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Not a rant but I just found something really cool while hiking in Arizona

Started by kryptonitecomics,

21 posts in this topic

kryptonitecomics

kryptonitecomics

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After class today I set out for a hike in McDowell Mountian regional park. I had been hiking and went up into so elevation on Wednesday and on the way I found some really cool dry creek beds full of rocks. I knew it was a long shot finding anything of value but I took a look on line and got some good ideas of what rough gemstones from the area would look like and then read up on the precious medals found in the area.

 

I knew from past reading that a lot of times you will find Gold and Silver mixed in with quartz so I decided to focus my efforts on located quartz deposits if at all possible. So after about an Hour of walking in the dry creek bed in the 100 degree heat I noticed a large outcroping of rocks, dirt, you name it....and the rock looked to be quartz. I didn't see anything that looked like gold or silver......just dirt but since the rock was kind of jutting out sharply I thought I would see if I could get some of it to chip off.

 

I found a rock that looked like a big chunk of rusty iron thaqt must have weighed 30 lbs or so and and slammed it down onto the edge of the quartz......nothing happened except my hands hurt like heck lol Up the rock went again...then down again with a huge thud......it sounded like something had cracked and then I just realized it was my aching back making noises :sick:

 

One final time and that's it....it's too darn hot out here to keep wacking away at rocks........up the rock goes over my head....down it goes.....dirt flys everywhere as do some small chips of rock..... hm Ok this is getting interesting as now the rock has a pretty good crack in it and it looks like one more blow should do it. I think I can, I think I can.....up the rock goes....down the rock goes......victory as the quartz breaks off into about 4 large pieces with some small chunks all around........I don't see the glint of gold....but.....

 

I do see something shining up at me from one of the chunks......Silver!!!!! I look at some of the other pieces which don't look like anything but white rocks but then I look at whats left of the out cropping and I see more silver.... :o

 

There is no way to get the rest of the rock to budge and I didn't have the energy to keep wacking away at it so I grabbed the chunk and decided to head back to the hotel. I am extrremely excited but I know the value isn't in the ore as it take tons of crushed rock to produce a few ounces of Silver.....it's the adventure and now a cool Souvenir to take back to Florida with me :acclaim:

 

I would have had images of the whole darn adventure but I was having a problem with my camera batteries so I left them in the room to charge. Here are some shots of the rock with the raw silver......and I will also include a little history of Silver Mining in Arizona (thumbs u

 

silverore002.jpg

 

silverore003.jpg

 

silverore004.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

Silver Mining in Arizona

 

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cpm9ball

cpm9ball

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Cool find, Shane, but be careful. Many states have laws against removing stuff from their parks.

 

When I visited a friend in Grand Junction, CO, she told me there was a state law that prohibited people from taking any kind of rock whatsoever.

 

Turquoise is another stone that is common all over the Southwest.

 

Chris

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just-john

just-john

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Looks like one of those rocks the tourist take home if you join the GPAA you could have it assayed. All that glitters isn't gold or silver. Were you over by the shooting range thats where

it says PHOENIX on the side of the mountain .Live not to far from there prospecting is another hobby I've spent to much money on I have all the stuff plus the 4x4's

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jgrinz

jgrinz

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This one came from a streambed in Oregon. It reminds me of the "Three Monkeys"............"See no evil, Hear no evil, Speak no evil".

 

Looks like some kind or petrified organ :)

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cpm9ball

cpm9ball

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This one came from a streambed in Oregon. It reminds me of the "Three Monkeys"............"See no evil, Hear no evil, Speak no evil".

 

Looks like some kind or petrified organ :)

 

More like petrified doo-doo.

 

Chris

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Ted K-migration

Ted K-migration

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This one from Oregon reminds me of that deli meat, but I can't remember the name of it.

 

That'd almost certainly be an agate of some sort, 3rd one looks like it too, though I'd have to see either of them wet to be sure. Agate is a weak spot I've had for about the same length of time as coins. :) 2nd one I'm not sure about, looks like some kind of concretion, but could also be other things that set up in the crevices of one piece rather than something sealing together a number of pieces. Any way you slice it (bad agate junkie joke), very nice rocks. :)

 

And OP, great rock and great story, thank you for sharing.

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