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