Ludwigia Posted September 12, 2019 Share Posted September 12, 2019 That good monster crystal that you're holding in your hand almost looks smokey? 1 Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger http://www.steinkern.de/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digit Posted September 12, 2019 Share Posted September 12, 2019 Happy to see an update without an equipment breakdown. Hopefully, enough parts have been replaced/fixed that those problems will continue to diminish for you. Fingers crossed that you all follow a good lead into a nice vug filled with huge fully-terminated crystals. Then your biggest problem for the day will be your sore arms from carrying away all your booty. Cheers. -Ken 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ynot Posted September 12, 2019 Author Share Posted September 12, 2019 45 minutes ago, digit said: Happy to see an update without an equipment breakdown. Hopefully, enough parts have been replaced/fixed that those problems will continue to diminish for you. Fingers crossed that you all follow a good lead into a nice vug filled with huge fully-terminated crystals. Then your biggest problem for the day will be your sore arms from carrying away all your booty. Cheers. -Ken Thanks Ken. It would be nice. 6 hours ago, Ludwigia said: That good monster crystal that you're holding in your hand almost looks smokey? It is a smokey, but it looks a little darker than it is because of the mud that is still on it. Much of what is found at this location is a nice smokey color, but some are a light citron color (yellow) and some are "white" (clear with no color). 7 hours ago, Wrangellian said: Wow... And I was happy to find a little misshapen quartz xl at my local fossil site (which is known for 'herkimers') last week. Of course I didn't put nearly as much effort into it as you have with yours! Well, I guess You need to step up Your game! Thanks for the replies Guys, it is nice to know that there is still some interest in this saga. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrangellian Posted September 13, 2019 Share Posted September 13, 2019 16 hours ago, ynot said: Well, I guess You need to step up Your game! Recently a lot of rock has been moved around by bulldozers etc - I was hoping they had done that for me! Maybe now that it has rained a fair bit, I will find more if I go up again, in the sun to catch the glints. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Dente Posted September 13, 2019 Share Posted September 13, 2019 On 9/7/2019 at 10:59 PM, ynot said: Then We had a couple of visitors at the claim. Found this shy guy while filling in the hole, it was hiding in the tailings. Looks like a Rubber Boa, Charina bottae. Very interesting snake. It is the northernmost Boa. I’ve only seen one, I found it while hiking with my father in Eastern California. They are very mellow and never bite when handled. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FossilNerd Posted September 13, 2019 Share Posted September 13, 2019 On 9/11/2019 at 5:11 PM, ynot said: Then We will spend the rest of the day filling this hole and returning the ground to it's original slope. I’m glad you are backfilling the holes once you are done with them! I know nothing about claims and mining, other than what I’ve learned from this thread, but it seems like proper mining etiquette and is definitely better for the local eco system. 1 The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it. -Neil deGrasse Tyson Everyone you will ever meet knows something you don't. -Bill Nye (The Science Guy) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digit Posted September 13, 2019 Share Posted September 13, 2019 4 hours ago, Al Dente said: Looks like a Rubber Boa, Charina bottae. Very interesting snake. Very interesting indeed. I had no knowledge of this snake before today. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubber_boa Cheers. -Ken 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ynot Posted September 13, 2019 Author Share Posted September 13, 2019 7 hours ago, Wrangellian said: Recently a lot of rock has been moved around by bulldozers etc - I was hoping they had done that for me! Maybe now that it has rained a fair bit, I will find more if I go up again, in the sun to catch the glints. Good luck with that. 5 hours ago, Al Dente said: Looks like a Rubber Boa, Charina bottae. Very interesting snake. It is the northernmost Boa. I’ve only seen one, I found it while hiking with my father in Eastern California. They are very mellow and never bite when handled. I actually knew that, but it has been so long since I saw one it slipped My mind. Thanks for the reminder. They are very docile. This one did not react at all to being picked up and moved to a safer spot. 3 hours ago, FossilNerd said: I’m glad you are backfilling the holes once you are done with them! I know nothing about claims and mining, other than what I’ve learned from this thread, but it seems like proper mining etiquette and is definitely better for the local eco system. Filling the hole is a requirement in the plan of operation that I have to get approved by the forestry service. 1 hour ago, digit said: Very interesting indeed. I had no knowledge of this snake before today. