|
Post by saskrock on Jul 6, 2009 23:09:41 GMT -5
We got back from the Back Hills last night, it was a great time and I collected some really nice rocks. We stayed outside of Keystone in the National Forest Grizzly Creek campground. It was a perfect spot close to everything we wanted to see. I found some nice rose quartz on the mountain next to it and I got a bag full of little agates off the road in the campground (can't resist checking out gravel). I got out to three locations for prairie and fairburn agates in the National Grasslands to the East of the Black Hills Too. The first spot we went to South of Badlands National Park was mind boggling! I have never seen that much jasper/agate. Every rock was jasper or agate, unfortunantly this spot must have been picked pretty heavily as there were very few keepers. This was a spot marked as an agate bed on the Grasslands map (get one in Wall, its a must have to know where you can collect.). No pictures of this spot though, I was going to take some after collecting a bit, but a thunder storm came up very quick and the whole area is known for being unpassable when wet so we got out quick. The second spot was at the well known Railroad Buttes. This spot was also marked on the map but with the hills I think fresh material was being erroded out so I found some pretty nice stuff. I also found a nice (what I think is) fairburn agate here. I got several explinations from rock shops in the area on how to tell the difference between a fairburn and others but I'm still a little foggy. The last place we went was east of the town of Fairburn but past the famous French creek agate beds. This time I wanted to hit some territory that was not so picked over. After a bit of driving down a few miles of "road", I use that term lightly we found a large gravel area on the west side of the road. On the east side off in the distance I could see a very small gravel section, but I was looking for unpicked so I headed there. To get to it you had to go accross a very steep hill side that was covered in cactus. I slipped an filled my left hand full of spines (2 days of digging with a pin ). After this you had to cross a area with chest high grass, remember this is rattlesnake country. I must have suffered enough from the cactus so no rattler. The spot was only about 40x40 feet but I found some of my nicest agates here. Sorry no pics of here either, I forgot the camera in the car and by the time I got back I just wanted the spines in my hand out. Anyhow here are the pics. This rose quartz outcrop is actually in Custer state park so no collecting , gotta get a pic though. Railroad Buttes See any I missed? Some of my haul Some of my favorites Rose Quartz Fairburn ?? Agate (I like it anyway) Prairie agates ??
|
|
|
Post by amythestguy on Jul 7, 2009 0:03:31 GMT -5
I have been waiting for you to get back...I see you got that rose quartz boulder i asked for. great pics! Did you stop by any of the rock shops?
|
|
|
Post by saskrock on Jul 7, 2009 1:40:01 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by amythestguy on Jul 7, 2009 1:45:13 GMT -5
Cool..more pics...man that little fenced in area is was probably like heaven for you...what else did you guys do?
|
|
|
Post by hydrogeologist on Jul 7, 2009 6:57:29 GMT -5
I liked finding the prairies with bubblegum pink and yellow in them. Too bad you didn't get to collect at any of the old pegmatite mines out there. There's some killer stuff to be found. My favorite was the indicolite tourmaline at the Bob Ingersoll Mne.
|
|
|
Post by scott on Jul 7, 2009 8:17:04 GMT -5
Very nice report and pictures. It's good to hear and see these stories because it keeps us rockhounds motivated. Thank you.
Scott
|
|
|
Post by JohnD on Jul 7, 2009 18:10:27 GMT -5
Your trip to the Black Hills makes me home-sick, I lived there for 4 years and until last year when I couldn't afford it, I've been visiting for a week or so for the past 10 years. I usually have more luck finding Fairburns in NW NE. I love all the mines, like the Dan Patch, the Tin mine and my favorite is the Bob Ingersol mine outside Keystone, SD. Also go to the TP agate area West of Custer each time I go. I went shortly after the huge fire they had a couple of years ago and collected in areas when the tree roots were still smoking. Next time you go make sure you visit the fossil museum in Hill City. the finest fossil museum in the world. These people were the ones who found Sue, lost it to the federal govt. They found and have on display Stan, he is bigger than Sue. They make models and sell to museums all over the world. Roger Clark has just come out with his latest book "Fairburn Agate", it is awesome. You can buy it through his email - clarkagat@aol.com or through Silverwind Agates, 800 North Lynndale Drive, Appleton, WI 54914
|
|
|
Post by hydrogeologist on Jul 7, 2009 19:11:48 GMT -5
Another must have Black Hills reference is the Roberts and Rapp book "Mineralogy of the Black Hills." Excellent resource for the minerals discovered at the various mines of western SD. No driving directions, though, it's for the intrepid explorer. Another good place to check out is the South Dakota School of Mines museum in Rapid City, it's got some nice fossils and some really nice SD mineral specimens as well.
Oh, and when I went out there with my buddy Miles in late '05, in addition to the Buffalo Grasslands agate beds, we collected at the Dan Patch and Bob Ingersoll (thanks for the email tip way back when John D!!!), the White Elephant and Tip Top Mines (thanks to Kelly Clever of the SD School of Mines who took us out there by permission only!!!), and the Etta and Helen Beryl Mines. I found awesome columbites, beryls, schorls, and colored tourmalines in addition to some of the rare phosphates at the Tip Top Mine, like a nice piece of purpurite. We spent 3 months on the road visiting friends and collecting minerals across the U.S. It was an awesome experience that hopefully I'll be able to recreate someday...
|
|
|
Post by botanyme on Jul 7, 2009 20:36:57 GMT -5
I wish I had had that book when we visited that area years back. Bummer, it was before I met this bunch. And yes, didn't it kill you to see that big rose quartz outcropping in Custer? like you, I picked up a ton of rocks. the explorer was so heavy driving home. Amazing how many hiding places there are in a Ford Explorer I love that area!! Wish I had known places to go dig though. thanks for posting those pics! becky
|
|
|
Post by saskrock on Jul 7, 2009 22:42:41 GMT -5
Is the Ingersol mine the one right next to the rock shed? Might have to do that next time, I didn't even know you could get access to the mines. Probably better I didn't know, my wife doesn't collect and I think I left her reading a book in the car about as much as she could take. I had to sit in the car reading my book later on while she shopped too, so I'm not sure I would want to go longer.
|
|
|
Post by hydrogeologist on Jul 8, 2009 6:57:46 GMT -5
It's right outside of Keystone if I remember correctly. The workings are a decent hike from the parking area so it's definitely not visible from the road.
|
|
naturenut
Senior Member
Me and My Rockhound
Posts: 30
|
Post by naturenut on Jul 18, 2009 12:37:10 GMT -5
LOL. That's true love! Being willing to hang in the car, reading a book, while your spouse does his/her thing! You guys got it going on! Looks like you scored big time and the kids had fun too! Jo
|
|