Rock Hounding Southern Oregon

 Rock Hounding Southern Oregon

 

  Who hasn't looked down,and saw a rock that excited them,a bit.Many are beautiful,and fascinating,all you

have to do is pick it up.My girl friend has been a rock hound for most of her life,and I to have picked up

rocks in several different countries over decades

Many people think of the beach as the place to go for rock hounding,however,rocks are every where there is

water,or erosion.In Oregon,sneaker waves can,and will take you out into the cold Pacific,if you are not

paying attention.Inland mosquitoes,blow flies,stinging needles,poison oak,rattle snakes,slippery rocks,and

critters,like ticks,can make it more interesting,or make you stay at home,and watch TV.I have found myself with

itchy arms,and other places that itch like crazy from poison oak,and stinging nettles,it goes away,you

don't have to chew your arm off.

The best time to look for rocks on the beach is after a storm,but then again,the sneaker waves are very active

during and after a storm,be careful,never turn your back on the ocean,it will take you away.

One of the best rocks is,leave it right,pick it up look at it,and replace it,leave it right there.If you insist on

taking every rock that catches your eye,you will have a pile of rocks laying around your house,taking up room

you may not have  spare for.Now if you really love rocks,tumble them,add a chain to it,and sell it,who can't stand

a little bit of money from  hobbies. 

Rivers are always changing,the flow of water moves heavy minerals like gold,platinum,sliver,and other valuable

minerals.Please consult,or better yet,learn how to check with state,and federal agencies on mineral claims

before you get too excited about rocks.Active mineral claims own the minerals,as long as the claim is kept

up to date,you do not want a claim owner to pull a gun on you for taking minerals from their claim.If the claim

is inactive,you can take minerals,or file a claim on that piece of land.I have had a couple gold claims,my dad

had claims on the east side,mine were on the west side of the state.I let mine go years ago.It was a better

camping place then a placer claim,very fine gold,and not much of it.Oh well.Gayle's dad had a good claim

in Idaho,we both still pan for gold,and collect rocks for exercise,and fun.You can keep your big cities.

Jasper,a smooth surface,and comes in several different colors is a pleaser for sure.Due to my  moving many

 times over the years,all of my rocks have found other homes,they take up space,that I needed for other things

.I had two wife's die from cancer,that kept me leaving for other areas.Arizona,Idaho,South Carolina,Mexico for ten 

years,and back to Oregon,my home state.

 Gayle and I will post some great photos of different rocks,I have a 1 1/2 pound meteorite,and some great rocks

from Mexico,among other minerals.Serpentine is a mineral that you can use a dermal on to make figurines. 

It is very physical work collecting samples of minerals,or panning for gold,I suggest that you watch some

youtube on whatever you are interested in,to get a feel for it,or to quickly make you decide to stay home.

Wild animals can affect your adventures along rivers,or any where you are out in the wild country,think about

what you will do before you have a close encounter with them.That is if you live in a heavily populated

area,want to explore ,and have no experience.Gayle and I both grew up going out into the forest,camping,

panning,hunting and fishing,we know what we are doing.Picking up a good book on whatever you are

doing helps in identification of rocks,birds,flora,and fauna.  

 Those TV programs about mining aren't what you do,unless you have hundreds of thousands of dollars.Most

people use one pan,a classifier,a sniffer bottle(Which you can make from any plastic bottle with some firmness

to it's sides)water,food,maybe a sluice box(Check local laws),shovel,and a bucket.

Mining,fishing,and timber made the northwest,not high tech,or the services industry,it was sweat,blood,and

life's,keep that mind,when you think about giving people a hard time about what they are doing,as in,

mining,hunting,fishing,or working in the forest products industry.We are not overly politically correct,and will

help you see the error in your thinking,if you rant to us about what we are doing.,lawyer's or not.

America is the greatest country in the world,always has been,always will be,just because the death centers

(Cities)have the most people,they are not what America is about,rural areas,smaller cities,and towns is where

 America values live on. Long live America,long live American values.

Photos to be posted soon,along with articles on things mentioned above.