billg22
spending too much on rocks
Member since November 2011
Posts: 451
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Post by billg22 on Nov 26, 2018 0:37:08 GMT -5
It's been a while since I been around the Rock Tumbling Hobby site. I just retired after 40 years in pro hockey. Now I can spend some time gathering rocks. On our way back from visiting my sister in the Red Bluff CA area, we plan on a couple of stops on the way back to So. Cal.. Is area 54 still open? Looking at some of the posts hade me wondering. Any ideas or tips. Thanks! Looking forward to hanging out again on the board. -Bill G.
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Post by MsAli on Nov 26, 2018 0:40:26 GMT -5
Hey Bill I was just out there a few months ago and it was still open then
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billg22
spending too much on rocks
Member since November 2011
Posts: 451
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Post by billg22 on Nov 26, 2018 16:40:51 GMT -5
Thanks Ali, Looks like we will be passing the area on the 27th of December. From the other posts, it looks like I may need a couple of buckets!
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Post by MsAli on Nov 26, 2018 16:54:36 GMT -5
Youre very welcome and brings lots of buckets. I have a bunch I have not even gotten around to do anything with Still haven't found any poppy yet though Good luck out there and welcome back to the forum
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sactorick
having dreams about rocks
gemfield
Member since October 2017
Posts: 67
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Post by sactorick on Nov 26, 2018 19:28:44 GMT -5
In Red Bluff, you'll be very close to Stoney Creek and Burris Creek where there's plenty of Jasper to be collected. It's just out of Orland Ca at Black Butte Reservoir.
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Post by MsAli on Nov 26, 2018 21:01:21 GMT -5
In Red Bluff, you'll be very close to Stoney Creek and Burris Creek where there's plenty of Jasper to be collected. It's just out of Orland Ca at Black Butte Reservoir. That's where I would go!
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billg22
spending too much on rocks
Member since November 2011
Posts: 451
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Post by billg22 on Nov 27, 2018 0:43:41 GMT -5
I was checking out the Gem Trails book and noticed Stoney creek. I'm just worried about bugging people in a burn area. They all went through so much. There were some other places near Paradise and Chico. Best to stay out and let the people recover. If Stoney Creek is in a good area I'll check it out and post some pictures.
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sactorick
having dreams about rocks
gemfield
Member since October 2017
Posts: 67
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Post by sactorick on Nov 27, 2018 7:43:56 GMT -5
I was checking out the Gem Trails book and noticed Stoney creek. I'm just worried about bugging people in a burn area. They all went through so much. There were some other places near Paradise and Chico. Best to stay out and let the people recover. If Stoney Creek is in a good area I'll check it out and post some pictures. Stoney Creek is in the coastal foothill range on the other side of the valley and wasn't affected by the fire.
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Tommy
Administrator
Member since January 2013
Posts: 12,594
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Post by Tommy on Nov 27, 2018 11:00:19 GMT -5
In Red Bluff, you'll be very close to Stoney Creek and Burris Creek where there's plenty of Jasper to be collected. It's just out of Orland Ca at Black Butte Reservoir. I third this idea and in my opinion it's the clear choice. billg22 - if you want to send me a PM I can give you specific coordinates to several collecting locations. Some (most) of these are continually pounded hard by the local clubs but they continue to produce decent rock worth cutting. None of these locations will affect anyone in the fire zone in any way unless they happened to be camping/living at the reservoir which I have not heard anything about. As a side note, I've searched Area 54 extensively more than several times and I've never found a single rock that resulted in a lapidary cabochon or tumble. I went with Kris and the group a couple of times when his 'discovery' of the area was still farm fresh and can tell you honestly that every rock I ever collected there - milk crates full the first few times - ended up filling in dog holes in my back yard or in the landfill garbage. I don't mean for this to offend anyone please, it's just my experience.
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Post by MsAli on Nov 27, 2018 11:11:39 GMT -5
In Red Bluff, you'll be very close to Stoney Creek and Burris Creek where there's plenty of Jasper to be collected. It's just out of Orland Ca at Black Butte Reservoir. I third this idea and in my opinion it's the clear choice. billg22 - if you want to send me a PM I can give you specific coordinates to several collecting locations. Some (most) of these are continually pounded hard by the local clubs but they continue to produce decent rock worth cutting. None of these locations will affect anyone in the fire zone in any way unless they happened to be camping/living at the reservoir which I have not heard anything about. As a side note, I've searched Area 54 extensively more than several times and I've never found a single rock that resulted in a lapidary cabochon or tumble. I went with Kris and the group a couple of times when his 'discovery' of the area was still farm fresh and can tell you honestly that every rock I ever collected there - milk crates full the first few times - ended up filling in dog holes in my back yard or in the landfill garbage. I don't mean for this to offend anyone please, it's just my experience. I have gotten a couple of really sweet ones there but it was hard work finding it. Most of the good stuff came from when I MAY have crawled under a fence in an area down further from where you turn off to the site But if I was given a choice I would choose Stoney Creek just because the stuff Ive seen come out of there is far better than Area 54
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billg22
spending too much on rocks
Member since November 2011
Posts: 451
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Post by billg22 on Nov 28, 2018 0:37:49 GMT -5
Thanks Tommy and Ali. Looks like it will be one day in the Red Bluff area. So Stoney creek looks good. On the way home a stop at Clear Lake (No Cal Gem Trails Site 44). The day after that will be two stops. The first at Anderson Lake (No Cal Gem Trails site 62) The number two stop would be Area 54. Thanks Tommy for the offer. My time in that area is very limited. It's more of a family visit than a rock trip. I'm sure I'll get up there again to rockhound. Ali, I may be tempted to squeeze under a fence. Just a little afraid of making it only halfway through. Thanks again!
