tereza
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Member since November 2019
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Post by tereza on Aug 25, 2020 20:39:57 GMT -5
Hi, I wonder what are some nice places to visit to collect lapidary material around Madras, OR. I am familiar with PDA mine and Richardson ranch. I heard about Biggs and Deschutes jasper but none of those can supposedly be self-collected any more, and not sure if anyone in the area sells some. I also heard about Hampton Butte, Glass Buttes, Maury Mountain Agate beds, Eagle rock but I am not sure which of these locations can be accessed without 4x4 and how likely it is to find something nice without some major digging. If anybody is familiar with these locations and can tell me which ones need what type of equipment or knows of some other interesting locations - let me please know!  Thank you, T. |
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Post by taylor on Aug 25, 2020 21:54:53 GMT -5
I would recommend a visit to the BLM in Prineville. I think there is a rock shop in Prineville...Quant? Others here may be able to provide more specific information.
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quartz
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breakin' rocks in the hot sun
Member since February 2010
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Post by quartz on Aug 25, 2020 22:03:00 GMT -5
Right now there is a fire somewhere on Maury mountain, may or may not be able to get where you want to. About 30 miles East of Bend on Hwy. 20, Oregon 27 heads North toward Prineville. A few miles up 27 is Bear Creek Road to the right. Take the first track to the left off Bear Creek and explore the area. The further you go the more there is to find. We found some nice tumbling and cabbing material in there just walking around. A car will go quite a ways in with no clearance problems, but don't let it rain on you, the stuff gets real sticky.
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tereza
off to a rocking start
Member since November 2019
Posts: 14
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Post by tereza on Aug 25, 2020 22:29:59 GMT -5
Right now there is a fire somewhere on Maury mountain, may or may not be able to get where you want to. About 30 miles East of Bend on Hwy. 20, Oregon 27 heads North toward Prineville. A few miles up 27 is Bear Creek Road to the right. Take the first track to the left off Bear Creek and explore the area. The further you go the more there is to find. We found some nice tumbling and cabbing material in there just walking around. A car will go quite a ways in with no clearance problems, but don't let it rain on you, the stuff gets real sticky. Hi Quartz, I didn't even think of checking for fires, thank you! I found Little Bear Creek road and Bear Creek-Five road on google maps going right off of 27, do you by any chance know which one? What type of material did you find out there - is it similar to what you can find at Hampton Butte? And thank you for sharing the location! |
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quartz
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breakin' rocks in the hot sun
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Post by quartz on Aug 26, 2020 22:24:16 GMT -5
Go on Bear Creek, not little Bear Creek, to the site I spoke of. What we found was more a selection of jaspers than the pet. wood normally found at Hampton. We got rained out before getting more than maybe a half mile up the little track, got in quite a bit of walking around there. Supposedly there is a lot of pet. wood further up the road, this mentioned by a trusted friend. A person could get to both on a long day, i.e. get started early.
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tereza
off to a rocking start
Member since November 2019
Posts: 14
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Post by tereza on Aug 28, 2020 16:36:28 GMT -5
Great, thank you. I found additional instructions on Oregon Discovery page, so hopefully I'll find the right place now  Btw have you been to glass buttes? I bought some nice obsidian rough long time ago that had a mix of gold sheen + fire in it. Supposedly it's from there but I am not sure where exactly (I hear the area is big) and I also wonder how picked over it is or if - similar to Davis Creek - it has a plenty of material left. |
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quartz
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breakin' rocks in the hot sun
Member since February 2010
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Post by quartz on Aug 28, 2020 22:21:00 GMT -5
I've never been in there, OB not tall on our list. fossilman Mike has, maybe he will ring in. |
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Post by rockpickerforever on Aug 29, 2020 0:21:50 GMT -5
I've never been in there, OB not tall on our list. fossilman Mike has, maybe he will ring in. Larry, you tagged the wrong person. Allow me to poke Mike for you - Fossilman His user name and screen name are different. Next time, try @ fossil (without the space). I know, confusing. |
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noiefish
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Post by noiefish on Sept 3, 2020 15:16:05 GMT -5
Little Glass Butte and Glass Butte have pretty good pickings on the surface. If you google Glass Butte Map, there should be a map of the different color areas in the top hits. The main road out is normally doable in a regular car. The loops are doable depending on how much clearance you have and how much you live your car. The road to the top should be done with 4 wheel drive. Be sure to have a real spare - you’re driving on glass. We did see a couple tow trucks out there last time, so you wouldn’t be completely stranded. 😁 Watch for claim markers.
