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Post by lizziebird on Aug 17, 2010 19:44:06 GMT -5
I am thinking seriously about visiting the Phoenixville site in September. Never collected anywhere in PA before (we'll be driving through, back to NC from a trip to the Northeast). If anyone is willing to share any words of wisdom about this place, it will be greatly appreciated! We would probably spend 2-3 hours, at most, as a way to break up our drive. Thanks!
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Post by CrossfireBusiness on Aug 17, 2010 22:23:47 GMT -5
You will be digging ! but the dirt wasnt very hard at all ... I didnt get poison ivy but hydro warns against wearing shorts like i did ... bring them a nice specimen because they were really amazing people to talk to and are doing a great thing for us rockhounds .. they showed me some specimens others had brought and gave me a quick history on the place as well as a map with three digging spots ..I only did two but I had fun and my biggest piece of advice is this ...Even if you dont see pyro on the piece bring it home ... I had no idea 7 of my pieces had a little tiny bit of pyro on them until i cleaned them up at home ... Mine werent great at all but I still found some which is enough for me for now atleast ....
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Post by wobnwickiwocks on Aug 18, 2010 10:14:24 GMT -5
To all you pyromorphite hunters... Check all your specimens very closely,especially the ones from hole #13 vicinity ( New Chester County Mine). They often times have little baby wulfenites on them. Also, some decent fluorescent hydrozincite?Nice sky blue under SW.
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Post by lizziebird on Aug 18, 2010 10:32:56 GMT -5
This is all great advice, I have never found any pyromorphite anywhere before. Can you dig with a shovel or do you use a pick or rake or...? I'm imagining a big pile of rocks with dirt and overgrown with vegetation. Does anyone have a picture of this place so I can have an idea what it looks like? Thanks again! I just wish I had more time to explore, looks like you guys have lots of really cool stuff up there! lizzie
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Post by CrossfireBusiness on Aug 21, 2010 0:31:05 GMT -5
hey Lizzie when are u going?? maybe ill join ya ... i only been there that once ...but if i could do it over id bring a big shovel and a bucket with water ....instead of my 40 lb bag full of every tool i have carrying across the golf course trying to find the digging spots ....pm me with the info and ill see if i can get out there that day ....
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ajk
Senior Member
Posts: 43
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Post by ajk on Aug 22, 2010 21:10:39 GMT -5
Checking in here. Wish I could get out and dig, but got some big projects to work on at home. The possibility exists that I could get out next weekend, but I'm not sure. If anyone is planning to go out anywhere let me know. I'll see what the schedule looks like. Otherwise, keep at it!
Aaron
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Post by hydrogeologist on Aug 23, 2010 18:11:53 GMT -5
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Post by lizziebird on Aug 23, 2010 19:53:09 GMT -5
Thanks for those Phoenixville links, I remember seeing those way back when, but that was well before I ever thought I might get there in person. I'm a bit wary of the poison ivy because I get it REALLY bad. If there's been some digging there, I assume there are at least a few open spots where you're not rolling in it? I love the idea of it being surrounded by golf course. Very funny.
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Post by hydrogeologist on Aug 23, 2010 21:41:55 GMT -5
Lizzie,
Like you I'm highly allergic to PI.
The worst part of it was when I was digging there in the fall of '09 when all of the leaves were off the trees and plants. I caught a mean case from dermal contact with PI roots. But of course you can't tell the roots from one annual to the next in a dump pile. I was wearing a jacket and gloves and digging carefully so as to avoid PI but caught one of the worst cases in my life. Actually missed work for 2.5 days while I was on Prednizone. That's why I'm scared of that place. But the rewards are worth it.
Lawrence
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Post by lizziebird on Aug 24, 2010 6:32:18 GMT -5
You make it sound like such fun! Have you ever tried the Teknu (Tecnu?) stuff that you're supposed to rub onto your skin before going out into poison ivy and it's supposed to help keep the oils from getting into your skin and causing problems? I mostly just try to steer very clear of the itchy stuff. I was also wondering, are there any other sites in Eastern PA or NJ that are worth checking out? I'll be visiting Franklin NJ on my way north and looking for some distractions on my way back south.
