Camping Info for Show

 by Kyle Meredith - President, Grant County Rolling Stones Gem and Mineral Society

There are numerous camping opportunities on public lands within an hour or so of Silver City, but I can’t predict the availability of sites at any particular location. You may find you’re sharing the campground with other rock hounds!

There are two Forest Service campgrounds on Highway 15 about ten or fifteen miles north of Silver City (on the way to the Cliff Dwellings)—Cherry Creek and McMillan Campgrounds. These would be your best bet, in my opinion. They’re just off the paved road and have standard FS pit toilets. There are no other facilities, and I believe there are no fees. These would be the closest to town, although they are on a slow, winding road. If you are looking for something more isolated, you can choose one of many Forest Service roads in the vicinity and find unofficial campgrounds and broad turnouts. Please observe campfire bans, as we are in an extreme drought, and it is likely that there will be a high fire danger!

Farther up the road you will come to the intersection of Highway 35 that loops toward Mimbres to Highway 152. At Lake Roberts you will find camping for a fee, but I suspect these sites may be quite full. There is a huge free campground with pit toilets near the Continental Divide called Sapillo—also usually quite popular.

Beyond the intersection, on the way to the Cliff Dwellings, you will find Forks and Grapevine campgrounds on the Gila River. At the Cliff Dwellings are Upper and Lower Scorpion Campgrounds, but all these sites will probably fill up and are a couple of hours out of town.

About an hour east of town on Highway 152 (past Mimbres, up Emory Pass) there are several named campgrounds just off the highway, including Lower Gallinas, Upper Gallinas, Railroad Canyon, and Iron Creek—all free with toilets. You are likely to find available sites at some or all of these.

For more detailed information, you could do a search on the Forest Service website. I don’t have any information regarding commercial campsites. Thanks for your interest in our show. We hope to see you there.

Field trips "at a glance"

Sat. Sept. 1 

9am - Educational field trip (geologic ages & fossils with Dr. Mary Dowse)
1pm - Collecting trip to the club’s geode claim at Bear Mountain

Sun. Sept. 2 

9am - Educational field trip (bus tour of area mines with Terry Humble)
1pm - Collecting trip to collect fossils in limestone at Bear Mountain

Mon. Sept. 3
9am - Educational field trip (geology and ore deposits of the Boston Hill
Manganese District with Sylveen Cook)
1pm - Collecting trip to small fluorite mine in the Burros

Gem and Mineral Show Field Trips

by Kyle Meredith

People from all over look forward to the Grant County Rolling Stones Annual Gem and Mineral Show on Labor Day Weekend. In addition to buying and selling rocks and minerals, jewelry, and lapidary supplies, there are free displays and activities to entertain the whole family.

Among the activities are field trips scheduled for each of the three days of the show. Every morning at 9:00 there will be an educational tour of local geological interest, and at 1:00 each afternoon you can join a field trip for collecting rocks and minerals, weather permitting.

On Saturday morning, September 1st, Dr. Mary Dowse of WNMU will lead a trip along Highway 152 from Ft. Bayard to Mimbres, where participants will see different kinds of rocks of nearly all of the geologic ages of the Earth and will have the opportunity to collect fossils, as well. The trip will visit outcrops along the highway and there will be a limited amount of walking.

Saturday afternoon’s collecting trip goes up on Bear Mountain to the club’s geode claim, where this year new material has been exposed. The mineral most commonly found there is banded and fortification agate in rhyolite. In the past, geodes with pockets of crystals have also been uncovered, but you really never know what will turn up. The seven-mile gravel road is easily accessible by any vehicle (barring fresh mud and ruts), but to drive further than the first mine requires high clearance. Walking is encouraged. A bag or bucket is essential, and a pick and shovel is helpful to the serious collector, but interesting specimens can usually be found on the surface and in the road.

Sunday morning, September 2nd, local author and historian, Terry Humble, will host an approximately two-hour bus tour of area mines. (Note: there will be no bathroom breaks.) Space on the bus is limited, so show up early. However, if there are additional seats to be filled, the tour will start at 9:15.

Sunday afternoon collecting will again head up Bear Mountain Road to an altogether different location where various fossils—including shells and corals—are imbedded in limestone. Although the main road is passable by all vehicles, the 1½ mile spur for collecting requires a high clearance vehicle and experience driving it. Carpooling is suggested. Additionally, we will be looking for vesuvianite—a garnet-like mineral in large, fractured crystal forms—not gem quality. A word of warning: the terrain is rugged and sometimes steep with dense thickets of oak and cat claw. (It is as vicious as it sounds!)

On Labor Day morning, September 3rd, Sylveen Cook of Royal Scepter Gems and Minerals will lead her walking tour of the geology and ore deposits of the Boston Hill Manganese District. The nice exposures there, and the relationship of that deposit to similar settings at Lone Mountain and Georgetown, will provide a great hands-on learning experience about the regional ore deposition. It requires a short drive across town. The walk is on a winding, sloping path with little shade, so don’t forget to bring water.

