tothesummit
starting to shine!
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Post by tothesummit on Feb 13, 2015 18:18:33 GMT -5
For a couple years now I've been wanting to go roam around the Wiley's Well area. I have no doubt the place is picked pretty clean given its popularity with rockhounds for the last 80 years or so, but I still want to see the area. If nothing else just for some nice sightseeing and camping. So I am gonna take a few days off work and make a long weekend out of it to go roam around and see what treasures I can turn up. Really, its just an excuse to get out and sleep under the stars for a few nights. If I can find some nice rocks to bring home that will be a bonus.
So does anyone have experience with the area? How about advice of any kind? I've done a fair amount of research on the area already but first hand knowledge is always the best kind. I don't really need any advice on the topics of back country camping/driving/survival. Those are things I have done on a regular basis for more than a couple of decades. I am a desert rat at heart and I will be right at home out there. I just need some pointers in the rockhounding department, especially if anyone has first hand experiences they would like to share.
Of course the area is famous for its geode beds. But from what I've heard the area has been picked over something fierce. People tell stories of digging a hole 4 feet deep in search of geodes just to find a beer can. But I believe that a guy can still find some if he knows where to look. And I'm sure there are other things worth searching for. Interesting rocks abound throughout the deserts of the southwest and I can't believe this area is any different. And I've heard of uncommon things like psilomelane being found in this area. There is also a pay-to-dig fire agate mine (which I will probably skip).
So, anyone have any advice for me? And if there are any rockhounds who would like to join me you are welcome to do so. I'm going to invite some people I know but I often end up alone on my adventures. I'm going down the first 5 days of April (4/1-4/5 a Wed thru Sun). Thats the soonest I can get away, and any later in the year it will start to get too hot to enjoy this area with any level of comfort.
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tothesummit
starting to shine!
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Post by tothesummit on Feb 13, 2015 18:38:28 GMT -5
Oh, I am going to cross-post this at other forums to maximize exposure. I hope thats OK with folks here.
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Post by jakesrocks on Feb 13, 2015 18:45:08 GMT -5
I haven't been to Wiley's Wells in 20 years, but I'm sure there's still plenty to find out there. You seem to have desert travel covered, so I'll only say take plenty of water with you, and a sturdy shovel & pick. A framed screen to screen out the little ones is a plus. GPS is also a big plus. It's easy to get lost out there on all of the dirt roads. Take a fix on your camp site, so you can find your way back.
Wiley's Wells had an established campground the last time I was there, with out houses, trash cans, fire rings and limited running water. I'm sure that Coon Hollow has the same.
In the Potato Patch area, most geodes are small. I did find some interesting orange common opal with black dendrites in the dry washes around there. Also, on the desert floor close to the hills on the east side, it's possible to find fire agate mixed in the gravel.
Which ever sites you plan to go to, look for hillsides that look like giant gophers have been working. By expanding a hole outwards, you should be able to find nodules.
Good luck. Take lots of pics, and be sure to post them when you get back. We love trip reports with lots of pics.
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rxscram
spending too much on rocks
Member since August 2011
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Post by rxscram on Feb 13, 2015 19:44:28 GMT -5
I went out there a couple times early last year, and will be going again the first weekend in March. I'd highly recommend a book, it was invaluable to me. The title is "Rockhounding the Wiley's Well District of California", and Amazon has it here: www.amazon.com/Rockhounding-Wileys-Well-District-California/dp/1425962726The nice thing about the book is that it points to a truly huge number of different sites. It's fairly recent (2006), and utilizes GPS coordinates for the sites. It also points out where to find Psilomelane, the fire agate dig location (which was closed when I went, and truly a PITA to get to, even with a rugged 4WD vehicle), and a lot of points of (rockhounding) interest within about 30 miles of Wiley's Well. The campsite that jakesrocks mentioned is still there, and well maintained. The fees are kind of ridiculous (I think it was $60 or so when I went for a weekend), but are the same if you're there for a day or a couple weeks. They have longer term camping too, but I don't think that applies. We found a large number of geodes and agates, even a little psilomelane, without having to do a lot of strenuous digging. I did do some digging, just because I had my pick with me, but it wasn't necessary. Jeff
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Post by orrum on Feb 13, 2015 20:26:34 GMT -5
Go to Coon Hollow Campground on Wiley Wells and rockhound the campsites. The tables, bushes and all over is piled with stuff folks found and left behind!
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tothesummit
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Post by tothesummit on Feb 13, 2015 20:53:13 GMT -5
Thanks for the suggestion on the book rxscram. I already had it bookmarked at Amazon but wasn't sure if I should buy it. I'll def get it now.
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amyml
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Post by amyml on Feb 16, 2015 15:47:41 GMT -5
We went out there are few weeks ago and there is still plenty to be found. Just as an FYI, we had quite a bit of luck in the washes, not just the mountain side.
