Long day but I found a number of interesting places to explore or hound on my trip. Real work will begin when temperatures fall into the 90s or below. Today, at least on the stretch between Baker and Shoshone driving home, temps were 103 to 109 degrees Fahrenheit.
The next time I travel the desert I will take plastic tubs to fill with water for desperate wildlife. I stopped at one place along the road and a bedraggled bird appeared from nowhere. It went straight under my truck, I thought for shade, but it was clearly wanting water. I left some in a small reservoir I fashioned from a plastic bag.
I’ll take more water for other people, too, not just myself. I noticed a big rig idling at a turnout with its emergency triangles in place. A breakdown. The driver had the engine running and the air conditioning must have been going. I approached. The driver said she was fine but eagerly accepted the bottle of cold water I offered her. Even with air conditioning, it is very uncomfortable to be thirsty in the desert. Very. At another time, I was walking back to my vehicle after doing some photography. A California Highway Patrolman slowed down to ask if I was OK. I said I was fine, thanked him, and waved him on.
With these kind of temps, and rural driving in general, I like to wave at every vehicle. If you’re not the friendly type, get friendly for remote places. This will help you and others, we all need to watch out for each other.
317 total miles.
These are just some of the things I saw. The highlight of the trip was talking to Don DePue of Diamond Pacific Tool in Barstow. We met outside after I got the three gallons of rock saw oil I had ordered a few days before.
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The Twenty Mule Teams started here! #borax#deathvalley#tecopa#mules#mining#roadtrip#geology#inyocounty#history
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Some still photos of the area of the Amargosa Borax Works’ site near Tecopa, CA. This is where the 20 Mule Teams loaded up for their one hundred mile trip to Dagget. As the sign says, there was another deposit of borate minerals in Death Valley itself. Look for the video I did of this place earlier in the day. #tecopa#shoshone#inyocountytourism #geology#mining#mojavedesert #mojave#mules
Baker, CA. Highway town. One way to get to Death Valley. NOTE: Hotel may be out of business! deathvalley#bakercalifornia #roadtrip#freewayattractions #roadtrip
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Your Ibex Pass footage for the day, complete with truck. You’re welcome. 2,072 feet. The Pass marks a border point between Inyo and San Bernardino County. Death Valley Park nearby. #inyocounty#roadtrip#mojavedesert #desert#shoshone#tecopa
Some of the drive in to the China Ranch Date Farm. Dash cam failed to record what may have been a gray fox crossing the road. I’ll get that camera figured out today. #chinaranchdatefarm #tecopa#geology roadtrip#inyocounty#nopahrange#roadtrip
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Out in Inyo County, California today. This is a working date palm farm with a gift shop and a kitchen that makes baked goods and date shakes. Only a few miles from Immigrant a Pass in the South Nopah Range. #inyocounty#roadtrip#palmtrees#desertoasis #oasis#mojavedesert#tecopa#deathvalley
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Gift shop at the farm. The parking lot is a trailhead for many hikes. We were the only ones there during our visit, the ranch is usually bustling with customers. #roadtrip#palmtrees#oasis#desert#armagosavalley #tecopa#deathvalley
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At the Museum. Open after an 11 week shutdown ordered by our beloved governor. Some hands on exhibits still not operating, again, by order of a state government that knows what is best for us. #pahrump #roadtrip#nevada#rocks#yuccamountainproject #radiation#nyecounty#history#
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Tuff. Learn it, live it, love it. #geology #roadtrip #geology rocks#volcanics #pahrump#museums#nyecounty#nevada#yuccamountainproject #rocks #tuff#
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The quixotic town of Blue Diamond, named after the hill of the same name. Gypsum mine nearby. At the far south end of the Red Rock National Conservation Area. #gypsum#clarkcounty#bluediamondnevada #roadtrip
NB: Short URL for this page: https://wp.me/p9Ykms-Mn — Friday at the QIA PowWow and Desert Gardens
Day Three of the QIA PowWow greeted everyone again with perfect weather. Cool mornings and then long sleeve shirt weather in the afternoon. Wind picking up later in the day but no more than a breeze. —
Day Three at The QIA PowWow 2020 from Thomas Farley on Vimeo. — Although I was trying to keep focused through the day, my mind kept returning to a location I discovered halfway between Parker and Quartzsite while investigating railroad ballast. (external link) My gold prospecting spidey sense kept tingling. Yes, I may be talking to you. But I’d rather leave to sample some black sand. Gold fever is a true sickness. (internal link)
I was at the PowWow only long enough to exchange a piece of eudialyte that I had bought the day before from Alexander BlagulaAll of the previous night my purchase had bothered me. I had settled for what I could afford, not the cab I truly wanted. Before heading to Quartzsite I stopped at Wells Fargo in Parker to get the extra money I needed. Alexander seemed happy to see me, as I think he knew what I wanted to do. With graciousness he took back my first stone and gave complete credit for the new cab. In the way he talked and acted, I got the feeling that he was glad I was buying his best material. This video is from the day before. —
Alexander Balagula of Unique Russian Mineral from Thomas Farley on Vimeo. —
Desert Gardens
I took a few videos of the crowd at the PowWow and then moved across I-10 to Desert Gardens. To make it there, I used the frontage road as I had always done. Before you get to Desert Gardens, however, you have to pass through the Tyson Wells venue area. That venue sells a variety of things, not just rocks. It was complete madness, just looking at the teeming crowds put me nearly into a panic attack. I couldn’t imagine anyone voluntarily entering that swarm yet hundreds, if not thousands, seemed happy to do so.
