Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,473
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Post by Sabre52 on May 16, 2013 9:15:35 GMT -5
Howdy folks, Sometimes when you're exploring old gem sites you find that those who have gone before found good stuff but left you only chips on the tailings piles. These are finds from several pits in the Hills above Hunters Valley and in most instances, a chip or two or a single chunk were all I found. A couple I have boulders of but they are too big for my saw. Anyway, I tumble these chunks and chips and throw them in my favorite poppy tumbles box. One can only imagine what the folks who initially worked these sites took out. Must have been incredible....Mel My favorite tumbles box: ![](http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b377/sabre52/favorite%20tumbles/DSCN7493_zpsda9bdf49.jpg) Some of my favorite one of's: ![](http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b377/sabre52/favorite%20tumbles/DSCN7490_zpsdc2e6bef.jpg) ![](http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b377/sabre52/favorite%20tumbles/DSCN7491_zps0fdd1e25.jpg) ![](http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b377/sabre52/favorite%20tumbles/DSCN7492_zps318ac8aa.jpg) ![](http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b377/sabre52/favorite%20tumbles/DSCN7489_zps4fa9c8bc.jpg) ![](http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b377/sabre52/favorite%20tumbles/DSCN7488_zps94027b94.jpg)
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rockpickerforever
Cave Dweller
RIP Jean Bradley, you are forever loved
Member since July 2011
Posts: 12,069
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Post by rockpickerforever on May 16, 2013 9:20:23 GMT -5
Wow, Mel, those are all sweet! But especially like the bottom one in the third pic. Jean
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,473
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Post by Sabre52 on May 16, 2013 9:26:17 GMT -5
Jean, that one I actually have about a thirty pound boulder of. The vein was way down a hog/bear trail in the manzanita. Hundred degree day and I had to dig the hunk from a big vein and then drag/carry it back uphill through the brush and then half a mile downhill to my cart. That was one of them times when you get a reality check as to just how old and broke down you really is *L*.
My favorite is the golden poppy in the last pic. Found that pit in the brush just before we sold our ranch and only found a few chips around the edge. Was really sorry I never got to dig into the deposit because the poppy there was real solid and the only stuff that color in the area I've ever seen. Plus the poppies were huge!...Mel
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on May 16, 2013 11:47:34 GMT -5
wow, mel, that is really zoopaaa!!!!!
Where was your ranch? Maybe I need to go "pig hunting" up there! lol
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,381
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Post by jamesp on May 16, 2013 11:50:52 GMT -5
Those are like my favorite rock.What is a lense??From the other hornitos post,you refered to a lense...
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on May 16, 2013 13:47:05 GMT -5
Mel, I bought Sinkankas 'cuz of you. Please correct me if I am wrong.
Jim, it seems a lens is descriptive of the shape of a stone that formed in a similar shaped void between two much larger rocks. Those larger rocks may or may not remain.
Jade is commonly formed this way. Apparently jaspers sometimes as well.
I would like to learn more about the chemistry of jasper formation. What solutions and temperatures are they formed at.
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Post by Toad on May 16, 2013 14:49:07 GMT -5
Great pics, can see why they're favorites.
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Post by Bikerrandy on May 16, 2013 15:49:14 GMT -5
Those are some beautiful rocks!!
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,473
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Post by Sabre52 on May 16, 2013 17:21:03 GMT -5
Scott: Our ranch was in Hunters Valley which is just NE of Hornitos near the south shore of Lake McClure. The jasper is associated with andesite and the Hunters Valley chert formation and runs in outcrops on the west side of the valley to a bunch of sites at the end of the valley near the lake. I believe Dr. Trumball has filed a claim on the major site for most the jasper pits on public land. ( Told my buddy Tom he should keep his mouth shut but he loves to show off his finds to everyone who will listen *L*). Most the sites are on private property and my favorite where the small orb and some cosmos came from, now has a home built right smack on top of the jasper....Mel
Scott explained lens very well Jim. In Hunters Valley its kind of a nodule that usually tapers out into a narrow vein and then pinches out. They are often shaped roughly like a double convex lens, and form a nodule pointed at each end and swelled out in the middle. On the hill across from our house, the andesite had numerous lenses of Sierra Primrose Poppy in the four to six inch range. I took some pics and posted them once but somehow I must have deleted them. A friend of mine who's dad mined some of the jasper in the sixties said some of the lenses were huge....Mel
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,381
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Post by jamesp on May 16, 2013 18:48:29 GMT -5
I see those here.i kinda figured.
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doneall517
starting to spend too much on rocks
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Member since March 2013
Posts: 109
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Post by doneall517 on May 16, 2013 20:11:46 GMT -5
Nice jasper, I was wondering if it is still collectable. We live fairly close to where it is found. Mike
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,473
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Post by Sabre52 on May 16, 2013 20:39:28 GMT -5
doneall: The guy who owns the claims now is a member here. You might send him a message and ask if you can go there and collect. His handle is drtrumbull. There are also thousands of acres out there for exploration and not all is under claim. Just go out to the end of Hunters Valley Rd and keep going on the dirt till you cross the cattle guard onto BLM. Bad roads go up into the hills there and poppy deposits and brecciated jasper deposits are all over. Got to warn you though it's a big rough area and it took me like 12 years of hounding the area to really score some good sites and I had two buddies helping me....Mel
PS: I don't know which of the valley clubs you are in but I used to hang with the Porterville club group. I think my buddy Kevin Erickson is in one of those south valley clubs and I showed him the way into the deposit area if you can hook up with him.
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Post by helens on May 16, 2013 22:09:49 GMT -5
Too cool, almost makes me want to move to California. Almost because the thought of possibly falling in the ocean is worse than the thought of losing electricity for a few days to a hurricane every 30 years. But you sure have some purty rocks!
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Minnesota Daniel
freely admits to licking rocks
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A COUPLE LAKERS
Member since August 2011
Posts: 891
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Post by Minnesota Daniel on May 17, 2013 0:35:07 GMT -5
Mel, those are gorgeous pieces. Nice variability too.
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,381
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Post by jamesp on May 17, 2013 5:45:32 GMT -5
Did you say you were moving to California?Sounds like a wonderful place:>
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,473
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Post by Sabre52 on May 17, 2013 8:40:20 GMT -5
James, I couldn't wait to get out of Commiefornia and would never go back. Helen would love it. She'd get to live in a state where she'd see her side always win elections and get to live with the results of long term lefty Democratic rule first hand. Wonderful if you like to live in a state that is totally and permanently screwed up. *L*....Mel
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,381
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Post by jamesp on May 17, 2013 9:36:57 GMT -5
Forgot about that liberal Democratically bankrupted situation.Perfect for Pollyanna wakeup call.I will put money in the pot for her ticket.
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Post by paulshiroma on May 17, 2013 19:18:50 GMT -5
Mel, these came out great. In my opinion, these rival that ocean jasper stuff from Madagascar. Very nice, pieces!
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doneall517
starting to spend too much on rocks
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Member since March 2013
Posts: 109
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Post by doneall517 on May 17, 2013 19:32:16 GMT -5
Thanks Mel. Weather is nice so we may take a drive this weekend and see what we can find. Thanks Mike
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,473
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Post by Sabre52 on May 17, 2013 21:22:44 GMT -5
Mike, Hope you have a good time and find some poppies. Some cautions. Both bear and mountain are very common down around the end of the valley as are rattlesnakes. Also, when you push through the brush, watch where you step. There are a good many open mine shafts in the poppy jasper area and I've had a couple of close calls myself. Just be careful out there...Mel
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