[Rockhounds] Looking for rock/gem hunting info for northern California

[John Dach]

There is a lot of Obsidian in the Napa/Clearlake area.  There is a  
small Geyser/petrified forest fee park in Napa, Lake county is known  
for herkamer "diamonds", Mendocino and Lake county have a good deal  
of jade to be found if you know what it looks like and where to go to  
look for it.  The book suggested is a good start.  We lived in  
Mendocino for 30+ years and did a bit of hounding.  Most places are  
way off the road, on private land or miles of hiking (up) dirt  
"roads" (at least if we got stuff "up there" we carried it out  
downhill.  Leech Lake Mountain in Lake county had an active jade mine  
for a number of years.  One cannot go up to them mine but there was a  
lot of nice pieces of jade and "near" jade in the washes.  This is  
the place requiring a long up hill walk.  There is a rock shop  
between Cloverdale and Hopland on Hwy 101, might be good to stop and  
ask them if they have any ideas.  There is a fellow in Anderson  
Valley (turn left to go to the mendocino Coast at the North end of  
Cloverdale and take hwy 128 to Philo (about 36 miles) and keep going  
to a wide spot in the road called Floodgate (cafe, realtor office,  
and the Rock Shop)) who has a claim in Trinity county for a Jade area  
and he has it on display, for sell in the shop.  LOTS of other great  
specimens.  He might be able to give you an idea of where to go.   
Sorry I don't have the fellows number of the actual name of the  
shop.  If I can get the name/number of think of anything else, I will  
let you know.

John Dach

PS  Being from the Dakotas and around a good deal of Indian History,  
the Pomo's were in the coastal areas and many of the towns and cities  
have information and displays about their living methods/actions and  
the like.  Much different than the plains Indians.  Check with the  
Chambers of Commerce in Boonville, Cloverdale, Santa Rosa and Ukiah  
and see what they have available.  Napa, Sonoma, Clearlake and the  
like too.
On Apr 29, 2008, at 6:17 AM, Mr Byron Levenseller wrote:

> Hi chuck,
>
>  Thanks for the info, I'll track it down and take a
> look.
>
> David
>
>