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NRG
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since February 2018
Posts: 1,630
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Post by NRG on Nov 28, 2018 23:45:26 GMT -5
Yay! billg22 is back! Yay! Area 54 isn't worth my time. I but I'm in for Burris/Stoney!!
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Tommy
Administrator
Member since January 2013
Posts: 12,594
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Post by Tommy on Nov 29, 2018 10:41:43 GMT -5
Thanks Tommy and Ali. Looks like it will be one day in the Red Bluff area. So Stoney creek looks good. On the way home a stop at Clear Lake (No Cal Gem Trails Site 44). The day after that will be two stops. The first at Anderson Lake (No Cal Gem Trails site 62) The number two stop would be Area 54. Thanks Tommy for the offer. My time in that area is very limited. It's more of a family visit than a rock trip. You're welcome Bill. I totally understand about squeezing rock collecting into family visits - it just never quite leaves enough time for the hounding part All of the following is just my humble coffee'd-up opinions/advice - but if I was on your trip (and knowing it's a family trip) my first stop would be at Gaumers in Red Bluff. Bring a napkin to keep drying the drool off your chin and plenty of money to spend in the shop. Clear Lake is a bust in my humble opinion. The drive over from Hwy 5 and around the lake area just takes so bloody long that that one stop will add probably four hours to your drive - and that's if you turn around and head back to hwy 5, more if you don't and elect instead to drive south through wine country. I've collected lake county diamonds a couple of times and you basically stop on a narrow road that winds through private property wineries and collected tiny fragments of ragged crystals out of the dirt on the side of the road while locals drive by and glare at you lol. I ended up throwing them all away later having found nothing to do with them. The prime location for collecting at Stoney Creek/Black Butte is approximately 15 minutes off of Hwy 5 and the area is so large that one could easily spend a whole day there and not cover it all.
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Tommy
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Member since January 2013
Posts: 12,594
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Post by Tommy on Nov 29, 2018 10:58:29 GMT -5
Area 54 isn't worth my time. I but I'm in for Burris/Stoney!! When you coming up? Give us plenty of notice and we'll head up there with you and give you the grand tour. The primary collecting spot is less than 2.5 hours from us so it's a fairly easy day trip.
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NRG
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since February 2018
Posts: 1,630
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Post by NRG on Nov 29, 2018 11:47:45 GMT -5
Area 54 isn't worth my time. I but I'm in for Burris/Stoney!! When you coming up? Give us plenty of notice and we'll head up there with you and give you the grand tour. The primary collecting spot is less than 2.5 hours from us so it's a fairly easy day trip. Ouch! Right to the jugular! That is the problem. 2.5 for you. 7 hours TO you for me. Trips planned every month until July. jeannie will likely spend a lot of the summer in Ohio being a new grandma. That will free me to maybe bonzai up and spend a few days hounding. Is it hot there in summer? Or at altitude?
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Tommy
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Member since January 2013
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Post by Tommy on Nov 29, 2018 13:02:46 GMT -5
Ouch! Right to the jugular! That is the problem. 2.5 for you. 7 hours TO you for me. Trips planned every month until July. jeannie will likely spend a lot of the summer in Ohio being a new grandma. That will free me to maybe bonzai up and spend a few days hounding. Is it hot there in summer? Or at altitude? LOL sorry. Yeah it gets hot as blazes there in the summer - triple digits with regularity. For looking at monthly average temps use Sacramento or Chico and you wouldn't be too far off.
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billg22
spending too much on rocks
Member since November 2011
Posts: 451
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Post by billg22 on Nov 29, 2018 19:27:07 GMT -5
Tommy, thanks for the tip about Gaumers. Looks like it's right around the corner from where we are staying. We will only be up there on the 23rd to 26th of December. You have me thinking about skipping Clear Lake. Will have to study for another spot south of Red Bluff on the trip back home. We plan on stopping in SanJose (more family) that night.
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Tommy
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Member since January 2013
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Post by Tommy on Nov 30, 2018 12:30:49 GMT -5
Tommy, thanks for the tip about Gaumers. Looks like it's right around the corner from where we are staying. We will only be up there on the 23rd to 26th of December. You have me thinking about skipping Clear Lake. Will have to study for another spot south of Red Bluff on the trip back home. We plan on stopping in SanJose (more family) that night. You're welcome. There is another rock shop Marsha's Minerals and Rocks in Los Molinos near Red Bluff that is worth checking out. If nothing else it's a pretty drive there across the Sacramento river. It's been a few years but the old guy if he's still there is pretty tough on prices at first but once I showed I was going to drop some money he softened up and got downright jovial. Rooting around in buckets his rock yard out back was a highlight of the visit. He got excited about it too and started rooting right along with us haha. Edited to add: My brother who lives in Redding says Marsha's is "kinda open" so maybe call ahead. When we visited a few years ago the shop was closed but they came out of their house on the property and opened up for us.
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billg22
spending too much on rocks
Member since November 2011
Posts: 451
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Post by billg22 on Dec 3, 2018 1:02:20 GMT -5
I'll check in on Marsha's if I can talk the family into it if they are open. Thanks!
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Post by stephan on Dec 7, 2018 0:48:44 GMT -5
I will add to the Burris/Stoney Creek chorus. As for Clear lake, I've had better luck in Cache Creek where the kayakers put in. Or for that matter Cache Creek in Woodland. You're about a 10 minute detour from I-5. PM me, and we might be able to arrange something.
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