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

[John Dach]

Also as I replied earlier, there is obsidian material all over the  
place.  There are a couple of "red rock" quarries the material  
actually a type of red pomace like material.  It is used for road  
sanding (makes the roads reddish in the winter), and often in cinder  
block production (cement with the pomace as  the aggregate and thus  
low weight blocks), rode base etc.   Mt. Konictai is an extinct  
cinder cone.  The whole area is pretty interesting, and the algae can  
stink and the Clear Lake nats spawning periods can be VERY  
different!!  They gather around the lights and you can hear this very  
strange humming noise from the swarms.  Can totally smear your  
windshield, make a mess of the grill of the car, and they have "that"  
Clear Lake nat smell.  Only last a day or 2 but wild if you get in it.

John Dach
On Apr 29, 2008, at 7:04 PM, Tim Fisher wrote:

> Both are in Gem Trails. Very near Clear Lake. Which I believe is in  
> an extinct volcanic caldera. So you get a bonus geological sight :)  
> If you get there soon the annual algae bloom won't have stunk up  
> the lake yet.
>
> At 11:40 AM 4/29/2008, you wrote:
>> Those "diamonds" sound really interesting!!
>> I wonder if they are anyplace else.
>>
>>  The obsidian "quarry" looks like it might be an idea.
>> We are really just interested in going out and having
>> fun together and are not so concerned with the
>> quality. It would just be fun for the kids to be able
>> to say "look what I found" to their friends.
>>
>>  Would you mind giving me the location for the
>> "quarry" or will it be in the book I orderd?
>>
>>  Thank you for all the help!
>>
>>
>>
>> --- Tim Fisher <nospam at orerockon.com> wrote:
>>
>> > The Clear Lake "diamonds" quartz crystals (which
>> > have no relation to
>> > nor do they look anything like the Herkimer quartz)
>> > are on private
>> > property, in an almond orchard. The obsidian
>> > "quarry" is on the
>> > county road and is easily accessible. The obsidian
>> > is of generally
>> > poor quality.
>> >
>
> Tim Fisher
> Ore-ROCK-On!
> Email address at http://OreRockOn.com
> -- 
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