[Rockhounds] Accommodations, petrified forest

[DonH]

Jeanette Wimpee wrote:

> heh heh heh....
> We didn't remove any rocks before getting to the park, and the park 
> ranger began dutifully marking each rock with chalk.


They're really cool about that if you're honest.  Back in my AZ days, 
you could buy petrified wood at 1.00/lb. at the shop outside the south 
entrance of the park.  I drove through the park several times and it is 
one of my favorite parks in the world.  You just show it to the ranger 
on the way in, and show it to them on the way out, and there's no 
problem.  I'm guessing here, but I suppose they figure anyone who spent 
money buying a bunch of wood and showing it all to them is probably not 
likely to risk jail and fines by picking up a few illegal pieces in the 
park.  I was told by one of my "ranger friends" that they catch most 
people by watching with binoculars.  They also do random checks, and on 
occassion, when they find someone acting funny on the way out, they'll 
discover a trunkload of wood and take the driver off in handcuffs.  But 
they are definitely not playing around.

I'm sure there are lots of people taking chips in their pockets (worth a 
few cents, by weight, vs. heavy fines and a federal record) but I think 
they're more concerned about large pieces.  I found a nearly complete 
stump in the park, and I was considering going back to the ranger 
station and asking if they could have a scientist come and collect it 
for the museum, but I was pretty far out and decided to just take a 
really good photo of it.  So now it is in my "collection of memories" 
and I hope a lot of other people got to see it as well.

Don