Need more rocks? I can help!

Posted on April 28, 2020 by Teri Smith

Tired of being unable to go outside and hunt rocks? Would some good agate from the Big Bend help you fight the “stay at home ‘til further notice” blahs? And what better present for Mother’s Day than a few buckets full of agate?

I’ve spent my quarantine time learning how to successfully ship agate, and reconsidering some of the prices on my agate buckets. So here are the deals:

FIRST, $50 SHIPPING. I can send you a bucket’s worth of agate via USPS for $50. Your rocks will arrive in 3 or 4 days in in 2 large, USPS flat-rate boxes. It takes me an hour or so to pack a bucket’s worth of rocks into the boxes and tape it up with enough filament tape to make sure it will get to you in perfect condition. So far, I’ve shipped out more than 40 boxes, and all have arrived safely with no damage or loss to the rocks.

SINGLETON RANCH AGATES ON SALE! Unlike the Walker Ranch buckets, where I separated specimens and cutting material, the buckets of agate from the Singleton Ranch are completely unsorted. That means you’re apt to get specimen material along with the cuttable agate. In order to make sure you feel like you’ve gotten a good idea, I’ve lowered the price of a bucket of Singleton Ranch agate to $125 for an unsorted bucket. Or you can spend $250 for a bucket where I’ve combined two of the unsorted buckets and removed most of the stuff that won’t cut.

OTHER CATEGORIES STILL ON SALE: In my first email about selling rock buckets, there were several categories of rocks that were at a low price until I could get around to sorting them. But with the quarantine, people haven’t been able to come out rockhunting and pick up their buckets, so I’ve been spending a lot of my time packing and shipping rocks. Since I won’t get to sorting those categories of agate anytime soon, the lower prices are still in force. Those categories are:

Buckets of agate either sorted by color or marked ‘mixed’ or ’misc’. $150

Buckets of Rocks that Aren’t Agate or Jasper $150

Buckets of agate from Margarita Gardner $175

I have only a couple of buckets of Walker Ranch cutting agate available at $250 per bucket. I have had the chance to look at the contents of some of these buckets as I packed them, and I was amazed at what wonderful things were in there. Lots of red plume, black plume, flower garden agate, pastel fortification agates, and very amazing moss agates. There are occasional Native American artifacts (mostly scrapers) in there, too, and a few geodes. Once these last buckets are gone, there won’t be any more available from me, unless the ranch opens up for rockhunting again in the future. Better order one right now if you want it! Those of you who have reserved buckets already don’t have to worry: I’ll keep them for you until you can get here to pick them up, or decide to have me mail them!

Since it looks like most of us will be staying home for the foreseeable future, these prices will be good through the end of May. In June, if we’re free to travel, I’ll go to California for the summer and won’t be back for a while…

I have a lot more types of agate for sale than I‘ve mentioned in this email. I’ve updated my listing on my website to show the number of buckets of rocks available in each category now. Some of the smaller categories are sold out. To see the complete listing follow this link: http://terismithrockhunts.com/rocks-for-sale/.

Regards,

Teri

All Rockhunts in March and April CANCELLED.

Posted on March 21, 2020 by Teri Smith

The remaining rockhunts for March and April, 2020, have been cancelled because of the public health directives issued by the Brewster County Judge.

The County Judge in Brewster County, TX (location of all three ranches that I lead field trips on) has expanded the recent Disaster Declaration to include the closure of restaurants, bars, hotels, motels, RV Parks and campgrounds. Since these necessary services for rockhounds won’t be available, it seemed prudent to cancel the remaining rockhunts for the season at this point. I had hoped we could avoid this, and if the restrictions are lifted in time, we can reinstate whatever rockhunts are remaining.

I will keep you posted about changes to the existing Declarations. In the meantime I’m still selling rock buckets. An inventory of the buckets for sale can be found at http://terismithrockhunts.com/rocks-for-sale/.

For those of you who have at least one bucket of rock reserved in your name, I’m still looking for the least expensive method of shipping the buckets to you. Will let you know when I find it!

Regards,

Teri Smith

P.S. If you have a hotel reservation here, you’ve probably heard from your hotel already. If not, I’d consider calling them.

