Fall 2020 Rockhunt Schedule

I’ve finally got a rockhunt schedule for Fall 2020.  Right now, with COVID and the resulting changes in how things are done, we are fortunate to still have three great ranches available for rockhunting:   The Ritchie Ranch, the South Larremore Ranch, and East Needle Peak.

I’ll be leading my field trips, cycling between all three ranches, each Thursday and Friday in October and November.  Aaron will be leading trips on most Saturdays, October through December.  This will give y’all three days in a row for rockhunting on your trip out to the Big Bend, and you can pick and choose which days you’d like to hunt. I’ll also be leading additional trips now and then,  so if you have a special request, let me know. 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.  Aaron’s field trips will be limited to 25 people, and there’s still no limit to the number than can attend my field trips.

 If you haven’t hunted with Aaron, his fieldtrips are different than mine.  He keeps the group together and hunts with you.  He’ll even carry your rocks back to the car.  On my hunts, I give you instructions, make sure everyone knows what they can find, and then you hunt by yourselves until it’s time to get together at the end of the day.  I try to meet with everyone once they’re out hunting, to make sure they’re having fun and finding good stuff.

All field trips will begin at Tri-la-Bite, which is the food truck run by Aaron and his wife Katrina. It’s 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.

There will be some protocols in place for extra safety during the COVID pandemic.  I’m asking everybody to wear a mask whenever we’re grouped together, and have your group stand 6 feet away from other groups and me.  Once we’re rockhunting, however, you and your group can remove the masks.

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 2021.

Aaron and Katrina have also opened up a rock shop in Alpine, called the Circle T Rock Shop in honor of Aaron’s family’s ranch.  It’s located on the east side of 5th street in Alpine, just north of Holland Avenue.  They’re usually open Thursday through Monday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.  They also have a Facebook buy and sell group called Circle T Rock shop, https://www.facebook.com/groups/2555173857901636/, where you can buy agate from local ranches by the pound.  And there are lots of other goodies available in their shop.

As for me, I’m still selling agate by the bucket, as listed on my website, www.terismithrockhunts.com.  I’ll get back to Texas at the beginning of October and hunt through lots of buckets to re-sort the material into more single-ranch buckets, especially Walker Ranch buckets.   I’ll be also offering special deals, and going through my studio to see what else I have to offer.  If you aren’t coming out here for field trips, I can mail a bucket of rocks to you for $50.  Last Spring, I mailed more than 150 boxes of rocks via USPS, and every one of them got there in good shape with all of the rocks protected!  A couple of them did take scenic trips around the United States, however, before getting to their new homes.

So here’s the schedule.  Be sure to look at the start time for your field trip because the Ritchie Ranch hunts begin at 9, not 8. That’s  because the drive to the Ritchie Ranch only takes about 8 minutes, so we can still get out hunting by 9:30 or so.

