billg22
spending too much on rocks
Member since November 2011
Posts: 451
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Post by billg22 on Jun 20, 2012 0:07:42 GMT -5
My wife and I will be heading to the Monterey area for a working vacation. She'll be working and I'll be on a vacation. And what's a vacation without a little rockhounding? Anyway, anyone have any ideas of places to visit (look for rocks) while up there? Thanks, Bill G.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Jun 20, 2012 0:09:52 GMT -5
Hopefully, someone will tell you how to find Jade Cove. California Jade is some very nice stuff.
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Post by paulshiroma on Jun 20, 2012 8:51:16 GMT -5
Have a safe trip and a good time, Bill. Grab a copy of the Gem Trails of Northern California. It'll show some places nearby.
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Post by jakesrocks on Jun 20, 2012 10:06:03 GMT -5
Jade Cove would be a good place to start. Last time I was there, ( Way back in the 50's ), the inland side of the highway was still open to collecting. Got some beautiful nephrite out of there.
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LarryS
freely admits to licking rocks
SoCal desert rats
Member since August 2010
Posts: 781
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Post by LarryS on Jun 20, 2012 10:58:46 GMT -5
Hey Bill, Here's a chunk of jade my dad picked up on the beach in Jade Cove back during the 50's. Don must have missed this one! It's been in my mother's china cabinet as long as I can remember. It's now on my living room end table. I plan to use it to throw at any home invasion robbers. From what I've heard over the years, all the jade is gone, picked clean. LarryS
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Post by jakesrocks on Jun 20, 2012 11:10:31 GMT -5
Didn't miss it Larry. Just didn't go down to the beach. The good stuff was up in the washes on the other side of the highway, before it all became private land. The piece of nephrite on the left came from there. About 10 lbs.
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Post by Bluesky78987 on Jun 20, 2012 11:11:12 GMT -5
What a great kind of working vacation!
To get from Monterey to Santa Cruz you have to drive through Moss Landing. Eat at Phil's!!! EAT AT PHILS!!!! (assuming you like fish). I'm not sure if there are any rocks at Phil's or not. ;-)
Jade cove is south of Monterey, but I assume you're driving so you'll go by it. I found a perfect pre-made jade cab there, on scuba.
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Post by jakesrocks on Jun 20, 2012 12:01:57 GMT -5
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Post by Pat on Jun 20, 2012 12:07:33 GMT -5
Yes, Jade Cove and the coast in that area. There is also Clear Creek in San Benito County by the Pinnacles. Clear Creek has a lot of different rocks, minerals, plants and wildlife. It is also home to Benitoite, CA state gem. Clear Creek Jade is also fairly plentiful.
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LarryS
freely admits to licking rocks
SoCal desert rats
Member since August 2010
Posts: 781
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Post by LarryS on Jun 20, 2012 12:20:40 GMT -5
Nice samples Don.
Daves Seafood in Morro Bay has killer fish n' chips. There's also a place near the boat landing that has awesome french fries with garlic & parmesan.
LET'S GO!!!!!!!!
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Post by Pat on Jun 20, 2012 12:30:31 GMT -5
One more thing. Up along that highway are fruit stands that offer the local edibles. Artichoke season is almost over and it is berry season, too. All good stuff!
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droseraguy
Cave Dweller
Member since April 2012
Posts: 426
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Post by droseraguy on Jun 20, 2012 19:23:04 GMT -5
If I was there I'd eat at Phil's, hands down the best there is around, and then hook up with Kris from Hand-2-Mouth Mining in Fresno. You might drive a bit but dude I sent back home over a hundred pounds of great stuff and got to hang with Kris ta boot. Don't miss Phil's !
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billg22
spending too much on rocks
Member since November 2011
Posts: 451
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Post by billg22 on Jun 21, 2012 0:40:03 GMT -5
Thanks for all the tips, about the food! We made it to Jade Cove last year from the south. We checked out Hearst Castle and drove up to the site. This time we will be in Monterey. Jade Cove is about 70 miles south along a coast road. Paul, I will get a copy of the Gem Trails No Cal.. The So Cal. is a super book. Thanks again, Bill
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,487
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Post by Sabre52 on Jun 21, 2012 18:10:23 GMT -5
This goes way back to my youth *L*.Had a great uncle who had a ranch next door to the UC Santa Cruz campus up on Empire Grade. Not a lot of cutting material in the area, Used to find nice sharkteeth in his apple orchard. Lots of hardrock goldmines in Sulfur Creek Canyon and I seem to remember calcite crystals from where they used to mine for cement ( which I think is on the campus now). Aside from that it was all decomposed granite, redwood trees and huge amounts of poison oak. I'm allergic and got into it all the time. I believe there are some Franciscan jasper outcrops in the area too which would yield brecciated and poppy types of jasper. A rockshop in Scotts Valley ( I think that's the town) used to have some good local jasper many years ago). When I was at my uncles place I often went out hunting hoping to find jasper but never found a dern thing.