I’ll Be In Transit This Week

Posted on March 9, 2020 by Teri Smith

Hi Y’all I’ll be in transit from California to Texas this week, so I won’t be returning emails. I should be back in Texas by the weekend and will try to catch up on them then. I also won’t be accepting calls when I’m driving, since I really want to get back to Texas alive.

Regards,

Teri

Woodward Needle Peak site Closed for Rockhunting.

Posted on March 3, 2020 by Teri Smith

Due to factors way beyond our control, there has been another location closed for collecting this spring.. In late February, there were some communication gaps that led to confusion about who was allowed to go where down near Needle Peak. To ensure that something like that didn’t happen again, Aaron went down to the Brewster County Tax Office and looked up who owns what down at Needle Peak. He found that the official record at the courthouse did not agree with Jan Woodward’s understanding of what she owns at Needle Peak.

In order to clarify this, deeds will need to be examined and surveys conducted, and legal proceedings may be necessary. I have been told by someone schooled in the law that the county records are not infallible, and that sometimes deeds are not recorded, for a variety of reasons.

But all of this will take time to untangle. So, due to these ownership issues, all of Aaron’s rockhunts for spring at the Woodward’s Needle Peak site have been cancelled.

We know that his is a great disappointment for many, including ourselves. To have this traditional rockhunting area available again was very welcome and had generated a lot of signups from people who will now have to decide what they are going to do.

THIS DOESN’T AFFECT THE EAST NEEDLE PEAK ROCKHUNTS THAT TERI LEADS. Below is a new schedule without the Needle Peak hunts of Aaron’s. If it is at all possible to do something different on the days when hunts had been scheduled to the Woodward’s portion of Needle peak, such as hunt on the roads in Toyah or on Hovey Road, between Alpine and Ft. Stockton, we can certainly do that. Please let us know what you would like to do on those days, and we’ll see if we can do that. Aaron has at least one other ranch that has expressed interest in rockhunting, but he’s going to keep quiet about it until it happens. He sincerely apologizes concerning the problem with the Woodward property. This is his first year of leading fieldtrips, and he is finding out how difficult the vetting process for a landowner can be.

Despite the loss of the Woodward’s Needle Peak site, there are still three wonderful ranches available for rockhunting this season: the Ritchie Ranch, South Larremore Ranch and East Needle Peak. None of the hunts for those ranches has changed.

We look forward to seeing you this Spring!

Teri & Aaron

P.S. I now have my whole rock collection inventoried and available for purchase. It is listed on my website, at http://terismithrockhunts.com/rocks-for-sale/. However, I still intend to publish it as an email in the next few days. It’s first come, first served, so take a look and let me know what you want!