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Post by wobnwickiwocks on Aug 24, 2010 16:16:55 GMT -5
Lizziebird, Let us know when you are coming and if we can, we'll get you hooked up with some collecting sites. Rob & Vicki
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ajk
Senior Member
Posts: 43
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Post by ajk on Aug 24, 2010 21:19:41 GMT -5
You make it sound like such fun! Have you ever tried the Teknu (Tecnu?) stuff that you're supposed to rub onto your skin before going out into poison ivy and it's supposed to help keep the oils from getting into your skin and causing problems? I mostly just try to steer very clear of the itchy stuff. I was also wondering, are there any other sites in Eastern PA or NJ that are worth checking out? I'll be visiting Franklin NJ on my way north and looking for some distractions on my way back south. We have it at the office (I work for the PA Fish and Boat Commission so we're around poison in the field virtually every day). Never used it myself because I rarely get poison and it's usually exceedingly mild if I do. The other guys, however, really like it. Seems to work for them. Aaron
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Post by CrossfireBusiness on Aug 25, 2010 20:26:40 GMT -5
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ajk
Senior Member
Posts: 43
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Post by ajk on Aug 25, 2010 22:20:57 GMT -5
Nice finds! I really like the shade of green of the pyro. I really gotta get down there and find some myself.
Aaron
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Post by carnelianpete on Aug 26, 2010 7:56:20 GMT -5
Aaron, Greg, As soon as the weather gets a little cooler, (couple of weeks) I will be heading out to ? someplace. UNS , Sussex or Phoniexville for pyromorphite. PM me if you guys are interested. I'm thinking a Sat. or Sun. but if it is better for you guys during the week let me know. I'm still UE so just about anytime is good for me.
By the way Greg which spot did you find your pyro at? Pretty good specimens there.
Pete
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Post by CrossfireBusiness on Aug 26, 2010 10:34:43 GMT -5
they look better than they really are !!! supermacro will do that for a specimen ... from an unadied eye they more like schmears but when i put them under a loupe it all really comes together and looks amazing with the loupe ... anyways these weremostly found at the closests spot by the pond and then the next closest one which was basically directly a straight line over the hill from the pond and a few feet from the green in the woods ..
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Post by carnelianpete on Aug 26, 2010 13:30:25 GMT -5
Ok Greg. When we hit that place I will take you to a little out of the way place I nkow there that with a little digging there is much better pyro there as well as some quartz plates ( I have a couple quartz xls that are 2 inches long with pyro and wulfenite micro xls) Spharlerite can be found as well. I'm thinkling about mid Sept for that trip. I will PM you when we get closer to that time.
Pete
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Post by lizziebird on Aug 30, 2010 15:51:51 GMT -5
I'll be out and about in PA in mid Sept too, though mostly just driving through. Anyone been to Swatara State Park to find fossils? Is that worth a visit? It looks so close to the highway, it would be a really easy place to stop for some fresh air (oh, and rocks...)
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Post by carnelianpete on Sept 4, 2010 6:51:42 GMT -5
FYI
I will be going up to UNS on Wednesday next week. An y one want to come along. I will be there early in the morning say 9 or so.
Pete
PS I know I'm selling stuff but I just can't not go and collect. Got to keep that dirt moving.
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Post by CrossfireBusiness on Sept 4, 2010 13:48:14 GMT -5
pretty sure ill make this one ... ive been stuck in the house for over a month ....i need to get out !!!!
