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Post by rockpickerforever on Feb 5, 2014 18:54:59 GMT -5
Hmmm, I thought there was a thread called "Location, location, location..." Well guess this will fit here, since it MAY be an upcoming RTH field trip.
Lots of cool stuff to be found out here in the far southeast corner of California. Indian Pass road is a well maintained, graded dirt road, easy to access with two-wheel drive cars, trailers and RVs. After eight or ten miles or so (plenty of good material can be picked up before you reach this point), the road is not maintained, and goes down a steep hillside, then curves in, out and around some mountains. If it's not wet out, and you have a 4WD with good clearance (short wheel base is better!), you can go all the way to the Colorado River and a couple of camp areas down below. It is definitely the long way around, but if you don't want to go back up the hill, you can go south down Picacho Road and come out onto Interstate 8 near Winterhaven, and return via Ogilby Road. Doing this drive is a day-long excursion! If your vehicle does not already have Arizona pin stripes, it will once you've made the trip down the hill.
1. This first agate (jasp-agate?) was found the first time we camped here. We didn't go specifically to look for rocks.
2. This one is from the first field trip we went on there.
3. Close up
4. This is what most people come out here looking for - dumortierite. This first ones are not high quality, but make fine yard rocks.
5. Color can vary, this one is a lighter blue.
6. You can see they have a dark crust to them, a whack with a rock hammer will window it for you.
7. Dry
8. Wet
9. Doesn't look like much, does it? Dry.
10. Wet
11. Not a real good pic, this is a yard rock, and I didn't feel like picking the dang thing up to move it out of shadow. I think this may be a low grade form of Kyanite.
12. This may be a stone tool made by the Indians that used to live and hunt here. I'll post more pics of it in the artifacts section.
13. This area is was a palm bog. Chunk showing fibers of palm.
14. Most are brownish or orangish
15.
16. Some are bluish.
17. A darker brown
18.
19.
20. And then there's the critters... A tube worm perhaps? Or maybe just a palm shoot.
21.
22.
23. Don't know what it is, but it's cool!
24. Some of you may have seen these before - Snail shells
25. Did not even see them until long after the rocks were slabbed and pics taken. That's when I first saw them.
26.
Well, if you see anything that intrigues you, be sure to PM Scott @shotgunner and let him know you'd like to attend!
Thanks for looking. Jean
Edited to add pic numbers
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 5, 2014 19:03:34 GMT -5
Yes, awesome Jean. I am considering a trip out there in March. It may be a weekend or just an overnighter. If I do an overnighter I'll head out, crash for the night, get up and hound, then leave. Maybe Saturday to Sunday kinda thingy. It's possible jean may tour guide! She;s been there a couple times. Who is up for it? rockpickerforever love the snails!
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Post by rockpickerforever on Feb 5, 2014 19:05:52 GMT -5
By March, maybe I'll be able to afford gas for another trip.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 5, 2014 20:07:20 GMT -5
If I am still in the south I will take a shot at it. The wet shot of the blue stuff in photo 8 looks very interesting as does most of the latter things. You have some really sweet rock there and I would love to pick some up. Sounds like the drive would be interesting too.
Would it be best if I was camping down around Yuma at the time? I need to do some map research I guess.
Thanks for taking the time to show your finds. Jim
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Post by Deleted on Feb 5, 2014 20:12:14 GMT -5
If I am still in the south I will take a shot at it. The wet shot of the blue stuff in photo 8 looks very interesting as does most of the latter things. You have some really sweet rock there and I would love to pick some up. Sounds like the drive would be interesting too. Would it be best if I was camping down around Yuma at the time? I need to do some map research I guess. Thanks for taking the time to show your finds. Jim It is closer to Yuma than Q. Although the drive from Q could take you thru some historic and scenic rockhounding areas (Wiley's Well, Hauser Beds....) I think Jean camps right at the spot or very nearby. rockpickerforever?
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Post by rockpickerforever on Feb 6, 2014 12:09:12 GMT -5
Starting over, I hate when that happens!
