An other full day of ATVing

We went out on a desert ride with our rock hounding group on Monday, Valentine's Day! It was an absolutely gorgeous day that reached 28 degrees by mid-afternoon!! We left our RV resort about 10 am and headed off into the desert towards Superior, AZ. After the first half hour, this was all new country for me. The fellows were taking us back to the mines they were at the previous week to look for more rocks to bring home for cutting. Bruce took us a slightly different route than the fellows had taken last week so was a new path for them also. We were in the most beautiful valleys and foothills. Each time we went over a hill it was more breath taking on the other side. Boy was it dusty and hot though. It has been at least 6 weeks since we have seen any rain so everything in the desert is parched. After the first hour, we were all covered in a layer of dust. We had so much fun though and were all exhausted when we got back to the park at 6pm that night. I wouldn't even let Doug in the motor home we were so dirty. I went in and got us clothes and our shower stuff and off to the club house we went for our showers. There was no way I was even going in my own shower!

 We are following Jim through the dusty desert

The outcroppings are so neat looking

 A quick break to let the dust settle!

 Connie, Sharon & Ann having a discussion about where we are going

 

An old copper mine opening

A vein of Chrysocolla (turquoise rock) showing through

Chrysacolla is a hydrated copper silicate and makes for a very pretty rock. It often also has turquoise veins running through it. It gets very addicting when you are picking up this rock and you just want to take it all.

 Jim, Bruce and Doug looking at another mine opening and determining how to get down to it

 

 Tiny yellow wild flower

We never saw another wild flower the whole day so you really wonder how this little one survived. We haven't had any rain since before Christmas so how in the world that little seed germinated is beyond us.

 Doug found his way down into the second mine opening and is trying to free up a vein of Chrysocolla

 Doug, Jim, Trent, Connie, Sharon, Bruce & Ann

 We are just finishing lunch and deciding where we are off to

 

Connie, Sharon & Ann

 

 The views are forever changing

 Saguaro Cacti everywhere we go

 Picket Post Mountain in the distance

 We are at the top of the hill looking down to where we are going

 The fellows took us back to the old gold mine and this is as far in as I would go!

 Doug giving me a Valentine's gift - rock he chipped from the mine chamber wall

 I love these old trees, they look dead but it is winter and they will come to life in another few months

Palo Verde trees in run-off wash

 The trees look like they are off a Disney movie

 Doug is forever trying taking pictures of us women - no privacy for us as we look for rocks in the wash

 We are getting closer to Picket Post Mountain

 Coming down the hill to the valley bottom. We are  still at the top and the others are half way down the hill

 Some of the Chrysocolla rock we brought home. You can see the deeper turquoise color which is a vein of turquoise with the chrysocolla 

 Some of the rocks Doug has cut so far: the red Jasper, deep blue Lapis Lazuli  and the turquoise and chrysocolla with green colored rock

 A closer view of the cut stones. Hopefully I will eventually get some jewelery out of this!