It’s Almost Time for Fall Rockhunts to Begin!
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Tag Archives: Big Bend Agate
Great Agate Still Available for Purchase
The spring rockhunting season has been quite good, with many lovely cutting agate pieces found on all 3 ranches I lead trips on. The most surprising finds have been fortification agates with unusual colors from the Ritchie Ranch. With just a couple of exceptions, I’m finished with leading field trips for the spring. It’s been warm to hot on the ranches, and of course the farther south you go the hotter it gets. Even if it’s too hot for rockhunting out in West Texas, you can still buy great rough agate from me to cut and polish all summer in your ocean-front condo, air-conditioned treehouse, houseboat on the lake, or the back porch and garage.
I’m still selling some of the best agates from my collection in the ½ bucket size, or approx. 2.5 gallons. This is enough agate to completely fill a USPS large sized priority box. It should weigh between 25 and 35 pounds, depending upon the sizes and shapes of the stones included.
These boxes of agate will contain all cutting and tumbling pieces, with the specimen pieces removed. You can specify tumbling or cutting and I’ll try to get you the right sizes for your projects. Quantities are limited, so order now. I’ll be leaving for California in mid-May, so if you haven’t ordered by then, you won’t get your rocks til Fall.
Walker Ranch $150 plus $25 shipping. May contain the following types of agate: red plume, black plume, flower garden, peanut, moss, fortification banded, tube, lace, and mixtures of those types. The agate occurs in many different bright colors, from red and yellow to purple and green. The Walker Ranch has been closed to hunting for many years now. I gather the material for each bucket and half-bucket when it’s ordered, so it may take a few days for me to fill your request. Eventually I’ll run out of the good stuff, and after that there will be no more available.
Singleton Ranch $150 plus $25 shipping. May contain the following types of agate: bouquet (plume agate in pastel colors), black plume, moss, water-level banded, fortification banded, brecciated opal (common, opaque opal in beiges, pinks and oranges, in a translucent background of black, blue, or white agate), and mixtures of those types. The agate occurs in many different pastel colors, from pink and yellow to white and green. The Singleton Ranch has been closed to hunting for many years now.
South Larremore Ranch $110 plus $25 shipping. May contain the following types of agate: plume in various colors, moss, peanut, tube, flower garden, fortification (some with bands so close together that they can exhibit an iris effect when sliced thin), and petrified wood. The agate occurs in many bright colors and some pastel colors as well. The South Larremore Ranch is currently open for guided rockhunts that I lead in the Fall and Spring.
East Needle Peak $110 plus $25 shipping. May contain the following types of agate: PomPom (a rare pseudomorph of agate after aragonite), moss, peanut, fortification, banded, tube, lace, and agatized petrified wood. The agate occurs in many colors, but much of it is red, orange, or yellow, occasionally with areas of green. East Needle Peak is currently open for guided rockhunts that I lead in the Fall and Spring.
Ritchie Ranch $60 plus $25 shipping. May contain the following types of agate: Moss, banded, fortification, tube, plume, translucent chalcedony, and a lovely unnamed type of agate that has irregular blobs of opaque agate in a translucent background. The agate grew in two different occurrences, each with its characteristic color sets: translucent chalcedony in blues, greys, and carnelian, and a more opaque, complexly patterned agate and jasper in bright red, orange, and yellow. The Ritchie Ranch is currently open for guided rockhunts that I lead in the Fall and Spring.
Labradorite from the Walker Ranch. This labradorite is not like the specimens you see where the background of blue and grey has a chatoyance or cat’s-eye effect. At its best, Walker Ranch labradorite is bright yellow and almost transparent. It’s great for faceting and makes cool specimens. I’m selling it in 100 gram parcels for $25.00. Not all of the pieces are the same size, however, and those who order earlier will get the parcels with the bigger pieces in them. Shipping is $10, which seems awfully expensive, but you can ship several parcels in one small flat-rate box.
I will still also have full buckets for sale, and a few additional categories of cutting agate and specimens. I will be keeping my website current as to what’s available. You can find that information at http://terismithrockhunts.com/rocks-for-sale/.
You can order from me via phone, email or text. I will take checks, PayPal and Zelle for distance payments, and cash also for purchases when you’re here in Alpine. Twice a year I drive from Texas to California and back, so if you’re near I-10 in West Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and parts of California, I can possibly deliver rocks to you if it works with your schedule.
Phone and text number: (432) 386-3431
Email: agatehunter@sbcglobal.net
Regards,
Teri
Spring 2024 Rockhunts Start SOOOOON
Hi y’all! Spring rockhunting season is here, and it’s time to round up the rock bags and oil up the wheelbarrow for some great rockhunting adventures.
