D e s e r t E x p o s u r e
February
2009
Gem & Mineral Society
Page: 2"I want to make sure no one misses this turn," he says. "Otherwise, they might just be going and going and wonder where the heck we all went!"
All 11 vehicles now accounted for, the caravan continues the few more miles of dusty road to the Round Mountain site. No sooner do the rockhounds pile out of their trucks and campers than shouts go up about chalcedony finds right at their feet.
Robert Waidler, the geologist who gave the presentation on toxic minerals, exclaims over a beautiful piece he finds as soon as he steps out of his truck.
The members gather in a spot between their vehicles. Meredith gives directions for those looking to traverse the foothills for those "better finds" — maybe even a chalcedony rosette to rival the prize in Meredith's bucket.
Rockhounds fan out, some stopping every few feet to pick up a rock and throw it in his or her sack or backpack, or to stuff into a pocket.
Meredith and Reeves set up some folding tables at the back of their camper.
"We're going to camp here tonight and this is where folks'll come to have lunch," Reeves says. "We'll compare our finds then, too."
He points out a waterpik dental instrument and spray bottle full of water, sitting on the camper's bumper.
"That'll be for washing them off," he says. Bringing to mind the wisdom and caveats of Waidler's presentation on toxic minerals, he adds with a laugh, "No licking rocks!"
Only a few feet from the parking area, rockhounds continue to fan out, picking up specimens. A woman named Shannon says this is her third time out with the Rolling Stones club.
"I'm from Oregon," she says with humorously deprecating emphasis on her home state's name. "So, New Mexico is just amazing! You walk 50 feet and you're in a new geological area. Even these drab lava rocks are exciting to me," she adds with a laugh.
"I love these trips. It's like going to a garage sale — for free! It's the funnest thing I've ever done!" She tosses another rock into her canvas bag. "Do you see this? It's just crazy the stuff that's out here, just lying in plain sight!"
Not 30 feet away, Silver City bead artist Dagny Sellorin is finding useful and beautiful rocks of her own.
"I do use them in my beadwork. I'm always looking for things for that," Sellorin says. She pulls out a tiny egg-shaped piece of chalcedony. "I need a flat side for what I do, so I can affix it to the piece (of bead art). This one's just perfect," she says, rolling the small stone between her fingers.
She pulls another specimen out of her bag.
"Look at this one! Do you see that movement?" she asks, pointing out the colored striations through the rock.
"For me, this is a chance to get out with other people, different people with different kinds of knowledge, and go to different places I'd never get to otherwise," she says.
Other rockhounds are eager to show off their finds. One holds up a tiny egg-shaped rock with a little chip in the top, as if a stone chick were beginning to chip its way out of its milky crystal shell. Another shows off a tiny rosette; another a jagged chunk that exactly resembles Cooke's Peak, a well-known crag and landmark visible from Silver City.
Back at "base camp," Josh Reeves is running from rockhound to rockhound, dampening their finds with his spray bottle.
"This will help us see what you really found," he says, washing the grime off one woman's small chalcedony rosette. He holds it up to the light. "Ooh, this is a nice one. Look at that pink!"
He pores over another batch of finds, spread out on a rockhound's tailgate.
"Oh my God! Look at that! Yellow and green," Reeves says about a piece of fire agate he turns over and over in his palm. "Okay, you tumble this for just one day on 80 grit," he advises the fire agate's new owner. "That'll reveal what you've got. It'll bring out that green."
Geologist Waidler has what Reeves deems "the find of the day." It is a "textbook" chunk of dark lava rock, out of which protrudes a pure white chalcedony egg.
Waidler explains, "This is how these minerals form. They seem to ooze out like this."
Reeves says that, traditionally, a number of the rockhounds tend to leave right after the lunch break. He points out a couple of the diehards he thinks will stick around after lunch for a couple more hours of exploring what can be found on the other side of the arroyo. And then there are the campers, who'll stay overnight.
"But a half-day outing is enough for most people," he allows. "They've got enough rocks and they're happy."
As if to prove him right, most do get into their vehicles and leave. As one SUV roars to life and hits the dirt road home, the lyrics of Bruce Springsteen once again fit the bill as his song, "Long Walk Home" serves as a segue into the dusty trip ahead.
A happy rockhound glances at her treasures on the car seat next to her and taps out the beat on her steering wheel.
Hey, rock on!
The Rolling Stones Gem & Mineral Society meets monthly and makes rockhounding field trips every month except September and December. For information or to become a member, call 388-9312 or email kyyote@msn.com Dues are $10/year for an individual, $15 for a family.