My last outing, A Weekly posting Options

[Woody]

Looking for Amazonite and Crystals

It was suspossed to be a real cold & crappy day around here according to the weather station so I was all set-in for a boering weekend. . I got up and it was cold but clear. Then I listened to the weather report again and it said the snow should start falling around noon. I figured I had about 5 good hours of usable time so I headed up to the local spot in the hills. I wanted to work a spot that I had found the week before and know there is still some "items of interest" left in it. It was a little chilly but that hill will turn up the heat quick. I never made it to my intended spot. As usual, I don't take the same path up the hill twice. I kind of zig-zag up it to the height I want to be at then shoot straight accrossed. This time I stumbled into a different area that hadn't been worked and showed good amazonite. I figured to shoot my entire 5 hour wad at this new sight and call it a day from there. But the expected fowl weather did not set in as expected. So after working that area for awhile I set off in another direction. This time I went prospecting for crystals. By prospecting I mean, randomly digging a small hole here and there and see if something looks good. I trapsed up and down the hillside and found two more spots that had been worked for Amazonite but did not look promising for any good grade specimens. One hole I dug did produce some crystals. I brought back around 70 bits and pieces. All in all I was very satisified with my Saturday. I got to put in around 10 hours of hill time on what was suspossed to be a crappy day and found more areas that need worked.

In the pic you can see the Amazonite clearly but the other crystals are, well kind of lumpy. I believe they are "Pseudo-morphed" or something. Not sure. Anybody got any guesses?? Later, Woody

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[Woody]

Thanks guys,

I have had some awesome luck these last few days especially with the Zircons. I now wish I had waited two weeks to make that video. My recent finds are far better than anything I had previously. I
am finding some awesome combos. The best are Goethite, Crystal combos but also with Zircons!. I'll post up some pics soon. Here is Something I found this weekend. It looks like a garnet, Feels like
a garnet, should be a garnet right? But I doubt it.

Since 1981 I have frequented this area that I am now in. In those days, a person could drive right next to my favorite dig spots. "Now days the hike is about 3 miles one way'. I say this only to
establish that I have been digging in this area for quite a while, and in all of that time, I have never seen so much as a fragment of a Garnet with in 50 miles of here. For that reason alone I doubt this
is a garnet. Also I found this in a hole that does not seem likely to producing garnets. The target in this hole is Geothite/crystal combos.

Much investigation work is needed, but here are a few pics. Enjoy, Woody.

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[Woody]

Here are a few pics of some other find from the same dig. Very iconic combos. Never seen this coloration before in association with Geothite. Vey cool stuff. Have a good one, Woody.

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[EMac]

Great finds man; very cool! Thanks for sharing.

[Crusty]

Awesome finds!

[Woody]

Quicksilver - 16

Recently on one of my outings, I came upon this very sad find. It is a door from a military helicopter. I can’t be certain but I would say it is most likely a Blackhawk or Scout. Those are a very
common site around the Pike’s Peak region. This one, did not make it to where it was going.

Typical of my ways, I was nowhere near a road and the steep terrain would explain why it has not been recovered. I spent a long time looking at this door and tried to find any more pieces of the
wreckage. All I could find was one odd, badly rusted can. It looked like a sardine can but about 5 times the size. I know a wreckage can throw debris in far and odd directions. I must of spent 3
hours looking for additional items but came up with nothing. Just ….. A Door!

But… If you are going to find just one item of a wreckage…. That door is a good one to find. As I look at the door, the name of the pilot stands out in bold letters…… LT Lang! Then looking closer, you
can even see the call sign of the aircraft….. “QuickSilver – 16”. That makes this a very identifiable wreckage. So I contacted the Fire Marshall at Fort Carson, figured he might be helpful. He
informed me that it was most likely a documented wreckage from about 10 years ago, no survivors. He told me that he would contact the Airfield and see if they wanted to recover the door. That’s
been a while ago but I guess it wasn’t an interest to them. I’ve had no other contact.

So somewhere on the Southern slopes of Pike’s Peak is a silent monument, left laying exactly how it was found. It reads simply, “LIEUTENANT LANG -– QUICKSILVER 16”.

I thank you Sir for your service ….. and sacrifice, Woody ~

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[EMac]

That is a sad find. Here's a toast...

