Tommy
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Member since January 2013
Posts: 12,881
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Post by Tommy on Jun 25, 2013 13:10:39 GMT -5
If I may toss in my two cents – I love the idea of getting deep into the back country of the north cadys and finding agates etc. – and I have a 4 x 4 and access to a second one – my son has an old lifted Yota and he’s just itching to get out on a trail ride. I told him about this trip and he said “hell yeah I’m in” as another safety vehicle.
That being said – I worry that if we sell this as a full-on plunge into the wilderness we might lose a few people from the board who might not have the right vehicle or the kidneys to endure a rough crawl. I’m just throwing it out there that I personally would be just as eager to participate if we decided on a low stress camping trip at say the Lavic area where we are sure to have a good time chasing down some wild jasper and spinning off a few road trips for the adventurous souls.
Either way – I’m excited about it and it sounds like a lot of fun.
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Post by christopherl1234 on Jun 25, 2013 13:32:57 GMT -5
I agree Tommy.
Scott,
I have been out to the Cady's and Lavic area several times. I do not claim to know it well though. In fact last time I was out there I took Susan and Larry on a ride to the Christmas Tree agate area and took wrong turn and got stuck in the sand. Nevertheless, I have been out there and there is tons of material to collect and many areas worthy of exploration.
John of JSGems lives pretty close and if I remember right Mike Spicerman (I am sure I spelled his last name wrong) is a member of one of the clubs out in that area.
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Dr DG
fully equipped rock polisher
Gone Fishing
Member since April 2005
Posts: 1,848
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Post by Dr DG on Jun 25, 2013 13:37:50 GMT -5
Scott
The cady is very big. You can go to area 64 and look for wood.. I can get some old maps of the area.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
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Post by Deleted on Jun 25, 2013 13:44:30 GMT -5
Thanks Dan & Christopher.
I am sure everyone would like to get the yellow plume from the fluorite mine area.
Christmas tree agate sounds nice!
Tommy, the way I see it there needs to be a scouting trip so that we can gauge the need for 4WD. Plus we can set base camp and folks can hunt as they please. Not everybody needs to stick together either. We could have adventurous folks adventuring, hiking folks hiking, day tripping folks totally tripping.....
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Post by johnjsgems on Jun 25, 2013 14:10:52 GMT -5
I know Lavic and the South Cadys a lot better and those areas are pretty doable with two wheel drive. I went once on a day trip to the East end looking for sagenite. That road (Basin?) went in pretty easily but I've heard BLM was trying to close it off from time to time. As I've heard the road through the dry lake between the east side and Ludlow is only 4X4. There is an easy to get to green marble quarry just North of Afton Rd if anyone wants any of that. I can probably make it out any of the November weekends.
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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 25, 2013 21:47:41 GMT -5
We've been to that green marble quarry north of Afton about 3 years ago. Whole mountain of it. Quarry is located on the north side of that unnamed dry lake bed. Yep, smooth 2WD dirt road. Afton Canyon & Cady Mountains off in the distance, looking south from the quarry:
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Post by jakesrocks on Jun 25, 2013 22:14:29 GMT -5
Goober needs a rabbit to chase.
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Post by johnjsgems on Jun 26, 2013 11:52:02 GMT -5
The marble quarry was operated by Brubaker-Mann the big colored gravel place in Barstow. Richard Mann (now deceased) took the Searchers out there once upon a time. He called it "Mojave Jade" but it is a marble. They mined it for decorative landscape gravel but found it too hard to grind up. Mann wrote some quirky but wonderful books about the area and was quite a character. Anyone with the nickname "Shortfuse" that mined his whole life has to be interesting. I think the Searchers used to camp at a big clearing at the road just East of Afton Rd but they all RV'ed. If this group will be tents and roughing it you might check out Afton campground. It is very scenic and has vault toilets and water. If tent camping on BLM land there must be porta potties or at least one RV with the group. "Self contained" only.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 26, 2013 13:47:26 GMT -5
Awesome Larry. Will you join us?
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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 27, 2013 10:29:02 GMT -5
We'll see.
John, it's Bill Mann. He wrote "Guides to interesting and mysterious sites in the Mojave" plus other books, which I have all. Fantastic reading and must have for desert rats!
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Post by rockpickerforever on Jun 27, 2013 10:47:36 GMT -5
Wow, checked for that book on Amazon - pricey stuff! Used copy (from one of the vendors), signed by author for $45 plus shipping. Probably worth it, though... Jean
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Post by jakesrocks on Jun 27, 2013 12:15:59 GMT -5
Jean, if you think that was expensive, check the price on any of the 3 Fairburn Agate books by Roger Clark. I have all 3. 2 of them are signed, and I'm looking to get the third signed in person at a rock show.
