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Serge Djodjo Lubende Bunka 
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--- En date de : Sam 3.1.09, Nathan Martin <rocknate at gmail.com> a écrit :

De: Nathan Martin <rocknate at gmail.com>
Objet: Re: [Rockhounds] Favorite Collecting Trips of 2008
À: "Rockhounds at drizzle.com: A mailing list for rock and gem collectors" <rockhounds at lists.drizzle.com>
Date: Samedi 3 Janvier 2009, 18h07

Hi Kris - thanks for responding and for sharing your collecting tales as
well.  I was beginning to think that nobody else had gone collecting last
year! :-)  I'm still hoping that others on the rockhounds list will take
the
time to share their best collecting experiences of 2008.

Come on all you field collectors out there!  What was your most memorable
trip of 2008?

best regards,
Nate Martin
in cold and snowy Lexington, MA

P.S. - I'll try to get a few parisite photos added to that online set of
pictures.  However - be forewarned that parisite-(Ce) is not exactly a
beautiful mineral - sort of a chocolate brown, with some crystals tapered on
both ends, reminiscent of......well, you know.....not yet petrified
coprolite.....

P.P.S. - I too bemoan the loss of the Clear Creek collecting area.  I was
fortunate enough to collect there three times, mostly around the perovskite
knob.  It is a wild and wonderful place!

On Fri, Jan 2, 2009 at 10:00 PM, Kris Rowe
<lapidary.specialties at gmail.com>wrote:

> Howdy, Nathan!
>                          Thanks for the great field trip reports, and
> especially for the GREAT web pages on the Snowbird Mine! I'm still
trying
> to
> pry my jaw off the floor after seeing the sheer size of that sceptered
> quartz crystal!
> I'd love to see some pics of the parisite crystals you mined, and
> especially
> the calcites from the Eureka.
>
> Being stuck in the Central Valley of California for 360 days last year, I
> only got in 3 days collecting, due to one of my periodic "total life
> remakes." Thankfully, 2009 looks like it will be a much better year
for
> collecting.
>
> My first collecting day was to the Panoche Hills, west of New Idria and
the
> Clear Creek BLM Management area. I've collected several sites in this
area
> for over 20 years and find a plethora of cuttable materials here,
including
> agates (plasma, banded, nodular "root beer" and many other
types); agatized
> palm, reed and wood; jaspers of many colors and patterns; nephrite AND
> jadeite jades; howleite; ironstone; opal and opalites; serpentines;
> opalized
> shells; "reef" fossils; basalt cobbles;  and the frequent
"what the HECK is
> that?"
>
> One of my favorites from the area is 'satin spar', fibrous cutting
grade
> seam gypsum. It's the perfect material for teaching hand cutting.
Unlike
> many tutors of the lapidary arts, I prefer to start students on soft
> stones,
> with wet/dry sandpaper. This encourages them to "feel" the
stone, rather
> than catering to the modern "need for speed." The speed that
they
> experience
> when I allow them to saw their piece of 'spar' in preparation for
sanding
> by
> hand gives them a realization of its 'butter' softness. Rather
than ending
> up with a stone that demonstrates how much of a beginner they are and
> discouraging them, I try to make sure they learn that most basic lapidary
> skill: Patience! This results in a stone that looks like a
"bragger,"
> without costing them a fortune.
>
> But, I digress (as I usually do!) Back to collecting. With the closure of
> the Clear Creek area due to "asbestos  danger" ("Oh dear,
oh my!") my
> collecting will NOT include benetoite, fresnoite, or neptunite. Nor willl
I
> be able prospect for the lovely jadeite and nephrite found for the last
> century in this area. Personally, I resent being treated like a child who
> cannot take sufficient precautions against a "suspected
carcinogen." It
> seems that we should only be exposed to carcinogens when it's taxable,
like
> filling our gas tanks.
>
> O.K., enough soapbox ... (putting it away ...)
>
> On to Trona!
>
> Without a doubt, one of my top 5 "most enjoyable" collecting
experiences
> was
> this years Searles Valley Mineral Society
> Gem-O-Rama<http://www1.iwvisp.com/tronagemclub/tronagemclub.html>!
> Nestled in the arid wilderness, Trona is a dusty, sulfurous oasis between
> the bustling (yawn!) Metropolis of
> Ridgecrest<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ridgecrest,_California>(pop.
> 25,000) and Death Valley.
> The home of the Searles Valley Mineral Corp, Trona produces many different
> evaporate minerals in world class quantities.
> For the mineral collector who craves evaporates, Trona is THE place! Most,
> specifically, it's THE place one weekend out of the year!
>
> For over sixty-five years, rockhounds have come to Trona the second
weekend
> of October to brave the smelly mud, flying crystals and stinking brine
that
> are the trademarks of this great collecting event. 2008 was a great
example
> of just how great collecting can be on Searles Lake.
>
> We (my partner Laura and myself) arrived late in the evening of October 11
> at Motel 6 in Ridgecrest. We're both of the belief that, even when in
a
> motel, "roughing it" is an essential part of any collecting
trip! So, in
> the
> interest of economy, we settled for a queen bed, and cable TV.
>
> Eye rubbingly early the next morning, we lit out for Trona, and hopefully,
> something to eat. Note to all: Get up early, if you expect to eat before
> the
> first field trip.
>
> Arriving in Trona after a 30 minute drive, we found and stood in the
> appropriate lines. Welllllll ...  I stood in line, while my paramour went
> "in search of" comfort facilities. Let me state right here, the
Searles
> Valley folks do a bang up job, and put on one of the best "small
town"
> shows
> I've seen. They also have what is the most impressive
"clubhouse" I've ever
> seen! Still, the word for the smart collector is to get there eartly.
There
> are great dealers, great club members who actually KNOW where things are,
> and to warn those with sensitive noses, an ever present sulfurous stink!
> Only when a stiff wind blows does the "rotton egg" odor abate.
>
> After standing in line to buy donuts, only to find the last were sold to
> the
> folks ahead of me, we were able to get a banana! (Blessings to the lovely
> club member who gave us her banana! Get there EARLY!) That, Pepsi and
> cornchips were our breakfast, while we waited for the "Mudpile"
field trip
> to begin.
>
