UtahRockHound
spending too much on rocks
Sometimes your the Windshield, sometimes your the Rock.
Member since May 2008
Posts: 301
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Post by UtahRockHound on Nov 8, 2008 3:35:51 GMT -5
In appreciation to those that have advised, and the things I learned from this site, I thought I would share with you one of my rockhoung areas. This claim has not been worked in years. The last person to file a claim was back in the 70's I believe. The person who did claim it recently, did not have it registered, and he passed away a few years ago. This is located on BLM land, so rules of the state do apply. Find Sigurd UT on your map. Follow Highway 24 south out of town. Travel around 5 miles until you see a small sign saying County Landfill. Take a left on this road going East. Just as you come out of the small canyon there is a dirt road on the right. This is where you leave the paved road. As long as the road is dry, any vehicle can make it. If it is wet, then only 4X4 as it is clay and slick as snoot. Take this road and travel South-East for about 3/4 miles. You will pass between two hills along side a wash. After passing between these hills (100 yards), it opens up into a small basin about the size of a football field. Immediately look back to your left, and there is the Vain of Honey Onyx. It is bleach white, but once you bust it open, the color will show. Here is the location on Google Earth.  Here is a shot of the basin looking west back at the road.  Here is a shot of the wall of the vain.  Be careful in here. This is an old claim the BLM wants to close and cover it up for good reason. The rock is weak and is fracturing off in big slabs. Use your head, and watch around and above when working the rock.  I talked to the Geologist at the BLM. He said it is a Carbonate based Honey Onyx, and not Quartz. This means the white is softer then the yellow in it. With care it can be worked. Here is a shot of an Egg I turned on my Lathe. I intend to stabilize it like John mentioned in his post about using Acetone and Epoxy. Then finish the polish. It has been sanded with 120, then wet. I have polished another piece, and it takes a fare natural shine.  |
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Post by Michael John on Nov 8, 2008 15:54:48 GMT -5
On Google Earth, it looks like there's another occurence about 2000 feet E/SE of that vein. Following the dirt road going in that direction, you can see that there's something there, where the road curves south, but what I'd be interested to see is the occurence about 300 feet north of the dirt road there. It looks like another vein, with a dark streak through it. If that's another onyx vein, then I'd definately want to see that dark area, and what the material looks like directly around it in the "transition".
Also, a couple of miles south of there, just south of Kings Meadow, there's something massive that looks like it could be more of your stuff. If I were you, I'd definately check that out. There's a good chance it's more onyx, but it may be quite different, and it may be of higher or lower quality. The only way to know is to check it out.
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UtahRockHound
spending too much on rocks
Sometimes your the Windshield, sometimes your the Rock.
Member since May 2008
Posts: 301
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Post by UtahRockHound on Nov 9, 2008 1:23:38 GMT -5
What you see north of the vain is where it continues, and is only partly exposed. I have pictures of it, and it runs for around 1200 feet in a north east direction.
Oil boom is coming to the valley, and the oil companies are eating up all the areas. They are closing them to any exploration. Just south of it is a claim they call the Bear. Not shown in the satellite images is the oil rig that sits on top of the hill.
I can tell you from walking the vain, it is very long, and appears to be very deep. They vain is exposed on the other side of the valley, but the County owns part of it, and it is part of their Landfill. Needles to say, they keep a guard there all the time, and it is behind a fence.
During the Jurassic time, this area was covered with a Sea. There is Gypsum and Lime everywhere in this area. I have found a few marine fossils like worms near by, but you have to get over to the SanRafel to find and Petwood, or Fossils. I do have some good Calcite and Gypsum samples from this area.
Volcanic action is everywhere in the area. Some of the surrounding mountains are extinct Volcano's. If you know where to go, this is a really great area for finding quartz of all kinds. Some of my best finds are in Uranium Mines. One Surface mine has several boulders of blue translucent quarts the size of cars just laying there saying Hammer Time.
One thing I like about this area is I can travel 30 minutes or less in any direction, and you can be into Jasper, Moss Agate, Quartz of all kinds, Wonder Stone, Opal, Alunite, Gold, Silver. There is even one lady I now that claims there is Rubies on her land. she is a friend, and told me any time I want, she will take me in and show me where. You have to go in by Horseback as it is in the mountains. Big problem. I am not a cowboy. l like my feet firmly planted on the ground. So next summer, I will check it out.
Sorry, I tend to chatter like a Chipmonk at times.
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Post by Michael John on Nov 9, 2008 3:14:12 GMT -5
From what I've seen, anywhere there's a vein, there are more veins. All of the veins in a group are generally the same stuff, but the individual veins can vary a lot. That's why I'm pointing-out other near-by veins and suggesting that you go take a look at them. There are undoubtedly even more veins in the area which aren't exposed yet. The vein I referred-to which is about 2000' E/SE of there is very intrigueing:  See that dark vein? Go see what that is! It's less than a half mile from your vein! Then that other one I saw further south ... it's massive! Over 100' tall! And look at the color on Google Earth ... IRL it's gotta be something amazing:  And the close-up:  DUDE, PLEASE, take a camera with you and go check those areas out! "One Surface mine has several boulders of blue translucent quarts the size of cars just laying there saying Hammer Time."Ummm, and you're playing with this Onyx??? Don't MAKE me come up there! "One thing I like about this area is I can travel 30 minutes or less in any direction, and you can be into Jasper, Moss Agate, Quartz of all kinds, Wonder Stone, Opal, Alunite, Gold, Silver."If you don't have at least a dozen 10' high piles of that stuff in your yard, you'd better have a DAMN good excuse! LOL "There is even one lady I now that claims there is Rubies on her land. she is a friend, and told me any time I want, she will take me in and show me where. You have to go in by Horseback as it is in the mountains. Big problem."Lemme get this straight ... free horseback ride through beautiful country, and all the free rubies you want ... yeah, ummm, I can see where that's a BIG problem. Are you just now figuring-out that you're living in the middle of rockhound heaven? |
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UtahRockHound
spending too much on rocks
Sometimes your the Windshield, sometimes your the Rock.
Member since May 2008
Posts: 301
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Post by UtahRockHound on Nov 10, 2008 9:31:30 GMT -5
The reason I play with different stone and not just rock that will take a shine is I make displays for my work. I like a variety of rock to mount them on. I use wonder stone to make Candle holders, Mount Geodes, Clocks, etc. The color variations of Honey Onyx is a great stone to use for this.
I have hiked this area a lot. It is where I pick up some good Gypsum Crystals. The areas you have pictured are Gypsum Deposits. If you scan north of this location about two miles, you can see our Gypsum Claims, and the Wallboard Plant I work at.
Yes, I have several piles. The problem is they are small ones. I live on a small lot, and very limited on where I can stack them. Mostly I use 5gl buckets so I can stack them. The nice part is if I start to run low, I just stop and get more.
As for the Rubies, me and horses do not get along. They like their feet on the ground, and they like me there on my butt. At my age, bones heal slow. Don't get me wrong, I used to ride a lot when I was younger, and I know there or people older then me who do, but I have not been on a horse for over 30 years. I like my Fourwheeler, I know when it is going to buck. I did try to get up there once, but the trail is washed out, so only half way up I have to start hiking. The good part is, I quit smoking recently, I hope to have enough wind to make it the rest of the way this spring.
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rockwizz
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since May 2007
Posts: 971
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Post by rockwizz on Nov 20, 2008 10:29:40 GMT -5
Thanks for sharing the area with all of us. I'm looking forward to getting over there in the spring.
Ozzy
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