I know I know I take my kids wheeling all the time. This run however was an adventure, we cracked open the Az back roads book and picked a spot. Me and a few other peeps went and ran from gates rd (off grand) through the mountains and desert and ended up just a few miles from Vulture Mine! This has been on my list of places I have wanted to explore for quite a while. It was a beautiful run. Wyatt and I found some really amazing looking rocks that I have yet to be able to identify. I has some pics on my camera to upload when I get home tonight I will work on posting them. It was a really great run, only hit one dead end and had to turn around on the side of a mountain.

Wow! Can't wait for pics! Sounds like a great day!!!

Here's a couple pics of the rocks Wyatt and I found, if nothing else they are really cool looking!



I will try to take some clearer pics of them.

A random mine along the trail. Went down a good 30 feet I'd say. Was in a really strainge spot right along the trail

looks like fun

i love going out and exploring like that

Looks like an awesome area! Thanks for posting the pics!

that area is awsome. my folks our out wickenburg way so i get to see a lot of that area.

Happy to post them! I gotta say that recently I have been more about wanting to do this type of exploring that the usual crawling. My kids love that type of wheeling cause all they get to see. We should plan a run that is along these lines, pick a place in the book and go! I've been wanting to explore the area out by tortilla flats for a couple years now! Not to mention there was a lot more trails out in wickenburg to hit up!

Your rocks are agate. It comes in a variety of colors. Some banded some solid. I used to go out on day trips with the sole purpose of finding the stuff at rockhounding sites all over the state. The pieces you have will tumble up beautifully if you get yourself a small tumbler at a hobby shop.
The lower rocks in this pic have been tumbled.

Wow thanks chad! What do one of the tumblers cost? We should go out and do a hunt for them! What do u say and this Saturday?

I think a tumbler will go from $50 to $100 for a small one depending on quality of course. I think i gave $75 for mine nearly ten years ago. It came with a decent quantity of grit and polish so it was a complete kit. Ebay and possibly craigs list are other places to look if your patient. I'm planning on introducing my daughter to the hobby next year (she's still a little young for hiking around). I think it would be tough to find a better cheap/fun family type hobby. Nothing beats stumbling onto that perfect piece after hiking around for a few hours. Always makes the trip worth while. Of course there are trips where i don't find much of anything. Sorta like fishing i guess.
As far as a a trip out, i'm game as long as my uber busy wife doesn't have something planned for me. I'll find out. I'll be working out of town all week in New Mexico but "should" be back Friday afternoon.
http://thumlerstumbler.com/rotary.html
http://therockshed.com/tumbler2.html

Super cool, buddy. I wish my kiddos wanted to be out more... I love that area out there and the adventure / overland trips are always a blast. Thanks for posting up pics! I don't know anything about rocks, but those are freakin' cool! My kids used to collect rocks from every run they went on. Those rocks still live in the back yard. LOL

Cool, let me know chat. Alan it was definitely fun. Ive started to enjoy these type of run more lately only because the kids like them so much.

Harbor Freight has a few tumblers under $50. http://www.harborfreight.com/catalogsearch/result?keyword=tumbler

Cool, thanks virgil!

I found a ton of Agate on Sunday. This was the largest piece. Only a few with rose color, mostly all white.

Wow that's a beautiful piece mike! Where did you find that?

Yeah, that's a good sized one. If your willing to hike and/or a bit lucky you can find some good pieces. Occasionally i have the great problem of having to decide which pieces to take and which to leave when my pack is full or waaaay to heavy.