> One of the great pleasures of collecting at Trona is the brief drive from
> the show grounds. The "dry" lake bed is IN town ... or is it the
other way
> around? Anywho, the organisation of the field trip is flawless, and within
> 5
> minutes we arrived at the most impressive pile of stinking, sticky muck
> I've
> ever had the pleasure of getting my shoes stuck in. Found within these
> mudpiles are rare hanksite crystals, trona crystals, borates and other
> evaporates. Also to be found were throngs of people who were VERY serious
> about getting the best and biggest hanksites!
>
> Runnning around, getting stuck like ants in honey, were throngs of
children
> of all ages, some of whom were making their first ever trip away from
inner
> city L.A. The looks on the faces of those kids made me feel as young as
> they
> were, as they pulled out and washed off hanksites the size of soda cans
and
> larger!
>
> There were troughs of lake brine for washing these crystals, which easily
> and quickly melt in any less than a saturate saline soloution. These
> quickly
> became elbow to elbow affairs, and I generally had at least one small
child
> under each arm washing away as I smiled down on them. I seemed to be the
> least serious (or the most amused) collector there, and recieved many
> scornful looks as I chuckled and cracked jokes with harried parents. Of
> course, these scornfull looks came from small children, who knew I
couldn't
> possibly appreciate the gravity of the situation!
>
> And, being friendly and marginally knowledgible, I soon had children
> approaching with the ever present question: "What's THIS one
worth?"
>
> Being my first time for hanksite collecting, I made many
"educated"
> guesses,
> hoping I wasn't too far wrong!
> No matter what my opinion was, the young digger would run off in search of
> "the BIG One!" Many of the smallest kids found crystals that
dwarfed mine!
>
> Having filled the plastic file boxes we brought for hanksite (keep your
> hanksite moist, but not wet, until you can clean it completely) we left
> with
> the "last call." The drive back was short, and the food and
hospitality at
> the Clubhouse were great! After a sandwich and soda, we joined the bull
> session in the field trip parking lot, and waited for the call to mount
up!
>
> As always, the bull session was one of the best parts of collecting, and
we
> made new friends from far places.
> John hailed from Minnesota, and entertained me with tales of gold
> propecting
> in Alaska and sapphires in Montana. A noisome throng appoached, students
> from the University of Arizona at Prescott. We traded collecting tales,
and
> I showed them my "pet" Shaver Lake amethyst, which always goes
propecting
> with me.
>
> The afternoon trip was the fabled "Blowhole" trip, of which
details can be
> found at the linked "SLG&MS" site. It was truly impresive to
watch the
> video
> at the clubhouse & see the explosives in use by the Navy Ordnance
officers,
> and the crystals being pumped out of the ground. As luck would have it,
the
> pumping that we'd seen as we passed the site that morning was the only
we'd
> be seeing.
> As the drilling rig was working the last hole, the salt crust below gave
> way, and the whole rig tipped on its side! However, we, the eager
> collectors, were barely affected. Aside from looking wistfully toward the
> now "off limits" hole with drill rig waiting for a tow truck, we
gave our
> attention to sorting through the tons of freshly pumped crystals.
> Again, as in the morning, the children were happy to have someone
who'd
> give
> them an identity for their discoveries, and what discoveries they were! My
> own crystals paled before their glories, and I wished that I were 9 years
> old again.
>
> I made friends with a 9 year old named Mathew, and his somewhat frayed
> father, who was quite busy trying to herd 4 kids and still gather a few
> crystals for himself. Matthew had the sort of luck I can only wish for,
> showing up with handful after handful of rare top notch hanksite. The
> toppers were a fist (that is, MY fist!) sized, museum clean "root
beer"
> brown hanksite and a very rare, 1/2" sulfo-halite.
> Now, my eyes nearly left my skull when I saw that hanksite, since the
usual
> hanksite is green to amber colored, and clear. This one derived its color
> from the dreamy, creamy "cumulous cloud" clay inclusions that
floated below
> its surface. When he asked the inevitible "How much?" I overcame
> temptation,
> and looked into his eyes. "Matthew," I slowly said, "I
can't tell you." His
> small brow furrowed as I continued,"That crystal is so fine, if I
were you,
> I'd never sell it." His Dad smiled and appreciated the moment.
I'm sure
> that
> I'll see them again next year. Dad said I would!
>
> We quickly met up with several new friends whom we'd met at lunch,
Nancy &
> Kim, from Illinois. Kim is a GIA Graduate Gemologist, who'd decided to
come
> with her Mom to see what field collecting was all about! They asked
sweetly
> if I'd help them to identify thier finds, and as always (especially
for
