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Post by beefjello on Oct 10, 2012 20:44:32 GMT -5
Last Saturday Tim (azrockgeek) invited us to do some rock hounding up on Reynolds Creek. It was a fun trip, here's a few pics. We drove up to Globe, then headed towards Roosevelt Lake, crossing the Salt River just above the lake. We stopped and did a little hounding in this area  Winding up the mountain from there up along some amazing canyons  Cacti gives way to wildflowers and evergreens  a look ahead to where we're going  Once we got up there we passed by Tim heading back to his camp from some morning hounding. He and his lovely wife Page had a nice camp spot set up, and after unloading his truck of firewood and exchanging a few rocks we headed out for the creek    This is such a beautiful area. It was the first time Christa and I have ever been there. There are old asbestos and uranium mines in the area, funny how such deadly elements are hidden in the most purdiest of places.  We hounded a couple spots for gem serpentine, garnet in matrix, a blueish silicified stone and a bit of crysotile serpentine. Lots of neat stuff in abundance. Here's a shot of Tim with his 'baby', a beautiful green and purple serpentine boulder  After heading back to camp for a late lunch and some rock talk it was time for us to split. We stopped at Workmans Creek down the road for a few then drove back down the switchbacks. the lake in view  back down in the desert  I thought this saguaro looked rather odd  Here's the Roosevelt bridge  and the backside of the dam  Here's the day's haul.. transferred from Christa's lil Escape ;D  Some cool gifts from Tim, a slab and end cut of his blueish agate.. very solid and gemmy  a cut of the pyrite in quartz that he made that killer sphere from  Garnet in matrix  a cool little garnet Christa found near Workmans Creek  Serpentine  nice purples   gemmy!  Crysotile Serpentine (Az Tigers Eye)  something neat and layered  Rocks we found earlier on the Salt  looks promising  Thanks a lot Tim for inviting us up, we had a GREAT time!! Thanks everyone for coming along ;D |
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SteveHolmes
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2009
Posts: 1,900
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Post by SteveHolmes on Oct 10, 2012 21:06:44 GMT -5
Looks like a great weekend get-away! Great pics of the area too...and you seem to always find the coolest rocks. You definitely have an eye for COOLNESS! That layered one is really strange, and I like the Az. Tigers Eye. Thanks for taking us along.
steve
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Post by Rockhobbit on Oct 10, 2012 21:17:28 GMT -5
Brian, sorry to say this but Christa always finds the best rock of the day! Whoot Whoot Christa! LOL
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itsandbits
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since March 2012
Posts: 825
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Post by itsandbits on Oct 10, 2012 21:24:44 GMT -5
nice trip pictures and thanks for having us along
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Post by gr on Oct 10, 2012 23:34:00 GMT -5
So, you went back by way of the Apache Trail. How'd you and Krista like fish creek hill? Spent much of my youth on that road coming and going to Apache lake.
Great pics and finds Brian
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Post by mohs on Oct 11, 2012 11:22:39 GMT -5
Those are fabulous pictures of a historic and rarely viewed area.
Up around the Sierra Ancha Wilderness is supposedly
fabled lost mine of Dr. Thorne. The tale basically occurs around the 1850’s.
Dr. Thorne was blindfolded by Indians and taken on horse back to a remote area. He was then allowed to fill his bags with all this gold that was just lying about.
Dr. Thorne was allowed this privilege because of his doctoring of Indians.
But the area was secretly guarded by the Indians and curse lay upon it.
It was gold that had been previously mined & cached supposedly by the Spanish. Perhaps, the conquistadors? Maybe Cortez himself!
On his march to find the 7 Cities of Cibola.
I just happened to be reading Blair, “Tales of the Superstitions”.
Highly recommend for a skeptic viewpoint on lost gold mines of the west.
Around 1861 a fellow named Thomas Miner gathered over 200 men to search that area for the Gold. (There had been a previous party,-Cooley- Banta, that had searched for the gold). Anyway the Miner party came up empty handed for the gold. But here is a couple sentences from the book that raised my interest.
“This was the discovery of some very attractive crystalline minerals which were chopped out their occurrence and loaded onto mules under the misapprehension that they were diamonds! It was later learned that these were calcite crystals, a revelation that any man with a pocket knife could have discovered by scratching the stones.”
That seam my contain some great polishing material.
Maybe there is onyx also?
Anyway you found some fabulous serps and that garnet is tops!
Thanks for posting those awesome picture Brian
The Apache Trail is a ride into lore!
Ed
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Post by drocknut on Oct 14, 2012 22:02:30 GMT -5
Very nice finds. The views are beautiful.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 15, 2012 17:13:09 GMT -5
purple serpentine! crested saguaro?!?!
Wow, what a cool trip. I need to visit AZ!
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Post by beefjello on Oct 15, 2012 19:38:20 GMT -5
Thanks everyone! It really was a fun trip, and hanging with Tim and Page is a blast.. great people. Gary We did take the trail back home, but it was getting dark as we got down near Apache. I assume fish creek hill was where the cliffs were an overhang on one side, super narrow and the only thing between us and the abyss was a little guard rail? I was kinda glad is was dark and we couldn't see down!  Cool story Edmo, lots of lost gold tales in our state.  |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 15, 2012 20:13:48 GMT -5
Hi Brian,
Cool pic's.. I am glad that you and Christa made it out on the trip, we had a great time hanging out with you guys, next time you need to camp out with us. Maybe in Burro Creek in a few weeks.
Looking forward to seeing some slabs/cabs from some of the material.
Tim
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jason12x12
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since October 2011
Posts: 798
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Post by jason12x12 on Oct 15, 2012 20:44:51 GMT -5
thanks for taking us with you
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Post by Bikerrandy on Oct 15, 2012 20:51:54 GMT -5
Great haul and beautiful scenery!!  |
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Post by gr on Oct 15, 2012 20:57:00 GMT -5
That's the one Brian. straight up on the left and pretty much straight down on the right. Nighttime is the best time to travel that one!
Lookin forward to some slabs
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Post by Toad on Oct 16, 2012 0:26:32 GMT -5
Profitable trip. Thanks for all the pics.
Is there a pic of that pyrite in quartz sphere somewhere???
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 17, 2012 14:12:06 GMT -5
Profitable trip. Thanks for all the pics. Is there a pic of that pyrite in quartz sphere somewhere??? I second the motion. I searched this site for something and it did not show up! |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 17, 2012 14:47:08 GMT -5
Sorry guys, No spheres from the quartz/pyrite yet, only the schist/pyrite I made a while back. Have not had free time to crank up the sphere machine yet. I don't know how Shotgunner cranks out those sphere so fast. :-)
Tim
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Post by beefjello on Oct 17, 2012 20:36:57 GMT -5
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 17, 2012 21:56:01 GMT -5
lol, I ain't fast! When I set up my home machine I'll be fast. lol
Right now I am researching making one of those spinning stone sphere fountains. Need to make a large (12" +++) sphere. The machines at school can do up to 8" or so.
Tim or anybody: Do you know how to make big ones by hand??
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 17, 2012 22:27:00 GMT -5
Hi Brian, Sorry to detour your thread, last one I promise. Here you go Shotgunner, a bowling ball polisher would work. Don actually made mention a while back about a single head machine that would work, hopefully he will provide more details.  |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 18, 2012 13:48:19 GMT -5
Brian, I wish I was on your trip!! Those photos are awesome.
Tim, thanks for the lead on a machine. I wonder if it's bearings can handle a 60# rock!
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