South Texas trip report
May 14, 2019 10:29:45 GMT -5
quartz, rockpickerforever, and 12 more like this
Post by Sabre52 on May 14, 2019 10:29:45 GMT -5
Howdy folks,
Well I got some of my my trip pics loaded to flickr so I guess I'll try a trip report. Took a drive from our Gillespie County ranch down to Eagle Pass on the Rio Grande River. Mainly a wildflower trip and that did not disappoint. Flowers this year are incredible but therein lied the rub for rock collecting. Down near Eagle Pass, all the bar ditches that should have been full of Rio Grande gravel were instead, full of mud and three foot high wildflowers due to all the heavy rain this year. Very little ground exposed at all. Wildlife abounded too. Dodging various deer and exotics because quite a challenge. Strangest thing we encountered was on a flooded out bridge on the Nueces River just south of Camp Wood Texas. While crossing a narrow one lane temp bridge we saw a flock of weird creatures ahead First we thought they were coatis but it turned out it was a whole mob of Ring Tailed Lemurs. Could not get a pic because of the bridge but dang you just never know what will walk out in front of you in Texas. Those critters go for about $3000 each. Some exotic breeder is gonna be very unhappy he left a pen open and lost 30 grand in pets.
Anyway on with the trip. First some flowers aong the road to give you and idea what kind of ground cover we were dealing with.
DSCN1335 by lonerider652000, on Flickr
DSCN1338 by lonerider652000, on Flickr
First rockhounding stop was at the Nueces River. As you can see, a million tons of gravel and cobble, all coated in nice white caliche. Most the quartz stuff here was banded chert in earth tones but I did find one blah pet wood cast in plain old clear chalcedony with a little brown streaking and I collected a real nice hunk of chert for knapping.
DSCN1282 by lonerider652000, on Flickr
Next we headed down towards Eagle Pass in real Rio grande gravel country Just across the fences of course were tone of neat gravel but on private property. Ditches were full of flowers and mud but we did find one spot where grading had been done.
DSCN1312 by lonerider652000, on Flickr
Me collecting. Found several just OK Rios here and some good jasper.
DSCN1296 by lonerider652000, on Flickr
Note the gravel across the fence Lots of vegetation but it looked real good over there.
DSCN1306 by lonerider652000, on Flickr
Next we went north from Eagle Pass on another back road. Zero traffic. Found an area with big road cuts full of Rio gravel but this horizon was a dead zone for agate, just some flint and rhyolite.
DSCN1321 by lonerider652000, on Flickr
Finally a bit further north we hit a good bar ditch. Picked up some interesting jasper including a tiny poppy jasper pebble and a big ole hunk of what looks very much like a George West type wood cast in gold and black Definitely somewhat botryoidal and agate.
DSCN1327 by lonerider652000, on Flickr
And a critter pic as we drove along the famous YO Ranch. These are Scimitar Horned Oryx, a horse sized endangered antelope that is quite common in Texas. Both our neighbors have herds of these.
DSCN1340 by lonerider652000, on Flickr
And finally some of the rocks: First up colorful jasper pebbles and small Rios from that last ditch:
DSCN9349 by lonerider652000, on Flickr
Weird flint or wood and the big black and gold agate cast:
DSCN9352 by lonerider652000, on Flickr
Finally, some Rios and some cool jasper/agate. Found several cobbles of the stuff on the right, a brecciated pink agate of some kind. I've cabbed this stuff in the past and it cabs great if you can get a real solid slab. Both these jaspers washed out in the pic Real gold and pink.
DSCN9351 by lonerider652000, on Flickr
DSCN9350 by lonerider652000, on Flickr
Well I got some of my my trip pics loaded to flickr so I guess I'll try a trip report. Took a drive from our Gillespie County ranch down to Eagle Pass on the Rio Grande River. Mainly a wildflower trip and that did not disappoint. Flowers this year are incredible but therein lied the rub for rock collecting. Down near Eagle Pass, all the bar ditches that should have been full of Rio Grande gravel were instead, full of mud and three foot high wildflowers due to all the heavy rain this year. Very little ground exposed at all. Wildlife abounded too. Dodging various deer and exotics because quite a challenge. Strangest thing we encountered was on a flooded out bridge on the Nueces River just south of Camp Wood Texas. While crossing a narrow one lane temp bridge we saw a flock of weird creatures ahead First we thought they were coatis but it turned out it was a whole mob of Ring Tailed Lemurs. Could not get a pic because of the bridge but dang you just never know what will walk out in front of you in Texas. Those critters go for about $3000 each. Some exotic breeder is gonna be very unhappy he left a pen open and lost 30 grand in pets.
Anyway on with the trip. First some flowers aong the road to give you and idea what kind of ground cover we were dealing with.
DSCN1335 by lonerider652000, on Flickr
DSCN1338 by lonerider652000, on Flickr
First rockhounding stop was at the Nueces River. As you can see, a million tons of gravel and cobble, all coated in nice white caliche. Most the quartz stuff here was banded chert in earth tones but I did find one blah pet wood cast in plain old clear chalcedony with a little brown streaking and I collected a real nice hunk of chert for knapping.
DSCN1282 by lonerider652000, on Flickr
Next we headed down towards Eagle Pass in real Rio grande gravel country Just across the fences of course were tone of neat gravel but on private property. Ditches were full of flowers and mud but we did find one spot where grading had been done.
DSCN1312 by lonerider652000, on Flickr
Me collecting. Found several just OK Rios here and some good jasper.
DSCN1296 by lonerider652000, on Flickr
Note the gravel across the fence Lots of vegetation but it looked real good over there.
DSCN1306 by lonerider652000, on Flickr
Next we went north from Eagle Pass on another back road. Zero traffic. Found an area with big road cuts full of Rio gravel but this horizon was a dead zone for agate, just some flint and rhyolite.
DSCN1321 by lonerider652000, on Flickr
Finally a bit further north we hit a good bar ditch. Picked up some interesting jasper including a tiny poppy jasper pebble and a big ole hunk of what looks very much like a George West type wood cast in gold and black Definitely somewhat botryoidal and agate.
DSCN1327 by lonerider652000, on Flickr
And a critter pic as we drove along the famous YO Ranch. These are Scimitar Horned Oryx, a horse sized endangered antelope that is quite common in Texas. Both our neighbors have herds of these.
DSCN1340 by lonerider652000, on Flickr
And finally some of the rocks: First up colorful jasper pebbles and small Rios from that last ditch:
DSCN9349 by lonerider652000, on Flickr
Weird flint or wood and the big black and gold agate cast:
DSCN9352 by lonerider652000, on Flickr
Finally, some Rios and some cool jasper/agate. Found several cobbles of the stuff on the right, a brecciated pink agate of some kind. I've cabbed this stuff in the past and it cabs great if you can get a real solid slab. Both these jaspers washed out in the pic Real gold and pink.
DSCN9351 by lonerider652000, on Flickr
DSCN9350 by lonerider652000, on Flickr