zsark72
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since November 2021
Posts: 80
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Post by zsark72 on Nov 16, 2023 1:39:44 GMT -5
Hello my name is Zachary Sarkisian! Seems like I’ve been jumping around cali a lot but now I’m in Fresno 😆 I’ve tried to get a few Rockhounding adventures in around here but have only gotten skunked! I shot up by bagby and tried to visit some old mines and it’s all fenced off and then I tried to find some of the jade deposits but felt super lost 😆 I did find some really nice Gemmy serpentine and some calcite crystals and bull Quartz crystals but no luck. I got completely skunked trying to find Hornitos poppy Jasper, and then my brother and I tried to go looking for garnets up by echo valley but most of it was fenced off and I felt very lost!! Any advice on where or how I can get a hold of some garnets or other serious minerals? I have heard of some of the other day trips so I do have a list going but if anybody else has any spots or pointers on how to have better luck out here I’d appreciate it lots!
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Post by MsAli on Nov 16, 2023 9:36:21 GMT -5
I lived in Fresno for many years. You won't find much there.
Contact Garrick Newman (Young Gun Mining) in Madera. He will help you with locations.
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rockbrain
Cave Dweller 
Member since January 2022
Posts: 3,120
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Post by rockbrain on Nov 17, 2023 17:54:47 GMT -5
I think Garrick is gone from the area. I believe he went in the military. I went out hounding with him and Kris Rowe (Garrick is his protege) and I believe that was Garrick's last trip in the area for a while. Check out This link and then click on the map link in the text. It's something that Kris has been putting together. Kris is really interesting to go in the field with or just to chat with. He has a wealth of knowledge. He's had a lot of health issues over the last couple of years with things coming to a head and being hospitalized for a while a few months ago. He has a lapidary shop in Madera Ranchos. He also has the Roadside Rockhound FB site but nothing posted for a while. Another FB site you might check out is Central California Rockhounds. I'm only about an hour up the road from you in Atwater. I go over to Area 54 a bit. Not actually to that spot now as it's no trespassing but there are a few areas you can hound close by with the same stuff. That's where I went with Kris and Garrick. Lot's of great yard rocks, a little bit of lapidary quality stuff. Basically the Little Panoche Creek. I've been over to Clear Creek once but I'm wanting to get back there now that the weather is cooling. I also struck out at Bagby and looking for Hornitos Poppy. I did find a lot of Chastolite (Cross rocks) out by Eastman Lake but not much to do with them. |
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Post by MsAli on Nov 17, 2023 19:52:45 GMT -5
Garrick is still there as far as I know. He has been pretty active on TIKTOK and FB and was recently in the Panoche Hills
Kris is still struggling with health issues. I haven't checked in on him for a little while.
Kris taught me how to cab and dry burnish obsidian. Learned a lot from them both and Garrick is fun to go hounding with. He also has a hell of a lot of material that is fun to go through
He still has all of my Halite 😅
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zsark72
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since November 2021
Posts: 80
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Post by zsark72 on Nov 26, 2023 10:01:09 GMT -5
I think Garrick is gone from the area. I believe he went in the military. I went out hounding with him and Kris Rowe (Garrick is his protege) and I believe that was Garrick's last trip in the area for a while. Check out This link and then click on the map link in the text. It's something that Kris has been putting together. Kris is really interesting to go in the field with or just to chat with. He has a wealth of knowledge. He's had a lot of health issues over the last couple of years with things coming to a head and being hospitalized for a while a few months ago. He has a lapidary shop in Madera Ranchos. He also has the Roadside Rockhound FB site but nothing posted for a while. Another FB site you might check out is Central California Rockhounds. I'm only about an hour up the road from you in Atwater. I go over to Area 54 a bit. Not actually to that spot now as it's no trespassing but there are a few areas you can hound close by with the same stuff. That's where I went with Kris and Garrick. Lot's of great yard rocks, a little bit of lapidary quality stuff. Basically the Little Panoche Creek. I've been over to Clear Creek once but I'm wanting to get back there now that the weather is cooling. I also struck out at Bagby and looking for Hornitos Poppy. I did find a lot of Chastolite (Cross rocks) out by Eastman Lake but not much to do with them. oh man these guys sound great to get in touch with!! I pray their struggles aren’t impossible to make it through.. That map is quite extensive and an amazing starting point! Of course I’ll still go out and try to find my own spots on top of it (and probably get skunked but but that’s part of the fun right? 😆). Thank you!! This is a great way to get out there and explore! I have a map like this too but I haven’t made one so open to the public which is very generous of him. I did do some lapidary work with the serpentine I found by Bagby and it came out great so it might be worth it again but maybe not by myself when my phone is dead…. |
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zsark72
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since November 2021
Posts: 80
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Post by zsark72 on Nov 26, 2023 10:02:38 GMT -5
Garrick is still there as far as I know. He has been pretty active on TIKTOK and FB and was recently in the Panoche Hills Kris is still struggling with health issues. I haven't checked in on him for a little while. Kris taught me how to cab and dry burnish obsidian. Learned a lot from them both and Garrick is fun to go hounding with. He also has a hell of a lot of material that is fun to go through He still has all of my Halite 😅 That’s good to hear that one is still active! Might be worth reaching out to. Sounds like Kris has a lot of knowledge! And now that you say the full name I’ve seen him on Facebook. I hope he’s able to make it through his battles right now.. |
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rockbrain
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2022
Posts: 3,120
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Post by rockbrain on Nov 26, 2023 11:01:19 GMT -5
I actually saw Kris was posting on FB again the other day.
