| Please
bring
a
garbage bag and carry out what you bring
in. PLEASE! Sometimes there are cans provided, but don't
count on this. It is better to plan on taking your trash off the
mountain anyway, as the wind can blow it out of a can and there aren't
many things worse than finding litter in a crystal mine... it is like
finding
a garbage heap in the middle of church. |
| When
you go to dig crystal at the majority of the various mines, food and
water are NOT provided. An exception is Coleman's Miller
Mountain, which has a small shop on the premises and you can buy
Gatorade/coke, etc...or get a drink from a pump tapped into a well.
(yes, I said well. cool!). :D All the other mines are
out on a mountain top somewhere and it is ESSENTIAL that you bring
plenty of water. I have found that it is a good idea to freeze
water in small bottles and take them frozen... then you will have cold
water available most
of the day (depending on the heat... not recommended in winter!
haha)...
snacks are good, too, as crystal digging is HARD work! Plan to bring
your lunch and have a tailgate picnic. |
| OK!
This
may
seem to be a very personal thing to bring up so early in our
relationship... (smile!) But, alas, it is a necessity!
Coleman's has toilets but none of the other mines I know of do.
Some may have port-a-potties, but it is never good to be without.
:) It's also handy for nose-blowing and etc. :) |
| I
feel you can NEVER have too many buckets. One that is small
enough and comfortable to carry and then more to put your crystal in
for the trip home. I have seen people come to the mine that
weren't
prepared to dig and they had to use baggies and even their
shirts. Some of the mines will sell you buckets, but as you might
guess, they
are much more expensive than if you came prepared with your own.
|
| I
like to bring smaller containers to keep the smaller or especially
fragile crystals in (double terms, tabby's, etc.). I like to use
Pringles cans or coffee cans with a plastic bag as a liner. When
your bag gets full, it is easy to pull the full bag out of the
container without having to dump the crystals out. Ziploc bags
are great for this as you can zip them up and put them in a beer flat.
Medicine
bottles for long thin or especially fragile points are indispensable.
|
| Here
in Arkansas, they call them short boxes, coke flats, even green
bean flats... whatever you call them, they are REALLY handy, and I
feel a "must have". You can fill them with crystal (usually
covered with clay/mud and/or dirt) and then stack them (if you have
limited
space)... I did my first digging in a Chevy cavalier, so a truck is
not essential, though pretty great if you have one (I have a Chevy
Colorado
Extend cab now... thank goodness! that poor car was a muddy mess
when I cleaned it out to sell it!) anyway, I digress. |
| The
red dirt/clay at the mines will STAIN your clothes. TRUST
me. Coveralls are nice to have if it's recently been raining...
the clay is like mucky glue. If you have on coveralls, you can
strip them off and not ruin your car seats. I have a pair of HUGE
overalls that I found for $6.00 at a flea market that I like to wear
with shorts and a T-shirt underneath. Otherwise I wear
jeans. All of
the white T-shirts that I own now have rust stains from the clay.
I didn't take my own advice. :) |
|
Hiking boots or high top tennies are my favorite. I have seen people at the mines in open-toed sandals and I simply cannot imagine. I've seen shorts, too. If you are a sturdy person, shorts may suffice. I'm not that sturdy. I prefer jeans so I can sit on the hills and the hidden crystal doesn't poke into my tender flesh. Recently I found a pair of used army combat boots. Those are pretty great. Check yard sales and flea markets. |
| I
like garden gloves with the fingers cut out (for when it's cold...
otherwise I don't wear gloves). (I like to feel the crystal when
I pick it up). Also I've seen a lot of rubber dish washing type
gloves in use, believe it or not... I don't prefer these, my
fingers
roll around in them too much, and sweat. If you do try this, some
industrial strength thick ones are best... not the "Palmolive" type...
they shred! Sometimes you get to dig through the wet
tailings
(fresh, wet clay with crystal in it) and gloves are essential.
That leads me to the next essential: |
| Broken
crystal
cuts
like a RAZOR. It will cut you to the BONE if
you are not careful... and sometimes even if you ARE careful.
I have found that for small slices, the deep red crystal clay works
amazingly well to stop both the blood and the sting. By the next
day, the area is usually healed... or well on its way. Crystal
is amazing. |
| The
broken pokey thing on a garden tool that has lost its shovel for
example or do they sell them that way ? Sometimes the crystal is
embedded in dirt and you need to gently pry the dirt around it to
loosen it. Catch that? You dig the dirt that is around
the crystal not the crystal. Be careful not to scratch the crystal!
|
| I put this in here for ambitious types
only, and because I see other people that like to get plates off some
rock walls at times: I don't prefer doing this for two reasons...
the
main
one is it seems like its horribly rough on the crystal...
hammering it away from the matrix. It seems so cruel.
Usually the crystal breaks or shatters...and it rarely EVER looks
as alive
or shiny OFF the matrix as it does on. It is always a temptation,
but never what you think it will be. I highly discourage this
type of gathering . Some mines simply don't allow it. My
other reason I don't do it is it is brutally hard on your body. I
figure these two things combined are reason enough not to do it.
I prefer to pick up or go through the tailings
because it feels more like a rescue operation than a kidnapping.
Perhaps it's all semantics. :| I am certainly not making
judgment on others who prefer this method... it is simply not for me.
|
| I
know it sounds trite, but I truly do say a silent thank you to the
Earth, the crystal or Spirit each and every time I pick up a
crystal. A lot of the time I mentally tell the crystal I have
just found how beautiful it is (and they always are...even covered in
muck and mud)... I think it is a truly essential part of the crystal
dig. We are
borrowing them from their home, and they are graciously allowing us to
do so. I am reverently thankful for each and every one I pick
up. I look at each one... I don't grab and toss them into my
bucket.
(I see this done time and time again) I am gentle.
They
deserve that, I think. They are ancient and deserve our
respect.
Sorry for the preaching, but I think it's important. I also leave
lots of crystal that I see or even pick up. Sometimes I just get
the feeling a particular crystal is not for me. I thank it
none-the-less and set it prominently on a boulder top for the next
digger who may need that particular crystal. |
| WHERE
TO
GO:
If
you have the time before your trip, you can write to the Chamber in
Mount Ida ... Lots
of
the
mines now have web sites that you can access through the Mt. Ida
chamber homepage.
If you don't have time to write for brochures or etc, print out the crystal mine websites and take it with you when you go. Mt. Ida is a tiny town, and all the shop owners are very helpful. Ask questions. You are sure to get help for nearly everyone you come in contact with. The Chamber is on Main Street, you can go by there in person. |
|
AN IMPORTANT NOTE WHEREVER
YOU CHOOSE TO GO:
WHEN YOU ARE AT THE CRYSTAL MINES, USE EXTREME CAUTION, FOLLOW ALL THE RULES, AND KEEP SAFETY AS YOUR NUMBER ONE CONCERN. IF CERTAIN AREAS ARE ROPED OFF OR MARKED RESTRICTED, PLEASE OBSERVE ALL SIGNS AND REQUESTS. THE ONLY WAY WE ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO KEEP THE CRYSTAL MINES OPEN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS BY POLICING OURSELVES. BE CAREFUL, BE RESPECTFUL OF THE MINE OPERATORS REQUESTS & BE SMART! |
|
HAPPY DIGGING!
Genn :)
|
