Hi everybody, hope you are OK in these horrible fire conditions and if you need any help let us know!
The Sunday fieldtrip is still on. The forecast for Ludlow shows winds up to 12 mph, not too bad. However, it will be very cold in the morning, below freezing overnight, so dress in layers accordingly.
I hope it can be a small way to take your mind off the terrible things that happened in the last several days or even just to get out of the bad air quality area for many of you. See you there!
MarekC
Happy New Year 2025 to all mineral friends!
On the last trip to the Jurupa Mountains Discovery Center, we spent a beautiful Saturday morning walking the grounds, admiring the beautiful cacti gardens, the spacious store with minerals and friendly scaly pets, and the backrooms with a huge collection of old mineral flats, including a big lot from the famous Crestmore quarries. It was well worth going and seeing the work behind the scenes.
Let’s start the New Year at a classic location near the Cady Mountains. Two years ago, we visited a jasper area NE of Lavic including the Crayon Canyon. This time, on Sunday, Jan 12th, we will inspect the extensive jasper-bearing area south of the historic Lavic siding. It is located 40 miles east of Barstow. This is another of many productive areas near Lavic.
We will meet on Sunday at 9:00 AM at a spot on the dirt road just before the railroad crossing with National Trails Hwy (Route 66) at these coordinates: 34°45’07.1″N 116°20’37.6″W (34.752, -116.3438).
The meet place is 144 miles, about two and 1/4 hours from Pasadena. Drive on I-40 towards the east and take Hector Rd, exit 33. Continue on Route 66 east for 6.9 miles. Turn right into the dirt road just before the railroad crossing and park. After everybody signs in we will take the dirt road for 2.4 miles, then turn south at the siding towards the collecting areas and continue for less than a mile. The road might be sandy in a few places near the tracks, so the 4WD is recommended. City car owners might need to hitch a ride with others or possibly visit the Crayon Canyon just north of the tracks, easily accessible from Route 66.
So far there is no rain in the forecast for the second weekend of January, so we should be able to enjoy good weather while screening the plentiful material. If the forecast changes I’ll send out an update before the trip. This area is great for kids of all walking ages, with no shafts or dark adits in sight. There is still a lot of good material on the surface, despite thousands of rockhounds visiting the area for many decades. Bring buckets and your favorite tools. If people load up early there is a potential to visit more places, like e.g. areas on the south slope of Cady Mountains or Hector Hills…
Hope to see you all there,
MarekC