Below is the schedule for the next couple of weeks of rockhunts. NOTE THAT THE STARTING TIME FOR THE EAST NEEDLE PEAK ROCKHUNTS IS 6 A.M. All the other rockhunts begin at 8 a.m.
A couple of notes: Rollin’ Rock Club membership required for any of my rockhunts. Cost is $10 single/$16 dual per year. You can join at the time of your first field trip.
For the Singleton Ranch, you must pay in CASH. All other field trips, and Rollin’ Rock Club membership, can be paid by check.
I CANNOT ACCEPT CREDIT CARD PAYMENT FOR ANY ROCKHUNTING ACTIVITY. I also can’t accept checks that combine payments to different parties and are made out to me. This isn’t just me being picky: our Federal government considers both those activities to be money laundering.
Thursday, April 10: Singleton Ranch. Meet 8 a.m. at Antelope Lodge. $50/day.
Friday, April 11: Singleton Ranch. Meet 8 a.m. at Antelope Lodge. $50/day.
Saturday, April 12: Singleton Ranch. Meet 8 a.m. at Antelope Lodge. $50/day.
Sunday, April 13: Singleton Ranch. Meet 8 a.m. at Antelope Lodge. $50/day.
Monday, April 14: Search for Balmorhea Blue Agate on Reeves County Roads. Led by Johnny French. Meet 8 a.m. at Antelope Lodge. Free!
Tuesday, April 15: East Needle Peak. Meet 6 a.m. at Antelope Lodge. $40/day.
Wednesday, April 16: Walker Ranch. Meet 8 a.m. at Antelope Lodge. Cost depends on # of days.
Thursday, April 17: Walker Ranch. Meet 8 a.m. at Antelope Lodge. Cost depends on # of days.
Friday, April 18: Walker Ranch. Meet 8 a.m. at Antelope Lodge. Cost depends on # of days.
Saturday, April 19: Walker Ranch. Meet 8 a.m. at Antelope Lodge. Cost depends on # of days.
Sunday, April 20: Walker Ranch. Meet 8 a.m. at Antelope Lodge. Cost depends on # of days.
Monday, April 21: Walker Ranch. Meet 8 a.m. at Antelope Lodge. Cost depends on # of days.
Tuesday, April 22: Teri’s Day off!
Wednesday, April 23: East Needle Peak. Meet 6 a.m. at Antelope Lodge. $40/day.
Thursday, April 24: Singleton Ranch. Meet 8 a.m. at Antelope Lodge. $50/day.
Friday, April 25: Singleton Ranch. Meet 8 a.m. at Antelope Lodge. $50/day.
Saturday, April 26: Singleton Ranch. Meet 8 a.m. at Antelope Lodge. $50/day.
Sunday, April 27: Singleton Ranch. Meet 8 a.m. at Antelope Lodge. $50/day.
More details about the hunts will be included in part two of this email!
Regards,
Teri
Singleton Ranch: Cost of $50 per person per day for entrance fee and 1- 5 gallon bucket full of agate. Additional buckets of agate are $40 each, measured in ¼ bucket increments. Agate types include bouquet, which is plume in pastel colors; black plume; fortification; moss; and waterline banded. Specimens of agate, quartz crystals, calcite, and other minerals can also be found.
East Needle Peak: Cost $40 of per person per day for entrance fee and the rocks you pick up. Agate and jasper types include lots of moss agates, pompom, fortification,
banded and plume. You can also find agatized wood, quartz crystals, calcite,
aragonite, selenite, and many types of fossils, including shark’s teeth and
ammonites.
Walker Ranch: Cost is $75 per person per day during the first three days of your hunt, with the third day free. Since this is a 6-day hunt, days 4 -6 are $35 each, unless you
pay the full fee before March 20, 2014, in which case Monday 4/21 will be FREE.
On the first day of your hunt, meet me at the Antelope Lodge lobby at 8:00
a.m. After that, you will be free to come and go as you wish on the days you have paid for.
Also, the Stillwell Ranch is open to individuals on a daily basis for rockhunting. It’s located south of Marathon. Take Highway 385 south from Marathon and turn left at Ranch Road 2627. The Stillwell RV park and store will be on the right a few miles down. They do not charge an “admission fee”, and the rock is 50 cents per pound. The problem is that there’s no guide, and no one to help you highgrade the rocks you find. If you know what agate looks like here in the Big Bend, you can do very well there. If you don’t know what the local agate looks like, please check out my museum of rocks & gems of the Big Bend. It’s located in the lobby of the Antelope Lodge at 2310 W. Highway 90, Alpine. It’s open whenever the Lodge is open: usually 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
The Alpine Agate Festival is Friday, April 18th through Sunday April 20th. We schedule the Walker Ranch hunt on the weekend of the Agate Festival so that you have more rock-related things to do while in the Big Bend. I am not associated with the club that puts on the Agate Festival. That club thinks I am unfairly taking advantage of the timing of their show to host my field trips. I believe the field trips bring a lot of people to their show who would not come out here at this time otherwise. So—if you are one of the people who wouldn’t be out here for the show if it weren’t for my field trips, please tell the show chairman or club president that when you go to the show. Show times are:
Friday April 18 – 9:00 am – 6:00 pm
Saturday April 19 – 9:00 am – 6:00 pm
Sunday April 20 – 10:00 am – 4:00 pm