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Post by Dale on Mar 14, 2005 20:37:45 GMT -5
My 2 boys (11 & 14) and I are going to Utah next week (spring break) to rockhound. We are staying 3 nights in Moab and 5 nights in Nephi. Any suggestions and good places to collect? We have a 4x4 Grand Cherokee so we can get most places.
I would also like to buy some septarian nodules while we're on the trip. Any suggestions on a reasonable seller?
Thanks,
Dale
GatorGann Go Gators (University of Florida)
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Post by BearCreekLapidary on Mar 14, 2005 21:33:57 GMT -5
Hello Dale, It's been so long ago ... the only thing that I can readily remember about Moab is ... there is a Bar-B-Que place on the west side of the main road going North and South ... it sets off the road a ways ... 30 to 40 yards ... I don't remember the name ... but if they are still open ... you'll know it as you drive by ... stop in and get a bite to eat ... the food is some of the best I have ever eaten ... Oh yea ... it's that good  Be sure to check out the Arches National Park ... it's definitely worth the time! I would stop in and talk to someone at the Chamber of Commerce and see if they can direct you to a local rock shop or if they know of any rockhounds in the area that they can send you to ... it might be a worth a try. If not, then try the Bureau of Land Management ... they will definitely be able to direct you to some of the areas rockhounding areas. Have a great trip, John |
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Post by Dale on Mar 14, 2005 23:09:42 GMT -5
Thanks alot. We're from Florida originally and it's been hard to find good BBQ out here. We've been to Arches twice and Canyonlands twice but that was before I got the rockhound bug.
Again Thanks,
Dale
GatorGann
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Post by gaetzchamp on Mar 15, 2005 10:53:59 GMT -5
Dale the GatorGuy-
Welcome to the site. If you go down about 5 or 6 threads to the ROCKHOUNDING SOUTHWEST UTAH thread there's some great info posted by TELLFAMILY and KD7COT. We've talked about some sites down in the Green River area (about 35 miles west of Moab). Look thru that posting and you should have some great info. Just don't take all the stuff, I'll be heading down there a couple of weeks after you, LOL.
Anyway, Tell and KD7 may know of some other areas in the Moab proper area. You may want to PM them, or I'm sure they'll chime up on this thread to give you any info they have.
I encourage you to sign up and become an official member. Don't know how many Floridians are on this board but you'll make 1 more.
Later, Gaeter#nosmileys
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Post by Dale on Mar 15, 2005 13:43:46 GMT -5
I signed up the other day but when I tried to post my request I had problems when I used GatorGann as my name so I had to post as a guest.
I'm glad I was able to find this boad. Great info and people.
Thanks,
Dale
GatorGann
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GatorGann
off to a rocking start
Just having fun with rocks.
Member since March 2005
Posts: 11
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Post by GatorGann on Mar 15, 2005 13:45:48 GMT -5
OK I think I figured this out. No more guest posting for me.
Thanks all for being patient with me.
And by the way we live in Denver, CO now. The rocks and minerals around here are alot more interesting than what we had in Florida.
Dale
GatorGann
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Post by gaetzchamp on Mar 15, 2005 15:06:44 GMT -5
Did you look at the Rockhounding Southwest Utah thread yet?
Gaetz
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GatorGann
off to a rocking start
Just having fun with rocks.
Member since March 2005
Posts: 11
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Post by GatorGann on Mar 15, 2005 15:33:19 GMT -5
I sure did. Great stuff, we will try those locations. We are also looking for sites west of Nephi.
Thanks,
Dale
GatorGann
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Tellfamily
spending too much on rocks
Member since September 2004
Posts: 476
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Post by Tellfamily on Mar 17, 2005 0:16:15 GMT -5
Here is a Utah state map. All the red dots are good places to get material. The ones with the star in them are the places you trip over material. The orange X's are the KOA campgrounds (we camp & rockhound. . . best of both worlds). The are referance numbers to other sources. I can e-mail anyone wanting a better copy. And if you know a good spot I missed, please let me know.  |
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kd7cot
having dreams about rocks
Having too much fun!
Member since January 2005
Posts: 64
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Post by kd7cot on Mar 17, 2005 9:48:59 GMT -5
While your in Nephi you need to check out the Calcite Onyx at this site:
From the center freeway exit (225) go east for 4.8 miles to the Nebo loop road (there is a sign) and turn left on to the loop road. Drive north about 3.5 miles to where the road forks, stay to the right (left goes to a camp ground). Watch carefully for a small turn out to the left at about 0.2 of a mile, you want to park there. Across the creek you'll see a trail (going a bit to the left you'll find an easy spot to hop across the creek even now with the water up a bit). Follow the train up around the hill, as you get on the ridge you'll see down into the other canyon where the camp gound is. Then there will be a cutout with rocks on your left, your getting close to the site. Follow the trail for about 100 to 150 yards and there will be a rock face on your right with a lot of rubble on the ground, this is the first bit of the old quarry you can shift through what's on the grooud or break rock from the face, looking further on you'll find more places to get stuff. Because it's Calsite based I'm not sure it will tumble well - it's soft, but it makes some pretty cabs...