Date	Location	Leader	Cost	Start Time	Requirements
Sat. 3/7
Sun. 3/8	South Larremore Ranch	Aaron	$65	8:00	Limit of 12 people. Cash or check
Sat. 3/14	South Larremore Ranch	Aaron	$65	8:00	Limit of 12 people. Cash or check
Sun.3/15
Mon. 3/16	Ritchie	Teri	$10 entrance + $1/lb	9:00	Cash or check
Tue. 3/17	South Larremore Ranch	Teri	$50	8:00	Cash or check
Wed 3/18	East Needle Peak	Teri	$40	8:00	Cash or check
Thu 3/19	Ritchie	Teri	$10 entrance + $1/lb	9:00	Cash or check
Fri 3/20	South Larremore Ranch	Teri	$50	8:00	Cash or check
Sat. 3/21
Sun. 3/22
Mon. 3/23	East Needle Peak	Teri	$40	8:00	Cash or check
Tue. 3/24	Ritchie Ranch	Teri	$10 entrance + $1/lb	9:00	Cash or check
Wed 3/25	South Larremore Ranch	Teri	$50	8:00	Cash or check
Thu 3/26	East Needle Peak	Teri	$40	8:00	Cash or check
Fri 3/27	Ritchie	Teri	$10 entrance + $1/lb	9:00	Cash or check
Sat. 3/28
Sun. 3/29
Thurs 4/2	South Larremore Ranch	Teri	$50	8:00	Cash or check
Fri 4/3	East Needle Peak	Teri	$40	8:00	Cash or check
Sat. 4/4	South Larremore Ranch	Aaron	$65	8:00	Limit of 12 people. Cash or check
Sun. 4/5
Mon 4/6	Ritchie	Teri	$10 entrance + $1/lb	9:00	Cash or check
Thurs 4/9	Ritchie	Teri	$10 entrance + $1/lb	9:00	Cash or check
Fri 4/10	South Larremore Ranch	Teri	$50	8:00	Cash or check
Sat. 4/11	South Larremore Ranch	Aaron	$65	8:00	Limit of 12 people. Cash or check
Sun. 4/12
Mon 4/13	East Needle Peak	Teri	$40	8:00	Cash or check
Thurs 4/16	South Larremore Ranch	Teri	$50	8:00	Cash or check
Fri 4/17	East Needle Peak	Teri	$40	8:00	Cash or check
Sat. 4/18
Sun. 4/19	South Larremore Ranch	Aaron	$65	8:00	Limit of 12 people. Cash or check
Mon 4/20	Ritchie	Teri	$10 entrance + $1/lb	9:00	Cash or check
Thurs 4/21	South Larremore Ranch	Teri	$50	8:00	Cash or check
Fri 4/24	East Needle Peak	Teri	$40	8:00	Cash or check
Sat. 4/25	South Larremore Ranch	Aaron	$65	8:00	Limit of 12 people. Cash or check
Sun. 4/26
Mon 4/27	Ritchie Ranch	Teri	$10 entrance + $1/lb	9:00	Cash or check

Revised Spring 2020 Rockhunt Schedule

Posted on February 14, 2020 by Teri Smith

There have been a couple of changes to the schedule for rockhunts this winter and spring. First, the Stieg Ranch will not be hosting rockhunts this spring, due to damage to the roads that can’t be repaired quickly. So the weekend hunts to the Stieg Ranch will be changed to the Woodward’s Needle Peak site or the South Larremore Ranch.

Secondly, Aaron and his family have determined that he needs to receive something for his time spent on the rockhunts so that he can keep leading trips every weekend. We’ve decided to add a $15 charge for his services as a guide added to each of his field trips, starting this Saturday, February 15^th. That means that his hunts to the Woodward’s Needle Peak and the South Larremore Ranch will cost $65 per person. That will enable him to keep the hunts small and focus on sharing his knowledge of the geography and mineralogy with y’all so you can find better rocks!

There are no changes to my fieldtrips for this spring. I look forward to seeing y’all out here on Spring Break and throughout April!

Regards,

Teri & Aaron

P.S. I now have my whole rock collection inventoried and available for purchase. Right now the listing is on my website, at http://terismithrockhunts.com/rocks-for-sale/. However, I intend to publish it as an email in the next few days. It’s first come, first served, so take a look and let me know what you want!

