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Rockingham Vulcan Quarry dig (Read 15153 times)

Rebecca God Member Offline I Love YaBB 2.5 AE! Posts: 653 Joined: Nov 11^th, 2010 Gender:	Re: Rockingham Vulcan Quarry dig Reply #15 - Dec 4^th, 2012 at 8:49am	Print Post
	Mike, this sounds great! Of course, Laurie, although I might have spoken too soon. Right now, count me in, please.


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Raleigh Rockhound Senior Member Offline www.RockHoundLounge. com Posts: 352 Joined: May 14^th, 2012	Re: Rockingham Vulcan Quarry dig Reply #16 - Dec 4^th, 2012 at 8:20pm	Print Post
	I can always grab you if you need Laurie. Thanks for setting up the Thomasville trip last weekend, it was a good time.


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Rebecca God Member Offline I Love YaBB 2.5 AE! Posts: 653 Joined: Nov 11^th, 2010 Gender:	Re: Rockingham Vulcan Quarry dig Reply #17 - Dec 5^th, 2012 at 11:09am	Print Post
	Dang it! I was just too excited about this site as there is no way I can make it there before Christmas. Mark it would be awesome if you could get Laurie. I hope you guys have a great time and find something exquisite! Sorry I can't make it this time, I really want to.


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Chemfreak YaBB Newbies Offline www.RockHoundLounge. com Posts: 31 Joined: Aug 14^th, 2012	Re: Rockingham Vulcan Quarry dig Reply #18 - Dec 5^th, 2012 at 12:20pm	Print Post
	Stupid Friday digs. I can't make them due to work. You all have fun and hope you find some intersting material.


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rockytoprockshop Full Member Offline www.RockHoundLounge. com Posts: 142 Location: north carolina Joined: Oct 24^th, 2012 Gender:	Re: Rockingham Vulcan Quarry dig Reply #19 - Dec 5^th, 2012 at 1:56pm	Print Post
	Sorry that you can't come down Rebecca, maybe some other time. I wish I could have gotten a Saturday dig lined up but Vulcan only offered Friday's. So...I guess that this leaves Scott, Laurie, and Mark. Guys I hope all works out and you can continue to make it. Charles was out yesterday and I am waiting on him to confirm a time next Friday morning to show up. After the Vulcan dig is over, we can continue in the area looking or maybe ride up to lower Montgomery County. I have a couple spots up there that have great potential but need a little more exploring. I guess it all still depends too on the weather which we'll know more by next Monday. I thought about riding up to re-find the Tower Road mine in Montgomery County on Sunday. The fudds will be out in full force Saturday. Part of the land that you walk to get to the mine is posted but most follows the National Forest. I remember passing through some posted areas before I hit the mine. Tremendous potential there for quartz crystals even smoky and amethyst, chlorite inclusions, phantoms, etc. Laurie, you remember that smoky I traded you about 6" across that I found there off the road bed! Digging revealed quite a few small clusters and singles mostly clear with neat inclusions. Is anyone game for a Tower Road hike Sunday? Hopefully the hunters won't bother us? Food for thought.


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Raleigh Rockhound Senior Member Offline www.RockHoundLounge. com Posts: 352 Joined: May 14^th, 2012	Re: Rockingham Vulcan Quarry dig Reply #20 - Dec 5^th, 2012 at 2:00pm	Print Post
	Tower road sounds good to me.


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rockytoprockshop Full Member Offline www.RockHoundLounge. com Posts: 142 Location: north carolina Joined: Oct 24^th, 2012 Gender:	Re: Rockingham Vulcan Quarry dig Reply #21 - Dec 5^th, 2012 at 4:59pm	Print Post
	Mark, Are you still wanting to come to Vulcan on the 14th? If so, are you bringing Laurie? Scott, Are you still planning on Vulcan on the 14th also? Charles got back today but hasn't called back yet to confirm the time. His secretary said he was out in the pit about all day so hopefully I can get an answer tomorrow from him. As far as Tower Road, I thought that if the weather was good, I'd go up there on Sunday around 8:00am. I could meet you Mark at the "T" intersection of Tower and Aunt Queen Road. Aunt Queen Road is the short road that connects Tower Road to Lovejoy Road. I found amethyst in this area before at another site and Archie and I once went there many years ago and he found a huge partial smoky crystal there. Let me know about both the Vulcan dig on the 14th and if you want to go to Tower Road this Sunday 9th? You can give me a call at 910-206-7629 to verify by Saturday if you can or not. Cheers, Mike


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Raleigh Rockhound Senior Member Offline www.RockHoundLounge. com Posts: 352 Joined: May 14^th, 2012	Re: Rockingham Vulcan Quarry dig Reply #22 - Dec 5^th, 2012 at 5:31pm	Print Post
	I am planning on bringing Laurie to the Vulcan dig, I am not sure I am digging this weekend but tower road may be exciting enough to catch my attention.


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Scott LaBorde RHL Administrator Offline "Rock it" science! Posts: 2975 Location: Wake Forest, NC Joined: Sep 28^th, 2010 Gender:	Re: Rockingham Vulcan Quarry dig Reply #23 - Dec 5^th, 2012 at 8:25pm	Print Post
	I'm interested in Tower Rd. this Sunday. Also, I just need to get approval to get the 14th off and I'll be ready for Vulcan. Scott

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Raleigh Rockhound Senior Member Offline www.RockHoundLounge. com Posts: 352 Joined: May 14^th, 2012	Re: Rockingham Vulcan Quarry dig Reply #24 - Dec 5^th, 2012 at 8:47pm	Print Post
	Well, I have been looking forward to finding the lost mine so count me in.


