Hands and Knees Jasper

Cherry Creek Red Jasper

No, I haven't discovered a new type of jasper - the title of this post refers to how I spent most of my day today...on my hands and knees (in the water)

 I decided to go out this morning to Cherry Creek, near Duvall, Washington, to look for bits of high-quality red jasper. I had been there two years ago, and all I can say is, plants grow fast here in the Northwest. This small creek was walkable last time I was there - this time I was literally crawling up the creek, under an almost solid thicket of shrubs and small trees.

The only upsides to this technique are 1) I was a LOT closer to the stream gravel, so I could see some of the bits of jasper which tend to be small. and 2) I suspect I was the only person willing to put up with this - there was a pretty good scattering of jasper once I left the "easy" part of the creek.

This location has been well-known for decades, and a lot of mineral clubs have field trips to the site,

(see: http://home.comcast.net/~wams1939/trips/cherry.htm)

so it's not exactly easy pickings anywhere. But it is close to home, and there is always the promise of a really nice bright piece of jasper. Not sure I found it today, but I got a nice bag full in a couple of hours.
Having said that, I probably won't be back without a machete...

Rialto Beach Redux

Poppy Jasper, Agate, and....? , Rialto Beach

Last year I made a pilgrimage to Rialto Beach, not far from Forks, Washington (aka "Twilight" Town) to beach comb for orbicular "poppy" jasper. This has been a well-known location for jasper beach cobbles for decades, and every time I'm in the neighborhood, I make a point of stopping by.

I spent a happy hour or two looking for jasper, but also stumbled onto some other nice things as well - some petrified wood, and at least one piece of yellow plume agate. It takes a while to train your eye here: the weather was uncharacteristically dry, so all the beach stones had that pale, scuffed look, making them very hard to identify. I did carry a water spray bottle to test stones -and licked a few - but after a while, I began to see the characteristic smoothness of the harder rocks (mixed in with a lot of rough-surfaced sedimentary rocks, the most common thing on our outer coast).

In the end, I got a nice stash of poppies, and some other things I'll look forward to polishing. Always a great place - and the best part is,  after next winter's storms (profound on this wild coast) there will be a whole new crop of rocks thrown up onto the beach.

Gravel Galore, Rialto Beach

Buying vs. Finding

Kaleidoscope Jasper

 So, here's the question: is there a difference between finding and buying a rock?  Quick answer: I'd rather find my own. For me, a big part of the pleasure of rockhounding is the hounding itself -- the research, the hunt, the sudden thrill of discovery. The intensity of this pleasure is reflected in the vast boxes and bins filled with rocks waiting to be polished or sawn, or somehow dealt with. I collect WAY more than I will ever find a use, or a place, for.. .

This doesn't mean I haven't spent an embarrassing amount of time on eBay, drooling over gorgeous pieces of stone that someone else has found and offered up for sale. I have even bought a few. But there is no comparison between finding one in a Priority Mail box and finding one on a gravel bar, beach or cliffside.  I can admire the rocks I buy, but lost are the memories, the stories, the sense of accomplishment.  To me it's the difference between catching a salmon, and buying one at the market for dinner. (OK, there are weaknesses to that comparison - rocks stay with you long after the salmon dinner is done)

I suspect everyone's a little different on that score. I can fully understand the value of wanting to collect the most beautiful specimens in the world. After all, it is the extraordinary beauty, and astonishing diversity, of rocks that attracts us to this hobby in the first place. Want to see an amazing collection of jasper?

Go to Hans Gamma's site here

or be blown away by the Morrisonite slabs here

Yes, I would be happy to own any of those. But I would be even happier if I'd FOUND one of those. 

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Note : the piece pictured above is from a box of Kaleidoscope Jasper rough I ordered last year. Polished, it is a thing of beauty - but does it compare with some far less exotic things I have found myself? Not even close.