures would be well appreciated.

Here is some beach rocks , most of these will polish . 6-7 agates in front

dry


wet


a few agates


little bit of copper , local found




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[johnjsgems]

An easy test is see if a knife will scratch the rock. If it will it is too soft. If the knife leaves a metallic streak that rubs off it may polish. Look for rocks that look nice when wet. If they polish they will look wet when dry. Interesting contrasting colors, banding, or other features add to appeal.

[AveryLindgren]

Nice tips

[youp50]

Agate finding tips;

Do not expect to see on the beach what you see in the shops.

The Feds are pretty protective of 'their' rocks. That being inside the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Expect someone will be watching you pick up and pocket stones and call in the Federal Rangers. They will ruin your day and maybe your vacation, depending on your ability to deal with zealots.


Look fast and travel far in the morning and evening. Head into the sun. Agates 'glow' when the sun is low.

Most agates are not well rounded. They are hard with corners, not well rounded.

Look closely at the ugly rocks. If all you do is look for pretty stones, I could walk behind you and pick up an agate that you stepped over or on.

There are no beaches on Lake Superior that I have been to, I have been to a bunch, that agates are plentiful. The best agate picking is in the Arrowhead region of Minnesota and south. In gravel pits.

Scour the beach for agates, have a good time. Please don't let your lack of success tarnish your visit. Do the sunrise and sunsets. Visit waterfalls. Many beaches allow fires on the beach, be careful many rocks will explode if heated by fire, build on sand. Nothing like a beach fire after sunset.

The stable flies can be relentless in early July. Lay a heavy coat of suntan oil on. They won't bite through it. Heavy and OIL, not lotion. They are an export of the manure piles of Wisconsin.

[Jugglerguy]

Apr 10, 2017 21:56:51 GMT -5 youp50 said:

The stable flies can be relentless in early July. Lay a heavy coat of suntan oil on. They won't bite through it. Heavy and OIL, not lotion. They are an export of the manure piles of Wisconsin.

Oh boy, stable fly information! I burn pretty easily in the sun. My mom and son both have red hair. I burn like a redhead. What do you mean by suntan oil? Do you mean baby oil? My older sisters used to use that to tan more. I use spf 50 lotion to tan less. I'm extremely interested in warding off the stable flies. They ruined more than one day on the beach. After a miserable hour that I wished was a pleasant three or four hours, I came home and bought a head to toe mesh suit. I haven't had to use it in the U.P. yet, but I did use it here on Lake Huron once last summer. I spent seven hours on the beach that day and five of them were in pretty heavy stable flies. I still got bit a lot, but the suit really helped. I'll add oil to my arsenal if necessary.

Do you mean baby oil?

Can I use it with lotion to protect me from the sun?

Thanks!

By the way, I like your other tips about agate hunting, and I agree with them.

[AveryLindgren]

Apr 10, 2017 21:56:51 GMT -5 youp50 said:

Agate finding tips;

Do not expect to see on the beach what you see in the shops.

The Feds are pretty protective of 'their' rocks. That being inside the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Expect someone will be watching you pick up and pocket stones and call in the Federal Rangers. They will ruin your day and maybe your vacation, depending on your ability to deal with zealots.


Look fast and travel far in the morning and evening. Head into the sun. Agates 'glow' when the sun is low.

Most agates are not well rounded. They are hard with corners, not well rounded.

Look closely at the ugly rocks. If all you do is look for pretty stones, I could walk behind you and pick up an agate that you stepped over or on.

There are no beaches on Lake Superior that I have been to, I have been to a bunch, that agates are plentiful. The best agate picking is in the Arrowhead region of Minnesota and south. In gravel pits.

Scour the beach for agates, have a good time. Please don't let your lack of success tarnish your visit. Do the sunrise and sunsets. Visit waterfalls. Many beaches allow fires on the beach, be careful many rocks will explode if heated by fire, build on sand. Nothing like a beach fire after sunset.

The stable flies can be relentless in early July. Lay a heavy coat of suntan oil on. They won't bite through it. Heavy and OIL, not lotion. They are an export of the manure piles of Wisconsin.

