It was a warm day in the desert for our return field trip from our summer hiatus. Our trip was originally scheduled for the Green Horn Mountains to collect rose quartz, but we had to change our destination due to the Cedar Fire that was burning in the area and kept all the roads closed. So we headed to Field Rd outside Yermo, CA to collect agate, jasper and the ever illusive, petrified palm. Which did prove to remain illusive.
With a train parked in our path, we had no choice but to crawl or climb in between the cars to reach our destination. All part of a rock hounder’s adventure!
Once we were finished, we decided to explore the nearby Alvord Mine, as none of our group had ever been there before. What an interesting, beautiful site that is to see. Not knowing much about the mine, we had all kinds of imaginary tails of how it came to be, what it was used for, how it ended up the way it did. Sometimes, that part is more fun than knowing the actual truth.
By mid afternoon, the temperature reached 100 degrees so it was time to head out for lunch and cold drinks in Barstow. Another great day in the desert.
- Heading out to collect
- Donna under the train
- Omid under the train
- Making our way through the train
- Making our way through the train
- Old Tree at Field Rd
- Old Foundation at Field Rd
- Deciding where to go next
- Up the road to the Alvord Mine
- House at the Alvord Mine
- Dianne in the house
- Julie and Larry exploring the house
- Larry
- Trina Checking Out The View
- Omid And Dianne Taking A Few Pics
- Inside the old house
- The group in the house
- Ron R
- Ron R looking for treasures
- Mud wall formation
- Old water tank
- Water tank filled with red clay
- Sluice machine
- Mud wall formation
- Wall
- Mud formation
- Larry
- The group checking out the mud walls
- Hillside with mine opening
- Mud wall
- Great company after a wonderful day in the desert