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Post by jasoninsd on Jun 23, 2021 17:22:50 GMT -5
So, a couple weeks ago I was bitten by a bug...or I got an itch that needed to be scratched. However you prefer it to be worded! Talking to several people at the Fairburn Agate and Rock Swap who hunt Fairburns along the river pretty much put me over the edge for wanting to do this. It's something I've thought about before, but never really acted on. I decided life is short and I'm not getting any younger. So, I ordered a river raft online and have been planning on how to make this work while I was waiting for the raft to arrive. My whole family thinks I'm nuts (nothing new there though! LOL). The raft arrived Tuesday night. I inflated it that night to make sure there were no manufacturer defects. It's still inflated, so the trip is a "go" as of tomorrow morning. I have NO idea how many days this is going to take. I have enough food and water for three days. I've seen "Naked and Afraid" and "Alone" too many times, so I know I can last a few more days if I run out of supplies! (Just to put everyone's mind at ease, there's always a ranch within a couple hours walk anywhere along the route I'm taking). I'll do everything I can to take as many pictures as possible along the way and will share them in this thread when (not saying "if") I get back. Here's the raft ready and waiting for its maiden voyage!
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Post by miket on Jun 23, 2021 19:05:46 GMT -5
Good luck my friend and find some good ones! One more thing, are you sure that's enough Fairburn buckets? 🙂
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Post by jasoninsd on Jun 23, 2021 19:13:47 GMT -5
Good luck my friend and find some good ones! One more thing, are you sure that's enough Fairburn buckets? 🙂 Thank you my friend! I'm hoping to find some monsters along the way...but that of course is the hopes every time I go anywhere looking for Fairburns! LOL If there isn't enough room in the buckets, I can always walk the shoreline and pull the boat through the water and the rocks can take my place in the boat! LOL - I'd be happy if I found enough treasures for two of the buckets. I know petrified wood can be prevalent through this stretch, so I'll have to be super selective when it comes to pet wood. Ammonites are another one that can be found along this stretch. I will however, make room for ammonites should I find some good ones.
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aGates
spending too much on rocks
Building a silver studio
Member since January 2021
Posts: 450
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Post by aGates on Jun 23, 2021 19:39:24 GMT -5
My wife and I been talking about kayaking the yellow stone from gravel bar to gravel bar haha you so got one fine head on your shoulders. I'm jelly. Trade you a waterline blue agate for a fairburn . Johnny agates
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Post by jasoninsd on Jun 23, 2021 19:52:00 GMT -5
My wife and I been talking about kayaking the yellow stone from gravel bar to gravel bar haha you so got one fine head on your shoulders. I'm jelly. Trade you a waterline blue agate for a fairburn . Johnny agates Hey Johnny! I pondered kayaking for about 57 seconds. LOL - I know me, so I wouldn't be "upright" for long...and I wanted room to haul rocks. I think going down the Yellowstone would be an amazing trip! Thankfully, the Cheyenne doesn't have any real white-water. I'll keep the trade offer in mind. But to be honest, when it comes to Fairburns, I have a hard time even thinking of releasing them once they're in hand! LOL
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Brian
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2020
Posts: 1,506
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Post by Brian on Jun 23, 2021 20:17:12 GMT -5
Sounds like a fantastic adventure! Just make sure to paddle faster when you hear a banjo playing.
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Post by jasoninsd on Jun 23, 2021 20:28:18 GMT -5
Sounds like a fantastic adventure! Just make sure to paddle faster when you hear a banjo playing. Wait, what if I'm the one playing the banjo? Thanks Brian! - I'm hoping it's going to be one heckuva fun trip.
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Post by hummingbirdstones on Jun 23, 2021 21:05:05 GMT -5
Bon voyage! Have a safe and productive trip. Can't wait to see pics of this adventure.
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Post by amygdule on Jun 23, 2021 21:23:37 GMT -5
That sounds like you're going to have fun. How many miles do you plan on doing ? Be Safe and Good Luck !