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubber_boa Cheers. -Ken We see all sorts of neet wildlife up there, but that was a day of rarities. A mountain lion and a rubber boa, very unusual. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digit Posted September 13, 2019 Share Posted September 13, 2019 13 minutes ago, ynot said: We see all sorts of neet wildlife up there, but that was a day of rarities. A mountain lion and a rubber boa, very unusual. Call me if you see a Rubber Mountain Lion. Cheers. -Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ynot Posted September 14, 2019 Author Share Posted September 14, 2019 12 hours ago, digit said: Call me if you see a Rubber Mountain Lion. Cheers. -Ken Today there were bear tracks and 2 sets (and size) of mountain lion prints. (Mom and cub?) All were a couple of days old. Will do a report tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ynot Posted September 14, 2019 Author Share Posted September 14, 2019 Day 29. Started off with a problem - a dead tree fell across the access road. I cleaned the branches of the 18 inch diameter tree from the road and waited for My partners to show as My chainsaw is not working. While I was waiting I noticed a set of bear tracks in the middle of the road. I put My (size 11 ) footprint next to the bear's for a size reference and to show the difference between a fresh track and one that is 2 days old. After a short while they showed up and cut the log so we could move it out of the way. On to the mine... Found 2 sets of large cat prints on Our access trail, but they were to degraded to get good pictures, one set was half the size of the other and the tracks from the other day were larger than the ones today. We got there and fired up the backhoe to clean the overburden out of the way and dig the crystals out. It was as expected with few crystals and most of them damaged and there were a few nice ones. They kept coming out of the clay until mid afternoon. Some of the days finds. Then We started to refill the hole. Will finish the reparations when We go back in a few days (to hot right now, but supposed to be much cooler next week. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ynot Posted September 14, 2019 Author Share Posted September 14, 2019 @FossilNerd After We fill the holes to the original slope We have to put some "certified weed free straw" over the disturbed dirt for erosion control. Just one of many "requirements" the forestry department has. Here is a picture of hole 5 after We finished the restorations. Still need to spread some more straw. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FossilNerd Posted September 15, 2019 Share Posted September 15, 2019 49 minutes ago, ynot said: @FossilNerd After We fill the holes to the original slope We have to put some "certified weed free straw" over the disturbed dirt for erosion control. Just one of many "requirements" the forestry department has. Here is a picture of hole 5 after We finished the restorations. Still need to spread some more straw. Well done! I knew I liked you! Also... Those bear tracks look to be a good size! We only have black bears in my neck of the woods. They were basically eliminated in Kentucky around the 1900’s. Populations have migrated back into the state over recent years, but they are rarely seen in Central Kentucky and usually make the news. https://fw.ky.gov/Wildlife/Pages/Black-Bears.aspx 1 The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it. -Neil deGrasse Tyson Everyone you will ever meet knows something you don't. -Bill Nye (The Science Guy) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ynot Posted September 15, 2019 Author Share Posted September 15, 2019 3 minutes ago, FossilNerd said: Those bear tracks look to be a good size! We only have black bears in my neck of the woods. It was a big bear, but black bears are all that remain in this area also. I am happy all I saw were the tracks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrangellian Posted September 15, 2019 Share Posted September 15, 2019 They just keep coming! Love that double-terminated one... that's a pretty good size for one of those, isn't it? How many more spots do you think you will get to digging up? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ynot Posted September 15, 2019 Author Share Posted September 15, 2019 7 hours ago, Wrangellian said: They just keep coming! Love that double-terminated one... that's a pretty good size for one of those, isn't it? How many more spots do you think you will get to digging up? I hope they will keep coming. Saw a double term on facebook that was 20 inches long, so the one pictured is kind of small. We will do some more exploratory trenches to see if We have any more luck. Only time will tell if We find any more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrangellian Posted September 16, 2019 Share Posted September 16, 2019 Well I've noticed that any time you think you have something exceptional, someone else comes up with something bigger and better, and the internet makes that more common and immediate. So I've learned not to try and compete... You've been pretty lucky so far, I think, even if you don't find any more, but let's hope you do. