Took my youngest on his first rock hunting hike

[Thrillbilly]

My youngest son recently has gotten into rock collecting. His collection so far is mostly made up of rocks he has found around the neighborhood and a few that we bought for him. He asked me if we could go try to find some "cool" rocks for his collection. I remembered a creek that I fish that might possibly hold some neat rocks. We headed out to the spot in the early afternoon, I did bring a fly rod but decided to leave it in the truck once we got there. We spent the next couple of hours hiking and looking for rocks that he might add to his collection.

















We did find some interesting rocks for the collection but nothing spectacular. As we hiked out we decided to check out one more area. While looking my son yelled to me "Dad I found some crystals" and hands me this.














Now I have no idea what type he found but it looks pretty badass. He was so excited finding his first crystal in the wild as he put it. On the way home he told me that this was the best day ever and that he couldn't wait to go home and show mom.

[Henry Shooter]

That's awesome. Great memories you both won't forget. When my daughter was about his age we took a two week vacation and started in Montana for sapphires, Oregon for sun stone and Nevada for opal. We hit a few back roads and hit some creeks have a great collection.

[Garv]

Very nice.
Next time plant an arrowhead right where he'll find it.

[SWalt]

That is very cool. Sounds like you need to be able to identify the rocks he finds. More work for you dad!

[ZirconJohn]

California?

What County are you in?

We are at the threshold of rattlesnake season ... they will all be out a-plenty within the next few weeks for mating season.

Have to-have to-have to be careful where you stepping, climbing, flip a rock and rattlesnake under it

[Thrillbilly]

That's awesome. Great memories you both won't forget. When my daughter was about his age we took a two week vacation and started in Montana for sapphires, Oregon for sun stone and Nevada for opal. We hit a few back roads and hit some creeks have a great collection.

Thanks!

It is cool that my youngest is into outdoor things like I am. Now if I can just get him into fly fishing

Very nice.
Next time plant an arrowhead right where he'll find it.

Great idea!

That is very cool. Sounds like you need to be able to identify the rocks he finds. More work for you dad!

Oh yea, already signed up on a rockhound forum and hit the library today and picked up 4 field guides with him. He is reading them now and asking when we can go find some more.[/quote]

California?

What County are you in?

We are at the threshold of rattlesnake season ... they will all be out a-plenty within the next few weeks for mating season.

Have to-have to-have to be careful where you stepping, climbing, flip a rock and rattlesnake under it

Not CA, we are in ID.

That spot is in the mountains approximately 4 mi from the OR boarder.

A bit early for buzzworms in that area, that is one reason I selected that area now vs. later. Next trip will be in a different direction as he wants to try to find Corundum. The spot for that is between McCall and New Meadows. What is interesting is that I have hiked and fished most everywhere up here since moving in 07. There are far less of them here than in CA. Now eastern Oregon is another matter. I see tons of em while out hiking and fly fishing.

[ZirconJohn]

Not CA, we are in ID.

That spot is in the mountains approximately 4 mi from the OR boarder.

A bit early for buzzworms in that area, that is one reason I selected that area now vs. later. Next trip will be in a different direction as he wants to try to find Corundum. The spot for that is between McCall and New Meadows. What is interesting is that I have hiked and fished most everywhere up here since moving in 07. There are far less of them here than in CA. Now eastern Oregon is another matter. I see tons of em while out hiking and fly fishing.

"...between McCall and New Meadows" - Ya, that area are two species of rattlesnake; the Great Basin - Crotalus oreganus lutosus and the Northern Pacific - Crotalus oreganus oreganus. There are three species of rattlesnake found in Idaho, the third is the Prairie - Crotalus viridis viridis NOT found in the area between McCall and New Meadows. The Prairie is found in eastern Idaho.

And "yes" - Eastern Oregon is home to the same two species; the Great Basin and the Northern Pacific - these two even interbreed at ... if you draw a line from Klamath Falls, to Burns, to Baker City ... very fascinating they do that.

Sorry ... I can go on for ever about this stuff.

Great job you are doing with your son ... you are a GOOD dad

Teach your boy about rattlesnakes ... good thing for him to learn if he's going to be poking around in the brush and turning rocks and stuff, because you HAVE TO be aware of them ... additionally, because rattlesnakes are beautiful, and they are fascinating.

[Clipper]

This thread might make me skip church this morning and take the boys on a hike instead.

[CandG]

"...between McCall and New Meadows" - Ya, that area are two species of rattlesnake; the Great Basin - Crotalus oreganus lutosus and the Northern Pacific - Crotalus oreganus oreganus. There are three species of rattlesnake found in Idaho, the third is the Prairie - Crotalus viridis viridis NOT found in the area between McCall and New Meadows. The Prairie is found in eastern Idaho.

And "yes" - Eastern Oregon is home to the same two species; the Great Basin and the Northern Pacific - these two even interbreed at ... if you draw a line from Klamath Falls, to Burns, to Baker City ... very fascinating they do that.

Sorry ... I can go on for ever about this stuff.

Great job you are doing with your son ... you are a GOOD dad

Teach your boy about rattlesnakes ... good thing for him to learn if he's going to be poking around in the brush and turning rocks and stuff, because you HAVE TO be aware of them ... additionally, because rattlesnakes are beautiful, and they are fascinating.

I've been meaning to pick your brain about rattlers for a while, I've been wanting to go for a rattlesnake hunt for some time now, been wanting to make a rattlesnake dish ever since I had some at a restaurant a while back. I only ever seem to come across them when I'm NOT looking, haha! Anyways, I'm sure at some point I'll shoot you a PM for some advice.

Anyways, looks like it was a fun rock hunting hike! My son is in the "bug collecting" phase, so I've been using that for an excuse to get him out hiking more

[Thrillbilly]

"...between McCall and New Meadows" - Ya, that area are two species of rattlesnake; the Great Basin - Crotalus oreganus lutosus and the Northern Pacific - Crotalus oreganus oreganus. There are three species of rattlesnake found in Idaho, the third is the Prairie - Crotalus viridis viridis NOT found in the area between McCall and New Meadows. The Prairie is found in eastern Idaho.

And "yes" - Eastern Oregon is home to the same two species; the Great Basin and the Northern Pacific - these two even interbreed at ... if you draw a line from Klamath Falls, to Burns, to Baker City ... very fascinating they do that.

Sorry ... I can go on for ever about this stuff.

Great job you are doing with your son ... you are a GOOD dad

Teach your boy about rattlesnakes ... good thing for him to learn if he's going to be poking around in the brush and turning rocks and stuff, because you HAVE TO be aware of them ... additionally, because rattlesnakes are beautiful, and they are fascinating.

No worries, my good friend up here and main fishing/hiking buddy is a big time herp guy. His level of snake nerd is quite high so I get to listen about snakes as well as reading it here

This thread might make me skip church this morning and take the boys on a hike instead.

Did you go? I usually try to go after that way it keeps the wife happy

<snip>


Anyways, looks like it was a fun rock hunting hike! My son is in the "bug collecting" phase, so I've been using that for an excuse to get him out hiking more

My older son is into the bug thing. He currently has this ladybug house where you grow the larva into ladybugs. I try to get out and hike and fly fish once a week. I have been doing that regularly since 07. Sometimes I get lucky and I am able to get out more than once a week

[POLICESTATE]

I used to collect rocks when I was a kid and in boy scouts. Man those were the days!