Note: Bob asked me to post this email from Mike S and more info will be forth coming at the meeting next Monday October 18, 2010, 6 PM AZ/NC/CA time!
Bob
The Silvery Colorado Rock Club will be going to Hauser Geode beds Oct 21st, 22nd, 23rd and 24th. Thur-Sun. Alan our club president has been a few times and is leading the trip
We plan on camping at :
Coon Hollow Campground a BLM facility
From Blyth take Interstate 10 west. Go about 19miles and go south on Wiley wells road.
Coon Hollow is located 12 miles South of Interstate 10 (3 miles south of Wiley Well Campground) on the Wiley Well Road. The road to the campground is maintained in excellent condition. It serves as a popular Winter haven for rockhounds. Twenty-nine primitive sites are provided with picnic tables, grills and vault toilets. Campers should bring their own firewood and drinking water. A fee is required for overnight use.
If it is full we plan on camping near by, a little south. We will have a SCRC sign out.
The Geode beds are about ten miles from Coon Hollow CG.
I attached some info I collected off the internet (below)
I plan on leaving the morning of Oct 21st Any ?? give me a call on my cell 541-517-3393 I no longer have a home phone.
Hope You and others can go.
Mike
Notes On The Hauser Geode Beds
Location: Take Wiley Well Road Exit from Interstate 10 and continue driving South To the graded dirt road just past the state prison. You will pass Wiley Well Campground (9 miles south of I-10), Coon Hollow Campground (12 miles south of 1I-0). You will see a dirt road on the right with a marker indicating the route to the Hauser Geode Beds (This is also the Imperial and Riverside county border).
Campgrounds
Coon Hollow Campground a BLM facility
Located 12 miles South of Interstate 10 (3 miles south of Wiley Well Campground) on the Wiley Well Road. The road to the campground is maintained in excellent condition. It serves as a popular Winter haven for rockhounds. Twenty-nine primitive sites are provided with picnic tables, grills and vault toilets. Campers should bring their own firewood and drinking water. A fee is required for overnight use.
Wiley Well Campground a BLM facility
This historical well and wash-side campground are situated along Wiley Well Road, 9 miles South of Interstate 10, where the old Bradshaw Trail intersects the well maintained Wiley Well Road. Twenty-one primitive campsites are available next to the dry wash where Ironwood and Palo Verde trees provide some shade. Picnic tables, grills, and vault toilets are provided. A sanitary disposal station for trailers is available at the Wiley Well Rest Area on Interstate 10. Campers should bring their own firewood and drinking water. A fee is charged for overnight use
The Hauser Geode Beds are located on BLM land, which is open to backcountry camping
The Potato Patch has been a very productive rockhound area for nearly three-quarters of a century. In addition to thundereggs, readily available collectible material includes various types of jasper and agate, calcite crystals, and some rhyolite – I call it pecky rhyolite – full of crystal-lined cavities that makes beautiful slabs. Although relatively rare, naturally weathered star and biconoidal thunderegg cores can be found throughout. Furthermore, there are several outcrops of rather weather-fractured antigorite serpentine located about one tenth of a mile west of the eastern Potato Patch road. The serpentine at 33°22.975' N by 114°58.237' W sometimes contains spectacular red streaks. Some equally striking thundereggs have been unearthed
in the same area. A vein of barite is located at 33°22.933' N and 114°58.102' W. Observant collectors will find much more.
Rockhounds planning to visit the Potato Patch will find a vehicle with four-wheel drive and high clearance to be helpful, but it is not essential. Provided it is not so low to the ground that it nearly drags, a careful motorist can drive the family sedan to within 20 or 30 yards of some of the best digs, and a little walking can take one to many more.
To visit the Potato Patch, from Blythe, California, drive west on Interstate Highway 10 approximately 16 miles to the Wiley’s Well exit, then 13.3 miles south to the Riverside-Imperial county line at 33°25.800' N and 114°54.180' W. Wiley’s Well Road becomes Milpitas Wash Road in Imperial County. Immediately south of the county line, at 33°25.794' N by 114°54.182' W, turn right onto the track that angles southwest across the desert pavement. This will lead you slightly more than a half mile to what is generally known as the Black Hills Road at 33°25.429' N and 114°54.620' W. Bear right, and continue on the most traveled road past a metal signpost marked “Ashley Flats” straight ahead and “Gerdes Trail” to the north.
Continue driving in a generally westerly direction to a second metal signpost, this time marked only “Ashley Flats,” at a fork in the road located about 4.5 miles from Milpitas Wash Road (or Wiley’s Well Road). Your GPS coordinates should be close to 33°24.825' N and 114°58.145' W. To continue toward the Potato Patch take the south fork of the wye and cross the gravel bed of the Black Hills Wash.