Date	Location	Leader	Cost	Start Time	Requirements
Sat. 2/15	South Larremore Ranch	Aaron	$65	8:00	Limit of 12 people. Cash or check
Sun. 2/16	Needle Peak	Aaron	$65	6:30	Limit of 12 people Cash or check
Sat. 2/21	Needle Peak	Aaron	$65	6:30	Limit of 12 people. Cash or check
Sun. 2/22	South Larremore Ranch	Aaron	$65	8:00	Limit of 12 people. Cash or check
Sat. 2/29	South Larremore Ranch	Aaron	$65	8:00	Limit of 12 people. Cash or check
Sun. 3/1	Needle Peak	Aaron	$65	6:30	Limit of 12 people Cash or check
Sat. 3/7	Needle Peak	Aaron	$65	6:30	Limit of 12 people. Cash or check
Sun. 3/8	South Larremore Ranch	Aaron	$65	8:00	Limit of 12 people. Cash or check
Sat. 3/14	South Larremore Ranch	Aaron	$65	8:00	Limit of 12 people. Cash or check
Sun.3/15	Needle Peak	Aaron	$65	6:30	Limit of 12 people Cash or check
Mon. 3/16	Ritchie	Teri	$10 entrance + $1/lb	9:00	Cash or check
Tue. 3/17	South Larremore Ranch	Teri	$50	8:00	Cash or check
Wed 3/18	East Needle Peak	Teri	$40	8:00	Cash or check
Thu 3/19	Ritchie	Teri	$10 entrance + $1/lb	9:00	Cash or check
Fri 3/20	South Larremore Ranch	Teri	$50	8:00	Cash or check
Sat. 3/21	Needle Peak	Aaron	$65	6:30	Limit of 12 people. Cash or check
Sun. 3/22	Needle Peak	Aaron	$65	6:30	Limit of 12 people Cash or check
Mon. 3/23	East Needle Peak	Teri	$40	8:00	Cash or check
Tue. 3/24	Ritchie Ranch	Teri	$10 entrance + $1/lb	9:00	Cash or check
Wed 3/25	South Larremore Ranch	Teri	$50	8:00	Cash or check
Thu 3/26	East Needle Peak	Teri	$40	8:00	Cash or check
Fri 3/27	Ritchie	Teri	$10 entrance + $1/lb	9:00	Cash or check
Sat. 3/28	Needle Peak	Aaron	$65	6:30	Limit of 12 people. Cash only
Sun. 3/29	Needle Peak	Aaron	$65	6:30	Limit of 12 people Cash or check
Thurs 4/2	South Larremore Ranch	Teri	$50	8:00	Cash or check
Fri 4/3	East Needle Peak	Teri	$40	8:00	Cash or check
Sat. 4/4	South Larremore Ranch	Aaron	$65	8:00	Limit of 12 people. Cash or check
Sun. 4/5	Needle Peak	Aaron	$65	6:30	Limit of 12 people Cash or check
Mon 4/6	Ritchie	Teri	$10 entrance + $1/lb	9:00	Cash or check
Thurs 4/9	Ritchie	Teri	$10 entrance + $1/lb	9:00	Cash or check
Fri 4/10	South Larremore Ranch	Teri	$50	8:00	Cash or check
Sat. 4/11	South Larremore Ranch	Aaron	$65	8:00	Limit of 12 people. Cash or check
Sun. 4/12	Needle Peak	Aaron	$65	6:30	Limit of 12 people Cash only
Mon 4/13	East Needle Peak	Teri	$40	8:00	Cash or check
Thurs 4/16	South Larremore Ranch	Teri	$50	8:00	Cash or check
Fri 4/17	East Needle Peak	Teri	$40	8:00	Cash or check
Sat. 4/18	Needle Peak	Aaron	$65	6:30	Limit of 12 people Cash or check
Sun. 4/19	South Larremore Ranch	Aaron	$65	8:00	Limit of 12 people. Cash or check
Mon 4/20	Ritchie	Teri	$10 entrance + $1/lb	9:00	Cash or check
Thurs 4/21	South Larremore Ranch	Teri	$50	8:00	Cash or check
Fri 4/24	East Needle Peak	Teri	$40	8:00	Cash or check
Sat. 4/25	South Larremore Ranch	Aaron	$65	8:00	Limit of 12 people. Cash or check
Sun. 4/26	Needle Peak	Aaron	$65	6:30	Limit of 12 people C Cash or check
Mon 4/27	Ritchie Ranch	Teri	$10 entrance + $1/lb	9:00	Cash or check

Winter/Spring 2020 Rockhunt Schedule

Posted on December 23, 2019 by Teri Smith

Aaron Thomas and I are happy to present the Big Bend rockhunt schedule for Winter and Spring, 2020.

Aaron has added a new ranch: The Stieg Ranch, near Balmorhea. The Stieg Ranch is an alluvial fan, which is relatively flat terrain, with a creek bed running through it. Both the alluvial fan and the creek bed have every type of agate that eroded out of the surrounding hills. You can find the Balmorhea Blue agate, banded agate, jasper, petrified wood, chert and artifacts. The fee will be $50 per person, and that will entitle you to a 5-gallon bucket full of collectible rocks.

