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vic rzonca
Joined: 18 Nov 2008
Posts: 820
Location: MA
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Posted: Apr 22, 2016 19:01 Post subject: Re: Collecting quartz on the Little Falls dolostone |
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The black flies are out but the skeeters are not biting yet. Soon. We've named the claim "Turtle Clan Ridge" after the indigenous people that lived on the high ground around about us.
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A days worth of making big rocks into small. |
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Stromatolite sign in the dolostone. Early life and deep time. |
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Locality: | Turtle Clan Ridge, Fonda, Mohawk, Montgomery County, New York, USA | |
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The reason for all the gravel making. |
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Mineral: | Quartz |
Locality: | Turtle Clan Ridge, Fonda, Mohawk, Montgomery County, New York, USA | |
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Dimensions: | 5 cm. |
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Mineral: | Quartz |
Locality: | Turtle Clan Ridge, Fonda, Mohawk, Montgomery County, New York, USA | |
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Dimensions: | 12 cm. |
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Mineral: | Quartz |
Locality: | Turtle Clan Ridge, Fonda, Mohawk, Montgomery County, New York, USA | |
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Dimensions: | 4 cm. crystal. |
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65 cm. Garter snake. Harmless. |
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Mineral: | Quartz |
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Output from the Turtle Clan Ridge. |
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Mike Wood
Joined: 16 Dec 2010
Posts: 456
Location: Northern England
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Posted: Apr 24, 2016 17:12 Post subject: Re: Collecting quartz on the Little Falls dolostone |
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Thanks Vic, it's nice to see your photo's of work in progress. Hope you hit some big pockets this season.
_________________ Rock basher |
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Pierre Joubert
Joined: 09 Mar 2012
Posts: 1605
Location: Western Cape
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Posted: Apr 25, 2016 04:54 Post subject: Re: Collecting quartz on the Little Falls dolostone |
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Hi Vic, When I saw all those containers with specimens I thought, is this man a hoarder or a merchant. It would be interesting to see one or more of those containers contents. Best regards.
_________________ Pierre Joubert
'The tree of silence bears the fruit of peace. ' |
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vic rzonca
Joined: 18 Nov 2008
Posts: 820
Location: MA
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Posted: Apr 25, 2016 06:29 Post subject: Re: Collecting quartz on the Little Falls dolostone |
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Collector, Pierre. Repeat after me, " Collector.".
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Pierre Joubert
Joined: 09 Mar 2012
Posts: 1605
Location: Western Cape
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Posted: Apr 25, 2016 07:19 Post subject: Re: Collecting quartz on the Little Falls dolostone |
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vic rzonca wrote: | Collector, Pierre. Repeat after me, " Collector.". |
Collector Vic, collector :-) :-) Now, how about a photo or two of the contents of some of those containers?
_________________ Pierre Joubert
'The tree of silence bears the fruit of peace. ' |
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vic rzonca
Joined: 18 Nov 2008
Posts: 820
Location: MA
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Posted: Apr 25, 2016 07:36 Post subject: Re: Collecting quartz on the Little Falls dolostone |
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I hesitate. We've been at it for many years. Maybe we hoard. Collector sounds better.
Mineral: | Quartz |
Locality: | Turtle Clan Ridge, Fonda, Mohawk, Montgomery County, New York, USA | |
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Dimensions: | 6,8 and 9 mm. |
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Bob Harman
Joined: 06 Nov 2015
Posts: 765
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Posted: Apr 25, 2016 07:59 Post subject: Re: Collecting quartz on the Little Falls dolostone |
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My posting may get me into a bit of trouble, but I will never-the-less post it as I feel it makes 2 important points. The previous postings with pictures shows 2 problems: hoarding vs collecting and the advancing age of many field collectors.
As to the first point. I collect Indiana geodes and have a large collection including many very hi end examples. [Some of these can be seen in the Mindat geode thread.] I now bring home only 4 or 5 per year, leaving the rest at the collecting sites. If I brought home most that I might find, I might now be homeless with rocks everywhere. I have wholesaled and sold off most of my lower end examples including my whole store room. Any field collector who continues to accumulate boxed up examples with little or no intention to sell off duplicates and lower end examples becomes a hoarder and no longer can be considered just a "collector". That is my opinion.
