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My last outing, A Weekly posting
Woody
post Sep 17 2017, 10:23 PM
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Hi All,

This weekend I had an opportunity to scratch something off my Summer Bucket list. One of the items I wanted to do before the snow sets in was prospect an area in the high country for crystals. It is
located about 1300 feet +/- and can be covered by snow some years as early as mid-October. Although I've been to this specific location many times in the past, I have never quite satisfied my
prospecting itch for the area. I have always found some interesting clusters and the crystals from this area are water clear. Admittedly they are not vey big. The largest are just over an inch and they do
run a little on the skinny side.

So any who... I met up with a friend/associate in the early morning and together we drove the 2 hours to our destination. The trail was fairly steep to start with but that helped to stave off the cold.
About half way up the hill I started seeing sign for what I was looking for and venturing off the trail a few yards we slowly started to find crystals. We found some decent material, and after working the
area for a while we continued our hike up the hill to a spot I have collected Galena in the past. We spent most of the day hammering on rocks and chipping out Galena while constantly adjusting to the
on again/off again snow storms.

I don't think I answered any questions and I certainly didn't fulfill my prospecting itch for this area. Need to return with some bigger tools, no sense of time, and more Summer. probably something to put in next year's
Summer Bucket List. Thanks Nate for driving and I Look forward to doing it again sometime, Woody.

1st and 2nd pics show what some of the better Crystal Pockets look like.
3rd pic shows the nice view and another round of snow rolling in.
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Crusty
post Sep 18 2017, 08:44 AM
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Looks like an awesome spot Woody! I'd need to account for the extra weight of an O2 bottle lol


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ChuckD
post Sep 18 2017, 12:40 PM
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Just looking at that list pic of the landscape makes me want to just drop everything and head to Colorado. As much as I want to find my first piece of gold or some kind of "something-or-other"... I can't help but think that simply being able to stand there and take in that view alone would make the trip worthwhile. Thanks for posting. You're lighting a fire under me...
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swizz
post Sep 18 2017, 07:55 PM
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QUOTE (ChuckD @ Sep 18 2017, 12:40 PM) *
I can't help but think that simply being able to stand there and take in that view alone would make the trip worthwhile.

I have lived here for about 40 years now and can honestly attest that the mountain views and wilderness never get old. I find myself appreciating my surroundings daily, no matter the season. I feel pretty blessed to have found myself in the mountains for most of my life.
Beautiful pics Woody!


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James and Cyndi
post Sep 18 2017, 08:39 PM
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Good stuff!!!


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nate
post Sep 26 2017, 09:50 AM
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It was an excellent trip! It's always great to get out with you Woody.


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Woody
post Sep 28 2017, 11:36 PM
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Hi all, I agree we do live in a very wonderful and stunning place, and I appreciate every day I am able to enjoy the wonderful outdoors .

I have been spending a few late nights after work this week and well….. I guess I kind of made something! “Nate this is some of that material from that location I showed you about a month ago”.
These are my first attempts at trying to polish a stone and set it in a pendant setting. They may not be the quality of which you might find sitting in a Macy’s window but I’ll show them to a person with
a grin on my face…thinking I done something. Of course all the “glory” goes to the stone itself, it already looks good before I get a hold of it.

These pictures don’t do the shine on the stone no justice at all. I’m sure the gloss would come out much better in the daylight but I can’t wait to post some pictures of, “Here…. lookie at what I did!”.
A few years ago I bought a 6-inch Inland swaptop Lapping machine from Swizz, “Thanks again Chris”. Well, over the years I’ve made A cut here… A cut there… and slowly I’ve gotten to know it a little
better. These stones do look good in hand, but even in the pictures you can see there are numerous “holes” still in my game. I see in one of the pictures I need to bend some of the locking tabs down
some more…… in another I see the stone was not quiet the right size for the setting. But you know what?...... I’m fine with that! These were my first attempts and I think I can learn from my mistakes
and make the next batch better.

Here are some of the lessons I learn’t so far;

- The first one I did was the large round one… it came out nice but I quickly figured out I should have bought the setting first, then made the stone. What I did was… cut the goodies out of a rock…
polished it up… and then went looking for a setting to fit the dimensions of my new stone. So first get the setting, then cut/shape the stone to match… not vice verse!
- The next thing I did was bought some settings and cut the stone to match.... And quickly learn’t that by the time you finish grinding and polishing…. The stone now falls through the setting….. so
cut larger than the setting and shape to fit accordingly! “That’s why two of the five stones are not in settings, they are now too small.”
- Lastly, I’ve got to figure something out about bending those locking tabs…. They are kicking my butt and come out looking like gnarly broken fingers.

Anyway I had fun. I hope you enjoy the pics, Woody.
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Woody
post Sep 28 2017, 11:43 PM
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Here are some close-ups of some of the stones.
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swizz
post Sep 29 2017, 09:10 AM
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Crusty
post Sep 29 2017, 10:40 AM
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Beautiful material! Great job making them in to something you can show off!


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RyanRoberts
post Oct 2 2017, 10:45 AM
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Those look so cool polished up!
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Denise
post Oct 3 2017, 07:58 AM
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I love following your adventures Woody, great finds! Good job on the cabochons and settings, they look great!! smiley-clapping.gif


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Woody
post Oct 10 2017, 11:29 AM
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Hi all,

I'm still working late nights on the Cabochons. Each one brings about a new set of lessons, but at least I'm making forward progress. For the last couple of weekends I've been concentrating on an area I call the "Back Forty".
It is perhaps the most rugged area that I frequently visit. With winter right around the corner I wanted to spend some time here before it gets snowed in. It will probably be around the end of March before this hillside sees any
sun again, so even a little snow last long here.

Anyways I made a video and it is interesting... not so much for the Quality of the Crystals, but more so for the location, or hole that they are coming form. I opened up a large hollow spot that I can clearly see good material
in. I just can't get to them..... Yet!

I hope everyone is ready for Winter, cause it look's like she's a coming. Woody

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1NrjdWfXRw


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Denise
post Oct 11 2017, 09:17 AM
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Very cool Woody, it looks like a great spot! Sweet finds!!

Stay safe out there and happy hunting. happy112.gif


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Woody
post Oct 24 2017, 07:02 PM
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Hi All,

Well I got out again last weekend, found some material that made the trip back home. I still have not returned to that big hole I started opening up a couple weeks back but that's ok, It'll give me something to do once the snow sets in heavy. Here is a
pic from this last weekend. I also fond a few cubes of Fluorite but they did not show much color. Those fluorites are tricky! One minute to the next you can go from dull, etched and bland, to colorful and see-through. I guess the best advice is to stay in
the game and eventually you'll pull something out worthy of top shelf!

Have a good week, Woody.
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