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Post by stardiamond on Nov 26, 2023 16:51:41 GMT -5
I didn't know there was Hornitos CA. When I think Hornitos, I think Morgan Hill. It is interesting that there is a lot of different material with the same name.
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Post by MsAli on Nov 26, 2023 19:01:21 GMT -5
I didn't know there was Hornitos CA. When I think Hornitos, I think Morgan Hill. It is interesting that there is a lot of different material with the same name. Two different places and two different rocks. Hornitos is pretty hard to find |
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Post by stardiamond on Nov 26, 2023 19:41:09 GMT -5
I didn't know there was Hornitos CA. When I think Hornitos, I think Morgan Hill. It is interesting that there is a lot of different material with the same name. Two different places and two different rocks. Hornitos is pretty hard to find Hornitos (Morgan Hill) is tough but I keep looking and find some affordable material to add to the stash. The same with Guadalupe. I have multiple sources for Morgan Hill; Paul and his rock hounding buddy Martin. I've bought from Martin for many years starting when he was philospherstone on ebay. He has a lot of MHPJ collected from a lot of different areas; Lions Den, Easy Street and Loma Prieta. |
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rockbrain
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2022
Posts: 3,120
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Post by rockbrain on Nov 26, 2023 21:12:54 GMT -5
Hornitos is a cool little town. An old gold mining place about in the foothills about 45 minutes from me. It's miles away from Morgan Hill in just about every way imaginable. In 2020 the population was 38!
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Post by MsAli on Nov 27, 2023 9:45:59 GMT -5
Hornitos is a cool little town. An old gold mining place about in the foothills about 45 minutes from me. It's miles away from Morgan Hill in just about every way imaginable. In 2020 the population was 38! I loved that little town. My daughter's boyfriends step mom worked at a little bakery up there. |
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Post by stardiamond on Nov 28, 2023 13:00:04 GMT -5
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rockbrain
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2022
Posts: 3,120
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Post by rockbrain on Dec 22, 2023 10:28:31 GMT -5
Hey zsark72 Zachary! Kris Rowe has posted on FB and he is planning a trip to Area 54. Sounds like Garrick is going to be there too so @msali was correct about him still being around. The trip is happening on New Years eve. I'm thinking about going, don't know if I can pull it off. Let me know if you need other info but it's on Kris's Face Book page. |
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Post by stardiamond on Dec 23, 2023 14:04:50 GMT -5
I bought this lot from Martin. I wanted the piece on the right which is from the Morgan Hill area. The one on the left could also be but not what I am used to. It doesn't look like pictures I've found of the Fresno material.  |
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Post by Rockoonz on Dec 24, 2023 16:18:26 GMT -5
I saw the posting from Kris as well, hope he's really up to it. The trip sounds like it will be a long one and encompass a few areas, if it's like past years. Prep for my show in 12 days (EEK!) has made it impossible for me to participate, maybe next year if he is still doing it, would love to meet him in person.
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Mark K
Cave Dweller
Member since April 2012
Posts: 2,802 
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Post by Mark K on Dec 24, 2023 19:26:54 GMT -5
The last time I saw Chris Rowe, he was 100 miles per hour. And he knew stuff.
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Post by MsAli on Dec 24, 2023 19:44:52 GMT -5
The last time I saw Chris Rowe, he was 100 miles per hour. And he knew stuff. He is pretty slow now but still knows stuff |
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Post by MsAli on Dec 24, 2023 19:46:28 GMT -5
I bought this lot from Martin. I wanted the piece on the right which is from the Morgan Hill area. The one on the left could also be but not what I am used to. It doesn't look like pictures I've found of the Fresno material. The "fresno" stuff is non existing. The area 54 stuff is a ways from Fresno and is fractured jasper, but you can still find some cool stuff |
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,490
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Post by Sabre52 on Feb 12, 2024 16:55:32 GMT -5
I had a ranch in Hunters Valley which is the actual location for Hornitos Jasper. I collected it for years before I moved to Texas. Nowhere near the Morgan Hill area in the coast ranges. The jasper occurs all over the place in the in foothills of the MT. Williams range ( Sierra foothills) but the best areas my buddy and I found were NNW of Dream Ranch West off Detwiler Rd. Robin Trumbell has my best spots under claim last I heard but there are many areas not under claim on BLM land. Some of my best spots though, were all on private property. Our ranch had an old goldmine road crossing the hillside and the road was lined by big boulders with poppy jasper nodules in situ. I just got too dang old to hard rock mine those boulders and remove the nodules. Was much easier hunting n the north part of hunters Valley between Hunters Valley Rd and Detwiler RD.
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