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Post by rockpickerforever on Jun 27, 2013 12:32:45 GMT -5
You big spender, you! I learned at a very young age that books of that nature are always a good investment. Jean
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Post by jakesrocks on Jun 27, 2013 12:52:21 GMT -5
Yup, and after carefully reading them, they were wrapped in acid free paper and stored flat in a cool, dry place too.
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Post by johnjsgems on Jun 27, 2013 13:46:24 GMT -5
That's right, Bill Mann. I met him at a Pistachio Festival one year and bought a signed copy of one of his books. I have most of them if not all. The one on the mines in the Calicos is my favorite. We went to many of the featured locations. Very interesting. By the way, this morning would have been an interesting day at Lavic. We had a nearly continuous booming/rumbling/floor shaking that I'm guessing was a bombing range event by Lavic. When the local mines are blasting it doesn't last 2-3 hours. My little dog was not impressed.
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Post by jakesrocks on Jun 27, 2013 14:41:52 GMT -5
Oh darn John. You should have been there to watch it. It's quite a show to see. Last time I was at Lavic, they had Black Opps planes doing rocket and bomb runs. My wife had never experienced anything like it. Damned near peed herself. LOL
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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 27, 2013 19:53:23 GMT -5
What? No more cat hole johns when tent camping out in the Cady's. That was half the fun. Dig a hole, take a poop, burn the paper and bury the hole *L* Way too many rules these days. Road from the east of the Cadys to down towards Ludlow was a really bad four wheel road last time I drove it, years ago. Don't even know if it's still OK to drive it now as it passed through an area of dunes full of archeological sites and and the BLM has closed all but a very few desert routes now...Mel
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Deleted
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Member since January 1970
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Post by Deleted on Jun 27, 2013 20:42:27 GMT -5
What? No more cat hole johns when tent camping out in the Cady's. That was half the fun. Dig a hole, take a poop, burn the paper and bury the hole *L* Way too many rules these days. Road from the east of the Cadys to down towards Ludlow was a really bad four wheel road last time I drove it, years ago. Don't even know if it's still OK to drive it now as it passed through an area of dunes full of archeological sites and and the BLM has closed all but a very few desert routes now...Mel What? That was my plan. Folding shovel at the ready! Burn the paper not carefully bury it? I'm a heathen. Never was in the military. Mel, Paul & I will make a bonsai-run day trip to scout the camping and road conditions. Hopefully we can score a few advanced rocks! Mel, is there anything out there that you would like if we find it?
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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 27, 2013 21:43:09 GMT -5
Yep, TP lasts like forever on the desert so you burn it before you fill your hole. Went out there once with a strange little fellow who had no idea of desert poop etiquette. He'd poop, then put down his TP and put a rock on top of it. Disgusting little poopie/TP pyramids all over. Not cool at all. Note though, don't stand downwind of the TP when you burn it *L*
Thanks for the offer Scott but I have so much Cadys stuff I'll have to live to be about a 160 to cut it all *L*. My one request to all of you is take lots of pics of your finds and the gang on the trip. I never get tired of seeing what folks drag out of there and it seems like new deposits are being found all the time....Mel
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elementary
fully equipped rock polisher
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Post by elementary on Jun 28, 2013 1:04:09 GMT -5
Wow,
Look what pops up when I'm away!!!!! School's out and I am looking for some fun and this - though a ways in the future - looks like a hoot!
I love that area. It's probably my favorite place to hunt. I guess I've been out there 6-7 times. It's been picked over but there is still stuff to be found with the right amount of foot power! I can't commit (there's no date set) but would love to go. If I can wing it, I'll be there.
Now this is the north cady's we're talking about, the Basin Road access point, I believe. The Christmas Tree Agate is outside Ludlow in the southern portion and that's a right long way to go.
Still there is much much much to be had in the northern Cady's - but to get to it - and forgive me if I missed the posting of this information, it takes a 10+ mile drive through sandy riverbottom to get to the Pepto Bismal hill. Often that sand ain't much, but if it gets churned up a bit or you leave the road, you could wind up getting stuck. There's also a place even deeper in but you need a narrower vehicle than my truck (a jeep would do) or you might lose a side mirror and some paint.
But there is so much out there - jasper, green fluorite, aragonite, sagenite, plume (lots o plume), nodules, geode nodules, banded nodules, seam agate of blue / red / green / purple / etc. Some of those seams travel 1/3 of a mile along the hills - widening out then pinching shut only to zig-zag up another direction. You gotta put sunscreen on the back of your neck and none on your nose as it's always pointing down. It drives some of my friends crazy but I love getting out of the car when you come within sight of that pink hill and roam about the sandy runoff. There's always chunks of agate to be found and I give myself 15 minutes of excitement buildup via float hunting before hopping back into the car and finally driving up to the base of those glorious hills.
I'll take some photos and post them on Mel's Cady photo exhibit.
Man - I'm all a'tingling....
Lowell
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