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rockytoprockshop Full Member Offline www.RockHoundLounge. com Posts: 142 Location: north carolina Joined: Oct 24^th, 2012 Gender:	Re: Rockingham Vulcan Quarry dig Reply #25 - Dec 6^th, 2012 at 9:16am	Print Post
	Mark and Scott, Shaun contacted me and wants to come to Tower Road this Sunday as well. I guess we can all meet at the "T" intersection of Tower and Aunt Queen Road which should be easiest for all to find and the place to park our vehicles to draw the least attention is just up Tower road a few hundred yards away at an old gate on National Forest property where nothing can be said about parking there. The old logging road that I use to take into the woods is just a short distance from it. Like I was telling Shaun, I ain't as young as I look so I'll have to pace myself a bit and too, my office job hasn't helped matters either. When I was a young fellow like you guys I could run up Shingletrap without a sweat! Really. I wouldn't dare try running it now! It really sucks getting old but I guess it beats the alternative, lol! Mark, you've seen that 16" x 7" long double terminated slight smoky crystal that I have from Tower Road. James Cagle originally told me about the mine as he was an original miner there and had hundreds of crystals up to 500lbs! Some with micro anatase (yes, from Tower not Shingletrap), amethystine, smoky, phantoms, skeletal habits, all sorts of weird habits. This must have been an amazing place when active in 1960's. Anyway, you guys can call me between now and Saturday if something changes at 910-206-7629. Cheers, Mike


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rockytoprockshop Full Member Offline www.RockHoundLounge. com Posts: 142 Location: north carolina Joined: Oct 24^th, 2012 Gender:	Re: Rockingham Vulcan Quarry dig Reply #26 - Dec 6^th, 2012 at 9:32am	Print Post
	Oh, Shaun made reference to the allusive "Archies Amethyst". I've known Archie for many years, use to collect rocks with him. About 25 years ago, he and I went over to a spot off Aunt Queen Road. After about several hours of walking an old logging road, I found small clear xls in the road bed. Archie went on ahead. He returned just before dark with an 8" long smoky xl and other smaller ones. When I asked him, where he had gotten it, he replied " just over the ridge". I walked back there several times and found nothing. But Archie made a curious comment. He said "I've found amethyst not far from here". Many years later, I too found amethyst in the area, but I don't believe it to be Archie's location. As well, a man I knew lived off Tower and he remarked to me that his father use to find "purple glass rocks" behind the old home place. Lo and behold, Archie and I were digging off a logging road that was at one time "behind the old home place"! Curiously, the Tower Road mine is southwest of this area and I've found smoky there and have seen amethyst from there. I once asked Archie if his Amethyst was from the old Tower Mine. He just grinned and said "if you keep it up, your gonna find aren't you". Archie once told me that he crosses several tracts of land before he gets to the site and Tower fits the description to a T. I knew Archie's sister-in-law. She once told me that Archie would go digging and return with "purple rocks" from near her house. She lives in Lovejoy near Aunt Queen road! I've spent many hours in the past trying to pin-point where, have been ran off by hunters, and have knocked on allot of doors there. But first, re-find the Tower Mine and who knows, the amethyst may soon reveal itself?


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becky YaBB Newbies Offline www.RockHoundLounge. com Posts: 43 Joined: Jan 3^rd, 2012 Gender:	Re: Rockingham Vulcan Quarry dig Reply #27 - Dec 6^th, 2012 at 9:34am	Print Post
	where is this tower rd place? want to mapquest to see how far from me it is... sounds very interesting.


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Chemfreak YaBB Newbies Offline www.RockHoundLounge. com Posts: 31 Joined: Aug 14^th, 2012	Re: Rockingham Vulcan Quarry dig Reply #28 - Dec 6^th, 2012 at 10:49am	Print Post
	Tower Rd is near Troy in Montgomery County.


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rockytoprockshop Full Member Offline www.RockHoundLounge. com Posts: 142 Location: north carolina Joined: Oct 24^th, 2012 Gender:	Re: Rockingham Vulcan Quarry dig Reply #29 - Dec 6^th, 2012 at 11:04am	Print Post
	Becky, Tower Road is in northwestern Montgomery County about 7 miles north of Troy, going north from Troy, Tower Road turns off Hwy. 109 and continues north for about 8 miles and ends on Ophir Road. Tower Road is half paved/half gravel. The meeting point is a little a T intersection at a side road called Aunt Queen Road about midways. The Tower Road mine was operated in the 1960's for clean quartz aggregate mostly used as an aggregate in pre-cast concrete which was a big thing at the time. Dozens of mines in the Uwharrie Mountains were opened during that time many prior to the area becoming a National Forest. Workers at the Tower Road mine hit a single pocket large enough for four grown men to set in and play cards at a table! I've seen many of these crystals. There were hundreds at the time. The owners would take them out and lay them on plastic tarps beside the mine like cord-wood, crystals to 3' long double terminated. When word got out, some locals would sneak in and steal the crystals so the owners ended up giving most of them away to a few workers and friends they knew. This is how I found out about it, an old worker who got several hundred before it closed down. I have a friend in the area that use to sneak in there as a teenager and he tried to put a huge one on the back of a motorcycle but it feel off on the way out, so they hid it in a creek and planned to come back for it. He did some years later but couldn't find it. Lots of interesting history associated with the mine. Cheers, Mike


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