|
|
Post by rockpickerforever on Jan 5, 2016 17:50:29 GMT -5
Last Saturday, we took a short drive (about an hour) up to the Laguna Mountains. We spent part of the day at the Starlight claim, which belongs to our prospecting club. Although it hadn't recently rained (at that point in time), the ground was way too wet to even think about drywashing for gold. Mrrockpicker wanted to try out his Goldmaster II metal detector which he recently got. We did bring a bucket of classified dirt home to pan at our convenience. We have found small amount of gold at this location in the past.
It was chilly at home in the morning when we left, and we knew it would be even colder up there. Decided not to rush it, so we didn't leave until 8-ish. The claim is at an elevation of 3300+ feet, temp was probably in the low thirties. There was still a dusting of snow under bushes in protected areas.
This large shrub is a typical chaparral plant, Laurel Sumac. 
Discovery post for the claim
Before we even got started walking around, I noticed these HUGE tracks. GPS for scale, it is 5 inches long. (Yes, Tommy, the scrapes on the front plastic are from running it over at the North Cadys! It still works fine.)
Was trying to figure out if these could be mountain lion, or wolf? They were not from someone's pet, as they were not concentrated on the site, but instead just passed through the area one time.
Pretty good-sized, my shoe is four inches across! Claws at tip suggest wolf.
Mrrockpicker's hand
And some scat, containing fur and small bones. From same animal as tracks? Just for you jamesp, haven't had any good doodoo threads in some time, lol.
Rock hammer for size reference. That ain't from no small animal!
Ground and plants on it still frozen. Hard to dig.
A chunk of ice. Did I mention it was cold?
Ice filled tobacco can on the ground - perfect skating rink for ants.
Dead flower stalk on Chaparral Yucca after blooming.
A puffball fungus.
Some kind of thistle, I believe. It was pretty stickery.
View looking towards west, back towards town.
This is the waterfall area, above the claim.
mrrockpicker trying out his toy.
Although for the most part it is dry up here, there is enough humidity under the bushes to support lichens.
Kind of a cool mint green color.
Close up. This patch is about 2 inches in diameter. Very primitive.
More ice/frost at ground level.
Zoomed camera to the water fall. We climbed to the base of the cliff below the waterfall, but did not go up to it.
Some kind of mushrooms.
This is the base of a yucca plant. Very sharp tips!
Well suited to growing here, requires little water. I imagine the sharp tips keep deer from eating them, probably pretty fibrous as well.
Some buckwheat.
Did not make it all the way up to the waterfall. That's okay.
This was a large hole excavated below the waterfall.
Someone was working this seam, not sure what they were finding.
A lot of scraping and pecking going on.
Maybe we'll make it up there next time. With all this rain, will be sometime before the road is navigable. Slip slidin' away.
White quartz veins throughout the granite rock.
Interstate 8, the right side of photo heading east.
Still wondering about the large tracks. Was speaking with a neighbor of mine just yesterday, she used to live in Pine Valley (5 or so miles to the west of here). I told her about the tracks, and she said that there are wolves in that area. I looked online, and only saw confirmed (radio-tracked) wolves in northern California. Suppose it's possible they are here, could have come north from Mexico. It's only 12 miles to the south.
Anyway, thanks for looking. Hope you enjoyed the landscape.
|
|
|
|
Post by Pat on Jan 5, 2016 18:19:39 GMT -5
Thanks for the trip. What did you bring home?
|
|
jamesp
Cave Dweller 
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,608
|
Post by jamesp on Jan 5, 2016 18:36:52 GMT -5
Perhaps a taste/smell test would have told you the owner of the scat.
Love the lichens, they can be very old. The one in the close up is amazing. Should also be tasted. Vitamin L...
Never knew wolves are there, I figured it would be a M Lion.
The yucca that grows all over Florida is also called a Spanish Bayonet. Yes sharp, worse is the painful toxin when pricked.
Hard to describe the pain, similar to a harvester ant but not as intense. Prick causes red colored skin and then festers.
Harvester ant worse than any bee, due to the length of pain caused(like 3 days).
The mushrooms look edible too. Another subject for a taste test.
Looks like granite, so you guys have that dominating boring rock too. Sorry.
Betcha MrRockpicker put a big stash of gold in his back pocket.
|
|
micellular
has rocks in the head
Rock fever is curable with more rocks.
Member since September 2015
Posts: 640
|
Post by micellular on Jan 5, 2016 18:39:39 GMT -5
I can't speak as to wolf or not, but they are definitely canine. Canid tracks have a characteristic "X"-shape between the toes, while feline toes curve around the pad in a C-shape. The scat looks more mountain lion to me - cats tend to have segmented poops. More info
 Source - Memory from a mammal tracking course/internship in college. I can check my copy of this when I visit my parents, though. |
|
|
|
Post by vegasjames on Jan 5, 2016 19:13:09 GMT -5
Nice photos, thanks for sharing.
By the way lichens make great wound antiseptics if ever injured and it will be a while to get to a hospital. Puffball spores also stop bleeding immediately.
|
|
herchenx
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2012
Posts: 3,360
|
Post by herchenx on Jan 5, 2016 19:15:05 GMT -5
I was betting on wolf when I saw the tracks, very big for sure.
Did you bring any goodies home besides the graded dirt or was that the goal?