Aaron will be leading field trips every weekend from January 4^th through the end of April. I will be gone for January, February, and the beginning of March, and will begin my weekday hunts on Monday, March 16. I’ll have hunts every weekday during the two weeks that constitute spring break for most Texas schools, so there will be hunts each day from Saturday, March 14 through Sunday, March 29. Then there will be rockhunts Thursdays through Mondays for the next several weeks until Monday, April 27. This will give y’all the longest possible time for rockhunting on your trip out to the Big Bend, and you can pick and choose which days you’d like to hunt. You can sign up for Aaron’s field trips the same way you sign up for mine: send me an email with the days you wish to attend, and make sure to include the phone number for a cell phone you’ll have with you. Both Aaron and I will be leading trips to the South Larremore Ranch. All of Aaron’s field trips will be limited to 12 people, and there’s still no limit to the number than can attend my field trips.

All field trips this year will begin at Tri-la-Bite, which is at the corner of Holland Avenue and Garnett Street in Alpine. It’s on the left side of the street, across from the Sonic Drive-In.

So here’s the schedule. Be sure to look at the start time for your field trip because they vary depending upon the ranch. I love y’all, but I’m tired of getting emails and calls for questions that are answered in this email, and available on my website.

Regards,

Teri and Aaron

Date	Location	Leader	Cost	Start Time	Requirements
Sat. 12/28	Needle Peak	Aaron	$50	6:30	Limit of 12 people Cash only
Sun. 12/29	South Larremore Ranch	Aaron	$50	8:00	Limit of 12 people. Cash or check
Sat. 1/4	South Larremore Ranch	Aaron	$50	8:00	Limit of 12 people. Cash or check
Sun. 1/5	Needle Peak	Aaron	$50	6:30	Limit of 12 people Cash only
Sat. 1/11	Stieg Ranch	Aaron	$50	8:00	Limit of 12 people. Cash or check
Sun. 1/12	South Larremore Ranch	Aaron	$50	8:00	Limit of 12 people. Cash or check
Sat. 1/18	South Larremore Ranch	Aaron	$50	8:00	Limit of 12 people. Cash or check
Sun. 1/19	Needle Peak	Aaron	$50	6:30	Limit of 12 people Cash only
Sat. 1/25	Stieg Ranch	Aaron	$50	8:00	Limit of 12 people. Cash or check
Sun. 1/26	South Larremore Ranch	Aaron	$50	8:00	Limit of 12 people. Cash or check
Sat. 2/1	South Larremore Ranch	Aaron	$50	8:00	Limit of 12 people. Cash or check
Sun. 2/2	Needle Peak	Aaron	$50	6:30	Limit of 12 people Cash only
Sat. 2/8	Stieg Ranch	Aaron	$50	8:00	Limit of 12 people. Cash or check
Sun. 2/9	South Larremore Ranch	Aaron	$50	8:00	Limit of 12 people. Cash or check
Sat. 2/15	South Larremore Ranch	Aaron	$50	8:00	Limit of 12 people. Cash or check
Sun. 2/16	Needle Peak	Aaron	$50	6:30	Limit of 12 people Cash only
