Tag Archives: Big Bend Texas

Fall 2015 big Bend Rockhunts

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Here’s a complete schedule so far for the Fall 2015 rockhunts. The 2015-2016 rockhunting season will begin on Wed., 10/7. The schedule includes the Big Bend Agate Roundup rockhunts scheduled for 10/19 – 11/2.

Right now, I don’t have any rockhunts scheduled during mule deer season, which is 11/27 – 12/13 this year. 11/27 is the day after Thanksgiving, and 12/13 is a Sunday. HOWEVER, I can probably schedule rockhunts during that time on the Singleton, East Needle Peak, and South Larremore ranches, once the landowners have decided when to allow deer hunters onto their ranches. So – if that’s your vacation, and you wish to go rockhunting, let me know and I’ll see what I can schedule.
I won’t be available from 11/19 – 24, as the 23rd is our (John & Teri Smith’s) 30th anniversary, and we hope to have our family visit us during that time.

Wed., 10/7: South Larremore Ranch. Start: 8:00 a.m. Cost: $40 per person per day.
Thurs., 10/8: Singleton Ranch. Start: 8:00 a.m. Cost: $50 per person per day.
Fri., 10/9: Singleton Ranch. Start: 8:00 a.m. Cost: $50 per person per day.
Sat., 10/10: Singleton Ranch. Start: 8:00 a.m. Cost: $50 per person per day.
Sun., 10/11: Singleton Ranch. Start: 8:00 a.m. Cost: $50 per person per day.
Mon., 10/12: South Larremore Ranch. Start: 8:00 a.m. $40 per person per day.

Mon., 10/19: Ritchie Ranch. Start: 11:00 a.m. Cost: $10 per person plus $1 per lb for agate.
Tues. 10/20: South Larremore Ranch. Start: 8:00 a.m. Cost $40 per person per day.
Wed., 10/21: Walker Ranch. Start: 8:00 a.m. Cost varies: see below.
Thurs., 10/22: Walker Ranch. Start: 8:00 a.m. Cost varies: see below.
Fri., 10/23: Walker Ranch. Start: 8:00 a.m. Cost varies: see below.
Sat., 10/24: Walker Ranch. Start: 8:00 a.m. Cost varies: see below.
Sun., 10/25: Walker Ranch. Start: 8:00 a.m. Cost varies: see below.
Mon., 10/26: Walker Ranch. Start: 8:00 a.m. Cost varies: see below.
Tues. 10/27: South Larremore Ranch. Start: 8:00 a.m. Cost $40 per person per day.
Wed., 10/28: East Needle Peak. Start: 6:00 a.m. Cost $40 per person per day.
Thurs., 10/29: Singleton Ranch. Start: 8:00 a.m. Cost: $50 per person per day.
Fri., 10/30: Singleton Ranch. Start: 8:00 a.m. Cost: $50 per person per day.
Sat., 10/31: Singleton Ranch. Start: 8:00 a.m. Cost: $50 per person per day.
Sun., 11/1: Singleton Ranch. Start: 8:00 a.m. Cost: $50 per person per day.
Mon., 11/2: South Larremore Ranch. Start: 8:00 a.m. Cost $40 per person per day.

Wed., 11/11: South Larremore Ranch. Start: 8:00 a.m. Cost $40 per person per day.
Thurs., 11/12: Singleton Ranch. Start: 8:00 a.m. Cost: $50 per person per day.
Fri., 11/13: Singleton Ranch. Start: 8:00 a.m. Cost: $50 per person per day.
Sat., 11/14: Singleton Ranch. Start: 8:00 a.m. Cost: $50 per person per day.
Sun., 11/15: Singleton Ranch. Start: 8:00 a.m. Cost: $50 per person per day.
Mon., 11/16: South Larremore Ranch. Start: 8:00 a.m. Cost $40 per person per day.

Wed., 12/16: South Larremore Ranch. Start: 8:00 a.m. Cost $40 per person per day.
Thurs., 12/17: Singleton Ranch. Start: 8:00 a.m. Cost: $50 per person per day.
Fri., 12/18: Singleton Ranch. Start: 8:00 a.m. Cost: $50 per person per day.
Sat., 12/19: Singleton Ranch. Start: 8:00 a.m. Cost: $50 per person per day.
Sun., 12/20: Singleton Ranch. Start: 8:00 a.m. Cost: $50 per person per day.
Mon., 12/21: South Larremore Ranch. Start: 8:00 a.m. Cost $40 per person per day.