Looks like a nice place to be out and about, glad you could go!
|
|
|
|
Post by rockpickerforever on Jan 5, 2016 19:21:12 GMT -5
You're welcome, Pat. What I brought home... a few rocks, and some dirt that needs to be panned. Won't be doing that anytime soon, with this rain. My feet are freezing!!! jamesp, I'm not much into sampling things in the wild, animal, vegetable or mineral. If I was thinking, I should have brought a sample home and sent it to you for ID. I love the look and texture of the lichens, not into tasting. when we first got there, mrrockpicker was eating manzanita berries, lol. micellular, thanks. I saw that diagram online as well. But what really made me think wolf (aside from the claws) was that my neighbor I was speaking to was walking her malamute, with his big ole furry feet! vegasjames, thank you for looking, glad you enjoyed them. In nature is a vast supply of healing plants! |
|
|
|
Post by rockpickerforever on Jan 5, 2016 19:23:08 GMT -5
Thanks, John. No, pretty much just the dirt, which will get looked at later. That and a few rocks. It's pretty much granite up there, but some quartz.
Wonder who I would talk to about wolves in the area? Or just keep my mouth shut about it? lol.
|
|
Mark K
Cave Dweller
Member since April 2012
Posts: 2,818 
|
Post by Mark K on Jan 5, 2016 19:42:42 GMT -5
That is wolf.
|
|
Tommy
Administrator 
Member since January 2013
Posts: 12,989
|
Post by Tommy on Jan 5, 2016 22:02:16 GMT -5
Awesome  thanks for the trip photos. Looking forward to seeing you guys in Quartzsite in a few weeks |
|
quartz
Cave Dweller
breakin' rocks in the hot sun
Member since February 2010
Posts: 3,359
|
Post by quartz on Jan 6, 2016 0:23:32 GMT -5
Thanks for the pics., always enjoy seeing your trip coverage, much different than wet side of OR. Really wet now.
|
|
jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,608
|
Post by jamesp on Jan 6, 2016 3:40:23 GMT -5
Granite seems to grow lichens best.
Crushed granite is a fine soil amendment.
Univ. of Ga did a study on plant growth along the edge of our numerous crushed gravel roads and found the gravel dust had positive effects.
Lots of flat exposures of granite here that hold water and have micro environments of very rare plants and lichens. Arabia Mountain
|
|
|
|
Post by rockpickerforever on Jan 6, 2016 15:59:50 GMT -5
Awesome thanks for the trip photos. Looking forward to seeing you guys in Quartzsite in a few weeks
You're welcome! We're also looking forward to just three short days (no full week this year  ). We'll make it work. Like Russ just pointed out in the shout box, hoping the rain will stop for just one week!
|
|
|
|
Post by rockpickerforever on Jan 6, 2016 16:05:03 GMT -5
Betcha MrRockpicker put a big stash of gold in his back pocket.
No, but he had a decent sized nugget in his front pocket. I bought it in Q last year at the PowWow. It was found somewhere near Q by a member of their prospecting club, using a metal detector. Mrrockpicker stes it down and uses it to check operation of his metal detector.
Have not been able to pan the dirt from the trip, not going to go out and wash of rocks to take pics of them with this rain. Will post them when I do. (They're not much...)
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 6, 2016 16:41:32 GMT -5
Wolf in the Lagunas?
That would be some sort of new discovery. there is a lone male wolf up in very far northern cali. More of a southern form 'red wolf' found in very far south aridzona.
Why cant they be footprints of a club members german sheperd? Not saying it aint wolf, but occams razor says on a clubs claim its more likely a pet than a rare occurence.
|
|
|
|
Post by rockpickerforever on Jan 6, 2016 17:30:53 GMT -5
When you hear hoofbeats, think horses not zebras? 
Was trying to figure out if these could be mountain lion, or wolf? They were not from someone's pet, as they were not concentrated on the site, but instead just passed through the area one time.
Scott @shotgunner , what I said above. Just one set, through the site one time. Not someone's pet. Not unless it jumped out of someone's vehicle, and ran away, not coming back. Oh, and much bigger than a German shepherd. My neighbor used to live in Pine Valley, she told me that they are present there.
If a wolf new to the area (yet to be hunted down, tranquilized and radio collared), very easy to imagine it came up from Mexico. The location is only 12 miles north of the border.
Wish I'd've seen it, not just the tracks.
|
|
quartz
Cave Dweller
breakin' rocks in the hot sun
Member since February 2010
Posts: 3,359
|
Post by quartz on Jan 6, 2016 17:57:22 GMT -5
I think there are more wolves around than some are willing to admit. One male from the pack in far N.E. Oregon migrated to far S.W. Oregon/N.Cal., found a mate and started a family. Wonder where the female came from?
|
|
Mark K
Cave Dweller
Member since April 2012
Posts: 2,818
|
Post by Mark K on Jan 6, 2016 17:59:18 GMT -5
It could be a dog too. It is canine for sure.
|
|
|
|
Post by nowyo on Jan 6, 2016 19:54:20 GMT -5
Thanks for the pictures, looks like a fun trip. Good luck panning the dirt out, people always looked at me weird when I said I was going out to wash dirt. Well, people usually look at me weird anyways so I never let it bother me.
The tracks are a canid, probably a wolf. Could have come up from Mexico or from somewhere else. There are a lot more wolves out there than the "officials" tell about. Also, some of the wolf lovers have been breeding hybrids and turning them loose, although from what I hear that has been more common in the North West.
Russ
|
|
Tommy
Administrator
Member since January 2013
Posts: 12,989
|
Post by Tommy on Jan 7, 2016 0:04:55 GMT -5
We're also looking forward to just three short days (no full week this year We'll make it work. Like Russ just pointed out in the shout box, hoping the rain will stop for just one week! Yep it's gonna be a short trip for us too. Probably just enough time to crawl the shows and hit the BBQ and head home. I don't see us getting in a hounding trip this time unless something comes up to change that. |
|
thanks for the trip photos.
). We'll make it work. Like Russ just pointed out in the shout box, hoping the rain will stop for just one week!
