10 below we still prospect

Post date: Jan 8, 2017 7:31:44 PM

It is January, 10 below, with a wind speed of 20+ mph, three feet of snow on the ground. Most people would think that it would be hard to rock hound at this time of year. However, knowing exactly where our crystal pocket is, it is easier to prospect our area during winter. Normally there is a steep slope to climb with large boulders the size of side by side atvs to hop across. After we get through the boulder field there are large cottonwood trees that have fallen every five feet. After that we walk through thick brush and alders. The snow allows us to go on top of most obstacles that would slow us down, although this hike is still harder than climbing mountains at any time of year. Once we get to our spot we work hard to extract as much Prehnite crystals as possibly because the sun will start to set in a few hours. These crystals make all the hard work worth the reward.