Post by Rockoonz on Mar 21, 2022 22:16:40 GMT -5
This last Saturday our club in AZ, the West Valley (Buckeye) rock club had a field trip to Burro Creek. First time there for us.
Heres a few arriving, the road for the last 1/2 mile and the area we parked on were pretty much graveled in Pastellite. Rockhound heaven.
And the scenery.
Right of center in the horizon, the light colored area is top of the pit at the Bagdhad Copper mine.
And they're off. These folks were on their first field trip. They asked me about what there was good to tumble, then asked if I cut rocks. After I said yes, they started bringing me chunks too big to tumble and asking if I wanted them. Most were nicer than most of what I found myself. brybry I did note where they were looking most of the time and made a pile that looked too big for my 18". More about them later.
I settled on this spot to start pulling stuff out, looked promising, started taking buckets to the car.
Everywhere I was walking on jasper and agate. Chunks in white ash, nodules, volcanic looking bubbles, snakeskin nodules all strewn about.
A little break for lunch with scenery.
A little Taco time. I was sure he was leading me to the gemmy, best of the day specimen,
But no, he was after Mama. She was out there aways and I got stuck hauling all her rocks in while she took the dog.
And scenery. The plant in front is a young Joshua tree. I headed back over to my "dig", pulled a bigger piece out the expose a pretty nice medium sized piece,
But it was guarded. I think I disturbed a variable groundsnake and it wasn't giving it up.
Back off from my rock!
Eventually it scooted away, later I found it again under my glove. I got the rock!
There are some pretty big ones, suitable for someones new to them 24" saw or maybe a polished specimen or two.
These posed next to my size 13. Shall I return with the trailer?
Now the rest of the story. The new people I mentioned earlier eventually came by to show me this...
No, they didn't offer it to me to cut, and they needed to keep that. The phone pic doesn't do it justice, definitely best find that I saw, and maked me want to go back looking for the rest of it.
The only injury. I wanted a longer handle anyway.
We wandered up the road the other mile or so to the creek, and found some bluish agate about halfway. No pics yet. I was told there were more collection sites on the other side of the creek.
And heading home. Did I mention the scenery?
Burro creek about 15 miles down at the campground. I can see us camping here in the future.
The thing I don't have good pics of yet is the haul. I managed to remove the pudding from the 18" Sunday between boring holes for trees and knocking the forms off of the underpinning I poured for the shop addition. Tomorrow is 2 appointments and a load of steel for the building, but I hope to also wash the dirt off the rough and maybe a polished specimen.
We'll see how that goes.
Heres a few arriving, the road for the last 1/2 mile and the area we parked on were pretty much graveled in Pastellite. Rockhound heaven.
And the scenery.
Right of center in the horizon, the light colored area is top of the pit at the Bagdhad Copper mine.
And they're off. These folks were on their first field trip. They asked me about what there was good to tumble, then asked if I cut rocks. After I said yes, they started bringing me chunks too big to tumble and asking if I wanted them. Most were nicer than most of what I found myself. brybry I did note where they were looking most of the time and made a pile that looked too big for my 18". More about them later.
I settled on this spot to start pulling stuff out, looked promising, started taking buckets to the car.
Everywhere I was walking on jasper and agate. Chunks in white ash, nodules, volcanic looking bubbles, snakeskin nodules all strewn about.
A little break for lunch with scenery.
A little Taco time. I was sure he was leading me to the gemmy, best of the day specimen,
But no, he was after Mama. She was out there aways and I got stuck hauling all her rocks in while she took the dog.
And scenery. The plant in front is a young Joshua tree. I headed back over to my "dig", pulled a bigger piece out the expose a pretty nice medium sized piece,
But it was guarded. I think I disturbed a variable groundsnake and it wasn't giving it up.
Back off from my rock!
Eventually it scooted away, later I found it again under my glove. I got the rock!
There are some pretty big ones, suitable for someones new to them 24" saw or maybe a polished specimen or two.
These posed next to my size 13. Shall I return with the trailer?
Now the rest of the story. The new people I mentioned earlier eventually came by to show me this...
No, they didn't offer it to me to cut, and they needed to keep that. The phone pic doesn't do it justice, definitely best find that I saw, and maked me want to go back looking for the rest of it.
The only injury. I wanted a longer handle anyway.
We wandered up the road the other mile or so to the creek, and found some bluish agate about halfway. No pics yet. I was told there were more collection sites on the other side of the creek.
And heading home. Did I mention the scenery?
Burro creek about 15 miles down at the campground. I can see us camping here in the future.
The thing I don't have good pics of yet is the haul. I managed to remove the pudding from the 18" Sunday between boring holes for trees and knocking the forms off of the underpinning I poured for the shop addition. Tomorrow is 2 appointments and a load of steel for the building, but I hope to also wash the dirt off the rough and maybe a polished specimen.
We'll see how that goes.