Roger
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since January 2013
Posts: 1,487
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Post by Roger on Nov 3, 2013 15:37:12 GMT -5
I have never been to California and have a business trip there next week. I will be staying in or around Walnut Creek. I will have one full day free. Are there any close in places where someone can go do some hounding, or any good shops in the area?
Thanks,
Roger
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Tommy
Administrator
Member since January 2013
Posts: 12,742
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Post by Tommy on Nov 3, 2013 17:52:39 GMT -5
Hi Roger, there nothing here in the WC area or most of the bay area for that matter - I could point you to a Berkeley hills agate collecting location. I know where it is but have never had the desire to beat my way through tick infested heavy brush up a steep hill when the resulting stones don't seem that impressive. If you have the means to travel about 1 - 2 hours west to the coastal beaches there are some really great agate pebble collecting locations - there's Bolinas agate beach north of SF and Pescadero area south of Half Moon Bay.
1.75 hours south is the Panoche Hills Area 54 for Blue-G and assorted jaspers (mostly roast-beef types), and the occasional agate.
40 minutes to the east in Vacaville is a great rock shop - Consolidated Rocks and Minerals.
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Roger
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since January 2013
Posts: 1,487
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Post by Roger on Nov 3, 2013 19:25:38 GMT -5
Sounds like a rock shop is in my future lol. Thanks Tommy!
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Nov 3, 2013 19:53:09 GMT -5
stoner is not far from there. His backyard is, I am told, the finest rockhounding in the bay area! lol
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Tommy
Administrator
Member since January 2013
Posts: 12,742
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Post by Tommy on Nov 4, 2013 0:38:20 GMT -5
stoner is not far from there. His backyard is, I am told, the finest rockhounding in the bay area! lol OH really ... hmmm...
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,472
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Post by Sabre52 on Nov 5, 2013 11:45:37 GMT -5
Yeah, I'm an east Bay Area kid and there is not a lot of rock in the area, mostly fossils. There used to be some good brecciated jasper down in the SW bay shore by the marina at east Palo Alto but you have to go through a really dangerous neighborhood to get there. Coyote Hills park ( on the SE bay shore) used to have good jasper. All the rocky beaches north of San Francisco are good for jasper, even poppy jasper. Rocky beaches south of San Mateo too. Also just north of the bay up in Napa County there are some good agate and jasper sites, especially in Pope valley but it's hard to get permission to hunt. I used to be friends with a nice gal who's pop rented his ranch for porn films in Pope Valley and had the run of the ranch for artifact and rock hunting. That was a wonderful site to hunt.....Mel
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Post by wireholic on Nov 5, 2013 12:29:03 GMT -5
Or if you want to come south a ways there's Poppy Jasper in Morgan Hill and Carmel & Big Sur has jade on the beaches </a>'>
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Tommy
Administrator
Member since January 2013
Posts: 12,742
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Post by Tommy on Nov 5, 2013 15:08:21 GMT -5
Or if you want to come south a ways there's Poppy Jasper in Morgan Hill and Carmel & Big Sur has jade on the beaches Except for the fact that all forms of mining in Morgan Hill and Anderson Lake are banned by city ordinance … despite the fact that the fence around the main MHPJ outcrop collection location has a hole under it large enough to accommodate a full size man … who sucks in his belly a little … not that I would know this first hand of course … but yeah so Morgan Hill is definitely not a good hounding location.
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Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Nov 5, 2013 15:30:45 GMT -5
I used to be friends with a nice gal who's pop rented his ranch for porn films... That was a wonderful site to hunt.....Mel LOL Mel!
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Roger
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since January 2013
Posts: 1,487
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Post by Roger on Nov 5, 2013 16:49:32 GMT -5
I may try my hand on the beaches and see what I can find. It is a work trip so I only have a day to goof off much.
Thanks for the replies!
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Tommy
Administrator
Member since January 2013
Posts: 12,742
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Post by Tommy on Nov 5, 2013 18:10:17 GMT -5
I may try my hand on the beaches and see what I can find. It is a work trip so I only have a day to goof off much. Thanks for the replies! PM me if you think youl make it to the coast and I can give you a location that we love to go to. It also is probably the closest location to WC with the best chance of finding agates and jaspers.
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Post by paulshiroma on Jan 2, 2014 1:18:09 GMT -5
Roger - belated reply. If you get back out there, you can hike along some of the ridges east of Ygnacio Valley Road and pickup small marine fossils - mostly clams and such. PM me if you go back and I can get you exactly locations. The formations are all sandstone so the fossils are not high quality items; just interesting specimens to collect. There's also a shop called Consolidated Rock and Mineral up in Vacaville, about 45 minutes north of WC. I grew up in WC and would have moved back but for "life" reasons. It's such a beautiful area. Actually, we just got back from a short vacation to visit my parents.
Anyway, sorry for the belated reply. Not much use now unless your jobs takes you back there. Paul
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