Post by mrrockpickerforever on Jan 28, 2015 19:59:31 GMT -5
After much anticipation, we arrived in Quartzsite on Friday, January 16th. We set up camp, and just walked the area checking for crystals, etc.
Saturday, we walked through a couple of the swap meets - what used to be called The Main Event, and also the Tyson Wells Sell-a-Rama.
Here's some firepits, check the prices on these, jamesp
Always looking for metal projects. The obligatory cowboys, Mexicans and cactus
Armadillo
Look at all the people! Saturday afternoon crowd at Tyson Wells.
Lots more dogs than there used to be, everyone getting along.
Sunrise contrails on Sunday morning.
Knob Hill area, south of I-10.
Pipeline Rd. View to the east towards camp from the hill top, lots of dust in the air.
Diane and Gypsy
More contrails and Diane's Ford truck the next morning, January 19.
We took a side trip down the Colorado River, south of Ehrenberg. Was in a Snowbird Gem Trails book.
The bluffs along the east side of the river held tumbled river rocks, some fossils and agates.
Active bee hive fifty feet up the cliff. I climbed up the slope over 30 feet to get a closer look. Jean took photo from below with zoom.
Took a trip to south side of Q mountain, looking for dumortierite. Mark decided to pick up a double-dose of flat-tire-ite. Oops.
One stick caught both tires on right side. Good thing he had us with him to take the two flats into town, so he could get two new tires. Then again, if we hadn't been leading the way, maybe he wouldn't have gotten two flat tires? We were following directions from Diane...
He wisely drove his truck into town and picked up two more new tires for the other side.
Sunset on Tuesday, January 20. A nice one.
Wednesday the 21st was the first day of the PowWow. We stopped in briefly to purchase some raffle tickets from the Roadrunners rock club. (Only had one winning ticket this year - it was a handmade cloth purse. Jean would've rather won a rock .)
From there we went north of Quartzsite to Plomosa Rd, where we met up with @markk (foxtail), then went east about 8 miles to look for Green Banded Rhyolite. Not impressed.
Next we went several more miles to the east to an area Mark knew of. We found banded barite formations, some with amethyst in them. Mark checking out the spot.
Me pulling the mountain down. Damn, that $1 swap meet pry bar (that I reworked) worked good!
Sunrise on Thursday, January 22.
Camp
Same day as above sunrise, went to the PowWow, this time to slowly go through it. Saw these neat carved agates. Nothing soft about them!!
Our friends, Irving and Anita, from our rock club, joined us mid-afternoon on Thursday. This is the third time they have come out. We did the Roadrunners field trip in 2013 for bird's eye rhyolite, and they also went on the RTH Brenda and Planet Mine field trips last year.
Friday, we went on the long awaited filed trip to Brenda for Jasper. Here's the group photo, courtesy of Eva.
What a nice looking bunch of rock riff raff.
Irving and Anita
One of the areas we stopped at.
After nine days, we had to pack up and come home on Sunday, the 25th. I thought that Jean had enough rocks already, but I was mistaken. After dumping the trailer and getting gas, we stopped at Indian Pass off of Ogilby road (Picacho area) and picked up a couple hundred more lbs of rock! At least I took the easy drive home (long way around, but did not have to go up the big hill on I-8).
Glamis dunes on the drive home last Sunday.
Storm front coming through. This is along Hwy 78 at Blu In in Ocotillo Wells.
Turbulent clouds. Funny, it never did rain while driving home.
As requested by Tommy, here are some shots of the special Brenda rocks
The pluming beautiful stalagtite jasper
Another shot
Nobody saw this one... This came from a small hole on top of the hill where the vein was.
Close up
These next few are also from hole above the vein.
Another view. This was before cleaning, it looks so much nicer now.
Also from hole above
Front side
Back side
One Jean found. This was in the wash below the hill, was full of dirt when found.
Another view
Another Jean find, also from wash.
Jean found, also in wash.
Hope you enjoyed the show!
Bob
PS - Tommy, or anyone else, please feel free to add your pics/report here.