Type of material found
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Rhyolite-Porphyry (Bugeye Rhyolite)
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Description of material
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Occurs as black, gray, yellow, cream, red and white porphyritic rhyolite.
The freckled appearance has caused this material to be called "bugeye"
rhyolite. It lies in float and ranges in size from small to good sized
chunks. It is quite plentiful, so be selective and take only good quality
pieces. Makes excellent bookends, spheres and cabochons.
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Equipment needed
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Rock pick
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How to get there
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From Victorville take Highway 18 to Lucerne Valley. Keep
right and proceed 5 miles on Old Woman Springs Road (Highway 247).
Turn
left onto Camp Rock Road and go 3.9 miles, then bear right and continue
on graded Camp Rock Road another 9.1 miles. At this point, turn left onto
fair dirt road and go about a mile.
The rhyolite is found in float over
this aluvial fan up to the base of the mountain. It might be interesting
to note that at the end of the road is the Grand View Gold Mine, which has
been inactive since 1934. Free gold occurred in the silicified rhyolite.
With a little luck, you may find a nice specimen of gold by breaking the
rhyolite lying on the mine dump and keeping a sharp eye out for the free
gold. It has been found!
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