I've only been here a half dozen times or so. The first two times I went there, was just for camping, four-wheeling and quad riding. I was not yet rock crazy. Since then, I've been out on a handful of field trips. Those were just one day affairs, did not camp overnight.
It is open desert, BLM land. @shotgunner is correct, you camp right there, near where you will be collecting. You can camp anywhere that it is not a Wilderness Area (and there are several of those nearby).
Lots of open flat ground.
Scenic. This chunk o' rock is right on the Colorado River. I think it is called Gavilan Mtn, but not certain.
We spent one New Years there. We were attempting to summon aliens to join us in the fun.
This was New Years 2004. Yes, even the guys were capable of getting silly.
This is only the second time I've seen fog in the desert like this.
Can you say pea soup?
This is "down the hill", to the north side of the road is the Indian Pass Wilderness. No vehicles in that area.
Interesting geology down there. Pretty.
If you take the road (and I use the term loosely - I'd say it's more of a jeep trail) all the way down the hill, through the swampy (when wet) area, you come out on the Colorado River. All along this stretch of river is the Imperial National Wildlife Refuge.
Just one of the spots where you can camp at. Right on the beach.
Coming back up the hill one time, these guys were watching us from the top of the hill. There is evidence (road apples and hoof prints) of them throughout the area.
Now the last time I was there on a field trip, the trip leader took us in about eight miles down the road, where we all parked and started scouring the hills and washes. My understanding is he doesn't take field trips in as far anymore, something closer to 6 miles. But pretty much the entire area is covered with possibilities.
Jim, I'll get some location info and post it soon. Probably will mark some spots on ACME mapper, and post the link.
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jollyrockhound
spending too much on rocks
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Post by jollyrockhound on Feb 6, 2014 12:21:42 GMT -5
Wow looks like a lot of fun Thanks for sharing love desert picts! BTW what does dumortierite I have never heard of it polish like?
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Post by rockpickerforever on Feb 6, 2014 12:33:31 GMT -5
It depends on the quality of the material you find. While there is still plenty of dumortierite to be found out there, the best stuff has been removed over the years by many, many rockhounds. However, you can still find nice, solid material with good color if you know what to look for. They just won't be the large boulders that were out there in the past. It will take a decent polish, I use a flat lap, polish with diamond up to 50K.
I've found some of the best stuff can be had at the estate sales of rockhounds - well, in the southern California area, anyways. This is material they picked up in the 40s, 50s and 60s, when the gettin' was good!
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Post by Deleted on Feb 6, 2014 18:26:02 GMT -5
yeah. Put yourself in this setting. Same desert 40 miles north. You are on the edge of a freshwater marsh/pond on the southeast corner of salton sea. It's foggy like that, the air feels miserable and the ducks are flying. The fog is so thick if you can actually see the duck, it's close enough to kill. You have about 1 second to see them, mount your weapon, swing and fire. That day a good shot got a limit in 2-3 hours (and almost 50 shells! It took me 5 hours and 48 shells (I never bring more than 50!!) That mi amiga is duck hunting weather!
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Post by rockpickerforever on Feb 6, 2014 18:40:43 GMT -5
Okay, Andrew - I mean Scott - I get the picture. Are ducks, shooting ducks and shows about ducks all you think about? Okay, I guess you have to live for something. I've never had duck, don't know what I'm missing, right?
The best part about the fog was it fooled the senses into thinking you were NOT in the desert. Sinuses opened up, skin wasn't so dry, etc. After a week in Quartzsite, it was sure nice to come home and be able to breathe the moist air off the ocean, what I grew up with. Anytime I travel, you can always tell when you get close. Heck, even the trip to the North Cadys, when the 215 southbound meets up with the 15.
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Post by Tonyterner on Feb 6, 2014 19:45:33 GMT -5
Very cool area. Lots of great rocks. Someday..........
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LarryS
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Post by LarryS on Feb 6, 2014 20:55:04 GMT -5
Cool pics Jean. That's one area I haven't explored. Keep those trip reports coming for us stuck in the city.