This Spring my schedule will be more flexible than it has been in the recent past. Aaron Thomas has said he’s not leading field trips this spring, so I have no reason to just schedule hunts for Thursdays, Fridays, and Mondays. I’ve waited til now to send out my schedule because I’ve been trying to make contact with the 06 Ranch to see whether anyone else would be leading hunts on the 06 this Spring, but I haven’t been successful, so I’m assuming that there will be no hunts there at all. If that changes, I’ll let you know ASAP.
Instead of scheduling rockhunts now and hoping those days work for rockhounds, I’ll tell you when I can lead rockhunts, and you pick the days that work best for you and let me know. It only takes one person to sign up for a rockhunt to happen, and I love to go on rockhunts, so I will be glad to lead a trip for one person. And if you’ve got a group, so much the better. I’ve had up to 30 people with me on hunts, and everyone had a good time and found great rocks!
I’ll still be leading rockhunts on the Ritchie Ranch, the South Larremore Ranch, and East Needle Peak. Jean and Bryan Larremore will also be leading trips to the South Larremore Ranch when they can.
For further information on the ranches I lead rockhunts on, and what you’ll need to do to prepare, follow this link: http://terismithrockhunts.com/for-rockhunters/ To sign up for one of my rockhunts, send me an email at agatehunter@sbcglobal.net or text me at (432) 386-3431. Please include a phone number so I can call you if necessary. I’d prefer not to have you call me because I’m forgetful, and having a text or email that I can refer to will ensure I remember the right dates and other information.
The only requirement for my hunts in addition to the fees stated below is that you need to join the Rollin’ Rock Club. This club costs $10 per year for a single membership ($16 dual membership), and provides insurance that protects the landowner from any damage we may accidentally cause.
So without further ado, here’s my schedule:
Green= Ought to be available
Yellow=Probably not available, but it doesn’t hurt to ask.
Once again, the hunts will begin highway 118 south.in the parking lot of Little Caesar’s Pizza in Alpine, at the corner of Holland Avenue and Highway 118 south.
| East Needle Peak | S. Larremore Ranch | Ritchie Ranch |
| Meets at 8 am in the parking lot of Little Caesar’s Pizza in Alpine | Meets at 8 am in the parking lot of Little Caesar’s Pizza in Alpine | Meets at 9 am in the parking lot of Little Caesar’s Pizza in Alpine |
| Cost: $50 per day. First bucket of rocks you collect is included in cost. | Cost: $60 per day. First bucket of rocks you collect is included in cost. | Cost: $20 entrance fee and $1 per lb for cutting material and crystals. |
| Leader: Teri Smith (432) 386-3431 | Leader: Teri Smith (432) 386-3431 | Leader: Teri Smith (432) 386-3431 |
Regards,
Teri
P.S. I’ve still got great rocks for sale. I‘ll be cataloging what I’ve got starting next week when I’m back in Texas, and I’ll send out an email about that as soon as I have an idea what I have.
Fall 2023 Rockhunts
October has brought some cooler weather to the Big Bend of Texas, so it’s time to come out and join rockhunts to have fun and find some beautiful agate, jasper, amethyst, quartz crystals, and other specimens.
I am leading rockhunting field trips on The Ritchie Ranch, the South Larremore Ranch and East Needle Peak, and Aaron Thomas is leading them on the 06 Ranch. There are enough different locations for you to go for five days in a row and not be at any one place for more than a day.
Below is the schedule of rockhunts, and some information about costs and meeting locations. For further information on the ranches I lead rockhunts on, and what you’ll need to do to prepare, follow this link: http://terismithrockhunts.com/for-rockhunters/ To sign up for one of my rockhunts, send me an email at agatehunter@sbcglobal.net. The only requirement for my hunts in addition to the fees stated below is that you need to join the Rollin’. Rock Club. This club costs $10 per year for a single membership ($16 dual membership), and provides insurance that protects the landowner from any damage we may accidentally cause.
For information about Aaron’s hunts, search for him on Facebook, or email or text him at aaronthomasrockhunts@gmail.com, or (432) 538-2399.
I also still have lots of wonderful agate for sale. I’ll give you more details on that in a separate email which should come out in the next few days.