Sat. 2/21	Stieg Ranch	Aaron	$50	8:00	Limit of 12 people. Cash or check
Sun. 2/22	South Larremore Ranch	Aaron	$50	8:00	Limit of 12 people. Cash or check
Sat. 2/29	South Larremore Ranch	Aaron	$50	8:00	Limit of 12 people. Cash or check
Sun. 3/1	Needle Peak	Aaron	$50	6:30	Limit of 12 people Cash only
Sat. 3/7	Stieg Ranch	Aaron	$50	8:00	Limit of 12 people. Cash or check
Sun. 3/8	South Larremore Ranch	Aaron	$50	8:00	Limit of 12 people. Cash or check
Sat. 3/14	South Larremore Ranch	Aaron	$50	8:00	Limit of 12 people. Cash or check
Sun.3/15	Needle Peak	Aaron	$50	6:30	Limit of 12 people Cash only
Mon. 3/16	Ritchie	Teri	$10 entrance + $1/lb	9:00	Cash or check
Tue. 3/17	South Larremore Ranch	Teri	$50	8:00	Cash or check
Wed 3/18	East Needle Peak	Teri	$40	8:00	Cash or check
Thu 3/19	Ritchie	Teri	$10 entrance + $1/lb	9:00	Cash or check
Fri 3/20	South Larremore Ranch	Teri	$50	8:00	Cash or check
Sat. 3/21	Stieg Ranch	Aaron	$50	8:00	Limit of 12 people. Cash or check
Sun. 3/22	Needle Peak	Aaron	$50	6:30	Limit of 12 people Cash only
Mon. 3/23	East Needle Peak	Teri	$40	8:00	Cash or check
Tue. 3/24	Ritchie Ranch	Teri	$10 entrance + $1/lb	9:00	Cash or check
Wed 3/25	South Larremore Ranch	Teri	$50	8:00	Cash or check
Thu 3/26	East Needle Peak	Teri	$40	8:00	Cash or check
Fri 3/27	Ritchie	Teri	$10 entrance + $1/lb	9:00	Cash or check
Sat. 3/28	Needle Peak	Aaron	$50	6:30	Limit of 12 people. Cash only
Sun. 3/29	Stieg Ranch	Aaron	$50	8:00	Limit of 12 people Cash or check
Thurs 4/2	South Larremore Ranch	Teri	$50	8:00	Cash or check
Fri 4/3	East Needle Peak	Teri	$40	8:00	Cash or check
Sat. 4/4	Stieg Ranch	Aaron	$50	8:00	Limit of 12 people. Cash or check
Sun. 4/5	Needle Peak	Aaron	$50	6:30	Limit of 12 people Cash only
Mon 4/6	Ritchie	Teri	$10 entrance + $1/lb	9:00	Cash or check
Thurs 4/9	Ritchie	Teri	$10 entrance + $1/lb	9:00	Cash or check
Fri 4/10	South Larremore Ranch	Teri	$50	8:00	Cash or check
Sat. 4/11	Stieg Ranch	Aaron	$50	8:00	Limit of 12 people. Cash or check
Sun. 4/12	Needle Peak	Aaron	$50	6:30	Limit of 12 people Cash only
Mon 4/13	East Needle Peak	Teri	$40	8:00	Cash or check
Thurs 4/16	South Larremore Ranch	Teri	$50	8:00	Cash or check
Fri 4/17	East Needle Peak	Teri	$40	8:00	Cash or check
Sat. 4/18	Needle Peak	Aaron	$50	6:30	Limit of 12 people Cash only
Sun. 4/19	Stieg Ranch	Aaron	$50	8:00	Limit of 12 people. Cash or check
Mon 4/20	Ritchie	Teri	$10 entrance + $1/lb	9:00	Cash or check
Thurs 4/21	South Larremore Ranch	Teri	$50	8:00	Cash or check
Fri 4/24	East Needle Peak	Teri	$40	8:00	Cash or check
Sat. 4/25	Stieg Ranch	Aaron	$50	8:00	Limit of 12 people. Cash or check
Sun. 4/26	Needle Peak	Aaron	$50	6:30	Limit of 12 people Cash only
Mon 4/27	Ritchie Ranch	Teri	$10 entrance + $1/lb	9:00	Cash or check

