Post by fatrichie on Oct 14, 2005 23:22:20 GMT -5
How I spent my much anticipated vacation...
I finally got to take the vacation I've looked forward to for a year! I left home with my uncle Tom, (and yeah, we spent our nights at his cabin) Monday night, headed for several days of rockhounding in central Oregon.
The highlight of my trip was a visit to the "Spectrum" sunstone mine near Plush Oregon. The mine is owned by Chris Rose, who owns all or a portion of several different gem mines in different parts of the U.S. Chris is a very knowledgable geologist and an all around nice person. He, his wife Jessica, helper 'Shaggy',and husband & wife team Ron and Jan, work their tails off operating this mine. It's the only one in the Sunstone area to offer a free dig site. And the free dig ain't tailings folks. It's scoops of the same material they are running through the processor!
They also offer fee digging in the prime areas and have a rock shop at the mine site for those who don't feel up to working their butts off for sunstone!
And for those of you not familliar with Oregon sunstone:
www.highdesertgemsandminerals.com/html/spectrum_sunstone_mines.html
And from Chris's mouth:
lists.drizzle.com/pipermail/rockhounds/2005-April/012007.html
After screening for several hours I came away with 21 oz. of material and Tom got about 16oz. I saved every little chip I found, and I heard later that everyone does that on their first trip to the mine! I must say that some days screening are better than others and though our day was not as productive for color and size as we'd hoped, but I will be headed back to the Spectrum as soon as I can!! The experience is almost beyond description. It's gold fever for a rockhound!! And Chris and the gang really are a great bunch!
But be assured, this is not a trip for the faint of heart. The area is VERY primative. Chris has a shower, but there is only ONE vault toilet for the nearly 3000 acre collecting area. There are scorpians and snakes, coyotes and antelope, deer and prairie dogs by the go-zillian. The roads are gravel, rough and guarded by herds of kamikazi Jack Rabbits. And failing to accomadate their suicidal tendancies could put you in the ditch about 100 miles from the nearest tow truck, and the only ambulance is Life Flight! And good luck getting your cell phone to work out there too (as if you'd want it to work there)!
Here are a couple of pics to show you some of the area:
Fog coming over the backside of Hogback Ridge, the mine is on the othere side of this ridge.
Blood pressure is now rising!!
This is where the pros do the sorting of the ore.
The ore we screened, came from the "Coyote Hole" pit.
The sunset at the end of an awesome day!
We also spent a day roaming the desert around Christmas Valley Oregon, looking for rocks and found petrified bone, tektites, apache tears, chalcedony gobs of obsidian, a cold war radar facillity and a golden eagle!!
It was a great vacation! I can't wait to get back there next spring!!
I finally got to take the vacation I've looked forward to for a year! I left home with my uncle Tom, (and yeah, we spent our nights at his cabin) Monday night, headed for several days of rockhounding in central Oregon.
The highlight of my trip was a visit to the "Spectrum" sunstone mine near Plush Oregon. The mine is owned by Chris Rose, who owns all or a portion of several different gem mines in different parts of the U.S. Chris is a very knowledgable geologist and an all around nice person. He, his wife Jessica, helper 'Shaggy',and husband & wife team Ron and Jan, work their tails off operating this mine. It's the only one in the Sunstone area to offer a free dig site. And the free dig ain't tailings folks. It's scoops of the same material they are running through the processor!
They also offer fee digging in the prime areas and have a rock shop at the mine site for those who don't feel up to working their butts off for sunstone!
And for those of you not familliar with Oregon sunstone:
www.highdesertgemsandminerals.com/html/spectrum_sunstone_mines.html
And from Chris's mouth:
lists.drizzle.com/pipermail/rockhounds/2005-April/012007.html
After screening for several hours I came away with 21 oz. of material and Tom got about 16oz. I saved every little chip I found, and I heard later that everyone does that on their first trip to the mine! I must say that some days screening are better than others and though our day was not as productive for color and size as we'd hoped, but I will be headed back to the Spectrum as soon as I can!! The experience is almost beyond description. It's gold fever for a rockhound!! And Chris and the gang really are a great bunch!
But be assured, this is not a trip for the faint of heart. The area is VERY primative. Chris has a shower, but there is only ONE vault toilet for the nearly 3000 acre collecting area. There are scorpians and snakes, coyotes and antelope, deer and prairie dogs by the go-zillian. The roads are gravel, rough and guarded by herds of kamikazi Jack Rabbits. And failing to accomadate their suicidal tendancies could put you in the ditch about 100 miles from the nearest tow truck, and the only ambulance is Life Flight! And good luck getting your cell phone to work out there too (as if you'd want it to work there)!
Here are a couple of pics to show you some of the area:
Fog coming over the backside of Hogback Ridge, the mine is on the othere side of this ridge.
Blood pressure is now rising!!
This is where the pros do the sorting of the ore.
The ore we screened, came from the "Coyote Hole" pit.
The sunset at the end of an awesome day!
We also spent a day roaming the desert around Christmas Valley Oregon, looking for rocks and found petrified bone, tektites, apache tears, chalcedony gobs of obsidian, a cold war radar facillity and a golden eagle!!
It was a great vacation! I can't wait to get back there next spring!!