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Post by johnjsgems on Feb 16, 2015 21:26:18 GMT -5
If the book gives directions to the Straw Patch it was our favorite. Huge broken pieces easily found in float and nice geodes pretty easily dug from hillsides. A little walk in from closest parking makes for less quantities hauled out. If you have time, most books list Pebble Terrace. A very interesting location not too far away. If Opal Hill Mine road is drivable it goes right through it after you pass the mine. Just a little ways out Opal Hill Mine Road from Wiley Well Road there is a road to right that goes straight up a really steep hill. It is called "Road to Nowhere". Occasional fire agate found there and interesting lacy amygdules are abundant. If you camp outside the campground (like along the geode bed road) it is free but you must be "self contained". RV with toilet or porta potty if tenting. Rangers have been known to check.
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tothesummit
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Post by tothesummit on Feb 28, 2015 14:24:11 GMT -5
I can see this book paying for itself multiple times over! Glad I purchased it! Not only does it give some cool history of the area, but it will be invaluable as a guide to someone like me who doesn't know the area. I've been reading through it as I sit in front of the computer with Google Earth pulled up. Setting lots of pinpoints in Google Earth and learning about the area all while getting an overhead view of it all. I'm going to make myself a stack of maps for different places I want to go. I put my pins in place on Google Earth and then print maps up. I have used this technique for many years for everything from camping to hiking to geocaching and, of course, rockhounding. My wife says I often know an area better before I ever go there than many people do after they've already been there.
Although the book is 10 years old, and the author discusses lots of personal experiences that are 15-20 years old, it is still much more recent than most other books about the area. Also, it is helpful to see the areas that are popular and well known. It gives me ideas of places to explore where things might not be so picked over. I've always found that if a guy is willing to travel to the end of a quiet, little-used road and then get out and walk for a while there are many treasures to be found. And the area is literally criss-crossed with little roads!
And thanks for your personal experiences. I read about (and mapped out) the Straw Patch just this morning, glad to know you liked that one John. Like I said in the beginning, first-hand experience and stories are the best. And its nice to hear about places that I don't read about also.
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Post by rockpickerforever on Feb 28, 2015 15:27:56 GMT -5
Yes, love that book! Have been there several times over the years, but it wasn't until I got the book that we quit wandering around out there, and actually found the spots everyone was talking about.
I have dug for geodes in the Potato Patch, and also wandered around and picked up float in the washes. But maybe the best finds were other people's leverites, that they tossed down the hill at the Cinnamon beds!
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Post by DirtCleaner on Mar 1, 2015 18:20:27 GMT -5
Was in the general area early January. The campground is still there and looked quite busy. Any directions I had or were given by kind people on the road to my destination - the Hauser geode beds - were not quite good enough to get me there. And our little rental car was a bit afraid of some of the paths. So we ended up within a mile of our destination (I believe, because we never actually found it) and after walking on a hillside and a flat area for over an hour, found one nice geode where hundreds have been before. SO, get your research done ahead of the trip. Bring water and check your spare tire(s). Have fun, report back and take pics!
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gravelgrazer
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since June 2012
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Post by gravelgrazer on Mar 2, 2015 4:51:21 GMT -5
Was there a couple years ago about this same time and found some killer fire agate. Like johnjsgems mentioned above, the road was pretty bad. After I parked, I continued along the roadside and there was agate on both sides! Oh ya watch out for bees too. Have fun!
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tothesummit
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Post by tothesummit on Apr 12, 2015 10:13:15 GMT -5
What a great time I had at Wileys Well! It is not only a great place for rockhounds, it is just generally a beautiful area (if you love deserts like I do) and there is a lot of interesting things around. I had prepared for this trip to such an extent that I was able to drive right to all the places I wanted to go without getting lost. That made it nice and allowed me to maximize my days. In fact, I was so efficient at my rockhounding plans that I found I was able to take time each afternoon and just wander around exploring. Theres always some fun in that. Although I camped alone out in the desert I did spend some time each evening just before sunset visiting with the guys at Coon Hollow campground. These are the people who go out and spend the winters there every year. Each evening at 5 they have what they call 'happy hour' where they gather at a central point in the campground and BS for an hour or two. They are a wealth of knowledge about the area and are just a fun bunch of guys who love rocks. They are not shy about sharing info about the area also, especially after I spent some time with them. They know where all the good material is being pulled from each year, and they are full of stories about the area (some of which had me in stitches). Befriending them was the best thing that came out of the week. I exchanged info and will stay in touch, and no doubt will see them back there in winters to come. And then theres the rocks. My first day down I hounded around the manganese mines down Milpitas wash. I wanted to find some psilomelane. I did find some nice pieces and I hope they slab up nicely. I've heard all the stories about how messy this stuff is, but I love the finished product so I'll give it a shot. But of course my main reason to go to Wileys Well was geodes. I learned a lot about geodes and digging for them this week. First thing I learned is that a guy has to be prepared to dig a big ass hole and get absolutely nothing from it! I spent 3 hours of back-breaking labor in one spot at the Potato Patch and never saw a single