Once at Desert Gardens things calmed down. The aisles are wider than the PowWow, making it seem more relaxed. The food, though, expect for the hot dogs, was limited and disappointing. I think the food is prepared by vendors who pay to be there, rather than cooked by happy volunteers. I’d bring your own food as you will probably be wandering for several hours. The big rocks are here, especially of rough of all kinds. Every vendor was from somewhere different, each had their own story and their own experiences. Each was an expert on at least several of the rocks or minerals they were selling. They all have their favorites, although they are often hesitant to name them. A number of fluorescent mineral dealers were at Desert Gardens. I didn’t see any radioactive minerals.
The first folks I met were at P.V. Rocks. Gary Peavy owns this business and he hails from Peoria, Illinois. He does some regional shows but once a year he gets out to Quartzsite. Wide variety of materials with much from the Midwest. E-mail is [email protected] and his website is https://pvsrocks.com. —
PV’s Rocks at Desert Gardens, Quartzsite, 2020 from Thomas Farley on Vimeo.
— I was finally able to meet up with R.C. of Geological Specimen Supply (external link). He hand carried my latest order to me, rather than posting it as usual. Just what I needed, another box of rocks. He pointed out T-Cat in his van. R.C. always takes a cat collecting with him. He had been looking at PowWow for what I used to call peridot in vesicular basalt. I think he is saying it is actually peridotite xenolith in basalt. I think. I always have to read up on what R.C. says to me. It’s a great learning experience. He answered some of my pesky rock questions and seemed interested in the crazy looking railroad ballast I had seen near the La Paz County Fairground. Yes, rockhounds and geologists are interested in railroad ballast. —
I also caught up with the Keadys of Rockchuck in Schurz, Nevada. (external link) I’ve written extensively on them before. Chelsea is continuing lapidary while awaiting the birth of her first child. I have their video on a previous page, but, what the heck, here it is again.
The Keadys of Rockchuck in Schurz, Nevada from Thomas Farley on Vimeo.
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After many tries, I also managed to find Laura Fitzpatrick, otherwise known as #geologistonboard. She is an Instagram influencer, who has thousands of followers. She writes extensively and in depth on geology and travels the world with her husband hunting and investigating everything rock related. She recently toured the Himalayas, reporting on each step of the way through Instagram. It’s all about the Gram. She agreed to an impromptu interview inside her well kitted Geo Mobile, a specially outfitted four wheel Mercedes van. She turned out to be a real gold bug and marvelled over my gold in quartz jewelry, insisting on taking pictures of the pieces. I tried not to bore her with my prospecting stories but she followed every detail of my accounts. Through the internet she is helping thousands learn about geology and to give people accounts and pictures of places most of us will never see. #geologistonboard
Geologist on Board in The Geo Mobile AKA Flint from Thomas Farley on Vimeo.
— I also talked with David Bintliff of the Rock Broker. See the video below. My big regret was that I did not stay or ask that he light up these rocks. I tried to make it the next day but bridge traffic was terrible. If you meet David, he does have lamps on site and I am sure he will show you what is happening with these multi-mineral, multi-UV colored rocks.
David Bintliff of the Rock Broker. 605-593-6012.
David Bintliff of the Rock Broker at Desert Gardens in Quartzsite, Arizona from Thomas Farley on Vimeo.
— It was a treat, too, to meet the folks at Jim’s Rough Rocks who have a banner proclaiming Ocean Breeze Jasper. Their Facebook page is here: https://www.facebook.com/JimsRoughRocks/Ocean
They are from Redmond, Oregon. Not the Redmond in Washington State, home to Microsoft, but Redmond, Oregon. I messed up on the video and misstated their business name. Apologies. Will try to fix.
Jim’s Rough Rocks at Desert Gardens in Quartzsite. 2020. from Thomas Farley on Vimeo.
— A few more hours in Quartzsite tomorrow and then I head off Saturday afternoon for Kingman, Arizona. Stay tuned. —
Pow Wow Show Promoters Mike & Carolyn Zinno 928-927-6325 [email protected]
Quartzsite Improvement Association 235 E. Ironwood Avenue, Quartzsite, AZ 85346 http://qiaarizona.org
You can read more about Quartzsite at Rock&Gem’s website and Facebook page. (external link). I was covering the day to day at the PowWow for them this year and I have written extensively on all things Quartzsite in the past. —
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Rain has dogged me throughout my trip. Few brilliant blue skies. I am getting good information but the publisher’s stock photography site will have to be used for many images. The Petrified National Forest in Arizona, for example, was clothed in deep gray. I am reassured, though, that there are professionally done shots of every National Park and Monument.
