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oldnavy72 |
60. RE: Wet in Washington
Feb 8 2008, 6:15 PM EST
Teresa,My wife and I live in Shoreline, I am sure you know where that is. We might be up to doing something this Spring or Summer, situation depending. It depends on a few things. We"re a couple of "old fogies" (53) and our kids are out and gone, just the 4 legged kind now. I have tried contact several clubs in the area and have gotten zip for response. I think the local libraries as well as Barnes & Noble are good reading resources. There are a lot of things that can be found online if you dig and keep digging. If I get up enough energy this weekend I will email you some links. I have been compiling info on places , commercial, to go hounding. Here's a link for a site that is trying to do a good job of getting off the ground. You can register for free and I think they have some goodies if you cough up at least $25 - http://thoam.com/ if you do register tell Todd that "Oldnavy" sent you - Iget brownie points!!!! Do you find this valuable? |
pvjjh |
61. RE: Wet in Washington
Feb 8 2008, 9:04 PM EST
"hello, i am a late comer to this discussion, but our family lives in Ballard (in Seattle area) and we have an 8 y.o. son. The 3 of us and our little subaru would love to hookup with another family for some type of rock hounding adventure spring and/or summer. I have been trying to collect book on rockhounding in thisarea and any bits o' info. It would be cool to hook up with another family for a "test" adventure to see what we need and just to check out everything and HAVE SOME HEALTHY GOOD FUN?! if this appeals please email us/me. tree (teresa) ethington@q.com"Hi treebaby, I live just over the snowy (right now) closed mountains from you in Wenatchee. I wish I could say go here and you'll find this and have a good time. Never rock hounded on the west side of the mountains. That link washingtoncougar put up is full of info. And like oldnavy, I am old - though he has me by a couple of years - my kids are in college and high school. But if we put something together that is close on this side of the mountains or the west side, I will definately let you know. The only trips we have planned this year are out of state. Going to MT for Sapphires and southern OR for sunstones and hopefully opals. Also will try for some thundereggs and petrified wood. I do know on the coast, the north portion of the pennisula there are areas with concretions and fossils. Many of the concretions will contain different marine fossils like shrimp and crab. There are also leaf and clams plus many others I am sure. There are are also some sites on the west side that have minerals, crystals, agate, and thundereggs. But there seems to be mostly fossil sites that I can find. Sorry I couldn't be more help. Do you find this valuable? |
treebaby |
62. RE: Wet in Washington
Feb 8 2008, 10:12 PM EST
Sure I know where Shoreline is, I was just there eating!! ha ha. I would love to discuss a road trip with ya'll. And we are "older" parents, we are 46ish and most of our friend have kids having kids. We usually get told we have a nice grandson! Oh well there are worse things in life. I just received a book I ordered from Barnes & Nobel, written in 2007 called Fee Mining and Rockhouning Adventures in the West. Oh boy am I ready to go. Yeah, I've been digging and digging. I also have a drawer called my "Travel ideas" drawer where I put eveything I find in newspapers, or wherever. It's getting so full it must be time to actually get to going!! I was checking on the Georgia area after watching a show on it and I am thinking about a summer quick trip out to one of the mines that has all kinds of stuff. I have 3 chihuahuas so I have to find a trusted neighbor to come in and visit my babies. I joined a club called the Snohomish County Fishing thing and also looked at a local Lapidary Rockhounding club. They were all in a local rag, probably like North Seattle Journal or similar. We'd love to find a place like a cheap place to stay near a good fee digging place or anything similar, with a little guy heck camping may be nice too, we have an interest in Vintage motorhomes, maybe the two shall meet???