In one mile you will reach another junction at 33°24.121' N and 114°58.679' W. Known as Potato Patch Junction, this is where those going to the Hauser Beds turn off the road you have been following. One short stretch of road just before you reach the intersection is rough, but if you pick your course carefully and take it slow and easy, you should have no trouble.
Drive southward – straight ahead – from Potato Patch Junction six tenths of a mile to a hardly noticeable road that leads off to the left to the Owl’s Roost area at 33°23.567' N and 114°58.811' W. There, if you look at the upper western slope of the hill to your left you will see sign of disturbed earth. This marks the northern extreme of the Potato Patch. Continuing southward across desert pavement, about three tenths of a mile ahead is a fork in the road at 33°23.357' N and 114°58.766' W. To continue exploring the Potato Patch, proceed southward as much as a mile or so on either road.
If you take the east fork, you will reach a junction two tenths of a mile ahead, at 33°23.232' N by 114°58.589' W. To continue on the eastern Potato Patch road, turn left. The first serpentine outcrops are about four tenths of a mile ahead. Of course, you will drive by several thunderegg digs before you get that far.
Geodes and nodules from the northern reaches of the Potato Patch tend to have more colorful agate interiors than those collected from the southern portion. Although they may be found almost anywhere, those found in the southern area tend more toward hollow interiors with calcite crystal linings.
Those who would like to visit the North Black Hills Geode Beds should be aware of the fact that the area is remote and that, at the collecting site, they may not see another person for weeks on end. Therefore, be sure that your vehicle is in good condition and that you have all the supplies you may require—especially water. Four-wheel drive may not always be needed, but it is recommended. The best insurance against vehicular failure – or getting stuck – is to have a second vehicle along.
To get there, a GPS reader will prove to be highly useful. From the Wiley’s Well exit on Interstate Highway 10 located some 16 miles west of Blythe, California, drive 2.9 miles south to the end of pavement at a stop sign at 33°34.183' N and 114°53.882' W. The paved road turns right to two state prisons, Chuckawalla Valley and Ironwood. A small sign indicates camping ahead. Continue southward another 5.9 miles on a graded dirt road. This road can be quite washboarded. About 0.2 mile south of the entrance to the Wiley’s Well Campground, you will reach the intersection of Wiley’s Well Road and the Bradshaw Trail at 33°29.457' N by 114°53.278' W. Turn right and drive west 6.7 miles on the Bradshaw Trail, an old gold-rush road dating to the early 1860s. At 33°27.338' N by 114°59.480' W, immediately east of where the Bradshaw Trail dips down through a wash, a little-used road forks to the left. Turn left, and continue in a generally westerly direction, past the power line and its access road at 33°27.035' N and 114°59.925' W. For the next 4.2 miles, both brown and red jasper are often found as float.
About 1.7 miles from the Bradshaw Trail, at 33°26.403' N and 115°00.846' W, is a crossroad marked by a rock cairn. This is the old Palo Verde-Niland road. Beginning about a quarter mile west of this junction and continuing for about 1.5 miles, it is possible to find interesting and attractive, cream-and-orange colored picture rock.

Approximately 3.7 miles from the Bradshaw Trail, you may note the old, rusty remains of a refrigerator on a hill to your right. This is not as unusual a sight as one might imagine. Desert dwellers often used refrigerators – operating or not – to store food and anything else they wanted to keep safe from desert rodents. On a little rise on the left, you may see a rusty, abandoned van. Two roads lead to it. Avoid them! About 0.1 mile beyond these relics, at 33°25.646' N by 115°02.722' W, a road leads off to the left. Stay right.
Some 4.4 miles from the Bradshaw Trail, at 33°25.316' N by 115°03.188' W, go through a wash. Note the outcrops of bright red and purple solidified rhyolitic mud just downstream. On the far side, bear right. A scant 0.1 mile beyond, at 33°25.286' N by 115°03.202' W, you will reach another junction. Again, stay right, following the road on the eastern bank of the wash. Picture rock can be found as float in this area, and the hills immediately to the left have yielded a number of thundereggs. As far as I know, they have all been collected from the surface.
At the next junction, about 4.8 miles from the Bradshaw Trail, you need to take the left fork. It is located at 33°25.024' N by 115°03.443' W, or thereabouts.
The road ends at the North Black Hills Geode Beds, 5.7 miles southwest of the Bradshaw Trail. Your GPS reader should put the location at 33°24.438' N by 115°03.526' W. While the excavated area is not large, thundereggs can be located as float throughout a wide area. Those found on the desert pavement tend to be small, usually from about an inch to three inches in diameter. Those dug out are easily twice that size, from about three to six inches in diameter, and I have seen several that exceeded twelve inches in diameter. Such large ones have been dug from several spots to the south of the parking area, and also from a spot across the wash.
