Here are a few photos of goodies I've found scrambling around in the Pike's Peak foothills.

A few more







A great day!

More Smokies

These are actually the pieces that got me interested in what could be found in this area. I was hiking with my daughter and we were walking near a creek when I spotted something blue. From there I was hooked! The bottom rock is probably about 25 pounds, and I carried it for an hour back to where I was parked.

a super find!

Very nice finds Crusty!
I really like the 3rd pic in the first post, Fluorites? Interesting piece!
Been there and done that with the hour long hike out rock loaded. That'll give the ol' upper body a good work out for sure. Really nice blues in the Amazonites too, we really like blue in rocks too as you'll see around the site. You'll also really enjoy the crystal digging thread if you've not already seen that one.
Thanks for sharing some pics of your finds, we'll be looking forward to more in the future too.

Crusty,
Welcome to CP and thank you for serving our country.
Those are some excellent finds and thanks for posting up the pics! Good stuff.

Can't see the pics from work, so I'll have to see which one that is when I get back to my room.

If you like blue, have any Lapis Lazuli? I thought it was pretty much only here, but when Googling it, I found there was actually a pocket found in Colorado!

http://www.visitcrestedbutte.com/navigate....m_businessid=88

I've actually been buying some pieces and selling them on ebay while I'm here. I'll post the links to the auctions below. If you'd like a piece, let me know and I'll pick one up for you... and the prices I've got on ebay are WAY more than I paid; for the three I have listed now, plus 2 more I paid $400. I just list them high and drop them some everytime until they sell. If any of y'all would like one (or more lol) let me know and I'll hook y'all up for whatever price I can get them for plus shipping.

(Dypheron, if you find some good deals on it at the bazaar you can make a few bucks while you're here; I've sold 3 pieces so far and have 3 more listed now, with folks watching them, so I'm hoping to sell them as well).

Here are the ones I currently have for sale (NOT trying to sell them to y'all for these prices, just for reference!)

http://www.ebay.com/itm/281119326676

http://www.ebay.com/itm/281119346546

http://www.ebay.com/itm/281119850700

Thanks! Look forward to getting to know y'all and to finding more good stuff to post pics of! :)

3rd pic in first post is a big piece of smoky quartz.



3rd one in the second post is a bunch of small clear and smokies with something square (sorry, still too much of a rookie to know what it is lol)

OK, after reading more threads here, y'all dun ejucated me... :)

Yes, it would appear that "square thingy" is indeed fluorite!

Already told Dan I'd send him some, if I were to get something from the bazzar it'd be those cheap scarves. I could sell those $2 scarves for $30 easy if I were so inclined.

Fantastic finds Crusty!! One can't blame you for hauling back that 25 pound lovely, very cool!
Thanks for sharing pics of your specimens.

Awesome man. Really nice scores. What park or area are you digging in?

This all comes from Bear Creek, off trail 666. I hiked in from where 666 meets high drive.

Thanks for the offers on the lapis guys, we'd love to have a bit of that stuff if you want to send us some. But.......we'll need to know what shape/size cabachon stone you'd like cut and polished for your pieces from what you send.

Yepper that "square thingy" is definately a fluorite! Good work and glad you've "dun got ejucated".
I'm still thinking the 3rd pic in the first post has some fluorite influence in it's formation. Definately appears at first glance to be quartz by the tipped angles but then just at the tips bases there appears to be right angles....... I'm wondering if quartz psuedomorphed after fluorites in this situ? And the overall shape of the piece looks oval shapped. Very interesting piece!

I plan on bringing some of the lapis home with me, since I don't ever plan on coming back here to get more! lol MIght be more than I expect if those pieces on ebay don't sell!

Will have to hook up with you and show it to you in person someday!

OK, NOT found in Colorado, but figured I'd share anyway :)

I like finding gems, minerals and rocks myself, but went ahead and bought an assortment of minerals found in Afghanistan for my collection, since getting out and finding my own isn't possible (or safe!)


Tourmaline



Rubies





Aquamarine






Emeralds



A cool piece of heart-shaped 3 (4?) colored Fluorite






Gave $90 for the whole bunch... he wanted $130.

ive been saying that in the Kyber Pass in eastern Afganistan with all the bombs that were dropped in them mountains, somebody needs tobe looking for quartz/gold! its got tobe there! i kinda look like a beatup ole goat herder,sometimes! haha but you have found some very nice finds! i saw awhile back pictures of some Iraq men panning for gold in a river that ran through Bagdad. i thought maybe i need to dredge that river,under water ofcourse! :)

They say there is $3T in minerals/gems in Afghanistan... I can only imagine how much cool stuff there is to be found out there, if only you could get to it!

a person would think that all of the people in need to make a living would be out there digging and looking around!

Easier said than done in this joint! Between the government screwing you, no distribution chain, no one with cash to buy your stuff, and of course the Taliban trying to kill you, it is quite a challenge!


I read the Chinese have bought the rights to put in a huge mine and have been fighting red tape and corruption for a couple years and haven't even broken ground yet.

Cool specimens Crusty! Sweet multicolored (blue, green and purple) Fluorite, very cool how it broke heart shaped. Even a bit of purple under your thumb.

THanks!


I've actually got a "thing" for heart shaped rocks; not the pretty kind I've seen that you make, but natural ones like this fluorite. I've got hundreds of them. Sure, some are a stretch, but I see it! lol One day I'll figure out something cool to do with them! Here's a few my wife made for a picture to send for Valentines Day while I was here.

That was really sweet of your wife. Those are really cool Crusty, good eye! You would really like the gem grade dino bone slabs. Little colored hearts all over it. I have seen some hearts right in big boulders when out prospecting before but I just take a pic, it's easier.

Your rock heart collection might line a pathway in your yard nicely. Just a thought.

Here are all the ones I've found here, walking around on the gravel roads. Yes, I am a sappy fool... lol

Naaa, I bet your wife calls you "a keeper", men like you don't get thrown back in the pond. She is a very lucky woman Crusty.

I really like the one at the bottom right on the corner of the sign.

Those are some really cool pics!

Wow, you've found some really cool stuff! I bet you can't wait to get back and dig some more. Thanks for your service!

Crusty, give me a call too, when you get back. I would like to find some time to get out with you. I will PM my number to you.

Will do!! :)

Went up 666 today and didnt find much at all. I will have to go out with you sometime crusty. Trails have changed pretty good up there. Did find a little quartz but not much and all very very tiny.

Went out to Bear Creek yesterday and did some digging around. Found a vein of exposed Amazonite & quartz; nothing of great quality, but spent a couple hours hacking out a few chunks.

On the way down I crizz-crossed a couple scree fields and found more cool stuff doing that than the hours I spent hammering!

Will post better pics when I get it all cleaned up.

Sounds like it was a great day out digging! Nice finds, bet they clean up nicely.

I have them soaking now; I changed out the water this morning and some of them look like they'll be pretty cool. I think the coolest one will be a piece that I noted in the scree field; not sure what inspired me to flip over an average looking flat rock (the one in the upper left of the picture), but when I did I was surprised to find a wonderful bunch of terminated crystals on the under side! A couple of them look very clear, but I didn't have much time to check them out this morning.