Field Trip Report:
Hickory Quarry ,
Hickory North Carolina,
December 18th 2004an official field trip of the,
Mountain Area Gem and Mineral Association
Hello members, I don't know what i'm still doing up, after getting out of bed at 5:00 a.m. this morning to head out for our fieldtrip and digging all day, I should be dragging, but cleaning my specimens and a couple of pots of coffee and i'm wide awake and ready to report!, I picked up Curtis at 6:00 this morning at the Armadillo, we headed towards Hickory and picked up Steven along the way, once in Hickory we met up with Jerry and Tena and then on to the quarry where many more members awaited us, Lee, Shirley, Richard, Debbie, Betsy, Steve Davis, Thomas, Danya, Diane and Denny L. were already there, we were joined later by Russ Krahnert from Southern Pines N.C., you remember Russ, he makes the beautiful glass lanterns and vases that he was trading at the Rockhound Roundup this summer, today on his first M.A.G.M.A. fieldtrip since the Roundup.
Russ.
What a great turnout for the final fieldtrip of the 04 season! This will be part one of this report, many more pics will be added as I receive them from Lee and Jerry. The Martin Marietta Quarry in Hickory is noted for it's excellent stilbite and prehnite specimens, you will also find garnet, moonstone, calcite, fluorite and a host of micro minerals which our member Curtis pointed out today.
Betsy and Debbie hunted for the nice garnet specimens to be found at the lower level.
Lee brought us all some excellent tasting deer jerky which he handed out after the dig, thanks Lee!
Above, some of Lees stilbite specimens.(Lee pics)
Jerrys stilbite and drusy quartz.
Tena and rock. (Lee pic)
Shirley watches as hubby Richard works on a nice pocket of prehnite.
After over an hours work, hammering and chiseling, Richard got his reward, this excellent plate of green prehnite crystals!
Richard and his prize prehnite plate.
Denny getting the scoop on things. (Lee pic)
Russ working the quarry.
Jerry and Tena, just happy to be here.
After the dig, we headed up the road for a tasty lunch at the Chinese Restaurant, what a way to end the 2004 collecting season, great food, great friends and truckloads of great specimens.
Thats all I have for now, there will be many more specimen and member pics added in a day or so, until 2005, happy rockhunting.
