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We spent all Wednesday in the lower quarry, best known for incredible prehnite that formed in small to very large pockets and cavities within the basalt.
To say that working the rock wall was hard would be an understatement, but we did manage to liberate a few decent specimens before all was said and done.
On Thursday we broke camp at Panther Lake and drove about 2-1/2 hours to the Gretna Oaks Campground near Manheim, Pennsylvania. This put us about 10 minutes away from the Cornwall Iron Mine where we collected on Friday. Kudos to Chris, the campground manager, for his hard work, generosity and good nature. Friday was spent visiting several areas within the immense spoil piles at the Cornwall Iron Mine. Mining began in 1732 and continued until 1972 when flooding from Hurricane Agnes filled the underground workings and large open pit with water.
Whatever rocks and minerals we found were just a bonus to the terrific views and breathtaking Fall colors.
The Cornwall dumps were a bit overwhelming in size and scope and we were not exactly sure where to concentrate our efforts, but we found a handful of representative specimens.
Wherever we go, I keep an eye out for rocks that might make for good cabochons. Scattered amidst the massive piles of rocks were some that looked like they might be good cabbing rough.
Click on each specimen picture to enlarge.
I'm pleased that we decided to bring home about half a bucket of rough because it made for some interesting cabs.
A special thanks to Greg Kokolus for his help and advice about Cornwall. We greatly enjoyed our time spent there and this would not have happened without his explicit directions. We feasted on a hearty steak supper and then relaxed until bedtime at Gretna Oaks. At the ripe old age of 13, Opal was one tired girl after a full week of rockhounding.
We were up early on Saturday and made it back home by late-afternoon. It was a great trip, but as is just about always the case, it was ironic that we'd have to go back to work to rest up from our vacation. |