[Crusty]

Whoa... A somber find indeed. Good on ya for making a few calls and seeing what was up with it.

Not sure how I'd feel about it is I was family, but wonder if they'd want the piece as a memorial or if it would just stir up the saddness. Probably best left resting in place.

[jhidek]

Long time no see Woody, glad to see you back online. I'll give you a buzz this week if you're gonna be available for a few

[Woody]

Hey jhidek,

Yeah I still make the circuit. I'm all over the map but shoot me a text when you can. Woody

[lostnewb]

Thanks guys,

I have had some awesome luck these last few days especially with the Zircons. I now wish I had waited two weeks to make that video. My recent finds are far better than anything I had previously. I
am finding some awesome combos. The best are Goethite, Crystal combos but also with Zircons!. I'll post up some pics soon. Here is Something I found this weekend. It looks like a garnet, Feels like
a garnet, should be a garnet right? But I doubt it.

Since 1981 I have frequented this area that I am now in. In those days, a person could drive right next to my favorite dig spots. "Now days the hike is about 3 miles one way'. I say this only to
establish that I have been digging in this area for quite a while, and in all of that time, I have never seen so much as a fragment of a Garnet with in 50 miles of here. For that reason alone I doubt this
is a garnet. Also I found this in a hole that does not seem likely to producing garnets. The target in this hole is Geothite/crystal combos.

Much investigation work is needed, but here are a few pics. Enjoy, Woody.

That almost looks like some of the zincian spinel we have been finding.

[Woody]

Hello All,

I went up to the hills this last weekend with some family and set up camp where we’ll be staying for a couple of weeks during archery season. After all the work was finished, we headed over to
some of the lakes and did a little fishing. The Brookies were biting well and some measured over 18 inches long. Then we started catching a different Trout Species. One that is seldom seen. Can
anyone guess what this is? I’ll give you a hint…. It is a Hybrid! Hopefully I get back to this before I head out again and don’t leave everyone hanging for two weeks.

Also while we were there, my brother set up a trail cam to see what might be lurking around the camp at night. We did not see anything, “except Cows”, at night. But evidently a bear walked right
through camp in broad daylight. The time/date is not set correct but the best we can figure it must have been while we were away at one of the lakes. The pictures show the bear did not stick around
very long. One year not too long ago, we had a bear come into camp while we were out hunting. He tore things up a bit, but no lasting damages.

Should be another interesting hunt this year. Good luck to everyone, Woody.

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[swizz]

Gotta love the "truth cam"!
That's a Tiger Trout.... a sterile cross betwixt a Brown & Brookie. They can get really big and have only been stocked in select locations in Colorado in recent years.

[Woody]

Your Correct Swizz,

I knew you would know this one. In recent years these guys have been introduced to several lakes on the Western Slope in hopes of controlling the massive population of minnows. Some of these lakes
have millions of minnows in them. I think the minnows are the Fatthead Minnow variety. Nice Brookies up to 20 inches have been in these lakes for a while, but they don't seem to bother the minnows
much. The Tigers are already making a noticeable impact on the Minnow population.... Didn't see as many this year as in years past. The Tigers aren't self-sustainable but there seems to be a good
population mix from smaller ,"10 Inches" to the larger ones, "18 inches". I think that reflects maybe 3 years worth of stocking. These Tigers get big... 20 plus pounds. So Tiger fishing will be an
interesting addition to our annual hunting adventures.

Also a frequent visitor this year was a Mink. The little guy was not afraid of much, come right up to you even if you was moving around. At one time it looked like another member of the Weasel family
was stalking our little Mink friend. It could of been a Weasel, Ermine, or Pine Martian... kind of hard to tell at a distance but it was sure interested in that little mink.

I enjoyed my hunting trip and was successful at getting a cow this year. I have included some Trail Cam footage, mostly from one Cam I set up on the Elk Carcass. Had some interesting visitors there
has well.

1st pic.... Small Tiger, 2nd pic.... Nice Brookie, 3rd Pic.... Our Mink friend

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[Woody]

Here is the link to that Trail Cam video, and also a pic of one of the bigger Tigers

https://youtu.be/NxJNKYyL1o8

Enjoy, Woody.

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[swizz]

Incredible fish Woody, and that trail cam vid is.... WOW!