Stone Canyon is of course in Monterey County and any of the creeks around Parkfield have good jasper as do many in the Coalinga area. Both sides of the coast range in the San Miguel area have jasper in creeks. Access is always the issue. Check at the cafe in Parkfield as that family ( Varrians) own lots of the land around there and they'll know about access and Parkfield is a cool place to visit ( Earthquake capitol of California). Coalinga has lots of oil field and sometimes you can find good creeks wandering about without access problems. Jacolitos Creek is a good one.....Mel
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billg22
spending too much on rocks
Member since November 2011
Posts: 451
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Post by billg22 on Jun 22, 2012 11:02:46 GMT -5
Thanks Mel, Looks like I'll have four days to wander around the area. I'm making a list of the collecting areas and the cafes. I've checked out some of the rockhounding clubs in that area. I'm getting ideas from looking at their field trip reports. Looks like a little beach combing is on the list too.
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,487
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Post by Sabre52 on Jun 22, 2012 12:34:15 GMT -5
Oh just thought of another place I used to rockhunt. Pebble Beach off Cabrillo Hwy north of Santa Cruz towards Half Moon Bay ( Not the golf course pebble beach near Monterey) has piles of pebbles many of which are jasper, chert or agate. I used to hunt the vesicular basalt outcrops at the base of the cliffs at the far north end of the beach and find in situ moonstones which are actually little chalcedony nodules in golden yellow colors. Fantastic tidepooling at the north end too if you've got kids with you.....Mel
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Post by mohs on Jun 22, 2012 12:45:28 GMT -5
rocks & food 2 of my favorite activities I'm there mostly might be a little cooler too
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Post by johnjsgems on Jun 22, 2012 15:09:57 GMT -5
Last I heard Clear Creek was closed to collecting/of froading, and access period. Someone is protecting us from the reportedly high mercury levels.
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,487
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Post by Sabre52 on Jun 22, 2012 15:22:13 GMT -5
Yeah, I think mercury and asbestos were the excuse but I heard the real reason was vandalism by off roaders. Lots of poachers out that way too so I'm sure the folks in charge were just looking for a reason to close the area off just as they are doing for a lot of California hounding areas.....Mel
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hand2mouthmining
spending too much on rocks
Purveyors of California Gem Rock
Member since September 2011
Posts: 495
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Post by hand2mouthmining on Jun 28, 2012 19:51:45 GMT -5
Yes, the Clear Creek exclusion remains in effect. The Hollister BLM management recently informed Bob Coates, with the Fresno Gem & Mineral Society, that further action on the Clear Creek Resource Management Plan (RMP) had been shelved 'til after the Election. This broke, albeit in an informal, unofficial and "off-the-record" manner, a silence that's been kept since the 2010 Congressional elections. At that time, the official line from the Hollister District Mgr was that Interior planned to present the Draft RMP to Congress, with a severely restricted public access plan to be presented as "the preferred option." Proposed access would have banned all non-mining Off Road Vehicle use in the 30,000 plus acre exclusion zone, and limited entry to 5 days per year, with registration required for entry. This was detailed at a hearing on the attempted Mineral Exclusion action of 2010, apparently abandoned after the Republican Majority was elected to the House. For those who desire the full story, including why they didn't choose to go ahead with Congressional hearings, PM me. It gets political from this point in. However, be ye of good cheer! The Panoche Hills, north of Clear Creek, are open, and provide prime collecting of agte, jasper, quartz, chert, serpentine and virtually every alluvial material found in Clear Creek. (No benetoite, as far as we know... Darn it!) We're going collecting there on Monday, July 2nd. If you'd like to come along, check the Event page at rockhound-field-trips.ning.com/events/big-pile-area-54-monday-trip-panoche-hills-fresno-county-ca-june-We hope that you'll join us for great collecting! Kris
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