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Post by jasoninsd on Jun 23, 2021 21:31:09 GMT -5
Bon voyage! Have a safe and productive trip. Can't wait to see pics of this adventure. Thanks Robin! I will TRY to remember to take a bunch of pics...hopefully I'll be able to capture a great picture of an amazing Fairburn in it's natural habitat! LOL That sounds like you're going to have fun. How many miles do you plan on doing ? Be Safe and Good Luck ! Thanks 'dule! I've been having a hard time calculating the "exact" mileage of the span of river I'll be floating. I'm figuring it's between 20 and 30 miles...I think! LOL - I will be parking my truck at the "exit" point tomorrow morning...so I'll at least know where to stop! LOL
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Post by greig on Jun 24, 2021 16:59:13 GMT -5
I know a fellow who floated a gold dredge down a river for a two week trip. He got into some gold after the first bend, but wanted to see what was further downstream. I asked him how it went and he said the best spot was the first one he tried and it got exponentially worse for the next two weeks. Lesson - if you find a good spot, start collecting rather than GPS so you can find it again. Good luck on your trip. I am sure many of us would like to be floating beside you (or one day ahead - LOL). I look forward to your pictures.
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Post by jasoninsd on Jun 27, 2021 13:05:34 GMT -5
So, I thought I'd better update this thread with an account of my trip. What was supposed to be a fun and adventuresome couple of days, turned into roughly 24 hours of torture and disappointment! LOL - In fact, not only did I not make it to my predetermined exit point from the river, I was an unwilling participant in a Search and Rescue effort (more about that later).
I went to the drop-off point for my truck with my father and father-in-law following behind me early Thursday morning. They picked me up and we drove to the entry point for the trip. I got to the entry point at the river around 9am. It should have been a real indication as to what was going be the "norm" for the rest of the trip when I had to walk the first couple hundred yards of the river as it was too low to float in my raft yet. The water level was REALLY low!
After waving goodbye to both "pops", I embarked on my adventure. The "rafting" was a mix of walking and dragging the raft through the REALLY low spots and "poling" the river by using an oar and a walking stick to push the boat forward as if I were cross-country skiing. Having lived in South Dakota the vast majority of my life, I've never (not even once) been interested in cross-country skiing...and doing this in the river was no different! LOL - I was able to paddle at times, but it seemed to be far more effective to grin and bear it and "ski" with the two "poles".
There were plenty of places to stop along the river that were packed with river rock to pick through. I couldn't believe how far I DIDN'T make it along the route by around 5pm. I knew there was weather rolling in, so I stopped at a rock bank that would give me enough room to hunker down - as well as look around a bit. I had been looking around when the storm started to roll in just a little before 7pm. There was a row of very large Cottonwood trees to the north of the bank that was probably around 3-400 yards long. As the storm started to roll in, I watched the row of trees start rumbling at the far end and watched as the wind progressed down the row of trees. It was kind of neat to see the trees on the East end not moving yet, while the trees on the West end were shaking like crazy.
I got back to my raft just in time to drag it onto a sandy part of the bank, get my rain gear on, throw my tarp over the raft, and hunker down. Both the thunder and lightening were impressive - I guess that would be the word if I was INSIDE somewhere watching it from a safe vantage point! LOL - The rain pounded down until around 11:30pm. I had tried to doze off and get some sleep, but that didn't happen. So, it was four and a half hours of sitting in the raft with rain dripping through the tarp - which wasn't as water-proof as I thought it was!