> pretty ladies!) I said "Sure!" My darling Laura had invited them
to sit
> with
> us, and found us 2 new friends!
> I was in my own glory, surrounded by young and old collectors, and gave
the
> lions share of my attention to the collectors. Kim told us how she'd
been a
> "nail artist" with a special love for gems, and had recieved her
G.G. quite
> recently. When I said I'd love to do the same, she urged me on.
"It's
> easier
> than you think!"
> We'll see!
>
> I did come away with my own "special" crystal. When they were
leaving,
> Matthew and his Dad came over, and after Dad thanked me for my help,
> Matthew
> held out his hand, and gave me a perfect 1/2" twinned hanksite! That
> crystal
> now resides in my Favorites cabinet, smelling faintly of sulfur.
>
> After that we packed up, redolent of hydrogen sulfide and feeling salt
> chapped, with a constant breeze blowing our hair in our faces. While I was
> packing away our new treasures, Laura, Kim & Nancy wandered over to
the
> edge
> of the collecting area, and out onto the adjoining salt. After getting the
> ok to dig in, they pried loose the foamy grey surface salt, and found
> enchanting "fairy towers" of dew deposited, snowy white salt
"frost!" Now,
> these pieces aren't small or cabinet sized, they're HUGE! We have
five,
> nestled carefully among dessicant packs in our garage, awaiting my
> attention. They'll soon make lovely additions to someones *very* dry
living
> room! We had quite a time finding tubs to transport the still wet, fragile
> specimens 250 miles home.
>
> After returning to the motel and cleaning off the accumulated muck, we had
> a
> delicious dinner at one of Ridgecrest's fine Chinese buffets, then
returned
> to watch "Stay Alive!" on cable.
>
> Bright and early the next morning, we slept through the alarm! So, instead
> of a liesurely breakfast, we hurried and made it to Trona in time for the
> "Brine Pond" collecting trip.
> This was the one we'd made the trip for! The world famous
"Searles Lake
> Pink" halite would soon fill our hands, stinging them where blisters
had
> developed in our search for "the Best."
> We met up with John at the Lake, and headed out eagerly onto the icy white
> halite surface crust. The only way to learn where the best halite (a truly
> subjective task!) lies is to break through that crust, a task which raised
> the aforementioned blisters.
> After finding a delightful array of crystal forms, and very little of the
> "Prime" Pink halite, we heard a shout, and saw Kim waving for
our
> attention!
> She'd gotten some help from experienced hands, and had found a deep
port
> wine colored brine pond, with several "shelves" of halite
crystals. These
> varied in form, but all were a lovely pale to cranberry pink!
>
> The time passed too quickly, and our totes filled too fast! I quickly
> became
> used to the sting of the brine, and took over from Kim in clearing out the
> pond. As we'd been told, the halite grew in shelves, and the sharp
crystals
> could definitely cut! Thankfully, the brine tanned my blisters a deep red
> and kept ANY infection away!
> John wanderd off, but Laura kept her focus, looking far and wide for great
> specimens that would  become the delight of friends and customers alike.
> Meanwhile, Kim & Nancy had consulted with me on transport problems,
> wondering how they'd possibly get they're unexpectedly rich haul
of
> crystals
> home safely. As it turns out, we later heard, they ended up adding an
extra
> day to the trip to ship thier bounty home!
>
> Leaving the Lake was truly difficult, especially since we felt like
we'd
> just found out what to look for. Kim & Nancy gave us hugs, and said
fond
> goodbyes. Isn't it amazing how fast collecting friends become?
Reluctantly,
> we carefully packed up for home, and started back across the salt.
>
> With a little foresight, I'd left some room in the totes, and had left
a
> tote at the car. On our way back, we collected from abandoned holes, and
> had
> great luck. We filled every possible corner, and carefully packed for the
> trip home to Fresno.
>
> After slaking our thirst with Pepsi at the gas station conveniently
located
> across from the Lake entrance, we wandered back to the show, where we
> joined
> many folks who'd come out for the dealers, and grinned at others who
looked
> as salted and dusty as we. After a filing lunch of Polish Sausage &
Frito
> Boats (the 6th & 7th food groups!) and missing our new friends
already, we
> wandered amongst the now packing dealers, making connections and some
> shrewd
> deals, reluctant to call it a weekend.
>
> A tired but uneventful trip back found us planning to return in 2009, and
> discussing who we'd like to bring with us!
>
>
>
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Thanks again to all of the great folks we met, and all the great folks who
> will read this, and know just how we feel.
>
> Be Well, y'all!
>                        Kris
>                        Lapidary Specialties
>                        Fresno, California, U.S.A.
>
>


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