Regards,

Teri and Aaron

Date Location Leader Cost Start Time Requirements
Sat. 10/3 South Larremore Ranch Aaron $50 8:00 Limit of 25 people 
Cash or Check
Tues. 10/6 Ritchie Teri $10
entrance + $1/lb
9:00 Cash or check
Wed. 10/7 South Larremore Ranch Teri $50 8:00 Cash or check
Thu 10/8 East Needle Peak Teri $40 8:00 Cash or check
Fri 10/9 Ritchie Teri $10
entrance
+ $1/lb
9:00 Cash or check
Sat. 10/10 South Larremore Ranch Aaron $50 8:00 Limit of 25 people 
Cash or Check
Thur. 10/15 South Larremore Ranch Teri $50 8:00 Cash or check
Fri. 10/16 East Needle Peak Teri $40 8:00 Cash or check
Sat. 10/17 South Larremore Ranch Aaron $50 8:00 Limit of 25 people 
Cash or Check
Thur. 10/22 Ritchie Ranch Teri $10
entrance
+ $1/lb
9:00 Cash or check
Fri. 10/23 South Larremore Ranch Teri $50 8:00 Cash or check
Sat. 10/24 South Larremore Ranch Aaron $50 8:00 Limit of 25 people
  Cash or Check
Thur. 10/29 East Needle Peak Teri $40 8:00 Cash or check
Fri. 10/30 Ritchie Ranch Teri $10
entrance
+ $1/lb
9:00 Cash or check
Sat. 10/31 South Larremore Ranch Aaron $50 8:00 Limit of 25 people
  Cash or Check
Thur. 11/5 South Larremore Ranch Teri $50 8:00 Cash or check
Fri. 11/6 East Needle Peak Teri $40 8:00 Cash or check
Thur. 11/12 Ritchie Ranch Teri $10
entrance
+ $1/lb
9:00 Cash or check
Fri. 11/13 South Larremore Ranch Teri $50 8:00 Cash or check
Sat. 11/14 South Larremore Ranch Aaron $50 8:00 Limit of 25 people
  Cash or Check
Thur. 11/19 East Needle Peak Teri $40 8:00 Cash or check
Fri. 11/20 Ritchie Ranch Teri $10
entrance
+ $1/lb
9:00 Cash or check
Sat. 11/21 South Larremore Ranch Aaron $50 8:00 Limit of 25 people
  Cash or Check
Wed. 11/25 South Larremore Ranch Teri $50 8:00 Cash or check
Thur. 11/26 East Needle Peak Teri $40 8:00 Cash or check
Fri. 11/27 Ritchie Ranch Teri $10
entrance
+ $1/lb
9:00 Cash or check
Sat. 11/28 South Larremore Ranch Aaron $50 8:00 Limit of 25 people 
Cash or Check
Sat. 12/5 South Larremore Ranch Aaron $50 8:00 Limit of 25 people 
Cash or Check
Sat. 12/12 South Larremore Ranch Aaron $50 8:00 Limit of 25 people 
Cash or Check
Sat. 12/19 South Larremore Ranch Aaron $50 8:00 Limit of 25 people 
Cash or Check
Sat. 12/26 South Larremore Ranch Aaron $50 8:00 Limit of 25 people 
Cash or Check

Rockhunts this Fall, and Rocks For Sale Now

Hi Y’all!  June is upon us, and with it the hot weather.  I’m working on my plan for going to California at the end of June.  My current thought is that I will indeed come back to Texas this Fall to lead more field trips, probably from Mid-October through Thanksgiving, or perhaps all the way til the middle of December.  You can look for a schedule from Aaron and me sometime near the end of August or beginning of September. 

As you know, mandates from the government to ‘shelter in place’ or not travel can indeed cause me to change my plans, but barring something like that, I want to lead trips this Fall to get to see everyone I didn’t get to see this Spring, and have lots of fun picking up agates and other goodies.

Also, I’m still selling rocks by the bucket, and shipping them out.  I’ve sent over 100 boxes of agate and other materials to rockhounds across the country via USPS, and every box has gotten there safely. I still have agate available from the Singleton Ranch ($125 for an unsorted bucket, $250 for a bucket where I’ve sorted two or more buckets together and removed everything that isn’t cutting material). There are a few buckets left of Stillwell Ranch material ($250 per bucket), South Larremore Ranch rocks ($200 per bucket), East Needle Peak rocks ($200 per bucket) and Ritchie Ranch agate ($200 per bucket).  I have mixed agate ($150 per bucket), Agate from Mexico ($175 a bucket) and all kinds of other goodies.  You can look at a complete list of what’s available on my website, at www.terismithrockhunts.com/rocks-for-sale/.   I hope to add selected specimens to the list of things for sale, but I don’t know when I’ll get that done.

If you wish to get your rocks before I head west for the summer, you need to order them by June 15th.  You can either have me save your rocks until you can get out here this Fall, or you can have me pack and mail them to you at the cost of $50 per bucket.

I hope y’all have a good summer and stay well.  See you in the Fall!

