Hauser geode beds Trip; 11-2003

We all met up on Saturday Morning, Charlie and Carmen. Kay, Bud and son, David,

and Lowell, Ron and Myself.

We got rolling around 12 noon, and headed out, first stop was the Coon Hollow

Tank, it is a water tank for animals, there we ran into a

group of hunters, yes hunters, and then on to a hill for a view of the

surounding desert, then off to one of the Geode digs, the saddle

mountain site. Bud, Kay and Lowell just drove up the hill, so that they would

not have to walk. I was pretty impressed when Bud went

up that hill and then Lowell followed him, but then Kay went up also, with the

Dodge Ramcharger. I was stuck at the parking area

talking to another rockhounder, so I missed getting Pictures. Charlie was out

looking for a way around the hill, down and thru the

wash's. After playing around there, it was getting late, we all headed back to

camp, Charlie went one way to look for fire wood, left

behind by other campers, and the rest of us went for iron wood and Bud ended up

dragging a large chunk back to camp. We had a

really nice fire that nite. Later that nite around 11:00 Ron and I went for a

nite drive, which is always fun.

Sunday we got going a little earlier, Charlie took us to a spot that had pieces,

of red and orange agate laying all around amongest the

desert pavement, I picked up enough to fill a 3 lb tumbler container. Then on to

The Opal Hill Mine, there was no one there, and looked

like there had not been any activity there in quit awhile, so we looked around,

pounded on some rock, looked at the other rocks and

stuff around there. Then on to Pebble terrace, a once lake bottom, there was

some nice jasper and Petrified Sponge, I think everyone

found some good pieces, I know I did. After that we headed on over to Pala

Verde, I needed gas, and to Kinney's Rock shop. The

owner was no where to be found so we all just looked at all the bulk stuff in

his yard. everything from Geodes to stuff we could not

identify. We took the Bradshaw trail back to camp, about 20 miles, it starts a

little north of Pala Verde. Kay then packed up to leave,

she had to be at work on monday morning.

Bud and his son, and David then packed up also to head back to Cherry Valley and

work on Monday.

Monday morning Charlie and Carmen loaded up and headed for home, so that they

could get ready for the Panimint Mts. next week,

Oh to be retired. Lowell headed out for the Bradshaw trail and looking for

Goverment Pass and other sites. I needed to take a shower,

and started later, so we met up at the top of Goverment Pass, there had been

some digging up there, but mostly trash left behind by

other people. We then headed north towards highway 10, and the Ford Dry Lake Rd.

to get to the north end of Graham Pass rd and

Chuckwalla Spring rd. after following the Graham Pass road we took off on the

Cuckwalla spring rd. stopped at the "5 Acre Mill" and

checking out the old equipment we continued up the trail, took a canyon to the

left which had a name painted on the rocks "Gold

Canyon" we followed it until it ended and then found a spot to get out of the

canyon and back up on the flats. Following that trail we

crossed a couple of washes and climbed up this mountain to a ridge trail, which

looked more like a goat trail, we followed that for

about 5 miles, till it dropped down to the Bradshaw trail. All in all that was

very interesting, it would be a good place for further

exploration. Then back to camp. The next day Tuesday Lowell went off to check

out the Geode beds some more and Ron and I went

back down the Bradshaw trail to find "Ashley Flats trail" and follow it back to

Gerdes Rd., the main trail to the Geode beds. We

followed it across the desert about 5 or 6 miles and then up to the Straw Beds.

There has been alot of digging up there in the last 3

years. then we to the back side of a Mining Claim,

which has some of the Geode Beds inside it.

Saw a dead Tourtois, at least its shell. And then back to camp, sat by

the fire with Lowell that nite drinking verious kinds of

liquor and having a good time.

On wed. Lowell headed out for the River and Ron and I started for home, not

without incident, Ron stopped on the freeway to secure

the tarp on the trailer and locked his keys in his rig with the engine running,

hah hah hah hah anyway AAA came and unlocked it for

him. I got home around 4:00pm unloaded the jeep and said, now that was a good

trip.