As to my second point. I am now over 70 y.o. and see in your pix that you, Vic, and your collector buddies seem to be right up there with me. That seems to be the way it is with field collectors. Lots of older collectors and not that many younger field collectors starting out. Lots of reasons why this might be the case, but the basic fact is that the field collector age is up there and increasing. Younger collectors certainly are out there, but not nearly in the numbers to replace the older field collecting folks. Unfortunately within the next 5 - 10 years many will no longer be physically able to get out and field collect. The total numbers of field collectors will then dwindle down. Now, looking at the bigger picture, is mineral collecting destined for a significant reduction in collector numbers?? Only time will tell. CHEERS.....BOB
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vic rzonca
Joined: 18 Nov 2008
Posts: 820
Location: MA
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Posted: Apr 25, 2016 09:06 Post subject: Re: Collecting quartz on the Little Falls dolostone |
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Yes Bob, I'm up there, and every day I can do some work is well spent. I hesitate to discuss the dispersion of the collected quartz, because this would violate the spirit of the FMF mission. I will say that bringing up young field collectors and sharing our finds with them, school talks, show exhibits, field trips and in casual conversation to anyone who will put up with it, has been part of my mission for a long time. So, Bob, the stuff is out there and when I can no longer go into the field, I'll take my field trips on FMF and visit my hoard. Ahh, my precious. I know my retirement plan leaves much to be desired, minerals are not very liquid. Thanks for the input, Bob. Keep it up.
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vic rzonca
Joined: 18 Nov 2008
Posts: 820
Location: MA
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Posted: Apr 25, 2016 09:16 Post subject: Re: Collecting quartz on the Little Falls dolostone |
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Mike Wood wrote: | Thanks Vic, it's nice to see your photo's of work in progress. Hope you hit some big pockets this season. |
Thanks Mike. Don't jinx me. ;-)
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Tobi
Site Admin
Joined: 07 Apr 2009
Posts: 4112
Location: Germany
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Posted: Apr 25, 2016 10:00 Post subject: Re: Collecting quartz on the Little Falls dolostone |
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vic rzonca wrote: | 65 cm. Garter snake. Harmless. | Cute snake. Looks similar to the grass snakes we have in Germany, found one some years ago while working in my parent's garden (and realeased it in the nearby forest):
Mineral: | _Natrix natrix (of course a snake, not a mineral ;-)) |
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Cyriaxweimar, Marburg, Hesse, Germany 130 cm |
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Mineral: | _Natrix natrix (of course a snake, not a mineral ;-)) |
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Cyriaxweimar, Marburg, Hesse, Germany 130 cm |
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vic rzonca
Joined: 18 Nov 2008
Posts: 820
Location: MA
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Posted: Jun 15, 2016 10:03 Post subject: Re: Collecting quartz on the Little Falls dolostone |
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A lucky strike at the Ridge after a bit of a slow start.
Mineral: | Quartz |
Locality: | Turtle Clan Ridge, Fonda, Mohawk, Montgomery County, New York, USA | |
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Dimensions: | 10 cm. |
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When found this crystal was hanging from the ceiling of the rather confined pocket. Some of the best matrix specimens are found in that orientation. |
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Mike Wood
Joined: 16 Dec 2010
Posts: 456
Location: Northern England
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Posted: Jun 18, 2016 16:07 Post subject: Re: Collecting quartz on the Little Falls dolostone |
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Very nice. Hope that isn't all you've found in the last six weeks!
(Crosses fingers) ;-)
Has the weather been kind thus far?
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vic rzonca
Joined: 18 Nov 2008
Posts: 820
Location: MA
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Posted: Jul 06, 2016 21:24 Post subject: Re: Collecting quartz on the Little Falls dolostone |
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The first few weeks were a little slow Mike, but...