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Sabre52
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Post by Sabre52 on Feb 6, 2014 21:17:11 GMT -5
Great fun trip report! Man, I haven't been down that way for years and years. Are the skeeters still as bad down there along the river? Got eaten alive when we were down there. Dumortierite makes a good tumble too. Like that red palm root, that's a beaut....Mel
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Post by rockpickerforever on Feb 6, 2014 21:19:26 GMT -5
If I am still in the south I will take a shot at it. The wet shot of the blue stuff in photo 8 looks very interesting as does most of the latter things. You have some really sweet rock there and I would love to pick some up. Sounds like the drive would be interesting too. Would it be best if I was camping down around Yuma at the time? I need to do some map research I guess. Thanks for taking the time to show your finds. Jim Jim, as mentioned in an earlier post, you camp right there, no muss, no fuss. Here's a link to location on ACME Mapper - link - with waypoints marked coming from Yuma.
Coming from Quartzsite, you can either go south on Hwy 95 to Yuma, take 8 west, take a right (north) on Ogilby Road, go to Indian Pass Road and turn right (east). Here is link to Google map for that route: Via Hwy 95 and Yuma 118 mi, 2 hours 15 mins
Or you can take 10 west from Quartzsite to Blythe, take Hwy 78 south - watch for the signs, you have to exit in Blythe, then travel west a bit before going south (it goes through Palo Verde - great rock shop there, BTW, and thru some historic and scenic rockhounding areas - Wiley's Well, Hauser Beds.... as Scott mentioned). Make a right turn (east) when you hit Ogilby road, go south to Indian Pass Road.
Here is link to Google map for that route: Via Blythe and Palo Verde 92.5 mi, 1 hour 55 mins
I hope this works...
YAY, looks like it did!
Tony, next time you get to Quartzsite, it's not that far out of the way.
Thanks, Larry and Mel. As long as you guys like to look at 'em, I'll keep taking pics and posting. The one thing I am not good at is taking them while walking through places like desert Gardens. I don't know how Susan did it! I applaud you for such a great report on Quartzsite!
Mel, as long as you are not down the hill near the river, I don't recall being eaten up by mosquitos. But when we went to Potholes in November and December, the mosquitos there were terrible. That's a little bit further north (Imperial Dam Road @ Senator Wash), and just off of the canal and river.
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Tommy
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Post by Tommy on Feb 6, 2014 23:35:06 GMT -5
I've found some of the best stuff can be had at the estate sales of rockhounds - well, in the southern California area, anyways. This is material they picked up in the 40s, 50s and 60s, when the gettin' was good! You got that exactly right Jean - at the old estate sale I posted a bunch of photos from last year, my brother bought a 100 lb boulder of the stuff. He broke me off a chunk and I tried cabbing it but the piece I had didn't take a very good shine and I gave up on it.
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Post by rockpickerforever on Feb 7, 2014 10:18:02 GMT -5
Tommy, I'll have to look through my stash and see if I can find a good piece for you to cab. Like I said, I think some of the best stuff nowadays comes from estate sales!
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jollyrockhound
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Post by jollyrockhound on Feb 9, 2014 21:41:17 GMT -5
Thanks yep it seems the best of alot comes from the old timers ahh to have hit all those spots long ago
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Post by pghram on Feb 10, 2014 18:10:07 GMT -5
Nice trip & great finds.
Rich
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rocpup
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Post by rocpup on Feb 11, 2014 8:49:59 GMT -5
We have wintered in Yuma for the last twenty years and have made the Indian Pass area for hounding many times. Or most favorite area is wilderness now. There is a ten ton boulder of yellow-brown jasper in there. There used to be a Rock Shop at Gold Rock Ranch that had 500 pound boulders of the nice blue rock that was collected in the 40's. The RV park sold and the new owners are not interested in the nice rocks scattered around there. This has been a collecting area for a hundred years but there is still nice rocks to be found if you look hard enough. As you walk around you will notice all the black rocks have been chipped, use this as a clue to finding this now elusive blue rock. A polishing tip: Dumortierite absorbs oil and turns black and is almost impossible to get a good polish on it. The better material I have found is mixed with brown or white and will polish well. If after you go looking and don't find a keeper give me a PM and I will give you directions to our place and I will share some with you. Don
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