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ajk
Senior Member
Posts: 43
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Post by ajk on Sept 4, 2010 23:42:58 GMT -5
FYI I will be going up to UNS on Wednesday next week. An y one want to come along. I will be there early in the morning say 9 or so. Pete PS I know I'm selling stuff but I just can't not go and collect. Got to keep that dirt moving. Best of luck! I won't be able to make it. Work...yeah. Anyway, hope to get out soon, but we've been re-modeling our attic which has been eating up all my weekend time for the past couple weeks and will likely continue to do so for a couple more. I really do want to get out, though, and I appreciate your continued offers. Hopefully sometime soon. Aaron
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Post by CrossfireBusiness on Sept 10, 2010 3:02:51 GMT -5
sorry i didnt make it my hours at work got later as you can tell im typing this around 4 am ... well i went on a lil trip earlier yesterday and ..well i got lost ran into the biggest black bear i ever seen and walked around for about 5 hrs in montville nj ... i dumped about 25 lbs of purple puddingstone i had in my sack ... but was originally heading there for yellowgreen serp .... i did keep a few specimens i couldnt bare to part with ... here they are any help with id is appreciated ... by the way they had some of the best purple puddingstone i have seen yet ... the black is surface only .... looks to melike puddingstone but not at all what i usually see up here ... this looks to be mostly white qtzy with pink and a lil dark ruby red ... i loo up puddingstone on wikipedai and it says ruby red corundum platinum and even diamond .. sandstone and qtz ... any ideas plase do tell ... closeups also found this strange one that resembles the normal p-stone with quartz bands but has a dulkl orange/yellow color and shiny shiny meatl looking areas ..... ?metal? any suggestions??? closeup
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Post by Dicky the Rockhunter on Sept 10, 2010 7:39:11 GMT -5
now you have my curiosity up. As you continue to identify it please keepus informed.Quite an interesting mixture.I wonder wha happened the to cause it. Dicky
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Post by CrossfireBusiness on Sept 10, 2010 23:43:16 GMT -5
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Post by bobrock on Sept 14, 2010 10:48:09 GMT -5
did you find any serpentine at lake valhalla? i got lucky once and found a really nice bright yellow piece that some kind rockhound that was there before me left behind. I used to live in montville and also in newfoundland. if you like puddingstone, both sides of rt. 23 in newfoundland are loaded with it. check out the cliffs on greenpond road also. i found a dike in the cliffs that have a metalic mineral that looks like silver or graphite, but no one at the franklin museum could identify it. happy hunting...bob
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Post by CrossfireBusiness on Sept 14, 2010 22:28:01 GMT -5
Thanks man ..I never found the overgrown quarry !!! ... I was looking but probably in all the wrong places ... I did do rt 23 but the stuff here in montville seemed much nicer ... It will be a few months before i get up there again probably ... and probably much safer the bears should be hibernating ... not that i minded honestly ..I actually enjoyed the presence even if it freaked me out ... do you have any more info on the cliffs at greenpond road ? what else can be found directions etc
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Post by carnelianpete on Sept 15, 2010 9:07:10 GMT -5
Just got done cleaning up a couple of finds from UNS. I went last Wed. for a few hours. Found a nice stilbite pocket but the finds of the day were these two beauties. Probably the best natrolite I have found. No damage. They are terminated xls which is kind of hard to come by at UNS. Most times the xls are so packed in the pocket that they tend to grow into each other forming solid masses or just barely touching which leads to unterminated xls. They came from right in the middle of the stilbite pocket. Carried these out in my hand. They are so delicate that even wrapping up in anyway they would have fallen apart. I will be heading back out there next week to pick up where I left off. If anyone is interested in going let me know and we can pick a day. Thanx for looking Pete
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Post by bobrock on Sept 15, 2010 14:32:49 GMT -5
the first set of cliffs closest to rt. 23 is where i found the metallic mineral. a neighbor of mine, when i lived there, had a nice cluster of quartz crystals that his father found that came from those cliffs. the metallic can be found on a ledge about 1/4 the way up the cliff, easy to get to in one spot. you can enter the area thru newark watershed property with a hiking permit. there is also a cuprite mine on the right side of the road that goes from greenpond road to splitrock reservoir. there is also a iron mine right on the top of the mountain on the left side of the road just after you pass greenpond lake coming from rt.23......bob
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Post by hydrogeologist on Sept 15, 2010 21:21:55 GMT -5
Nice finds, Pete. I especially like the root for scale in the first picture.
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Post by CrossfireBusiness on Sept 16, 2010 8:03:53 GMT -5
Thanks for all the info Bob ...Pete that natrolite is amazing !!! It"s 9am now ...I wanna go but my car needs a hand wash because i put a thule bike rack on it so i cant do the drive thru anymore ... .... wash the car ? go uns? wash the car? goto uns? lol
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