Discussion Forum

T-Eggs are so interesting in that you can dig two eggs side by side and have them cut open totaly different. The only stone that rivals them is of Course The ever omnispectacular AGATE.
Tom

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"Hey, I'm in for a least one of those days "if" my new job doesn't start by then. (yeah, the party is over, I gotta go back to work) I've accepted their offer - we're just waiting for a start date. Anyway, I wanted to share how the forest service handles the locked gate for people who need to drive up with a handicap sticker. Apparently prior to your visit, you need to call the St. Joe ranger station to confirm the date you will be there. With an appointment, one of the rangers will drive down to unlock the gate to let you in. I think they have pre-set times throughout the day but unless you confirm that you'll be there, they may not show up. The gates officially open at 9am but the ranger told me that they'll unlock the gate at 8:30am or 10am (and 1pm I "think"). Anyway, their contact info is below:
St. Joe Ranger District
St. Maries Office
222 S. 7th St., Suite 1
St. Maries, ID 83861-0407
(208) 245-2531"

Hey Sharon, looks like we are not going to make it this next weekend. We just found out that my daughters wisdon teeth surgery wasn't covered by insurance. Then several weeks ago Val just had a crown put on and we don't know how much that will cost us. That $2000 wisdon teeth bill sucks big time! Maybe next year. With the OR trip coming up in a couple of weeks, I think my rockin' is about done for the year. :-( Just wanted to let you know as soon as I could. Paul

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I think a lot of it has to do with experience, just getting the feel for how things end up. It's sort of like cutting thundereggs. After cutting enough of them, you usually just sense how to cut them. That probably doesn't help either. I also look at land formation, like flat areas below hillsides. Gravity often brings things down, and they have to collect somewhere. I also look for where others have been digging. If it's a big dig, hopefully there was a reason they dug a lot. If it was just tiny little exploratory dig spots, there probably was a reason they didn't continue. Best advice if to find someone who has had success in an area and ask what they look for, like soil type or color. And, if all you dig is snow, wear heavy gloves, lol.

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"Congatulations Paul on losing your AGATE Virginity. AGATES are truly special stones. AGATES are one of the few varieties of chalcedony quartz that have such a variety of colors and patterns. AGATES are as addicting as chocolate. Since you now have such nice Blue AGATES in your specimin collection it only seems right to increase your color scheme by coming across the mountains to AGATE heaven and collecting. As you can see by the Adna AGATES that Andy posted you can get quite a variety in one small location. A____'S to you dude.
Tom"

Well Tom, I mean they are neat, but geezzz, what's the big deal??? ;-o hehe Yeah I have to get some different colors for sure. I do have a few from members here. They are pretty. But geepers all this getting worked up over stuff, I don't know man. lol You A____ heads are really something. hehe Paul

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Whole country is open for collecting. Just need to know where to go. Be glad to show you if you come down. Just firm up which date you will be at Richardsons and I will see if I can meet you there. Check out the picture I am working on. They are some of the real nice moss eggs I got from there last week. Would love to get more if I got the chance.

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"Thanks! :-) Thinking about having a few cut from it, though for now we're just going to hold onto it. I don't think it will star, and one end is darker and probably only good for cabbing, but perhaps the end that is more clear may have a chance to facet something decently from it. "

Yeah that top end looks fairly clear even through the rind. That could be a nice piece. Heat reating may intensify the color as well. The bottom could be cabbed for sure. Or as a specimen, it is pretty cool just as is. lol I would like a bunch of those things. They are pretty when worked. If you have something done with it, please post the pics. Paul

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"Andy,
My box arrived today! Thanks so much. It is cool to see what I read about all time on these threads :) The pet wood is particularly interesting, unlike all my other wood. Washington's is more colorful; however, I don't know the origin of what I already owned. Did you polish the agates?

Noah, my grandson thinks the box was for him :) (everything is his) Are you going to polish the petoskey's? There are ways to hand polish them - my parents use to buy "kits" that had sandpaper, etc and we would sit around the campfire and polish them.
Thanks,
Pam"

Hi Pam;
Glad the package arrived properly. Petoskey's will remain natural I think for now. Our wood out here is certainly colorful with a wide variety of species found throughout the state. I don't believe I polished those I sent.They were just cleaned up.

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"Thank you so much. We do have GPS and my husband's car that we will be traveling in is a 4WD Honda Pilot. I will let you know when it is closer to the time and I'd LOVE more specific directions to get there and where to dig. Do we need any special tools or anything?

Wendy"

Hi Wendy, you will have no problem getting up the mountain in your rig. Way cool! I will give more detailed driving instructions to the top of the mountain and dig sites if you like. We have the route on our gps and I will see if I can get the coordinates for key turns and the parking areas. Really only 2 that I have used and the dig site is between the 2 parking areas. But I will have to talk to my son, the gps operator, to see if we can do it. Frankly, I would prefer to meet you there and guide you up there in person, it is a lot more fun to be on the mountain then to type about it. lol I am sure that next spring or maybe this fall a bunch of us may get the hankerin' to go back as a semi organized dig. One thing about digging this part of year is that it is going to be hot and there isn't any shade and it is on a southern slope facing the sun. Like Tom said, take lots of water or fluids! Oh yes there are no facilities (restrooms) there as well. We'll get you some more detail directions, but it is easy to get there. I think Tom covered all of the tools. A lot of the work will be on your hands and knees. I think some sort of kneepads or padding would be a good idea too. Good shoes to, as it is a bit of a side hill full of disturbed surface digs. If you want tumbling material all you have to do is walk around and look at the ground. The larger stuff, unless you are really lucky, takes some work and digging. Just look at the T and J mine in the Saddle mtn pics. Now where to dig? That is a real turkey shoot. I use Tom, that guy does a ceremony when he gets there, and talks to the pet wood gods. Then he starts walking and when his spidyman bucket gets to shakin or something like that is the place to dig. ;-) I kid you not! You can find an existing dig site and dig there but if you want to start a new dig, try to find an area that is not to disturbed on the surface. Any way whatever you do you will find wood. Paul

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