Wed., 12/23: South Larremore Ranch. Start: 8:00 a.m. Cost $40 per person per day.
Thurs., 12/24: Singleton Ranch. Start: 8:00 a.m. Cost: $50 per person per day.
Fri., 12/25: Singleton Ranch. Start: 8:00 a.m. Cost: $50 per person per day.
Sat., 12/26: Singleton Ranch. Start: 8:00 a.m. Cost: $50 per person per day.
Sun., 12/27: Singleton Ranch. Start: 8:00 a.m. Cost: $50 per person per day.
Mon., 12/28: South Larremore Ranch. Start: 8:00 a.m. Cost $40 per person per day.
Note that all of the field trips begin at the Antelope Lodge, 2310 W. Highway 90, Alpine.
The price for the Walker Ranch is: $75 per person per day, or $150 per person for 3 days. The fourth and fifth days are $37.50 each. I believe that Bryan Crumpton will offer the usual “pay in full and get an extra day free” deal for the Walker Ranch hunt, but I haven’t gotten the details for that yet.

Also, remember that Rollin’ Rock Club membership is required for all of my rockhunts, and it costs $10 single/$16 dual. If you haven’t joined yet this year, your dues will pay for the rest of 2015 and for the 2016 calendar year.

Please let me know as soon as you decide that you are coming on a particular rockhunt or set of rockhunts. Even if you are tentatively planning on coming, let me know. If I don’t have anyone signed up for a rockhunt a week before the hunt is to occur, I will cancel the hunt. I will then make other plans for that day and not be available if someone wants me to “un-cancel” the hunt at the last minute.

Regards,
Teri

May Rockhunts

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Thank you for 2 weeks of successful rockhunts. The hunts keep getting bigger each time we have them, and we get participants from all over the country joining us. I wish to especially thank my great friend Johnny French, who continued his tradition of providing us with the main dishes for our Sunday rockhound barbecue. Johnny orders the brisket and ham ahead of time, and stops on his way from Corpus Christi to Alpine to pick it up. He certainly knows where to find the best food!

I’ve made great friends through these field trips, and keep meeting wonderful rockhounds. I hope y’all are making new friends, as well. To find additional friends while it’s too hot for field trips, check out the many Facebook groups for rockhounds. There are also lots of websites with interesting information on them about all areas of our hobby.

If you’re happy with my rockhunts, please consider posting to http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g30158-d7713497-Reviews-Rock_Hunting_in_the_Big_Bend_of_Texas_with_Teri_Smith-Alpine_Texas.html. I’ve gotten two 5-star reviews there, which makes me the #1 attraction in Alpine. Getting more good reviews will help me to get noticed by the Alpine and Brewster County Tourism groups for the rockhunts that I do, and hopefully get some support and advertising money from the hotel/motel tax money collected from you, the rockhunters.

We have one more month before it gets too hot to rockhunt. The May, 2015 Schedule is:

Wednesday, 5/6: South Larremore Ranch

Thursday, 5/7 through Sunday, 5/10: Singleton Ranch

Friday, May 15 – Sunday, May 17: Walker Ranch hunt (if we can get at least 6 people – and hopefully more – signed up, Bryan will come out and do a short hunt for us)

Wednesday, May 20: South Larremore Ranch

Thursday, 5/21 through Sunday, 5/24: Singleton Ranch

Monday, 5/25: Ritchie Ranch rockhunt for both adults and kids.

After that, I’ll be closing down for the summer. I’ll hopefully get time to sort my rocks, clean them up, and make some additions to the displays in the museum. I’ll also be working at the Antelope Lodge. Rockhunts will start again during October, probably with a big 2-week Field Trip Extravaganza like we just did.

I’d be really interested in your comments about my rockhunts in general and about this last set of hunts. The number of people attending the hunts is growing, and that can have both positive and negative effects on your experience. Please email me at agatehunter@sbcglobal.net.

Regards,

Teri

A New Ranch is Opening for Rockhunts!

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Terlingua Nodules. Could they be fossils of egg masses?

Terlingua Nodules. Could they be fossils of egg masses?

Larremore Ranch Fossil Concretion

Larremore Ranch Fossil Concretion

Plume Agate from the South Larremore Ranch

Plume Agate from the South Larremore Ranch

Petrified Wood from the South Larremore Ranch.

Petrified Wood from the South Larremore Ranch.

Petrified Wood from the South Larremore Ranch.

Petrified Wood from the South Larremore Ranch.