When the storm finally rolled past around 11:30pm, I knew I still wasn't going to be able to get any shut-eye...so, I grabbed a flashlight and went out night-hounding. I'm not gonna lie...it was a bit spooky. LOL - I heard cattle off in the distance, and all I could think was they were going to see the light and head over thinking it was a feed truck coming through...and they were going to trample me in my raft at some point in the night. They didn't though! LOL
I only looked around for about an hour. I got back to my raft, pulled the tarp back over top of the raft and tried to get some sleep. I couldn't find a comfortable position, so I was only able to doze (at best) until around 3:30. I started to come to at that point and had pulled the tarp off me. I was still sitting in the raft trying to get my eyes working in what was left of the light of the full-moon...when I heard something rustling nearby. I fumbled around for my flashlight and finally got it aimed in the direction of the noise. Two green-glowing beady little eyes were staring back at me from about 30 feet away. It was a raccoon! I hissed at it (like an angry cat) and he just stared at me like I'd lost my mind. I finally said "get" to which point he/she stuck their nose up in the air, turned, and sauntered off.
It was right around 4:45am when I heard this MASSIVE crash come from the tree line. It was that instantaneous thought of not being sure what animal was coming towrd me, when I realized it had been a widow-maker come crashing down. Good thing I knew not to make "camp" in the tree-line! LOL
Well, I knew the weather wasn't going to hold and storms were supposed to roll in around mid-morning, so I got back into the water at 5:20 to get the journey started again. I pushed pretty hard and made it twice as far in 3.5 hours that morning, then I had the entire day before! LOL
I got to a stopping point around 8:30am which had a lot of rock to look through. So, I turned my phone on and had a message from my wife waiting for me. She said she and her sister were on their way down to check on me! I responded to the text not to do that as I hadn't asked for any "help". She responded right away, "We're here!" - Apparently she had sent the message hours ago, but I had just gotten it.
I knew the weather was going to get increasingly worse for the day, so, I acquiesced to their "rescue" attempts and opted to go back home at that point. There were several factors as to why I decided to "quit": 1. I believe everything happens for a reason. I knew from the low water level, I was never going to make it back to my truck in a three-day span. I just wasn't making enough distance in a single day. So, I already knew I was going to need to get picked up at some point...I just wasn't thinking it was going to be then. 2. There aren't that many exit points along the river where someone could meet up with someone on the river. 3. My sister-in-law was able to find out who the landowners were whose property I was on. (Again, big ranching/farming family on my wife's side.) She was able to contact them through other family members. It was just extremely fortuitous for her to actually physically locate me on the river... 4. The weather wasn't going to get ANY better...if fact it was going to get worse. What was a 20% chance of rain before I left, turned into a 90% chance once I got out there.
So, we got all my gear into my wife's Trailblazer...and blazed a trail home!
I encountered a lot of wildlife along the way...two raccoons (the one trying to raid my camp that morning)...lots of deer...some antelope...a ton of fish that startled the crap of me constantly as they would take off like they were shot out of a cannon just as I got within a couple feet of them in the raft...several herons...and more cattle than I could count! LOL
I was "injured" twice along the way. I hadn't wore socks while rafting, and the sand in the river kept getting into the top edge of my shoes. It rubbed my ankles raw - as if I had been rubbing them with sandpaper for hours. Next time I'll wear waders.
My second injury occurred while I was putting the gear into my wife's vehicle as we were leaving. My thumb hit the button on the umbrella handle, which shot the handle out like a rocket sled on rails, and it hit me square between the eyes! Split my head open and just about knocked me out because it came out so hard! LOL (So sad! LOL)
I'm definitely going to do this again, but will plan for a LOT shorter distance!
So, what did I find? I thought I had found a nice Fairburn, but it turns out that it was a river tumbled Teepee Canyon Agate! It's nice, but I'm still at a huge loss for being able to find Fairburn Agates! Sheesh! LOL
I'll post some pictures here in a minute from my phone...
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Post by jasoninsd on Jun 27, 2021 13:08:46 GMT -5
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Post by RickB on Jun 27, 2021 14:46:58 GMT -5
Glad you made it back safe and sound and that you were able to find some agates.
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Post by amygdule on Jun 27, 2021 15:36:51 GMT -5
Cool story and pictures
I'm glad you made it home safely :)
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Post by jasoninsd on Jun 27, 2021 16:15:51 GMT -5
Glad you made it back safe and sound and that you were able to find some agates. Thanks Rick! Unfortunately it wasn't a Fairburn. Dangit! LOL Cool story and pictures I'm glad you made it home safely Thanks 'dule! I'm definitely glad I did it...but was also glad to be home.