geode. Also got skunked at the Cinnamon beds that day before collecting some small ones from the Straw Beds. The next day I managed to dig a few out of a hole at the Black Agate beds, but got skunked again on a hole in the Hidden Saddle beds. My last full day there I had almost given up digging more holes when I decided to give it one more go at the Southern end of the Hauser beds. There I pulled out two 5 gallon buckets full of nice geodes, and probably could have filled 2 more with broken pieces and small stuff. I was really glad I hadn't given up on digging that last hole. And that was the second thing I learned about digging geodes, you can do all the research and know as much about them as anyone and there is still a little bit of luck involved in finding them. Persistence is the key. So anyway the camping was great, the rocks were great, and the new friends were great. All in all it was a slam dunk. And I barely scratched the surface of what there is to see and do there. I will be back many times in years to come, no doubt about it. Lets get to some pictures! Here is the view from the Black Label mine looking NE towards the Opal Hill mine. The ocotillos were in bloom. They can be kinda ugly at other times of the year, but are gorgeous in the spring. Didn't see much wildlife. Not one snake, which surprised me. I heard lots of coyotes every night but couldn't see them in the dark. And other than the birds (lots of vultures, some crows and hawks, and various small birds) the most interesting thing I saw was lizards. Did come across one lazy horned lizard who was sunning on a rock. He barely opened his eyes to look at me even when I stroked his back. Here was the very first geode I found. Had to document it! lol The well that gives the area its name. Desert sunsets are always fantastic. The first night there was even a sun pillar at sunset. But the sunset my last night was spectacular! Such an angry looking sky, and so bright that it was even nice facing away from the sunset (second picture). I eat like a king when I go camping. I do believe some of the best meals I've ever eaten were cooked in a campfire and consumed while standing at the tailgate of my truck. I was so focused on preparing for rockhounding this trip that I neglected to check on something that I usually do....astronomical events. I knew there was a full moon on Fri night/Sat morn but that was all. I woke up Sat morning, looked at my watch and saw it was a little after 5 AM. I looked to the East to see if there was any twilight yet and no, it was dark on the horizon. I glanced up at the stars and was astounded at how bright they seemed. Then I thought "wait, its too dark out and there is supposed to be a full moon?" So I rolled to the West and there was the Moon almost fully eclipsed! I didn't even know there was going to be a lunar eclipse but I woke up just in time to see it at its full glory! I lay there for a while marvelling at this beautiful blood red moon before I finally told myself I'd better crawl out of bed and get the camera or I'd be pissed at myself later. Took a few pictures of it as the morning went on. It was still partially eclipsed as it slipped below the horizon right before sunrise. One of the most interesting finds of the week was not rock related at all. Driving down a dirt road I saw a small white box in the road. Stopped to pick it up and realized it had a long string attached to it with an antenna-looking deal at the other end laying in the desert. Also, a remnant of a balloon was clipped to the wire. Opened it up when I got home and been doing some research and I can't quite figure out what it is. There is a large military bombing range adjacent to the area that is very active so I'm leaning toward a military item that got lost. Here was the hole I dug in at the South Hauser beds. This hole produced many geodes of all sizes. I chose to dig here because I saw someone had been digging recently. There was a small hole about 12-18 inches deep and a couple feet in diameter. When I stopped to look at it I noticed that there were some nice looking broken pieces laying next to the hole. I thought "if they threw these pieces aside they must have found something here". By the time I walked away the hole was about 6 feet around and over 4 feet deep. So here was the geodes I brought home. Most of them came from that Hauser hole, but the small group of different colored (more red) ones in the upper right area came from the Black Agate beds. These broken ones showed off the possibilities that lay inside. Here is the first geode I cut open when I got home. And while I was waiting for that one to finish on the slab saw I grabbed a tiny little nodule and zipped it in half on the trim saw just for kicks. This thing was only about an inch in diameter, but still amazingly beautiful inside. So anyway, thats a quick look at some of my time at Wileys Well. Hope you enjoyed!
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Post by gingerkid on Apr 12, 2015 11:44:56 GMT -5
Outstanding field trip report, tothesummit! Enjoyed reading your post and pics, too. Very nice finds, good friends and eats, critters, and an eclipse - perfection!
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Post by orrum on Apr 12, 2015 11:46:10 GMT -5
Looks like you had a fantastic and productive trip!
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grizman
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Post by grizman on Apr 12, 2015 15:56:33 GMT -5
Nice! Thanks for sharing your trip.
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
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Post by Fossilman on Apr 12, 2015 15:58:40 GMT -5
SCORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Looks like you had a blast!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks for sharing the photos..... I always believe that weather changes the landscaping and etc every year,so you never know what you will or will not find.... So I always go check it out for myself..............
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Post by nowyo on Apr 12, 2015 22:24:28 GMT -5
Great report, thanks for posting. We stopped by there a few years ago but didn't really know quite where to go and didn't have nearly enough time. Returning is on the to-do list. Thanks again.
Russ
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amyml
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Post by amyml on Apr 13, 2015 0:04:04 GMT -5
Great photos!
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rodeodan
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Post by rodeodan on Apr 13, 2015 9:16:34 GMT -5
Sounds like a great trip, thanks for the post
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