Jeff
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GatorGann
off to a rocking start
Just having fun with rocks.
Member since March 2005
Posts: 11
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Post by GatorGann on Mar 17, 2005 14:06:58 GMT -5
Thanks for the imput all. I'm really excited about the trip next week.
Dale
GatorGann
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Post by gaetzchamp on Mar 17, 2005 19:11:57 GMT -5
Gator-
I may see you down there. If the weather looks good, I may bring the fam down there to goof around and look for rocks.
Gaeter
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GatorGann
off to a rocking start
Just having fun with rocks.
Member since March 2005
Posts: 11
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Post by GatorGann on Mar 17, 2005 20:02:03 GMT -5
It looks like it's been raining/snowing in central Utah. May help expose more good stuff or make the backcountry road bad.
I'll just have to keep it in 4 wheel drive.
Keep your eyes open for a red Jeep Grand Cherokee.
Have you ever gone to the U-Dig Fossil place?
Dale
GatorGann
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Post by gaetzchamp on Mar 17, 2005 23:20:02 GMT -5
Nope, never been there before, but I've heard of it and seen it on TV and it looks quite neat. Trilobites are awesome little critters and it would be nice to have a tablet w/ 5 or 6 of 'em on it.
Are you planning on going to U-dig? Do you know how much it costs?
When are you heading out exactly? If we go, we'll leave early next Thursday morning, check into a hotel in Green River, find rocks, let the kiddies swim in the indoor pool, go out looking again on Friday morn and come back to SLC in the afternoon.
Talk to you later
Gaetz
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GatorGann
off to a rocking start
Just having fun with rocks.
Member since March 2005
Posts: 11
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Post by GatorGann on Mar 18, 2005 18:01:31 GMT -5
The U-Dig place charges $20 a half day I think, but they do the hard work of getting to the fossil bearing shale.
Tuesday we will be heading to Nephi from Moab. Going to hid alot of different places Wed-Fri. The U-Dig place opens for the season on Saturday 3-26-05. We will be there that Saturday and go back to Denver Sunday. We're sad because we will miss Easter services with our new pastor.
Dale
GatorGann
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Post by gaetzchamp on Mar 18, 2005 20:02:08 GMT -5
Well if you're gonna miss Easter services, there's no better place to be than in God's Country, Moab, Utah. Great place to be and witness His hands at work on the Earth.
So, for U-Dig, is that a 20 spot per family, per person or what?
Still don't know if we're gonna make it down there. Prices for hotels are a little more than I wanted to spend. $85.00 versus $40.00. We'll see.
Keep in touch,
Gaetz
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Post by gaetzchamp on Mar 21, 2005 1:15:31 GMT -5
So Gator Gann are you still heading for Utah this week? Weather should be OK w/ it improving by the weekend. I'm 70/30 in favor of going to Green River on Thurs/Fri. We'll take the kids and play around. Maybe we'll see you down there.
Gaetz
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GatorGann
off to a rocking start
Just having fun with rocks.
Member since March 2005
Posts: 11
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Post by GatorGann on Mar 31, 2005 20:36:12 GMT -5
Well we had a great Utah trip. It rained and snowed on us in both Moab and Nephi. The rain exposed great stuff. We found bunches of agate, petrified wood and geodes. We also went to the U-dig place and found bunches of trilobites. It cost $20/ 2hour for adults and $12/ 2hours for kids. It was worth it. We had gotten to dig at another trilobite site for free, but when we got there it was snow covered and I decided to go to the pay site.
I was sure glad we had the 4x4 Jeep or we would stil be in the mud. One site we went to was a hill side literally covered with agate. We found the exposed agate outcrop and it was as large as a car.
Thanks everyone for your help in finding good sites.
GatorGann
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Post by gaetzchamp on Apr 1, 2005 1:55:47 GMT -5
Gator Gann-
Well, did you take any picts? Try finding my thread about UTAH SAMPLING and see if any of the stuff you found resembles anything in my picts.
We pretty much dodged all the crappy stuff in Green River, but were only there for 24 hours. We only collected for about 4 or 5 hours, but came back w/ over 100lbs easy. I'm tumbling some agate right now, am pretty anxious to see what it looks like.
So where did you find the big outcrop? Did you stumble onto it or did someone point you there? I'm heading back down there next week....Apr 8th and will probably pick up some more rocks.
Great to hear you had a great time and made it back safely. It really was a wild week of weather especially in the higher elevations.
Take some picts, I'd love to see what you brought home.
Gaetz
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drsiler
off to a rocking start
Member since March 2006
Posts: 10
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Post by drsiler on Mar 31, 2006 12:09:09 GMT -5
New to this site and first responce. Never posted to any board before so hope I get it right. I was a scuba diver and hunter but did bad damage to my right hand. Looking now for a new hobby which I can do. I have been a rockhound all my life but just a collector. I now have a 16,10 saw and tumbler but no rocks. Living in Utah and love the outdoors think this will work great for my one and half hands. Need any Utah locations I can get, maps or GPS.
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