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Post by stephan on Jun 27, 2021 16:45:54 GMT -5
I suspect that Teepee won’t be cut or cabbed, since it comes with story. Glad you made it back (mostly) in one piece. Umbrella between the eyes. Lol. If it leaves a scar, you’ll have to modify the story — like wrestling the raccoon, which was stealing your hard-won agate. sorry it wasn’t a more productive trip, but I learned long ago that the rock-hounding and rock-finding are often two different sports.
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Post by jasoninsd on Jun 27, 2021 17:28:40 GMT -5
I suspect that Teepee won’t be cut or cabbed, since it comes with story. Glad you made it back (mostly) in one piece. Umbrella between the eyes. Lol. If it leaves a scar, you’ll have to modify the story — like wrestling the raccoon, which was stealing your hard-won agate. sorry it wasn’t a more productive trip, but I learned long ago that the rock-hounding and rock-finding are often two different sports. You're right...that Teepee will remain "as is". It's a memento from the trip. I couldn't believe that damn umbrella handle nearly knocked me out! I've been punched in the nose (way more times than I should have been) and I would say this was even harder than any of those! LOL - My sister-in-law said to just tell people I didn't want to be "rescued" and she punched me in the face to get me in the vehicle! LOL As that marauding raccoon was staring back at me that morning, all I could think of was that scene from Elf that I've posted the gif of numerous times! I thought I was going to be living that one out! LOL I swear I'm cursed at the moment when it comes to finding Fairburns...maybe I need to burn some sage!
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lunker
Cave Dweller
Member since April 2021
Posts: 424
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Post by lunker on Jun 27, 2021 17:44:52 GMT -5
Sounds like my kind of party Jason. Glad you made it out in one piece. That weather down there in S.D. can sure pop up on ya.
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Post by stephan on Jun 27, 2021 18:21:55 GMT -5
I suspect that Teepee won’t be cut or cabbed, since it comes with story. Glad you made it back (mostly) in one piece. Umbrella between the eyes. Lol. If it leaves a scar, you’ll have to modify the story — like wrestling the raccoon, which was stealing your hard-won agate. sorry it wasn’t a more productive trip, but I learned long ago that the rock-hounding and rock-finding are often two different sports. You're right...that Teepee will remain "as is". It's a memento from the trip. I couldn't believe that damn umbrella handle nearly knocked me out! I've been punched in the nose (way more times than I should have been) and I would say this was even harder than any of those! LOL - My sister-in-law said to just tell people I didn't want to be "rescued" and she punched me in the face to get me in the vehicle! LOL As that marauding raccoon was staring back at me that morning, all I could think of was that scene from Elf that I've posted the gif of numerous times! I thought I was going to be living that one out! LOL I swear I'm cursed at the moment when it comes to finding Fairburns...maybe I need to burn some sage! I hate it when ridiculous things hurt more than they should, and you're just thinking, "well, THAT wasn't worth the pain." I have to say, I've never been punched in the nose. Other places, yes, but not the nose. Must be respect for my pretty face. Good thing that racoon wasn't having a hankerin' for, shall we just say, meat? And, if you'd been in a Will Farrell movie, that umbrella wouldn't have hit you in the nose, iff you know what I mean. The sage may be worth a try, unless you're just bumping up against a cosmic limit of how many cool agates a person can find in one year.... especially fortifications. You can test that theory by sending the Fairburns you've found to others (you might find some willing takers on this board, if you ask nicely). In any case, I think you may have earned a special rock-hounding merit badge when you come back with better stories than rock. Glad you're back, mostly in one piece, my friend. Maybe it's time to resume safer activities, like undermining an overhang. It looks like umbrellas are hazardous, and may need a "Caution: may punch you in the face when least expected" warning label.
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