 Thank you

[youp50]

Oil, suntan oil. I doubt there is much of an SPF factor. We go to a dollar store and buy it. The boat is under snow right now so I cannot see the brand name. Just cheap suntan oil.

[Fossilman]

Hell,pick it all up and than you can sort through it as your time frame,keep the good material-throw the bad stuff away.....

[wigglinrocks]

Apr 11, 2017 10:51:21 GMT -5 Fossilman said:

Hell,pick it all up and than you can sort through it as your time frame,keep the good material-throw the bad stuff away.....

Good advice . Done that a few times when time was short . Scoop up a couple buckets of decent looking rocks and haul them home . Look them over when time permits .

[manofglass]

Snow what's that it all melted
Been nice not having snow this winter

Walt

[youp50]

Snow today, hail yesterday, gone tomorrow. Maybe if I cap it, I could sell it to Hollywood. Some kind of horror picture title

[Peruano]

Here are two sites that are directed at the questions you are asking and oriented toward the Great Lakes area. I hope they help.

www.superiortrails.com/rock-hound.html This has info on Lake Superior agates and a good section on how to identify other rocks that look like agates but are not..


www.agatelady.com/agatebasics.html Llke the previous link, in discussing differences between agates and other rocks and the various types of agates.

[wigglinrocks]

Apr 11, 2017 17:32:31 GMT -5 Peruano said:

Here are two sites that are directed at the questions you are asking and oriented toward the Great Lakes area. I hope they help.

www.superiortrails.com/rock-hound.html This has info on Lake Superior agates and a good section on how to identify other rocks that look like agates but are not..


www.agatelady.com/agatebasics.html Llke the previous link, in discussing differences between agates and other rocks and the various types of agates.

Lot of good information on those two links , spent hours there

[AveryLindgren]

Apr 11, 2017 17:52:26 GMT -5 wigglinrocks said:

Apr 11, 2017 17:32:31 GMT -5 Peruano said:

Here are two sites that are directed at the questions you are asking and oriented toward the Great Lakes area. I hope they help.

www.superiortrails.com/rock-hound.html This has info on Lake Superior agates and a good section on how to identify other rocks that look like agates but are not..


www.agatelady.com/agatebasics.html Llke the previous link, in discussing differences between agates and other rocks and the various types of agates.

Lot of good information on those two links , spent hours there

Ok,thanks

[jakesrocks]

Old timers trick. If the rocks are dry to begin with, spit on them. If they dry quickly, they're too soft to take a polish. If they stay wet for a while, chances are they'll take a polish.

[ziggy]

Apr 11, 2017 18:06:26 GMT -5 AveryLindgren said:

Apr 11, 2017 17:52:26 GMT -5 wigglinrocks said:

Lot of good information on those two links , spent hours there

Ok,thanks

Just thought I'd add my two cents. If agates are your main target, you'd be better off making some other easier to find mineral your main target and just always be on your toes for agate. Keep in mind that most of the agates found these days on the beaches up there are smaller than a dime and are to be honest, what you would call well picked over if any are left at all.

If agate is the only thing that can trip your trigger, then, your best bet is to concentrate on beaches known to still produce the occasional agate every now and then. Places producing the most seem to be concentrated between Whitefish point and Grand Marais. Try Whitefish point to the west of the museum/lighthouse. The Two Hearted river is west of that then  Muskalonge State park is further west. Farthest west is Grand Marais. All of these locations have nice Rocky beaches with lots of unakite and other distracting "pretty rocks".

If you can get into mine piles, the Wolverine #2 poor rock pile occasionally turns up what is known as copper replacement agates. To get them you need to bust them out of the poor rock.

If you get tired of the beaches, try mine piles like the ones at the Cliff Mine for other minerals like native copper, Prehnite, datolite, or greenstone.

Doing the mine piles involves research on sites like Mindat to see what can be found where. Some sweat equity is involved in this type of hounding as digging through the piles is usually the most productive method.

[AveryLindgren]

Thanks