Post by Mattatya on Oct 31, 2012 1:02:40 GMT -5
(The Opal giveaway has ended, Congrats Fatsister & Drummond Island Rocks)
I wanted to share a recent trip and also offer 2 boxes of our findings during the trip as a thank you to RTH members for everyone’s help and input with all the questions I’ve face while learning rock tumbling and cabing.
For the last 4 years we have been going to Lake Roosevelt WA near Republic to DJ for a group of friends who rent houseboats on the water.
My interest in rock hounding grew this year more than ever and couldn’t wait to start beach combing when we got on land. I have don’t have pics of the beach rocks I found except for this fossil I am still trying to identify.
After the boat trip we decided to go camping and take a slow ride home while visiting hwy 90 viewpoints, petrified wood forest and the George Washington Diatomaceous Quarry. We stayed overnight at the Vantage lookout campsite in our family trailer lol. It is known for high winds but we were hitting winds gusts of 90mph during a storm that rolled through. It was still a blast to watch stargaze and listen to the winds.
You could not beat the views though
The next day we headed out to the Petrified Forrest area. We started out at the Rock Shop then onward to the museum.
After that we drove up the road to the the Pet wood forest. If you have never been I highly suggest doing it the other way around and visit the Pet wood forest, museum then rock shop.
There was lots of great information about how the petrified woods came to be as well as a lot of theories too. Still a blast to take pics before out way out to visit the Diatomaceous Quarry in George Washington.
After getting a little turned around looking for the Diatamaceous Quarry I had to make a couple calls to get further directions lol. Thank you TNTMom and Susan for your help with directions
We finally found the quarry. We drove up to the area where they drop off loads of rock for hounders to pick through. Unfortunately we were there on a Monday after a sunny weekend of hounding picking through and there was nothing much left.
Then out from the dust of the quarry comes a tractor full of fresh rock to sift through and we were ecstatic. The gentlemen was very nice and as I offered to tip him he kindly declined and said thank you.
We spent 3 hours picking through the dust (boy it was dusty) having our way with our pick hammers looking for the rarer colors of reds and purples. We didn’t find much of red and purple but was very happy with our hunting. Maybe a little too ambitious as this was our first “official type hounding” lol
My partners family owns a masonry company here in Washington knew the pit boss very well at the quarry. The family would take “Camping trips” but spent most of the time having the kids help out picking through the opal stone for building home, fireplace and chimney veneer. Back in the 80’s they would be right down in the quarry’s picking through the stone and getting some of the coolest colors.
Now you can only pick through piles they place out just outside the quarry property (for obvious safety reason). I didn’t think my partner would last but 10 minutes out there digging through the dust after having to do it a bunch as a kid, but was a trooper all the way to the end.
We don’t have any close up pics of the older stuff picked back then but here is a chimney veneer and the fireplace at his childhood home.
We had such a great trip and I’m still going through and cleaning up the opal stone to five it a go on making some cabs. Currently I have some I just pulled from step 1 on my rotary barrel while I am working out getting the saw up and running.
Ok onto a giveaway:
As a thanks for taking in an ambitious learner I want to give two medium flat rate boxes to members. I also want to pay it forward by covering shipping on both boxes. I went through and picked out a variety of pieces to mix in the boxes. Opal Stone is very brittle like and can crumble easy. I tried to pick out the most solid pieces I have to help get the most use out of this material.
I want to gift these packages to two people who have never owned this material before and live outside of Washington. I wish to only ship to US.
If you are interested please you post your box # 1 or 2 interest on the thread and I will PM the winning members for your shipping info.
Thanks again for all that have helped me with my threads and questions and my absence of responding when work gets overloaded
Box 1
Box 2
Cheers
Matt
I wanted to share a recent trip and also offer 2 boxes of our findings during the trip as a thank you to RTH members for everyone’s help and input with all the questions I’ve face while learning rock tumbling and cabing.
For the last 4 years we have been going to Lake Roosevelt WA near Republic to DJ for a group of friends who rent houseboats on the water.
My interest in rock hounding grew this year more than ever and couldn’t wait to start beach combing when we got on land. I have don’t have pics of the beach rocks I found except for this fossil I am still trying to identify.
After the boat trip we decided to go camping and take a slow ride home while visiting hwy 90 viewpoints, petrified wood forest and the George Washington Diatomaceous Quarry. We stayed overnight at the Vantage lookout campsite in our family trailer lol. It is known for high winds but we were hitting winds gusts of 90mph during a storm that rolled through. It was still a blast to watch stargaze and listen to the winds.
You could not beat the views though
The next day we headed out to the Petrified Forrest area. We started out at the Rock Shop then onward to the museum.
After that we drove up the road to the the Pet wood forest. If you have never been I highly suggest doing it the other way around and visit the Pet wood forest, museum then rock shop.
There was lots of great information about how the petrified woods came to be as well as a lot of theories too. Still a blast to take pics before out way out to visit the Diatomaceous Quarry in George Washington.
After getting a little turned around looking for the Diatamaceous Quarry I had to make a couple calls to get further directions lol. Thank you TNTMom and Susan for your help with directions
We finally found the quarry. We drove up to the area where they drop off loads of rock for hounders to pick through. Unfortunately we were there on a Monday after a sunny weekend of hounding picking through and there was nothing much left.
Then out from the dust of the quarry comes a tractor full of fresh rock to sift through and we were ecstatic. The gentlemen was very nice and as I offered to tip him he kindly declined and said thank you.
We spent 3 hours picking through the dust (boy it was dusty) having our way with our pick hammers looking for the rarer colors of reds and purples. We didn’t find much of red and purple but was very happy with our hunting. Maybe a little too ambitious as this was our first “official type hounding” lol
My partners family owns a masonry company here in Washington knew the pit boss very well at the quarry. The family would take “Camping trips” but spent most of the time having the kids help out picking through the opal stone for building home, fireplace and chimney veneer. Back in the 80’s they would be right down in the quarry’s picking through the stone and getting some of the coolest colors.
Now you can only pick through piles they place out just outside the quarry property (for obvious safety reason). I didn’t think my partner would last but 10 minutes out there digging through the dust after having to do it a bunch as a kid, but was a trooper all the way to the end.
We don’t have any close up pics of the older stuff picked back then but here is a chimney veneer and the fireplace at his childhood home.
We had such a great trip and I’m still going through and cleaning up the opal stone to five it a go on making some cabs. Currently I have some I just pulled from step 1 on my rotary barrel while I am working out getting the saw up and running.
Ok onto a giveaway:
As a thanks for taking in an ambitious learner I want to give two medium flat rate boxes to members. I also want to pay it forward by covering shipping on both boxes. I went through and picked out a variety of pieces to mix in the boxes. Opal Stone is very brittle like and can crumble easy. I tried to pick out the most solid pieces I have to help get the most use out of this material.
I want to gift these packages to two people who have never owned this material before and live outside of Washington. I wish to only ship to US.
If you are interested please you post your box # 1 or 2 interest on the thread and I will PM the winning members for your shipping info.
Thanks again for all that have helped me with my threads and questions and my absence of responding when work gets overloaded
Box 1
Box 2
Cheers
Matt