Regards,

Teri

Too Hot to Rockhunt? You Can Still Buy Agate by the Bucketfull

For those of you who don’t live in Texas, Friday, May 1 was when some restrictions on travel ended.  Hotels and motels in the Big Bend can open back up at 25% of their capacity, and restaurants can, as well, if they have room for social distancing.  However, the nice spring weather happened while we were sheltering in place, and now it’s pretty much summertime conditions: very hot, often windy, sometimes rainy, with occasional thunder storms which can bring lots of hail, or perhaps a tornado or two.

Because of the weather conditions, Aaron and I have decided that we won’t be leading field trips again until Fall.  We have lots of people tell us that they can take the heat because they’re from the Gulf Coast.   But the heat we have here is very dry heat, and you can get dehydrated here very quickly.  The combination of the elevation, the dryness, and the heat with no shade has sent many people to hospitals with heatstroke over the years, and we won’t lead field trips in conditions which may permanently injure your health (or ours!).

On another topic, my rock sales are going well.  All of the Walker Ranch cutting agate buckets have been sold,  as well as the buckets of agate nodules.  But there’s lots of other good agate still available.  Both the Singleton and Stillwell Ranches are great locations that are not open to the public any more. In my last email, I detailed the reason that I dropped the price on the Singleton Ranch tock buckets, but I’ll repeat it here:  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 deal, 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.

The Singleton material has some bouquet agate in it, and in general those pieces run fairly small.  Many will make only one cab, and to do that you’ll need to hold the piece in your hands while you grind a flat spot to glue the dop stick on.  The colors are usually pastels, and there’s also quite a lot of black and white plume agates there, as well.  There’s also water-level agate, which is where the silica that formed the agate was dissolved in ground water flowing horizontally.  The different minerals in the solution at different time made different color bands, mostly blue, grey, black and white. The bands are absolutely straight, so the material looks great if you cut diagonally across the bands for your cab. There are moss agates and occasional tube agates, and some very neat stuff that is brecciated common opal with a background of chalcedony. The opal can be any color from white through the buff, pink, and red colors into brown, and the chalcedony background  can be clearish, white, light blue, dark blue, or black.  The buckets of Singleton material are  $125 each, since I never separated the specimen material from the cutting material.  Or, I can send you a bucket that I’ve “curated”, taking the best cutting material from two Singleton buckets and putting them into one bucket, for $250.  that saves you shipping cost for the second bucket and doesn’t leave you with a bunch of specimen material you don’t want.
    
 The Stillwell Ranch had a whole bunch of different types of agate, jasper, flint, chert and petrified wood.  Pieces can be quite large:  perhaps the size of a brick.  I am continually surprised at the variety in the Stillwell agate.    In one afternoon a couple of years ago I found agatized petrified wood in nine different color combinations.  The pieces appear not to have grown in the location where they’re found.  There are several hills on the ranch that are actually just giant rock piles, deposited there in prehistory when the Rio Grande was many miles wide.  There are plume agates, mosses, fortifications, tube agates and some others that I can’t begin to describe.  There will also be colorful petrified wood, and perhaps some flint and chert that were exceptional for some reason.  They may have originated any where along the course of the Rio Grande, from Southern Colorado through New Mexico and the Big Bend of Texas.  Because this ranch is now closed to rockhunting, the buckets are $250 each.
 
 The South Larremore Ranch is very interesting.  It has gravel piles sticking up above ground level.  These piles were the bottom of an ancient lake, and they have some incredible agate in them.  It also has the creekbed for Calamity Creek, which is the creek that goes through the former Woodward and Walker Ranches, and picks up pieces of plume agate on its way down.  So there’s material there that looks like what you would find on the Walker and Woodward Ranches, in addition to the pieces in the gravel piles that can look like the spectacular fortification agates from Mexico. There’s also agatized wood, and perhaps some flint and chert that were exceptional for some reason.  Pieces are generally small.  South Larremore Ranch agate is $200 per bucket and the South Larremore Ranch is still open for rochunts in fall, winter and spring.

Feel free to look at my website, http://terismithrockhunts.com/rocks-for-sale/.

for other rocks for sale, and email me if you have any questions.

Regards, Teri & Aaron

Need more rocks? I can help!

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.

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

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.

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

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 15th.  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

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 4th 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

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.

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.

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