zmd2008
starting to shine!
Member since August 2008
Posts: 29
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Post by zmd2008 on Jul 29, 2010 14:01:29 GMT -5
Howdy folks. Heading up to Minnesota in a few weeks for family vacation and have a couple of questions. Will be driving through Moose Lake and will have a few hours to look for some Agates. They sent me the info and these are the three pits available to the public: Hatchery Pit, Soo Line Pit, and the Airport pit. Last time I was in town I spent a day at the Soo Line Pit and had minimal success (though I had a lot of fun). Does anyone have experience with these areas that would be willing to give some guidance on which pits are the best and even some ideas within the pits themselvs? I know you hate to give away all your secrets but I'll just have a few hours at most so I cant possibly get THAT many agates  After that we head up the North Shore to Grand Marais for a week and I'm also open to any ideas of places up there. Unfortunately many areas are State Park so no collecting but there is one beach I plan on visiting, I think Paradise Beach (?) where we've had some success before as well. Thanks for any tips and advice! I'm in Kansas City and can't wait to get out there and look for some agates and thompsonite (in Grand Marais). |
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Post by jakesrocks on Jul 29, 2010 14:16:36 GMT -5
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zmd2008
starting to shine!
Member since August 2008
Posts: 29
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Post by zmd2008 on Jul 30, 2010 10:28:14 GMT -5
Thanks Don!
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Post by jakesrocks on Jul 30, 2010 11:28:05 GMT -5
No problem. I'm surprised that some of our Minnesota members haven't jumped in with more info for you. If you ever decide to cross over into South Dakota, give me a shout. I can tell you where some good places are at.
Don
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zmd2008
starting to shine!
Member since August 2008
Posts: 29
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Post by zmd2008 on Jul 30, 2010 20:21:50 GMT -5
Thanks Don. Due to a newborn, our travels are limited to large family gatherings where I can unload the kid while I roam the rock piles, but who knows I may make it up to SD one of these years. Yeah I was hoping the some of the MN people would chime in on some specifics about the Moose Lake pits, but now that I told them where I'll be, they're probably out there grabbing all the Lakers before I get up there! |
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Post by jakesrocks on Jul 30, 2010 22:46:45 GMT -5
Bring the family with you. Use the excuse that you want to see Mt. Rushmore. I have several friends living in that area that would be glad to take you out hunting for Fairburn or TeePee Canyon agates. Lots of other neat stuff to find too.
Don
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Post by NatureNut on Jul 31, 2010 0:45:31 GMT -5
The Prairie Agates around there are nothing to sneeze at either.  |
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NorthShore-Rocks
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since December 2008
Posts: 1,004
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Post by NorthShore-Rocks on Jul 31, 2010 8:26:28 GMT -5
zmd... here's a link to some info on Paradise Beach Northeast of Grand Marais. There's some good info on how to hunt any of the beaches along the North Shore. In my opinion, that beach is probably your best bet for a variety of material. www.123agates.com/As far as the Moose Lake gravel pits go, I haven't been to any of them, but almost any pit up this way holds good material. The separated piles are a good place to start, but don't forget the base of the walls, where new rocks are falling everyday. Especially the walls where the productive layer of gravel is still exposed. Often time the overburden will cave in and cover the layer containing agates. You want to hound the walls where the productive layers are still exposed. Of course, the washes are always great places to look too. If you have any choice, be the first one there after a rain. Good luck! Steve |
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NorthShore-Rocks
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since December 2008
Posts: 1,004
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Post by NorthShore-Rocks on Jul 31, 2010 8:28:09 GMT -5
Oh yeah... don't forget the agate center at Moose Lake State Park. It has some incredible samples!
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Post by jakesrocks on Jul 31, 2010 9:08:06 GMT -5
On your swing through Grand Marais, be sure to check out the agate museum.
Gitche Gumee Agate and History Museum, PO Box 308, Grand Marais, MI 49839, 906-494-2590
Karen, the museum owner is an awfully nice person, who has spent most of her life studying and collecting laker agates, and has many beautiful agates on display. She also has agates from all around the country and world.
Don
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Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Aug 3, 2010 12:26:52 GMT -5
I also vote for the Agate Museum at the State Park. Agates are wherever you can find them...meaning they're all over the northeastern 2/3 of the state, but hard to find a concentration of them. I generally look in any stream or lake gravel area and find them once in a while. I have a friend who hounds the Mississippi pretty regularly, but his success rate is relatively low. The Moose Lake pits get pretty picked over. I've been to the airport pit and found one agate on the road leading into it, but nothing else with 2-3 hrs of searching. Don't even think about going to private gravel pits; all are posted no trespassing. The North Shore also gets picked over, so you might try inland. On the bright side, Scott Wolter (author of The Lake Superior Agate) states that there is essentially an infinite supply of them. It's just a matter of finding them. www.dnr.state.mn.us/education/geology/digging/agate.htmlwww.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/moose_lake/index.htmlGood luck and have fun! Chuck |
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Post by superioragates on Aug 3, 2010 17:34:20 GMT -5
There are several places in Central MN to hunt. Best bet would be to look for county pits, a lot of them will let you hunt. We find them all up and down the driveway, and of course in the "back yard" ..hahahaha LOTS of people who live on lake shores will run you off for being on "their" property, so be forewarned about lake shores that have people living around them. As you are driving through...get the urge...pick any dirt road you want, you will find agates, they wont be big, or prime material, but you can easily walk away with pocketfulls of them, we do it all the time. Nice little tumblers, fun to tumble up and polish!
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Post by jakesrocks on Aug 4, 2010 11:06:54 GMT -5
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Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Aug 4, 2010 12:29:00 GMT -5
Tried to read the email, got a message from gmail "The conversation you requested no longer exists."
Chuck
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Post by jakesrocks on Aug 4, 2010 13:14:13 GMT -5
That's strange. I just tried it too, and couldn't get in. I guess it was just meant for members of the other site I belong to. I'll see if I can find it, and copy and paste it.
Don
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