Calling All Rock Hounds!

[RobertJ.]

Yesterday, I hiked up to an old quarry not too far from here. I found these rocks, I thought they were cool. There were more there than I could carry back to the truck. I'm pretty sure the lighter colored ones are quartz, and the reddish ones are jasper, or a combo of the two. I have no idea what the dark banded one in the center of the 3rd photo is. The big quartz weighs just over 8 pounds.

My question, any ideas what the dark one is?

And, are these a common find? I'm extremely new to the rock hounding game.

 

[tcon]

I'm pretty sure the one by itself is a russet potato.

Those are pretty neat rocks. I have what I believe to be a coprolite. Petrified dino poop:

 

[Kanewpadle]

wow. They actually have a name for Dino poop?

 

[jlrhiner]

wow. They actually have a name for Dino poop?

Only if its petrified.

 

[rburg]

Ya know, I spent my younger years helpin my father look for rocks. He wasn't all that dumb, he had me tote 'em back to the car. There's a name for what he used me as, and I thing its *******. I was the "pack animal" for his hobby. I was exposed to so many of his jaunts that some of it had to stick.

If you're really interested, you need to find a rock shop near you and go visit. They have a group that stands around just like we see in gun stores, and they can identify each of your samples. They'll also have books and maybe even magazines on the subject, some with local experience. Its the way you learn. Some guys will also direct you to other local hot spots where you can dig to your hearts content.

And just like the bull rider thread, I don't ever want to lug rocks down mountains again. Worse is parking up high and lugging them uphill. So when you get invited to do your rockhounding in river banks, assume the final stage is uphill with weight. And just because you can drive your empty car or truck down to the mine or river back, don't assume it will drive back out with 500# tossed in.

 

[1morethan8]

Was the old quarry part of a stream? All the rocks come from moving water being smooth. All appear to be in the quartz family.

 

[RobertJ.]

Was the old quarry part of a stream? All the rocks come from moving water being smooth. All appear to be in the quartz family.

There's a small creek that runs right past it. They looked like river rock to me, but they weren't anywhere near the water. They were in piles of dirt that had come loose from the side of a hill. This was an old quarry that hadn't seen any use for a while.

What's fascinating to me, is how many years it must have taken for this to happen!

 

[RobertJ.]

I'm pretty sure the one by itself is a russet potato.

Those are pretty neat rocks. I have what I believe to be a coprolite. Petrified dino poop:

That's pretty cool! How big is that chunk?

I forgot to mention that after I cleaned those rocks, I rubbed vegetable oil on them to bring out the color.

 

[chaparrito]

Coprology is the study of fossil poo.
Back in archaeology school I read a monograph written by some coprology students who were studying a prehistoric practice called "second harvest"; wherein a particular culture would pick through their poo to recycle undigested vegetable matter, mostly seeds. Whenever you write a scientific article like this you preface your piece by explaining your investigational technique. The title of that section of the piece was
"Second Harvest Investigational Technique."

 

[cavegeo]

Those stone were definitely from a river bed and they do appear to be Quartz. Jasper is a form of Quartz. The river was probably much higher ages ago and worn it way to where it is currently is leaving behind traces of it former past.

 

[JohnK]

What ever they are, they are purtttyyyyyyyy .

I's definitely keep them, maybe in a glass case somewhere.

 

[J. R. WEEMS]

Sorry, but that dark one looks like a 'Ham-Hock' to me.

 

[chaparrito]

Ham hocks. Oh great now I'm hungry again..

 

[Nevada Ed]

Found this hard Spinach the other day................

 

[Rule3]

When I was a Kid I collected all kinds of rocks many different parts of the Country, Fossils and arrowheads also, My folks liked to take us on trips,. I still have a rock hammer and some old books. I forget most of them. I have a pile of rocks in my front landscape of rocks I have gathered as an adult from all different states. Some petrified wood, agates, and other cool stuff.

 

[BigBill]

Watched the diggers for gem rocks on the travel channel last night. It's hard work, Parker on gold rush is less work for more reward well maybe.

 

[tcon]

That's pretty cool! How big is that chunk?

I forgot to mention that after I cleaned those rocks, I rubbed vegetable oil on them to bring out the color.

The poopie rock is about 5" at the longest point. A big one must have dropped it.

 

[Peter M. Eick]

As a geologist they look like middle grade metasediments. Basically cooked and compressed sand, gravel and shale. Hard to really identify with out a streak plate, a decent microscope or hand glass and some acid.

 

[DR505]

As a geologist they look like middle grade metasediments. Basically cooked and compressed sand, gravel and shale. Hard to really identify with out a streak plate, a decent microscope or hand glass and some acid.

Taking LSD helps you figure out what type of rock you have?

 

[jlrhiner]

Taking LSD helps you figure out what type of rock you have?

See! I always took the wrong classes in school.