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washingtoncougar |
63. RE: Wet in Washington
Feb 8 2008, 10:23 PM EST
Hey Paul,When you head over to Montana are you going to travel I-90? If so then you might want to take a break at this location http://goldmine-idaho.com/, there is no mining going on but it is a very interesting piece of mining history, you even get to pan for an hour after the tour, No gold but other little tid bits of gems and minerials. Dave 1 out of 1 found this valuable. Do you? |
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treebaby |
64. RE: Wet in Washington
Feb 8 2008, 10:47 PM EST
ok I have to ask, what's a concretion? with a little notice we could probaby pull something together just about all over this state. I found this huge like a pingpong ball, red spherical (sp?) ruby red fauceted stone. It's so unbelivable, it was at the beach in Golden Gardens where the train tracks used to go over the water to haul off wood I supose, anyway it's garnet colored and it just looks too perfect but I have had it in my drawer for over a year trying to figure out who to ask about it, any ideas? for all i know it's a hunk of red fauceted glass some kid threw in the water decades ago. It's pretty heavy. so if anyone out there has any ideas on that please tell me. Back to road trips, sounds like there's a passel of us out here in Washington that ought to go someplace and have a nice weekend to meet and yak. and plan ....... heck we could figure out who all is where at and find a reasonably priced "resort" (ha-ha) and all go. We went to a place out by Gig Harbor and stayed at an RV, cabin, tent place on the beach and explored the woods a bit, it was so reasonable and nice to hit the road. My dad was a lifer in the Navy on the USS Midway. We spent our entire summers either in a motorhome on the road digging up every place my mom heard had rockhounding potential or digging in old old garbage pits getting antique bottles (Norfolk VA). I really want to do it again so much.
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pvjjh |
65. RE: Wet in Washington
Feb 9 2008, 1:29 AM EST
Oh Boy, what is a concretion. Well it is a sedimentary stone that resists weathering a little more than the surrounding material. They generally look like a round or slightly irregular flatish skipping stone (a small one), that is being weather producing a smooth surface. Now you ask why does it weather slower than the surrounding material. In a lot of cases, it is caused by mineralization. Now that being said, when the sediments were layed down millions of years ago, there was some critter or organic material deposited or caught in the sediment as well. Such as shrimp or claw, or a crab that may have died, a bug or some sort of organic matter or mineral. Well over time the minerals leach out in to the surrounding sediment and the magicial transformation of an organic object becoming stone - or a fossil starts. The leached minerals make the surrounding sediment more resistant to weathering, hence it produces the concretion. You are probably more confused now than you were before. lol You can go on line and do a search on concretions and see some pics and probably a much more accurate explaination and one that you can better understand as to how they develop than I can give. But this is sort of my explaination and understanding on how they are formed. If you find a concretion, try to crack it open on the wide side and see if there is a treasure inside of it. I would like to see the red stone of yours. It could be a large garnet or who knows, maybe something better. Is there anyway you can take a picture of it send me an email through my profile? I don't know if you can post a picture on that email, if not I will send you my email addy so you can send the pic to me there. Yes there seems to be a good following here in WA. A get together/rock hunt could be a kick. Maybe out to the coast and find you a concretion. lol Have to be low tide and my understanding, the lower the better. I would love to find a fossilzed crab. 1 out of 1 found this valuable. Do you? |
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pvjjh |
66. RE: Wet in Washington
Feb 9 2008, 1:43 AM EST