In addition to geodes and nodules, look for seams of black agate. Some of the area rhyolite has black agate, white chalcedony, and various different hues of opalite running through it. The pecky and birdseye varieties, especially, make attractive slabs and cabs. Serpentine and perlite can be found as well, but, aside from fairly small pieces, nearly all that I have examined have been of poor quality and too fractured to work with any hope of success.
Those who plan to dig for geodes should be aware that relatively little digging will be in soft volcanic ash. In fact, even when digging in ash in this area, it probably will have been compacted to almost rock hardness. So, along with your rock hammer, shovel and carry bag, bring a drill and heavy hammer, a pry bar and a good pair of work gloves. You will need them.
Note: Rockhounds planning to dig for thundereggs at the North Black Hills Beds should be aware that a mountain lion appears to have a den nearby. In 2003 it was spotted crouched in the rocks part way up the ridge at the eastern edge of the site, watching with interest a rockhound who was digging below. It appeared to be well fed and in excellent condition, so it probably was only curious, but that may not always be the case. Be aware of your surroundings and watch out for yourself, your children and your pets.
To reach the Cinnamon Geode Beds, located approximately 16 miles west of Blythe, California, take the Wiley’s Well exit from Interstate Highway 10. Drive 2.9 miles to a stop sign. The paved road turns right toward two state prisons, but you will need to drive southward another 10.4 miles to the Riverside-Imperial county line at 33°25.800' N and 114°54.180' W.
Wiley’s Well Road becomes Milpitas Wash Road in Imperial County, though there may not be a sign to indicate the name change. On the other hand, you should see a sign indicating that the Hauser Geode Beds are to the west. It was erected in early 2000 by the California Federation of Mineralogical Societies.
Follow the directions on the sign and, immediately south of the county line, at 33°25.794' N by 114°54.182' W, turn right onto the track that angles southwest across the desert pavement. This will lead you slightly more than a half mile to what is generally known as the Black Hills Road at 33°25.429' N and 114°54.620' W. Bear right, and continue on the most traveled road past a metal signpost marked “Ashley Flats” straight ahead and “Gerdes Trail” to the north.
Continue driving in a generally westerly direction to a second metal signpost, this time marked only “Ashley Flats,” at a fork in the road. Your GPS coordinates should be close to 33°24.825' N and 114°58.145' W. Located about 4.5 miles from Milpitas Wash Road (or Wiley’s Well Road), this junction marks the approximate center of Middle Camp. To continue toward the Cinnamon Geode Beds take the south fork and cross the gravel bed of the Black Hills Wash.
In one mile you will reach another junction, at 33°24.121' N and 114°58.679' W. This one, known as Potato Patch Junction, is unmarked. One short stretch of road just before you reach the intersection is rough, but if you pick your course carefully and take it slow and easy, you should have no trouble. At Potato Patch Junction turn right and cross a little wash. In approximately three-fourths of a mile, at 33°23.713' N by 114°59.262' W, the road dead ends at a point called Nodule Junction, where another road crosses at right angles. Turn left and drive southward three tenths of a mile.
There, at 33°23.556' N by 114°59.039' W, you should be able to see tracks going off to the right. Follow those tracks. As you drive past a low knoll on your right you should be able to see a very extensively dug area to the north. It marks one of the more productive parts of the Cinnamon Beds. If you do not have four-wheel drive, park here, rather than attempting to drive over the tilted bit of road ahead. Although it may appear firm enough, two-wheel-drive vehicles can easily lose traction and get stuck. The road ends at a drop-off in less than one-tenth of a mile, with evidence of previous digging on both sides. If you did not park your vehicle just west of the last junction, park at the end of the road, at 33°23.477' N by 114°59.061' W, and take the little foot path that leads southward, then westward, around a knoll. Behind that knoll, at 33°23.460' N by 114°59.044' W, is the spot where the largest and best of the Cinnamon Beds geodes were dug out from about 1996 to early 2003.
In fact, the digging was so productive that during the winter of 1999-2000 a small group of men drove a two-ton truck in and, with a show of firearms, for several days tried to dissuade any interlopers until they had it loaded and left. The unfriendly diggers appear to have accomplished their goal—whatever it may have been. Dig there, or find a different spot – previously dug or not – anywhere from approximately two-tenths of a mile north to an equal distance south.
The southern edge of the Cinnamon Beds offers some particularly nice white jasper. A small percentage is fine-grained enough to be classed as pastelite, of interest to flint knappers. Some is almost snow white, some has greenish inclusions, and some has small black inclusions. It makes nice cabs.
