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My name is Jake. I'm a thirty-somthing software engineer by day and enjoy collecting rocks, making music and creating psychedelic artwork in my spare time. I am originally from Oregon but now operate out of the southern Washington area.
How I first got into treasure hunting: I have been collecting since as early as my mind can remember. When I was very young my family would take frequent trips to hunt for gems, minerals and fossils in and around Oregon.
My treasure hunting obsession(s): Since about July of last year I have been bitten by the Agate Bug. Some would call it an addiction. It defiantly falls under the category of obsession. I logged 52 rock hunts in 2008, 46 of them were for agates.
My most exciting find: A 83.8lb Chalcedony Geode
My favorite places to look for treasure: Every good adventure starts out with a topo map and google earth. i try to find areas that fit the type of material i am hunting ..
My favorite treasure hunting techniques: Relaxing and taking my time, going slowly and enjoying nature.
My treasure hunt toolkit contains...
Depends on the hunt ..
All Hunts
2 extra changes of clothes in car
Rain gear
Water for backpack, and extra water in car
food for backpack, and extra food in car
Steri-Pen for clean water.
Medical kit, including tweezers, band-aids etc..
Agate Death March
Anti-fog for glasses
Hip or Chest Waders
Back pack
Modified Bicycle w/Crate
Two 5 gal buckets
Geode/T-Egg Dig
Hand trowel
Paleo Pick
Normal size garden shovel
Knee pads
umbrella for sun/rain protection
Hard Rock
Safety Glasses
Various Gloves
Standard Rock Pick
3lb Cracker
8lb Sledge
Various Wedges
Wonder Bar
Various Shovels (Hand Trowel, 3' Hand shovel & regular large one)
I'm presently hunting for: Agates, Jasper, Petrified Wood, Geodes, Thunder eggs, Pyrite & Crystals of any kind
My Recommended Washington State Treasure Hunting Resources
Good Books I have found these books quite useful.
"Gem Trails of Washington" by Garret Romaine- A must have for collectors of the (Dec07)
"Gems and Minerals of Washington" by L.Ream (1994) (older out of print harder to find)
Good Links These links have hours worth of good reading.
Bring a change of clothes, and extra socks! If you plan on getting wet then invest a little money in hip or chest waders.
Make sure you bring lots of water and extra food for your day. Don't forget TP also.
Don't rush, relax, and take your time.. Often you will find material right under your feet that people walk over all the time. Most people don't go methodically and usually walk right past very nice finds.
Research as much as you can before you leave your house. Wandering around can be expensive these days and more often you can go home empty handed. I have, many times. Having a destination in mind before you leave, with an idea of what to look for when you get there goes along way in finding treasure.
Don't be afraid to ask questions or to get books. You might not be told X marks the spot, but if you're a smart cookie, you can figure it out :-)
Most of the sites listed in the books Ive read still yield material if you look off the beaten path.
Always have fun and remember to be safe. Don't forget to tell someone where you are going and when you will be back.
Make sure you are obeying the laws of the area you are collecting in. Check with your local rock clubs as they know better than most.
Chalcedony Geode Chunk from Washington
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The "What I've found" Treasure Gallery (Click on each image for a super high resolution photo)
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......Rock Hounding Code of Ethics
I will respect both private and public property and will do no collecting on privately owned land without permission from the owner.
I will keep informed on all laws, regulations or rules governing collecting on public lands and will observe them.
I will, to the best of my ability, ascertain the boundary lines of property on which I plan to collect.
I will use no firearms or blasting material in collecting areas.
I will cause no willful damage to property of any kind such as fences, signs, buildings, etc.
I will leave all gates as found.
I will build fires only in designated or safe places and will be certain they are completely extinguished before leaving the area.
I will discard no burning material - matches, cigarettes, etc.
I will fill all excavation holes which may be dangerous to livestock.
I will not contaminate wells, creeks, or other water supplies.
I will cause no willful damage to collecting material and will take home only what I can reasonably use.
