sweetiehound
starting to shine!
Member since June 2004
Posts: 36
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Post by sweetiehound on Jul 2, 2004 1:24:47 GMT -5
Sweetiehound here,
I'm going to take a trip to Yellowstone and I'll be going though South Dakota(badlands), through Wyoming to Yellowstone and back to MInnesota again. Does anyone know of any good spots to hit for agates? For me, it's all about the zen agate hunting. It's more about the journey to the agate than the agate itself.
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Post by krazydiamond on Jul 2, 2004 18:40:24 GMT -5
Zen Agate Hunting, i love it......
ommmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...seek the stone and stone will seek you, close your fist and the rock will insinuate itself into your hand, the silence of the stone shall find you and rejoice.
have a great vacation,
KD
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RedwoodRocks
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since March 2003
Posts: 762
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Post by RedwoodRocks on Jul 8, 2004 1:30:13 GMT -5
Sweetiehound,
In one of the recent Rock and Gem magazines, there was a story about collecting rocks in one of the Dakota's.
I'll look at my magazine and let you know more.
Cal
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RedwoodRocks
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since March 2003
Posts: 762
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Post by RedwoodRocks on Jul 8, 2004 17:48:00 GMT -5
Sweetiehound,
I found the article about rock collecting in Rock and Gem magazine (June 2004).
The location is off of interstate 94 and Hwy 49 at the west end of North Dakota. The area is Lake Tschida. The author collected rocks (agates, chalcedony, pet wood, etc) along the shore line. The best collecting is when the lake is low.
If you like a copy of the article, send me an IM with either a fax number or address.
Cal
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sweetiehound
starting to shine!
Member since June 2004
Posts: 36
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Post by sweetiehound on Jul 9, 2004 3:24:07 GMT -5
I'll actually be going through South Dakota-way of the Badlands and Sturgis- across Wyoming to Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons. But depending on where this place is, I might go check it out. However, the horror of travelling through North Dakota will strike down even the bravest and strongest of men. No offense to any North Dakota residents.
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RedwoodRocks
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since March 2003
Posts: 762
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Post by RedwoodRocks on Jul 20, 2004 1:35:21 GMT -5
Hi Sweetiehound,
The latest issue of Rock and Gem, September 2004 issue (why do they send out the September issue, it isn't even August yet?) has an article about rockhounding in South Dakota. The article talks about Hwy 385 in Lawrence, Pennington, Custer and Fall River counties. Can't tell from the maps if Sturgis is nearby. Isn't that the place where they have the big Harley rally?
If you want more info, let me know.
Cal
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Post by puppie96 on Jul 27, 2004 2:52:02 GMT -5
Wow. I haven't looked at this section in months, and just did, because we are leaving for Yellowstone on Friday from St. Louis and also plan to go via South Dakota and then on the same route as sweetiehound -- his posts were a long time ago -- wonder whether his trip is already over? I picked up 2 books, one on Wyoming rockhounding and one on midwestern states, it looked like there are a number of Wyoming sites that are very close to I-90 and the other roads we will be driving. Since we mainly want to do lazy type searching, I found it interesting that the reservoir east of Cody and the river that feeds it are noted as good hunting sites. Book says there are frequent access areas and parks where you can easily get to the gravel beds. We've got a choice of routes from here, usually take I-80 one direction and I-90 in the other to vary the scenery, we are overlapping the Sturgis rally on the weekend we will be coming back so I-80 will have to be the return trip. Sweetiehound, if you've already gone on your trip and come back I'd really appreciate any rockhounding and/or travel/construction alerts you might have. Also, are you into geysers, and if so, are you hooked up with the geyser interest group?
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sweetiehound
starting to shine!
Member since June 2004
Posts: 36
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Post by sweetiehound on Sept 11, 2004 14:41:43 GMT -5
I made it back! Yes, we drove right through that crappin' Sturgis thing. A little advice to everyone, do NOT schedule your vacation the same week as the Sturgis rally. It was like infestation. Nothing like enjoying your quiet tent site and have 20 Harleys go screaming by it, even out in Yellowstone. I had some good rock luck, though. Stayed at a little campground by Mount Rushmore on the way home, hit the agate jackpot. Like shooting fish in a barrel, so many that I couldn't pick them all up. They were all in the rock runoff for the water facet right across from my campsite. Even found a good sized piece of petrified wood.
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sweetiehound
starting to shine!
Member since June 2004
Posts: 36
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Post by sweetiehound on Sept 11, 2004 14:46:59 GMT -5
Oh constuction alerts!!!!! VERY IMPORTANT!!!!
The east bound entrance to Yellowstone CLOSES promptly at 8 PM for construction. They don't screw around with that and its a 3-5 hour detour around!!! They are doing road construction all around Yellowstone, but you just get to pop open a beer, start a tailgate party, and enjoy your surroundings longer. We were in a 2 hour dead stop (Hayden Valley) once just to let the bison cross the road.
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Post by krazydiamond on Sept 11, 2004 15:15:09 GMT -5
did you take photos??? sounds like a great vacation! well, except for the construction delays, but other than that, sounds like you gathered some good rock!
