June 2003 Field Trip to Luna NM

by Bob Fitzpatrick
Field Trip Chair - South - 2003

Hello Everyone, just returned from the Luna, New Mexico area, a long, hard, 12 hour drive and 385 miles one way from Beaumont, California.

Friday, June 20th.

     At 3:00 p.m. we arrived at the "Head of the Ditch" National Forest campground 10 miles east of Alpine, Arizona, and 2 miles west of Luna, New Mexico on US 180. The field trip was put on by the Cottonwood Gem and Mineral Club and the Leaverite Gem and Mineral Club of Phoenix, Arizona where we were their guests. We introduced ourselves upon arrival and joined the group that was ready to leave the campsite for an afternoon field trip to the collecting area (about a 30 minute drive). The elevation at the collecting area was over 8000 feet. We walked all over the mountain-side and were able to collect some nice agate. The agates here are small, 1 to 4 inches and wonderfully variable. Colors range from deep reds and blues to white and light grays; patterns range from bold fortifications to delicate lace. Some amethyst crystal occasionally turned up. We returned to the campsite around 6:00 p.m. where more rockhounds had shown up to camp with us that night. We all had a great time around the campfire.

Saturday, June 21st.

     Everyone was up early and ready to get going for a long, fun, day of rockhounding. There was 26 of us who signed in for Saturday's field trip. The plans were to leave for the collecting site at 8:30 a.m. and return to camp around 5:00 p.m. The trip to today's collecting area took almost 2 hours because of the mountain trails. They were in bad shape so we had to go real slow up over large rocks and up and down steep hills. After arriving at the collecting area, there was a pep talk by field trip leader Jim Van Wert on what to look for and not getting lost (you could get lost very easily because of the pine tree growth that were on all the hills). This area is famous for "Luna Blue" Agate in a wide variety of sizes, shapes and patterns; clear quartz crystal clusters and tube, bullseye, moss and snowflake agate. By 5:00 p.m. I'd had found my limit, my 4/4 was full of nice cutting material and a lot of great specimens. We were able to get back to camp before dark and enjoyed another great night around the fire before heading to our bedrolls. It was a long, hot, tiring day but worth every minute.

Sunday, June 22nd.

     I was up early and decided I would head back to California; I had all the rocks and minerals I could use. Some of the others were going home too, the rest were getting ready for Sunday's field trip where they would be returning to the area we had visited on Friday afternoon. I told everyone goodbye and thanked them for letting us join them on this great field trip.