  

On Monday afternoon, the group will visit a small fluorite mine in the Burros, less than an hour out of town. Hammers and chisels will be useful, but lazybones can find small chunks of purple, green, and blue fluorite lying on the surface. A little water to wash off the dust will help reveal the “good stuff.” There is a long stretch of gravel road to get there, but it is suitable for any vehicle. Note: there are deep and dangerous open pits, so children and pets must be closely monitored!

All trips will depart from the Grant County Business and Conference Center in Silver City on Highway 180 East (next to Ace Hardware.) Morning trips start at 9:00; afternoon trips will leave at 1:00. Be early! Carpooling is recommended when possible. Rain can cause a trip to be canceled, but it's best to show up if you think there's any doubt. Morning trips will be over by lunchtime—plenty of time to come back and linger at the Show or join us on the afternoon trip. A rock hammer and bag or bucket are suggested for collecting. And it’s important to bring drinking water! Remember: rock collecting is inherently hazardous! It is important to pay attention to your surroundings! 

Entrance to the Show and all activities are free, so join us on Labor Day Weekend for the 29th Annual Gem and Mineral Show in Silver City. You may email kyyote@msn.com for more information.

2012 Vendors Announced!

Susan/Doug Abbott - Desert Designs - Native American jewelry          

Henry/Charlotte Andazola - Indian jewelry                   

Neil Bearce/Charli Connor -Arizona Desert Ice - Minerals, books, jewelry

Greg/Sue Berglund - Spankys Gem/Mineral - Cabs, minerals, specimens, jewelry

Fred Bishop/Forrest Smart - 2 Guy's Rocks      Slabs, quartz, geodes, jewelry, turqoise

Karen Blisard/Andy Anderson - Radiant Gemstones - Jewelry, faceted stones, facet rough

Harry/Carol Bruntz - Uniquely Yours - Display stands, rocks, gems, minerals

Harold/Jeanne Buck - Jeanne's Gems - Fire agate, cabs,jewelry, belt buckles

Sylveen/Kevin Robinson-Cook - Royal Scepter - Books, maps, beads, jewelry

Ginger Coombs/Cheryl Mallett - Jewelry, cabs, geodes

Dave Douglass - Douglass Minerals - Mineral specimens

Sue Fischer/Claudine Evatt - Jewelry from Sue - Silver/gold jewelry

Abdul/Nabila Gardezy - Brilliant Design - Fine gems/jewelry

Charles/Pat Grimes - Country View Boarding - Cabs, jewelry, rock samples

Tom Hales - Tom Hales Minerals - Minerals, gemstone rough, jewelry

Sally Hansen/Ann Nace - Sally Rocks - Jewelry, lapidary

Allen Hebert/Karen Flanary – Glenkara - Gems, minerals, jewelry

Therese Higgins - The Jewelry Lady - Jewelry, belly belts

Michael Ho - Gemstone Station - Beads, pearls

Bill/Linda Horton - Misty Mountain G&M - Jewelry, gemstones, mineral specimens, carvings

William/ Emily Jaeger - Endless Mtns Minerals - Crystals, cutting rough, specimens, jewelry

Patsy/Jerry Kastner - Kastner Gems & Supply - Jewelry, lapidary equipt, supplies

Ron/David Kellner - RK Enterprises       - Jewelry, cabs, slabs, specimens

Randy/Sally McCowan - Arrowheads, turqoise

Blanca Murguia - B&M Jewelry - Silver/gemstone jewelry

Barbara/Sherwood Nance - Barbara Nance Gallery - Stone sculpture

Ken Newman - DBA Rocks - Spheres, slabs, thundereggs

Jose/Jorge Nunez - Minerals

Luis Ortega/Danny Wade - Indian Jewelers Supply       - Tools, findings

John B/Connie Partridge - JBP Minerals - Minerals, rocks

Jay/Amy Penn - El Chivo Viejo - Minerals, slabs

RuthAnn/David Rinsch - Dave's Enterprise - Rocks, gems

Stephen Rudd/David Martin - Stephen Rudd Beads - Beads, pearls, cabs

John Scully/ Laurie Rossi - Scullys Minerals - Minerals, specimens, fossils

Jesse/Jan Searcy - Black Hat Trading - Jewelry, findings, rocks, stones, beads

Lyndon Sims - The Desert Store - slabs, cabs, cobs, sw jewelry

Tracy Stump - Tracy's Silver/Gold - Jewelry

Sharon/Bill Szymanski - Never Enough Karats - Jewelry, collectibles

Bruce Williams/ Nancy Bailey - Silver/Stone Works - Jewelry, cabs, chain

Bob/ Lisa Williamson - B&L Minerals - Minerals

Tony Zenan - Znaniecki Collection - Wildlife paintings on slabs

More Show News

We are pleased to announce that the Deming Desert Panners will be a part of our upcoming show.  They will be displaying gold panning equipment, talking about prospecting in the area, and representing the Gold Prospectors of America.  Come check it out!