Regards,
Teri
Field Trip Report: 06 Ranch (also called Winn VI Ranch)
Note: For details about attending one of these incredible hunts, see the note at the end of this post.
| The hunt at the 06 was amazing. We drove north of Alpine on 118 for a ways, out onto the flat valley. We turned right into a dirt road, and drove east on dirt roads for about half an hour. We stopped at a huge valley with a pipe-and-wire corral in the middle of a lovely set of mountains. This was a new place Aaron and James had only hunted once before. The hills were similar in height to the bluffs at the Walker Ranch, and of course steeper in some places than others. There were outcroppings of basalt here and there. There were 9 or so rockhunters on the trip (I believe 10 is the limit) and we were pointed to a hillside about half a mile long. We could fan out enough that we would have not been able to see each another. Aaron & James handed each of us a walkie-talkie to use, and since it’s deer season, we were loaned bright fluorescent vests to wear. At the bottom of the hills, there was a field of rocks about grapefruit to football size. There were agate and quartz crystal pieces in those fields, partly buried in many cases. As you went up the hills, they got rockier, and in some places there was grass stubble between the rocks. Now and then you’d find a patch that had several good sized agates on the surface, and more partially buried. In between those patches were smaller sized agate and quartz crystal pieces and some small nodules that were interestingly colored and otherwise marked on the outside. There were lots of worked pieces and evidence of a native American campsite. We had been advised to go around the campsites when we found them, and although the one I saw was full of broken agate and jasper pieces, there was enough good stuff all over the hills to make it easy to bypass the camp sites. |
|
Some of the agate and jasper there looked
like material from the Ritchie. The dominant agate was
yellow/gold/brown moss in a background of cream, white, or blue
chalcedony. The moss patterns varied from filaments of gold in lacy patterns, to larger patches and islands of moss, to patterns as dense as the flower garden moss from the Walker Ranch. There was enough of it on the surface of the part of that hillside where I was hunting to fill up the beds of several pickups. And the gold moss was ubiquitous: you would go into and out of areas with other types of agate, but you never got far away from the moss agate. |
| Along
with the gold moss on that hillside there was red moss, black plume in
cream and blue backgrounds, occasional pieces of red and gold moss, and
some really neat stuff that they call “crayola”. It looks like the
opalized agate that we found on the Ritchie, with much smaller opalized
bits in a chalcedony background, often in a regular pattern. There were
small and big pieces of that, some partly buried and a lot on the
surface. Many had surface pits that were in a regular pattern, as if
there had been filaments of aragonite or another material in the cavity
as the agate formed. Some of the prettiest colors were lavender, maroon
and mauve. I didn’t seen any ‘rind’ on any of the pieces, so they
probably came from a large seam somewhere up the mountain. We had 3 hours there and I probably picked up 100 lbs of what I thought was good material. Aaron wandered around collecting full bags and buckets, which he carried back down to the cars for us. Since I don’t carry a rock hammer, he helped me get a couple of large pieces of the ‘crayola’ agate out of the ground, then carried them down for me. On the way back down to the cars, I followed Aaron to another part of the hill, which was covered with beautiful quartz crystal specimens. I picked up some individual crystals that were at least 3” long, by far the biggest I’ve found on any of the ranches. There were lovely crystal on agate specimens sticking out of the ground everywhere! This was one place where I didn’t mind picking up gold moss agate! I didn’t get to see what everyone else found, so I have no idea what was on the rest of the hill. We got back to the car a bit late, with Aaron carrying all sorts of nice things for me. Everyone else on the trip were people I had taken on fieldtrips, and everyone was excited by what they had found. Some of them were making their second special trip to Alpine from Houston, Schertz and San Antonio to hunt for one exciting day. |
|
Then we drove back the way we’d come for a
while, and took a different branch of one of the roads. In about 20
minutes we were at an area that was the other side of the mountain we
had hunted before. The valley we were in now was not very wide, and
there was supposed to be good agate basically everywhere. There was a dry creek in the bottom of the valley, and since I was looking for the ladies’ room, I wandered into the brush in the creekbed. There were a lot of large pieces of blue chalcedony, some quite vivid, with gold moss or plume in them. There were different colors of blue and grey in fortification patterns or bands, and one had a red coating inside, all over the botryoidal surface, but only on the surface. I found several nice pieces of tube agate: one was blue with blue quartz crystals on the outside of the tubes, another was blue with black and grey fortification lines at the ends of tubes and then around several tubes. That one had gold moss that looked like it was in the middle of the tubes on one side that was broken obliquely to the pattern. There were also several small pieces that were spectacular! |
Although there was supposed to be agate up on both hillsides of the little valley, I never got very far up the hills. I stayed in the creek bed for a while, then ventured only a little ways up each hillside. On one hillside I found several large nodules (the size of one of Johnny’s croissant sandwiches) that were orange or yellow chalcedony throughout and really big compared to the ones I found at the Ritchie and the Walker. I also found some pieces off a large seam agate that had a dense pattern that included red, blue, black grey and gold, and appears to have some plume in it.
It was there that I came across the only annoyance of the day, in the
form of an individual bee that wanted me to turn around and leave. The
bee hovered around my face and hands for several minutes until I got the
hint. Since I’m really allergic to bee stings, I took his advice and
wandered away from there. Full grown human: 0, Bee: 1.