KD
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Post by cookie3rocks on Sept 12, 2004 19:21:01 GMT -5
I don't know, the construction delays/tailgate parties sound pretty good to me  cookie |
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Post by puppie96 on Sept 13, 2004 3:44:44 GMT -5
Sweetiehound, wow, what great timing that I happened to look at this section -- usually I don't. We were in Yell early August and also tried to look for rocks in the Black Hills. Also went to visit "the rock shed," one of our favorite dealers (Shawn of the tootsie rolls).
We got in the east entrance under the wire and before we even got to Fishing Bridge we came to a bear jam for a griz! munching some foliage up side of the road. We really didn't have too much trouble with traffic jams, compared with other trips. The worst was between Yell and Grand Teton. I follow one of the Yellowstone boards, and people have been saying that buffalo jams have gotten more frequent and that includes blocking the bike trail etc. in the Upper Basin!
I was standing in front of Giant Geyser when it went off for only the third time this year! How about that!
I am a real dummy with rock ID, and although I came home with a heck of a lot of rocks, I'm not sure whether it amounts to a hill of anything. I THINK some of it is agate, but I wouldn't bet a dime on it! I used rockhounding guides -- the one for Wyoming and the one for Midwestern States and followed their directions to sites with great success.
We knew about Sturgis going in, and planned our itinerary to avoid Rally week -- this resulted in a very odd itinerary due to what we were able to get as lodging -- but we went through the Black Hills on the weekend before the start of rally week and returned through Nebraska on the startup weekend. We never had major noise problems anywhere, but other years we definitely have. The bikers are fun, for the most part; really my only problem with them is the noise. I actually can remember particular places or drives that were trashed by zillion decibel noise.
I'd love to hear more about your trip. How long were you gone? We only had a week plus the weekend, so it was very much an out-and-back.
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sweetiehound
starting to shine!
Member since June 2004
Posts: 36
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Post by sweetiehound on Sept 16, 2004 7:02:12 GMT -5
I'll post some pictures when I get caught up on some other pressing stuff. We were gone for 10 days- not long enough. I only took one rock from Yellowstone. I not great with rock ID either. I usually collect agates, but will pick up anything if it appeals to me. The Black Hills is where I made the finds. We camped at a place called Horsethief Lake. Found some black/white agates and pink/tan ones. Some are so big they don't fit into the polisher, so I kept 'em natural. I didn't see any bears, however a worker from the Grand Tetons, got killed by one when we were there. That would be a terrible way to go out. Yellowstone is so amazing, I hope I can visit it again sometime.
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Post by puppie96 on Sept 17, 2004 2:37:11 GMT -5
Hi! I am really looking forward to seeing your pictures. The rock you picked up sounds similar to some of mine from SD.
I wasn't collecting in Yell, I don't need a federal case against me. It is awfully tempting...maybe I succumbed once like you did...maybe....LOL
We have gotten to be regulars at Yell, sort of.
We went to an interesting garnet site west of Custer.
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sweetiehound
starting to shine!
Member since June 2004
Posts: 36
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Post by sweetiehound on Oct 2, 2004 3:29:39 GMT -5
I found black/white ones, pink ones, tan ones. I'm a sucker for a pink rock! The black/white ones are pretty neat also, but I must say I'm partial to the good ol' Lake Superior reds. I went to Afton State Park the other day and I think I found my biggest agate ever. I haven't chopped it, yet, but it looks promising. I keep saying I'll send pictures. I waiting for my first batch to come out of the polisher from the Yellowstone trip. Thay should be done in about a week.
Sweetiehound
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Post by puppie96 on Oct 5, 2004 22:39:57 GMT -5
Really looking forward to your pictures. I've been back for almost 2 months and I do have some completed batches of western rock! But, there is so much more, I want to have some great stuff before I do pictures, and besides, I was bummed by the quality of the last few pictures I took so I haven't been real motivated to struggle with it. I'm hoping some of our folks that know something about this can help out with identifying this stuff. I only know that it's pretty -- very very pretty.
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sweetiehound
starting to shine!
Member since June 2004
Posts: 36
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Post by sweetiehound on Oct 9, 2004 12:09:05 GMT -5
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sweetiehound
starting to shine!
Member since June 2004
Posts: 36
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Post by sweetiehound on Oct 9, 2004 12:41:25 GMT -5
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Post by Cher on Oct 13, 2004 18:07:59 GMT -5
No idea on the round one but it's sure neat looking. Definitely one I would have grabbed. The Black Hills ones are Prairie Agate. At least they look exactly like the ones I saw up at that show, right down to the curly lines.
[glow=red,2,300]~ WOW ~[/glow]WTG on the Laker, looks like a one-timer to me. Bet you're excited to get that one cut ... not whacked but slabbed. Can you see any hint of lines?
Cher
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sweetiehound
starting to shine!
Member since June 2004
Posts: 36
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Post by sweetiehound on Oct 14, 2004 3:34:47 GMT -5
I wacked at it a little bit with a hammer to try to get a peak and I do see promise. It's the biggest I found to date. My dream would be to find a nice red one that size. Prarie agates, good to know. They are so cool. They look like they were made with a Spirograph.
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