Fieldtrip report:

Walker Creek Kyanite,
Buncombe County,
North Carolina,
May 8th, 2004

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Hello members, another excellent day in the field with the Mountain Area Gem and Mineral Association. Today was the first trip of this season to the Walker Creek site here in Buncombe County. Walker Creek is noted for it's fine specimens of cabbing and some facet grade kyanite as well as large crystals in matrix. We had eight members total for this trip with a couple of our newest MAGMA members Christian and Beth with their Jr. Rockhound Ruby (great name!).

The crew ready to go!, I thought my friend Tim Barton was hardcore when he pushed a wheelbarrow up the mountain to the site but Christian and Beth had him beat with the all terrain baby carrier.

Got to see some very nice plants on the hike up.

RJ, Travis and Tina found numerous pieces of kyanite in the creek where others had been hi-grading their material.

Jerry takes a break at the creek.

Beth and Jr. Rockhound Ruby hiking the last part of the trail.

Since my book came out more people have been able to visit the site, the trail is now well worn and easy to follow so you don't have to worry about getting lost. A lot of digging has taken place within the last year, it seems that most people are digging in the same place and basically overturning what myself and others have already been through. If you want to be productive you need to dig down at least 5-6 feet to hit the top of the pegmatite, then you will start finding some newer material.

Dave Hart found many nice crystals good for cabbing and display and maybe some facet material.

Just happy to be here!

Interesting wood, it looks like part of a mask.

Taking a break at the creek on the way back down.

Dave Hart and his newest rockhound tool!

Cooling off at the end of the hike down.

As usual we all found some excellent specimens, I found a nice matrix specimen with a blade about 3/4" thick x 3" long with numerous smaller crystals sprayed around it, I had dug into the side of the pegmatite until I hit some fresh material, also found a nice specimen with numerous apatite crystals and garnets showing. All together the group probably found at least a thousand crystals up to 3" scattered around the site, I know each of us had huge tupperware containers filled with crystals, after digging for a while we all ended up with nice matrix shelf specimens also, I will post some pics later tonight or tomorrow after I have cleaned my specimens. This is a great site to visit and I will plan at least two more club trips there this summer if you missed this one, I will also mark the trail with red ribbons on the next trip so others will have the chance to collect here, see you on the next trip!

OK it's later and i've cleaned some of the specimens, so here they are:

A good use for tupperware, hundreds of small crystals for cutting material.

RJ found this interesting 3" piece.

This is my best piece from 2003, I call it the sword in the stone, it is a foot long complete tapered crystal in matrix. I hope to find a better specimen this season.

This is the biggest piece from yesterday that I found, the crystal on the left is 3/4" thick x 3" long, the crystal laying down is 4" long with a natural break.

Top view of same specimen.

While most people are concentrating on the kyanite, they overlook other things like this apatite and garnet in matrix.

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