"Hey Paul,Hi Dave, thanks for the link and info. Yes I-90 is our route. The people we are traveling to MT with want to stop in Kellogg and to do some exploring and spend the night. That may already be on the list of stops to make and if it isn't I will definately make the recommendation to do so. I know he was very adiment about stopping by on the way over. There is a lot of mining history in Kellogg and the surrounding areas. As for the mine, I worked at a gold mine for 12 years (hard rock underground) and have been around some of that stuff. But the equipment and techniques used now compared to 100 years ago is like night and day. The history is always fun to see. Thanks for the tip. Paul Do you find this valuable? |
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washingtoncougar |
67. RE: Wet in Washington
Feb 9 2008, 2:35 AM EST
Man I feel like the baby of the group, wife and I are in our mid 30s. Paul that is just one of the many in the area that have tours, but the only one I know of for sure. The gondolas are also a blast, see alot of land on that ride. In Montana just shortly after crossing over from Idaho there is a place called The 10,000 Silver Dollar Bar, Gift shop and gas, good place for a pitstop. They have alot af made in Montana products, let alone to see all those silver dollars in the bar (wow). Don't have near that amount but working on it. My son lives with my ex in Missoula so I make the trip at least once every other month. Dave 1 out of 1 found this valuable. Do you? |
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treebaby |
68. RE: Wet in Washington
Feb 9 2008, 12:36 PM EST
that's a fine idea. the coast would be as good a place to start as any and Joseph (8) would really like the beach. I am pretty new to computers. I have managed to put my face in classmates.com. I could probably get the red ball on someplace. I have to work sat and sun but can work on the pic at night after 7pm. i shold be able to "share" pics with the kodak stuff I have, I sure hope so....I get the concretion, I actually thought you were misspelling or something ha ha. so we ought to give a shout to see who and where we are that is "maybe" interested in a get together someplace driveable..... Do you find this valuable? |
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treebaby |
69. RE: Wet in Washington
Feb 9 2008, 1:50 PM EST
I DID IT !! I changed my face to the rock... so it is my little pic. I just took a bunch of pics they are so so, I could do more, but we think it must be some weird piece of dark red glass, it is just too perfect. there is a lg chip flaw on the side, i tried to show it, it lets you see the deep red inside. looks like a rose quarts that's real clear would look it you broke it, it sort of flakes in layers, but this is really hard and doesn't actually flake.
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treebaby |
70. RE: Wet in Washington
Feb 9 2008, 1:53 PM EST
hello, i tried to get on the treasure hunters of america site you mention above, was sent the register link and seem to be unable to proceed, it is just me, i dont know what i am doing. i finally got my pic up buy i replaced it with the red egg as we call it so that the other rocker could see it.
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treebaby |
71. RE: Wet in Washington
Feb 9 2008, 1:55 PM EST
add to above, that is a quarter next to the "red egg". anyone got any ideas what it is?? or who to ask.
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pvjjh |
72. RE: Wet in Washington
Feb 9 2008, 1:59 PM EST
"Man I feel like the baby of the group, wife and I are in our mid 30s.Cool. We are getting together with our travel companions in a couple of weeks and do plan on going over the trip itinerary. I will go over the places you brought up. We can hit them either on the way over or the way back. As I recall I remember reading where you had relatives or family that was involved with sapphire mining. Is this correct? Wasn't it down by Hamilton or P-burg? I think we plan on going there for a day as well. I don't think we can get to the actual mines, but can get gravel at shops and can work it there. Hey thanks again for the info - ya kid! lol. :-) Paul Do you find this valuable? |
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treebaby |
73. RE: Wet in Washington
Feb 9 2008, 2:09 PM EST
I managed to load 2 giant pics of the red egg and a quarter for perspective.