The other hillside had some blue botryoidal pieces with crystals, a
couple of nice red moss pieces, and my trip rock: a long, narrow nodule
of tube agate with the edges broken off in several places. The
chalcedony at the outer edge of the nodule was stained yellow and
orange., and only part of the nodule was filled in around the tubes. In
the lower part of the nodule, which was solid, there were filaments of
pink that went to maroon and gold. The other end of the nodule was
quartz crystal covered tubes.
We hunted there for another 3 hours, got back to the cars at 5 p.m., and
the rocks were weighed up. I had 153 lbs., which included a very large
piece of gold moss that was covered on one side with quartz crystals.
If it weren’t for the help of Aaron and James in carrying my rocks back
to the vehicle, I wouldn’t have gotten a third as much.
Today as I was washing the rocks and sorting them, I’ve found about 10
lbs. that, in retrospect, I should have left there. But first thing in
the morning you don’t know what you’ll find later, and when you’re
finding good stuff and having it carried back to the car for you, you
don’t take much time to high grade.
My total adventure cost $213: $60 entrance fee and $153 for rocks. Was
it worth it? Oh yes! It was exhilarating, hunting on ground that had
not been hunted much before. It will be years before that particular
hill runs out of large pieces, and there are hundreds and hundreds of
hills on that ranch. Aaron and James and the other guys that were there
to help dig and carry were helpful and nice. Aaron explained a bit of
the geology to us before we started in the morning, and told us where we
should find better material. I’ll admit I didn’t understand much of
the geological information he was telling us, but his advice on where to
find the good stuff was similar to what we had been practicing on the
Walker, Singleton and other ranches. And the good stuff was indeed
there. I’ve been on a lot of field trips (over 1000 when I quit
counting), and this is one I’ll remember for many years. I’m going back
again in 2 weeks.
Regards,
Teri
Note: The rockhunts on the 06 Ranch are being led by Aaron Thomas and James Winn VI. They begin at the Tri-La-Bite food trucks in Alpine. They currently happen only on Sundays, and are limited to 10 rockhounds per hunt. As of publication time, all hunts scheduled through 1/31/21 are full, and a new schedule for the Spring will be published in February. Once that schedule is published, I will try to schedule my rockhunts to other ranches (if indeed I am leading any) around the 06 hunts so you can come out to the Big Bend and go on hunts ion 4 different ranches in 4 days. If you have any questions about the hunts, you can reach Aaron Thomas at noraathomas@msn.com or roadcutgeology@yahoo.com
Help Santa out this year and buy Holiday Gift Rock Buckets from me.
It’s time again to start considering what to give your favorite rockhounds for the holidays. Obviously, the answer is not just ‘rocks’, or even ‘great rocks’, but ‘large quantities of great rocks’. To make your rock shopping easier, I’ve gathered more Walker Ranch cutting agates, and dropped the price on some other categories of rocks. And, if you order soon, I can pack them and ship them to you before the holiday rush. Or, you can come out for rockhunts and pick them up yourself. Here’s what I’m featuring:
Walker Ranch cutting agate, $250 per bucket.
Walker Ranch and Big Bend Crystal and Botryoidal Specimens, $100 per bucket.
Ritchie Ranch agate, $100 per bucket.
As you may recall, I ran out of buckets of Walker Ranch cutting agate last spring. However, I’ve figured out a way to gather Walker Ranch agate from a number of different types of buckets (Walker Ranch specimens, Misc. Agate, Misc. Rocks, Cut Ends, agate sorted by color, agate nodules, etc.) That idea is working well. I’ve gone through different buckets to find the Walker Ranch agate, and I now have 2 buckets of Walker Ranch agate to sell. I believe I’ll have perhaps 10 more by the time I’m done. Although these buckets are not ‘unsearched’, they are full of great stuff! I’m not holding out any cutting material that I find in the other buckets or anything like that.
Because the Walker Ranch specimen buckets have been raided for Walker Ranch cutting agate, I can’t say they’re ‘unsearched’ anymore, so I’m selling the Walker Ranch ‘searched’ specimen buckets, and many other buckets of crystal and botryoidal specimens, at $100 per bucket.
I’ve also reduced the price on the Ritchie Ranch buckets to $100 each, through the end of the year.
Shipping cost is $50 per bucket. I take checks, PayPal, and cash.
Regards,
Teri
P.S. I’ve had people ask me for details of the new
ranch Aaron Thomas is beginning to lead fieldtrips on. I really know nothing about it, except that
it’s just north and east of Alpine, and Aaron has shown me photos of wonderful
agates that came from there. If you would like further information, please
email Aaron at noraathomas@msn.com, or
roadcutgeology@yahoo.com.
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 |
Fall 2019 Rockhunts: Maybe We’ll Have a New Ranch to Hunt On!
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
Rockhunts Start at New Location
| 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. |