Rockhunts for November and December 2019

Posted on November 7, 2019 by Teri Smith

I’ve finally got a rockhunt schedule for the rest of November and December, and there are some very exciting developments for y’all!

I’m now working with Aaron Thomas, who is a degreed mineralogist and geologist, and a full time Alpine resident. He and his wife Katrina run a food truck business in Alpine called Tri-la-Bite, so he’s only free to lead field trips on Saturdays and Sundays. He has been rockhunting in the Big Bend for most of his life, and has several ranches available for field trips on an occasional basis and a couple he can go to all the time. Aaron’s very enthusiastic as well as knowledgeable, has more stamina than all of us put together, and is lots of fun to be around.

Because of Aaron’s schedule, I’ll be moving my field trips to the weekdays before and after the weekends when Aaron can lead trips. This will give y’all the longest possible time for rockhunting on your trip out to the Big Bend, and you can pick and choose which days you’d like to hunt. You can sign up for Aaron’s field trips the same way you sign up for mine: send me an email with the days you wish to attend, and make sure to include the phone number for a cell phone you’ll have with you. Both Aaron and I will be leading trips to the South Larremore Ranch. All of Aaron’s field trips will be limited to 12 people, and there’s still no limit to the number than can attend my field trips.

For this set of rockhunts, the new ranch Aaron has available each weekend is the Needle Peak property owned by Jan Woodward. This is the traditional Needle Peak site which has produced great pompom and moss agates and for the past 60 or so years. It’s west of the East Needle Peak property we’ve been hunting on for years, and if you wish to climb up to where the agate is coming out of the mountain, it’s rather steep. But there is plenty of agate to be found on the flat area below the mountains and above the creekbed. I was there last weekend and there are spectacular things to be found! And Jan Woodward is donating all proceeds from the hunts to the local animal shelter in the name of her late husband Trey Woodward.

All field trips this year will begin at Tri-la-Bite, which is at the corner of Holland Avenue and Garnett Street in Alpine. It’s on the left side of the street, across from the Sonic Drive-In.

Date	Location	Leader	Cost	Start Time	Requirements
Thurs. 11/14	Ritchie Ranch	Teri	$10 entrance + $1/lb	9:00	Cash or check
Fri. 11/15	East Needle Peak	Teri	$40	8:00	Cash or check
Sat. 11/16	South Larremore	Aaron	$50	8:00	Limit of 12 people. Cash or check
Sun. 11/17	Needle Peak	Aaron	$50	6:30	Limit of 12 people Cash only
Mon. 11/18	South Larremore	Teri	$50	8:00	Cash or check
Thurs. 11/28	South Larremore	Teri	$50	8:00	Cash or check
Fri. 11/29	Ritchie Ranch	Teri	$10 entrance + $1/lb	9:00	Cash or check
Sat. 11/30	East Needle Peak	Teri	$40	8:00	Cash or check
Sun. 12/1	South Larremore	Teri	$50	8:00	Cash or check
Mon 12/2	East Needle Peak	Teri	$40	8:00	Cash or check
Sat. 12/7	Needle Peak	Aaron	$50	6:30	Limit of 12 people Cash only
Sun 12/8	South Larremore	Aaron	$50	8:00	Limit of 12 people Cash or check
Sat 12/14	South Larremore	Aaron	$50	8:00	Limit of 12 people Cash or check
Sun 12/15	Needle Peak	Aaron	$50	6:30	Limit of 12 people Cash only
Sat 12/21	Needle Peak	Aaron	$50	6:30	Limit of 12 people Cash only
Sun 12/22	South Larremore	Aaron	$50	8:00	Limit of 12 people Cash or check

Rollin’ Rock Club membership is still required for my field trips. Cost is $10 single and $16 for a dual membership. Membership will run through the year 2020.

Regards,

Teri

Fall 2019 Rockhunts: Maybe We’ll Have a New Ranch to Hunt On!

Posted on October 5, 2019 by Teri Smith

Those of you who are friends of mine on Facebook have probably heard the sad news, but for those that haven’t, my husband and best friend passed away on August 1, 2019, in Hollister, CA, where we were spending the summer. While Smith had been ill for many years, his death was unexpected. Emotionally, I have been supported by our four children and four grandchildren, who came from Texas, Ohio, Virginia and England to be here with me. I’m learning to understand what the word “widow” means in practical terms, and what the future is likely to look like for me. I’m just hoping that I don’t have to get a real “job”, since that would mean that I couldn’t lead rockhunts on the days when I work.

I intend to come back to Texas in the middle of October and lead rockhunts through the end of November. However, the Fall schedule is still up in the air because there’s the possibility of a new ranch being available in South Brewster County, near the Stillwell Ranch. I won’t be able to tell you how good it is until I get there to look around, and that won’t be until October.

So… I can either wait til then to publish the actual schedule, or I can publish it right now with the caveat that the locations may change if this ranch proves to be as spectacular as I believe it will. What I can tell you for sure is that I will be available to lead fieldtrips on the following dates:

Friday, 10/25 through Sunday, 10/27

Friday, 11/1 through Sunday, 11/3

Friday, 11/15 through Sunday, 11/17

Friday, 11/29 through Sunday, 12/1

If the new ranch proves to be good, I’ll probably add either Thursdays of Mondays to the schedule and go to each of the ranches on one day of the four-day weekend. Let me know by return email whether you’d like me to post a schedule that may change or wait til October to post the names of the ranches I’ll be hunting at each day.