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pvjjh |
74. RE: Wet in Washington
Feb 9 2008, 2:37 PM EST
"that's a fine idea. the coast would be as good a place to start as any and Joseph (8) would really like the beach. I am pretty new to computers. I have managed to put my face in classmates.com. I could probably get the red ball on someplace. I have to work sat and sun but can work on the pic at night after 7pm. i shold be able to "share" pics with the kodak stuff I have, I sure hope so....Hi Treebaby, yes you did, you got the picture posted – you did just fine. J Just wish I could see it in a larger picture, but at first glance it looks like a real nice garnet. Especially if it is clear like you mentioned. You can put a little mineral oil on it then look at it with a bright light behind it and to the side and this allows you to sort of look inside of the stone and really see how clear it is. It is a beaut for sure. Now you mentioned the flakes off in layers. That sort of sounds like a ruby, but the crystal structure looks like a garnet. Don't break it! Boy I wish I had a bunch of them if they are clear. Garnet facet into very nice gemstones. As to who to ask about it, you might look in the yellow pages and check out the jewelers. Most could ID it I think. But I would find one that advertises being a Gemologist as they have gone through training to ID gems. I think they should be able to ID it in the rough. Hopefully for free! Yeah a coast beach concretion hunt would be great. We usually try to get the to ocean each year, but not this one, everything is inland, and hunt for beach agates. Never find a lot or very big agates, but is it just fun to get out of the desert and walk in the sand and find a few treasures. It would most definitely take some planning as my wife would have to help drive - I am disabled and don't travel very well. Driving and pain pills just don’t mix. It is a good drive for us as well. And she would need to look at taking a couple of days off work too. But it sounds great! Maybe other WA folks would want to go as well. Man I am ready for spring! Getting antsy. lol Paul Do you find this valuable? |
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washingtoncougar |
75. RE: Wet in Washington
Feb 9 2008, 2:38 PM EST
Treebaby apperently you have a garnet on your hands looks just like the one illistrated in The National Audubon Society Field Guide to Rocks and Minerals, photo #176.Paul I have family that live around the Gem Mountain area, P-Burg, they're ranchers. The last mining member passed away 15 years ago. It is rumored that he had 7 gold mines on the property, told no one where they where located and always closed them off when not using them. Family legend that will probably stay that way. I do have a saphire that was my G-mas that was found by my G-pa when he was out flood irregating, so that tells me there are other possible spots besides Rock Creek back country and Gem Mountain that could be mined for saphires. Dave Do you find this valuable? |
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pvjjh |
76. RE: Wet in Washington
Feb 9 2008, 2:54 PM EST
"I managed to load 2 giant pics of the red egg and a quarter for perspective."Wow those are large pictures. lol Yes it looks like a garnet, but a very nice one. Try the oil and light thing and see if that helps you look deeper into the stone. Do you remember where you found it? Wasn't it near a railroad? Maybe it was from the railroad bed ballast. Hopefully it wasn’t and there is a large deposit of them things. (Would be sweet huh.) Anyway you have a keeper there. I have garnets near the size of yours maybe a couple a little larger, but they are not clear. Just big heavy dirty looking stones. lol Do you find this valuable? |
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pvjjh |
77. RE: Wet in Washington
Feb 9 2008, 2:59 PM EST
I am jealous. That would be neat to explore for those mines and of course search the creeks, if any on the ranches for gold and sapphires. They are probably sitting on a gold mine!! I work with a guy from P-burg while working at the mine. Your family probably knows him. What a kick! lol Paul Do you find this valuable? |
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treebaby |
78. RE: Wet in Washington
Feb 9 2008, 3:30 PM EST
I just - 3 minutes ago- ordered a 4 gallon bucket of stuff, in the mail, no kidding, from Gem Mines. I heard they were cool enough to delivered 4 or 5 gallon buckets, not already dug through, just as if you are there. Lady on another thread has a ball and great great finds this way, so I said what the heck. A LOT CHEAPER THAN FLYING THERE DON'T YA THINK?! And we still get to let our kid dig around in a bunch of dirt. Can't beat that. I am dying to see what I get. When the show was there they got a darn 600 carat saphire I think it was, 600 carat something. Thank you all for the info. we are stiff finding it hard to believe it could be something other than an odd glass thing. I wish I could see the picture desribed above.....how exciting, you bet I am taking the dogs back there for a walk. It was on a pretty low tide and of course I mentally noted exactly where I found it. But we walk there often and this has been all we found so far??.. Boy we just had us a few storms here the last couple of days, wonder what the tide charts say. I am ready to go back and look again with renewed enthusiam!! anyone else wanna go????
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treebaby |
79. RE: Wet in Washington
Feb 9 2008, 3:50 PM EST
I hope the GIANT pics dont bother anyone it was just my lack of knowledge with computers and digital cameras, I didnt expect it to be sooo big, but i dont really understand pixels and that quite yet. i am getting there slowly.
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