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ynot Posted September 16, 2019 Author Share Posted September 16, 2019 8 hours ago, Wrangellian said: Well I've noticed that any time you think you have something exceptional, someone else comes up with something bigger and better, and the internet makes that more common and immediate. So I've learned not to try and compete... You've been pretty lucky so far, I think, even if you don't find any more, but let's hope you do. Was just using that as an example of how big double terminated quartz can get. I did see half of one in a rock shop that used to be in Vacaville (CA). It was 4 feet long and the other half was reported to be 5 feet (and in the Smithsonian). I am very happy with what We have been finding. The crystals found so far have more than enough value to pay for the years activities. (This really vindicates the last 17 years trying to get a backhoe to the claim and be able to dig where ever I want. {previous 2 times I had a backhoe up there I was restricted to digging where I had already found and dug the crystals out.} The hardest part was finding someone with a backhoe that wanted to join the fun.) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pagurus Posted September 16, 2019 Share Posted September 16, 2019 On 9/14/2019 at 7:37 PM, ynot said: After We fill the holes to the original slope We have to put some "certified weed free straw" over the disturbed dirt for erosion control I can imagine hiking through those woods, coming upon those restored sites, and wondering what happened there. Now, thanks to you, we know the rest of the story. I never would have guessed. Thanks for sharing your summer saga, Tony. 1 Start the day with a smile and get it over with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ynot Posted September 16, 2019 Author Share Posted September 16, 2019 3 hours ago, Pagurus said: I can imagine hiking through those woods, coming upon those restored sites, and wondering what happened there. Now, thanks to you, we know the rest of the story. I never would have guessed. Thanks for sharing your summer saga, Tony. Most of the holes I have come across have been obvious messes left by other diggers. Not sure I would recognize one like mine (after a few years). But then that is the idea behind restorations. I have dug holes before that I filled in, only to find someone else had redug the whole hole out again - and left a mess. You are welcome, glad You are enjoying it. PS Still have maybe 2 months before We have to pull out for winter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrangellian Posted September 17, 2019 Share Posted September 17, 2019 5 hours ago, ynot said: Most of the holes I have come across have been obvious messes left by other diggers. Not sure I would recognize one like mine (after a few years). But then that is the idea behind restorations. I have dug holes before that I filled in, only to find someone else had redug the whole hole out again - and left a mess. If collecting/mining weren't so competitive, we could all save each other a lot of time/effort (and maybe environmental impact) by telling each other where we're already dug! But where's the fun in that... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ynot Posted September 17, 2019 Author Share Posted September 17, 2019 3 minutes ago, Wrangellian said: If collecting/mining weren't so competitive, we could all save each other a lot of time/effort (and maybe environmental impact) by telling each other where we're already dug! But where's the fun in that... That only works if You know the person(s) that dug the hole, or know it is a historic mine site. Anyways I have found some places where the original diggers had not cleaned the hole completely. Usually inexperienced diggers that quit when the vug pinches rather than digging through the wall for the next vug. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ynot Posted September 18, 2019 Author Share Posted September 18, 2019 Well, We are on a forced hiatus because of the liquid sunshine that is currently falling on the mountains out here in the west. The powdered clay that covers the site becomes a slimy mess when it is too wet.. It will be several days before We can get back at it (digging that is.). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ynot Posted September 18, 2019 Author Share Posted September 18, 2019 Actually the rain is a help as it was getting quite dusty up there, and it also helps loosen the clay the crystals are in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daves64 Posted September 18, 2019 Share Posted September 18, 2019 Good point. And speaking of good points, you've pulled some real beauties out of that hill side. This thread has been almost like a really good episodic show... waiting for the next exciting installment, with all the twists (backhoe breakages, critter tracks) needed to make it even more exciting. 1 Accomplishing the impossible means only that the boss will add it to your regular duties. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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