The prices for each ranch is the same as in previous years:

Ritchie Ranch: $10 admission fee and $1 per lb of cutting agate or good specimens.

South Larremore Ranch: $50 per person per day.

East Needle Peak: $40 per person per day.

And Rollin’ Rock Club membership is required. I’ll hold the memberships and not submit them until December, so they will apply for 2020 as well. Cost is $10 for a single membership and $16 for a dual membership for the year.

Hope to see you this Fall! If not, I’ll be back in March and April for what may be my last set of rockhunts.

Regards,

Teri

News, both Good and Bad

Posted on July 28, 2019 by Teri Smith

The last of the old-time rockhunting ranches has been closed. The wonderful Stillwell Ranch has been divided and much of it has been sold. Included in the sale is the old primitive campground and the hills in which we used to find marvelous agate. The black tank area to the north of the big wash has been sold as well.

The Stillwell Ranch is still open as a place to stay, with RV hookups, primitive camping, and the store. There is another ranch in the area that has expressed an interest in hosting rockhunters, and I intend to talk to them soon. I’ll let you know as things progress.

As for me, I’m in California for a while, but I may be coming back to Texas to lead field trips in Fall 2019 as well as in Spring 2020. Some of that depends on y’all. Please let me know if you’d be interested in Fall field trips, and when you’d like them. I don’t know yet if I’ll be able to do Fall trips, but if I do, I’d like to do them when as many as possible can attend. So send me an email that indicates when you’d consider coming out for hunts, and how many people would be in your group. I realize that this is all incredibly iffy, but the more I know about when y’all would come out if every thing falls together, the better I can plan.

My husband John is not doing all that well right now, but I believe the doctors are getting a handle on it and he’ll be feeling better soon. The lower elevation seems to be helping him breathe better, and his medicines need to be tweaked to what his current condition is.

Since I don’t think that I’ll be able to reopen my museum soon, I am offering for sale some of the exhibit material, including the plume agate ‘windows”. The windows are $2500.00 each, or $4500 for both. I also have two other panels that have never been displayed, one of which is composed of mostly local material, and the other of which is mostly Brazilian.

I’ve also still got agate buckets for the Walker and Singleton ranches, and Stillwell, Ritchie, Larremore, East Needle Peak and other material as well. Nothing will happen on that until I’m back in Texas, but the more I know about what you want to purchase, the better I can accommodate you.

I hope y’all are having a wonderful summer! If you’re rockhunting, or cutting previous finds, I’d love to see photos of your rocks!

Regards,
Teri

Rockhunts Start at New Location

Posted on April 4, 2019 by Teri Smith

Starting immediately, Teri Smith and Teri Smith Rockhunts will no longer be associated in any way with the Antelope Lodge. Instead, we will start our rockhunts in the parking lot of Little Caesar’s Pizza, which is as the corner of Holland Avenue and Highway 118 (in town it’s called Cockrell St.) in Alpine.

The reason for this change is that a current member of the Antelope Lodge’s staff accosted me in the parking lot of the grocery store, and in the ensuing confrontation said he didn’t want us to meet there anymore, and called me a name I don’t believe I deserved.

This individual’s behavior was upsetting and frightening, and I don’t want any of you to be subjected to the same thing. Because of this treatment, I ask you NOT to stay at the Antelope Lodge when you come to Alpine for rockhunts. After we sold the Lodge in December 2017, I continued to start my rockhunts at the Lodge and recommend the Lodge as a place to stay as a courtesy to the new owner, even though rates had been raised quite a bit. Apparently the new owner does not need or want the revenue generated by rockhounds.

If the staff of the Lodge doesn’t want rockhunters on their property, as I was told, then we ought to take them at their word and go someplace else.

Regards,
Teri
P.S. Before you cancel any reservations at the Antelope Lodge, make sure you have reservations at another hotel. April is very busy in the Big Bend, and I wouldn’t want you to cancel your reservation at the Lodge and not be able to find another suitable room.