Announcing the opening of a new ranch for rock hunting in the Big Bend of Texas: the South Larremore Ranch. This is an entirely different area than the northern part of the Larremore Ranch, which was open for rockhunting in the past. I was out there yesterday, and I hunted at three different locations within half a mile of each other on the 2,500 acre ranch. One area was full of flint nodules, fossil concretions, and some cool things I call “Terlingua Nodules”. The second area had lovely moss agate chunks and a few pieces of plume agate. And the third area had small pieces of fully agatized wood in great colors. Here are some photos of my finds.More details about field trips on this ranch will be available in about a week.

October 2014 Rockhunt Information

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Hi Y’all! We’re starting to get signups for the October rockhunts this year. There’s still space available for all the rockhunts on the schedule. If you don’t have the schedule handy, got to www.terismithrockhunts.com and scroll down to the email dated August 21.

SOME IMPORTANT FINANCIAL DETAILS:

The Walker Ranch trips require payment of half the fee in advance. If you send your fee postmarked by September 16, and received by Saturday, September 20, you get a free day at the end of your rockhunt. We’ll need to have a minimum of 20 people who have paid their deposits by September 30 for each weekend in order to have that weekend of the rockhunt happen. The price is still the same: $75 per person per day, or $150 per person for 3 days. The fourth and fifth days are $35 each. To send your Walker Ranch deposit in, please make a check out to Bryan Crumpton for half of your total fee, and send it c/o Teri Smith, 509 N. 8th Street, Alpine, TX 79830.

You don’t need to send me deposits for the Singleton Ranch and the East Needle Peak rockhunts. However, you do need to let me know that you are coming on those hunts. If no one signs up for a hunt, I’ll cancel it, so I need to know that you are coming.

The Singleton Ranch wants to be paid in CASH ONLY. It would be great if you had close to the exact change of $50 per person per day. The Rollin Rock Club can be paid by check at the time of your field trip. I cannot accept credit cards for anything that has to do with rockhunting because our beloved federal government would consider that to be money laundering. There are several ATMs in Alpine that you can get cash from if you need to.

Here is the list of people currently signed up for the Walker Ranch hunts:

Allison, Linda: 1 person for 2 days. Starting date: 10/25 total fee $150.
Backo, John: 1 person for 3 days. Starting date: 10/25 total fee $150. Also 10/28 – 10/29 Singleton
Bean, Debra: 1 person for ? days. Starting date: 10/23.
Braun, Betty & Mike: 2 people for 3 days. Starting date: 10/16 total fee $300.
Cantou, Pierre: 1 person for 4 days. Starting date: 10/16
David, Ken & Sandra: 2 people for 3 days. Starting date: 10/17 total fee $300.
De Hoyos, Joe: 1 person for 4 days. Starting date: 10/16
Easom, Carol & James: ?
Foegelle, Thomas & Barbara: 2 people for 3 days. Starting date: 10/16 total fee $300, paid.
Gazdar, Di: 1 person for ? days. Starting date: 10/23.
Gunter, Christine: 1 person for ? days. Starting date: 10/16?
Haffey, Suzanne & David: 4 people for 4 days. Starting date: 10/23. Also 10/21 Singleton
Ivie, Steve: 1 or 2 people for ? days. Starting date: 10/16. Also 10/9 – 10/12 Singleton
Jahn, Andy: 1 person for 3 days. Starting date: 10/16 total fee $150, deposit of $75 received, balance due $75. Also 10/15 Singleton
Manis, Paula: 2 people for 1 day. Starting date: 10/26 total fee $150. Also 10/12 Singleton
Montgomery, Mark: 1 person for 5 days. Starting date: 10/16 total fee $185, deposit of $92.50 received, balance due $92.50. Also 10/9 – 10/12 Singleton, 10/14 East Needle Peak
Newberg, Stephen: 1 person for 2 days. Starting date: 10/23 total fee $150.
Redmond, Robert: 1 person for 2 days. Starting date: 10/16 total fee $150, deposit of $75 received, balance due $75. Also 10/15 Singleton
Rutledge, Greg & Paula: 2 people for 1 day. Starting date: 10/16 total fee $150.
Terlecki, Larry & Margie: 2 people for 1 day. Starting date: 10/16 total fee $150. Also Singleton 10/15
Tindell, Ed: 1 person for 6 days. Starting date: 10/16 total fee $220, paid. Also may go to East Needle peak 10/14 and Singleton 10/15
Tirey-Butler, Lisa: 1 person for 4 days. Starting date: 10/16 total fee $185. Also East Needle Peak 10/14, Singleton 10/15
Waugh, Steve: 1 person for ? days. Starting date: 10/16.

Please let me know if I don’t have your information correct. Remember that the 16th is the postmark deadline for the Walker Ranch deposit if you wish to hunt an extra day for free.