Montana Trip, Day 2

I realized after my last post that I didn't have a card reader for my laptop, so I couldn't post any photos. So I decided to wait until I got home.

If you read my first post, you know my tranny broke down on the way to Glendive, MT. We were able to get rides to the rockhounding locations, and then drove home Sunday to avoid the Memorial Day traffic headed into the Twin Cities. I was on pins and needles the whole way home, but the van made it all the way to the repair shop, rocks and all. The good news on the tranny is that it is still under warranty and will be repaired for free.

Okay, back to rocks. We went to a private ranch just outside of Glendive to hunt for Montana Agate. As you'll see in the pics, this area is very similar to the Badlands, including gumbo. Fossil hunting was out for this trip because it has been too wet. Evidently, these dino fossils disintegrate when exposed to rain and air. Maybe next year since this is an annual club trip.

Here's a pic of my son, Ian, where we parked for hounding:


Here are some shots of the surrounding terrain:






There's very little soil holding the gravel together in these hills, as you can tell in this photo:


We picked up three 5 gallon buckets of rock in one day. Here's the entire haul, with pet wood on the left, misc. agates, jaspers, and leaverite in the middle, and Montana agate on the right. We concentrated on cutting rough.


I've never been much of a pet wood person, but there was so much of it and it looked so good that I ended up bringing home a bucket full. We could have brought home a lot more, but I had enough:


Here are some favorites from the pet wood. This one is more red than it appears and very solid:


This piece has a lot of character:


And a nearly complete limb round:


Here is the pile of Prairie agate, misc. agate, jasper, and leaverite:


The leaverite is unconfirmed, but I suspect that's what it will be when I cut it open.

And now the Montana agate, cutting material in the front, tumbling material in the back, about 4 gallons worth:


And some favorites. This one has botryoidal vug:


This one appears to be opalized, although I haven't tried scratching it:


There's a lot going on in this one:


One of the larger pieces:


One with a single deep crystal impression (calcite?):


This one is loaded with crystal impressions, so many that it can't be cabbed, but it makes a cool specimen:




And now my largest find:


Thanks for looking.
Chuck