I will practice conservation and undertake to utilize fully and well the materials I have collected and will recycle my surplus for the pleasure and benefit of others.
I will support the rock hound project H.E.L.P. (Help Eliminate Litter Please) and will leave all collecting areas devoid of litter, regardless of how found.
I will cooperate with field-trip leaders and those in designated authority in all collecting areas.
I will report to my club or federation officers, Bureau of Land Management or other authorities, any deposit of petrified wood or other materials on public lands which should be protected for the enjoyment of future generations for public educational and scientific purposes.
I will appreciate and protect our heritage of natural resources.
I will observe the "Golden Rule", will use Good Outdoor Manners and will at all times conduct myself in a manner which will add to the stature and Public Image of Rock hounds everywhere.
7oz Tightly fortified agate from Clark County Washington.
A stunning 50lb White Chalcedony Geode from Washington. The crystals inside are thumb sized and fully intact.
A crystal cluster I liberated from hard rock on June 26th, 2008 @ Jones Creek, Clark County, Wa.
The Punisher Agate (Ceres Hill, July 2008)
The 83.3lb Chalcedony Geode from Lewis County Washington
Large Banded Agate from Ceres Hill Washington found on 7-9-2008
White outer / red inner banded chalcedony chunk found Feb 2009
8lb Red Chalcedony Geode
14lb chalcedony geode piece
2.2lb Red Chalcedony Geode Piece
With the exception of pearls, used as gemstones by prehistoric man, carnelian, turquoise, and lapis lazuli are the oldest gemstones utilized in the manufacture of jewelry. Carnelian is a form of quartz crystal which due to the inclusion of iron oxide is colored somewhere between yellow and red. Since before recorded history evidence suggests that carnelian was one of the most favored gemstones for at least the past 10,000 years. Two of the richest archaeological treasures, the tombs of both the Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamen and Sumerian Queen Queen Pu-abi's tomb at Ur contained many splendid examples of carnelian jewelry. Carnelian was widely favored by the Sumerian/Mesopotamian cultures and then their successors the Phoenicians, Greeks and Romans for its use in jewelry.
If you are upset that we have publicly shared our adventures and brought the joy of collecting to many other people who can or cannot themselves do the same, then I implore you to come see what we're all about and/or join the adult conversation and debate. We strictly adhere to the rock hounds code of ethics in all of our trips and our group does absolutely no damage to habitat or leave trash behind.. Stand up and let your voice be heard, otherwise sit down, be quite, and enjoy the ride you two..
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i am headed to arizona this thursday for a month. hope to collect alot of agate and share pictures and locations with all. also to join up with you this summer and check out adna and lucas creek. a.j.
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friday morning, expect to be looking for agate on silver island mountain, wendover, utah. found this site in the march 2008 issue of rock & gem magazine. looks interesting and easy.
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Concern... I don't know of anyone who isn't. We all only have our individual perspective work with. The picture is kind of hard to really see. It's a rare time when we go prospecting that we don't return with a whole bag of trash left from folks who were less concerned. We fill in our holes and respect private property, even to the point that when we are using a sluice we are actually creating a gravel bed perfect for spawning trout and salmon. The point is that folks believe what they hear and they don't really hear much about the reality of the prospecting and rockhounding community. Consider how much money we invest in our economy... gold pans, rock hammers, findings, kilns, etc. A poll was taken on the Canadian Gold Prospectors Exchange web site and just among that small group we found 100k of stuff... thats a lot of sales tax I'm guessing. That supports a lot of jobs in our "industry"! Just one man's opinion...? Happy Trails, Johnny
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For those of us who use and enjoy the great outdoors and our public and private lands, we need to be sensitive and aware of our inherant responsibilities as stewards. FYI....and enlightenment.
Hey Jake, that's a neat looking skull in the punnisher agate. Looks like it's been placed in a small cave as part of some ancient ceremony. I like looking for pictures in the various material that I cut. When I find one, I seldom part with it. Don
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