[Rockhounds] Moab Trip Report

[Glenn Wimpee]

Jeanette and I left Salt Lake City Wednesday 10-31-2007 and drove the scenic route over the San Raphael Swell to Moab.
 
We stopped at a little portable BarBQ trailer in Salina and took 2 delicious dinners with us to Moab. There we ate them as we sat just off the Colorado River after sunset and stargazed.
 
Thursday morning we overslept before hitting the trail up to Delicate Arch. Amazing formations including agate, green uranium ore, and of course the sandstone and slick rock formed the trail. Awesome, spectacular views accompanied us as we hiked up to the iconic arch.
 
We then drove through Canyonlands N.P. where we saw the trailhead and switchback of the Shafer Trail. Farther in the Grand View Point overlooks the confluence of the green and Colorado Rivers.
 
Friday's first stop was a big green mound on open land where we picked up a few very rough unpromising pieces I suspect are not very radioactive. It was apparent we were not the first nor only rockhounds to visit and dig there. We had no company except for a trailer with a "toy box" that likely held 4 wheelers or motocross bikes. 
 
Next we drove to the Yellow Cat Road where we saw eagles feeding on dead coyotes or wolves at a corral. Down the road a few miles we went over a ridge and found fields of petrified wood, agate, and various rocks and minerals. Our favorite pieces we collected there are small branches of very white petrified wood. Layers of black, cream, and green rock were exposed on the rolling plain. Most of the petrified wood is very, very dark, almost black.
 
Driving on we came to the famous Big Tire Fork. The middle tine trails leads roughly (literally) past several claims with the green stuff piled high at several mines. There is a spring but it is fenced off. A very beautiful scenic trail to nowhere that had several spots requiring 4WD and ended on top of a slick rock hill.
 
>From there the next stop was in a field of barite jasper grape agate nodules. Many are geodic and contain crystals. All we saw were softball size and smaller. Jeanette picked up one which we cracked and found filled with celestite. There are millions lying exposed on the surface. Lots are already cracked and filled with red sandy dirt which makes the inner crystals difficult to see. We did the best we could at high grading and kept only a few. Again the scenery is awesome. Book cliffs along the trail and the San Raphael Swell to the west. 
 
Pictures will be posted on our website soon and I'll post the link when they're up.
 
Thanks for reading. Your comments are welcomed.
Glenn 
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Help yourself to FREE treats served up daily at the Messenger Café. Stop by today.
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