Mineral: | Quartz |
Locality: | Turtle Clan Ridge, Fonda, Mohawk, Montgomery County, New York, USA | |
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Dimensions: | 15 cm |
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Mineral: | Quartz |
Locality: | Turtle Clan Ridge, Fonda, Mohawk, Montgomery County, New York, USA | |
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Dimensions: | 10 cm. |
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Mineral: | Quartz |
Locality: | Turtle Clan Ridge, Fonda, Mohawk, Montgomery County, New York, USA | |
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Dimensions: | 17 cm. |
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Mineral: | Quartz |
Locality: | Turtle Clan Ridge, Fonda, Mohawk, Montgomery County, New York, USA | |
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Dimensions: | 17 cm. |
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This is the same crystal as the former one, with a cleaning and a base to keep it oriented in a favorable way. |
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Mineral: | Quartz |
Locality: | Turtle Clan Ridge, Fonda, Mohawk, Montgomery County, New York, USA | |
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Dimensions: | Hand for scale. |
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Mineral: | Quartz |
Locality: | Turtle Clan Ridge, Fonda, Mohawk, Montgomery County, New York, USA | |
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Dimensions: | 11 cm. |
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Dark smoky, hoppered crystal. |
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Pierre Joubert
Joined: 09 Mar 2012
Posts: 1605
Location: Western Cape
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Posted: Jul 07, 2016 01:28 Post subject: Re: Collecting quartz on the Little Falls dolostone |
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Wow Vic!!!! It looks like you can finally retire now :-)
_________________ Pierre Joubert
'The tree of silence bears the fruit of peace. ' |
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Chris Rayburn
Joined: 07 Oct 2013
Posts: 66
Location: Arvada, Colorado
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Posted: Jul 07, 2016 13:13 Post subject: Re: Collecting quartz on the Little Falls dolostone |
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Just sensational, Vic. Congratulations.
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vic rzonca
Joined: 18 Nov 2008
Posts: 820
Location: MA
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Posted: Jul 13, 2016 07:44 Post subject: Re: Collecting quartz on the Little Falls dolostone |
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Now for something completely different. It's not all crystal hunting on the ridge.
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The team waits a little nervously to get their load. Alot of fire wood and some lumber logs come off the ridge. |
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Alice is on the right. They use this team to plow, harrow and haul. |
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Amish meets excavator. You'll notice that the wagon has metal wheels, no rubber, and no shoes on the horses. |
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Hard working Amish youth with the second load. |
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The kids getting a little collecting in. |
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We have very good relations with our Amish neighbors. For gratis, they use all the fields around the high ground to plant silage for the milkers. They also harvest the quartz druze that we don't use to sell at their farm stand, and do pretty good with it. |
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vic rzonca
Joined: 18 Nov 2008
Posts: 820
Location: MA
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Posted: Oct 06, 2016 14:52 Post subject: Re: Collecting quartz on the Little Falls dolostone |
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One from a new location. Not far from the Ridge as the crow flies. And not very deep as the plow goes.
Mineral: | Quartz |
Locality: | Fonda, Mohawk, Montgomery County, New York, USA | |
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Back lit with autumn light. |
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vic rzonca
Joined: 18 Nov 2008
Posts: 820
Location: MA
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Posted: Nov 14, 2016 11:57 Post subject: Re: Collecting quartz on the Little Falls dolostone |
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It's been a good season at the Ridge, but haven't had time to post much. My real job gets in the way of fun some how. The weather has been dry, drought dry, and here we are in November and the temps are above freezing at night and mid to high fifties during the day.
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A days work cleaning out druzy quartz pockets. |
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Many single crystals, classic quartz from the dolostone. |
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With help from brother hydraulic. |
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Anthraxolite with centimeter+ size quartz. |
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Reinhardt van Vuuren
Joined: 10 Mar 2015
Posts: 55
Location: Port Elizabeth
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Posted: Nov 15, 2016 01:18 Post subject: Re: Collecting quartz on the Little Falls dolostone |
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Wow, that is some amazing operations you have going there. How many tones is that hydraulic of yours rated at? Must be hell of a strong to lift rock like that.
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vic rzonca
Joined: 18 Nov 2008
Posts: 820
Location: MA
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Posted: Nov 15, 2016 08:04 Post subject: Re: Collecting quartz on the Little Falls dolostone |
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Reinhardt van Vuuren wrote: | Wow, that is some amazing operations you have going there. How many tones is that hydraulic of yours rated at? Must be hell of a strong to lift rock like that. |
Reinhardt, the ones we use are 30, 60 and 100 ton rams with a two stage pump. Although the 100 ton has been foiled by the ledge, if you pick your battles carefully you will find the weakest point. One problem is that at times the loosened block is large and must be moved more than a couple of inches or broken up in place. We are lucky in that we have a small track hoe for pushing things around after the ram has broken it free. Hydraulics are a great thing.
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