[Rockhounds] WAS: Mitchell maps... now: a true book in Idaho

[Lanny]

Hi Don,

No problem with the 0.8 mile to the kyanite location. I guess I didn't 
write it very clearly, but in the first printing, that 0.8 mileage was 
given the wrong mileage figure. Thus, for those who have the first 
printing, they are going to have a tough time finding that kyanite 
area.

One thing I noticed when looking at the location a few years ago was 
that the kyanite has become scarce. When I originally published it 
(1992) there were lovely blue crystals weathered out scattered all over 
the bare rock and bare ground areas. A few years ago, those were mostly 
gone and it took a lot more looking to find any loose to pick up. It 
was better looking for them in the rock.

That would have been kind of cool if you had reached me on the phone 
when you were up there. Five inch kyanite crystals? Not in my books. 
Not yet anyway, but they will be in the 3rd edition of Idaho Minerals. 
As you mention below, they are that large along Goat Mtn. However, they 
are not facet quality, and the large crystals are mostly white. 
Although I must confess, I've never climbed up onto the upper area of 
Goat Mtn. and don't know what's in the rocks up there.

I'm interested in your large garnet area, hope you figure it out. 
Except for the small crystals along the road in the area near the 
kyanite and to the south, and the large crystals in the outcrop where 
people dig south of the kyanite, I don't know of any outcrops in the 
trees around Freezeout with large garnets.

Sounds like a great field trip though, but right now I'm hiding from 
the heat, 100 degree temperatures aren't too attractive. How's that 
nasty mud hole on the road to Goat Mtn.?

Regards,

Lanny


On Jul 14, 2007, at 12:55 AM, DonH wrote:

> Lanny wrote:
>
>
> Gee I didn't think it was that good.  I have so little time these 
> days, I just try to share facts when I can, and sometimes I have a 
> little more time for the colorful details people like.
>
>> I must confess a problem though with the Freezeout location you were 
>> so successful at in following my guidebook directions.
>
> Now I'm confused... you mean the 0.8 is wrong, or the previous edition 
> was wrong?  Because I must tell you the outcrop was RIGHT THERE as 
> soon as the odometer turned 0.8.
>
> The funnier part of the story is that, while I was talking to them as 
> they ate lunch, they were telling me how they were using guidebooks to 
> find things, and they said the book had directions for kyanite but 
> they didn't find anything, and "you know how these books have bad 
> info."  I said, "yeah a bunch of folks were just having that 
> discussion on the rockhounds list.  Let me see what it is."  And then 
> they pulled out Lanny's book, and I said, "Oh, um, I kind of know him, 
> and I doubt it would be too wrong."  Now, I looked at the page they 
> showed me with the map, but they also said something about 5-inch, 
> faceting-grade kyanite, which I didn't see written on that page.  
> That's when I mentioned I hadn't seen any evidence of that kind of 
> metamorphism around there; that isograd is some miles to the east, or 
> so I would think.  I tried calling but all I got was a staticky 
> signal; the phone showed a tower connection, but I have no idea where 
> it was, and it was weak.  I thought it would blow their minds to 
> realize they pulled out this book in front of a stranger who happens 
> to know the author, and we could call him from a ridge at 6,000 ft. 
> with nothing in sight but other mountains.  But anyway, in an effort 
> to defend Lanny's good name, I crawled all over that outcrop until I 
> found those little blue treasures.  Maybe there is another outcrop 
> with the big ones?  Or maybe they were all collected out (you know 
> what happens when you publish a new guidebook)? Or maybe they were 
> reading the wrong page?  In any case, I sent them to Goat Mountain for 
> the big ones... good luck with that climb.  However I must tell you 
> that these senior citizens were in fine shape and were a testament to 
> the fact that life is full after retirement.
>
> I know that somewhere in the Freezeout area is a ridge with a sloping 
> meadow on one side and some rocks with large garnets in them.  That's 
> what I was looking for.  I also remember seeing perfectly formed, 
> opaque garnets in matrix that just pried loose out of the rock; the 
> trick was being able to find where they are, up a sloping hill under 
> thick trees.
>
> [time lapse]  I just remembered I have photos from last year's field 
> trip.  Tomorrow I will post pictures of giant garnets and huge 
> kyanites with andalusites.
>
>
> Best,
> Don
>
>
> -- 
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