Hampton Butte is completely reachable by anything. There is small stuff on the surface, or if you sift other people’s diggings. A couple of gentlemen I talked to when I was out there said the trick to digging is to find somewhere no one has dug before. No need to go deep - 1-2 shovel depths (there was some debate about who was right). Based on the beauties they had in their buckets, I think they knew what they were talking about.
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noiefish
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Post by noiefish on Sept 3, 2020 15:19:39 GMT -5
Also look up Congleton Hollow for Agate Limb casts. I haven’t made it there yet, but it is on the list!
There is a DVD of sites available that I see recommended a lot - Ore Rock On. It has the gps files for the points in Gem Trails of Oregon and Rockhounding Oregon, and other spots. Someday I’ll have the kind of time where I need that many spots. 😄
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orerockon
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Post by orerockon on Dec 31, 2022 16:25:54 GMT -5
Also look up Congleton Hollow for Agate Limb casts. I haven’t made it there yet, but it is on the list! There is a DVD of sites available that I see recommended a lot - Ore Rock On. It has the gps files for the points in Gem Trails of Oregon and Rockhounding Oregon, and other spots. Someday I’ll have the kind of time where I need that many spots. 😄 Yup and I just finished the update with the new revisions of Rockhounding Oregon and Gem Trails of Washington. This one took me 7 weeks because I made just about every map look better I have new locations in central OR and more, mostly west of the Cascades and northeast. I've never seen 20 or so of them discussed in public (HINT lol). orerockon.com/CD.htm |
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Fossilman
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Post by Fossilman on Jan 3, 2023 13:59:32 GMT -5
Sorry for not jumping in when needed... Not on much anymore, but will try harder to be here .. Life is chasing me around circles right now!! LOL
OB that must be Obsidian? Am I right?
I hit Glass Buttes a lot and love that material. Ok, no you don't need a 4x4 to hound Glass Buttes, unless you're into some serious digging and (or) hounding.
Can drive right into the locations, parking/camping areas and hound Obsidian, it's everywhere! If in a car or two wheel drive trk or van, stay close to the main road areas around the cow pond and south a bit. Some pits are right next to the roads, just don't park on the roadways, pull off and if you have to walk a bit, do it .. Thumbs up ..
They just did some roadwork on the areas coming into the Obsidian pit areas, so good roads... Maintain your tires, if crappy tires on your rig, don't attempt to drive into the area, you will get flats ..
Drive slow, don't spin the tires and you will be just fine/ happy Hounding!!
PS: take snakes/food and lots of water, plus first aid kit - Obsidian bites .. LOL
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realrockhound
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Post by realrockhound on Jan 5, 2023 23:03:51 GMT -5
Most everything in central Oregon has been picked over here, and picked over twice more. In large thanks to books like gem trails of Oregon and the likes.
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Post by aDave on Jan 6, 2023 2:24:45 GMT -5
Most everything in central Oregon has been picked over here, and picked over twice more. In large thanks to books like gem trails of Oregon and the likes. I'll go even farther than what you're speaking to. While innocently asked and answered here, there are all types of folks who come to this board and there is a subsequent open discussion about collecting areas...in any locale. The problem is when this is discussed in public on this forum, any answers/discussions are subject to being found in a web search...by anyone. So, while I realize this will get lost down the road, I'd encourage anyone here on this forum, if they are concerned about keeping their collecting sites somewhat private, to do so via PM. Of course, there can be a general discussion about a given area, but I happen to try to hold to keeping any site specific discussions in PMs. That's just me. |
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