2011 DUTCH HUNTERS RENDEZVOUS

[Blindbowman]

Re: 2011 DUTCH HUNTER'S RENDEZVOUS

There is no permit needed to drive the road to the trailhead ...Joe Ribaudo

Bill (because you asked) and any others that may be interested,

I was digging through some old photos and came across some that may be of interest.
the sign about permits, a long horned visitor, and the turn off to the Quarter Circle U Ranch (where you bear left to continue on to the Dons Club and the Peralta Trailhead.

Notice the cactus stuck to his lower lip.

how would like to take some photos Dust cap ...?

i got some nice new toys and i need someone to help photograph a few sites ..

 

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[dustcap]

Re: 2011 DUTCH HUNTER'S RENDEZVOUS

BB

I'm always up for taking photos, or movies, as I was on several film crews in the old days for Public television. One shoot was of "Jack Jones Weekend with the Stars." We were the only crew allowed at that event as it was a charity fund raiser. Met at least 50 hollywood stars who turned out to be regular folks (most of them anyway). Buddy Hackett told us that if anyone stuck a camera in his face he would "kick him in the balls". My opinion of him fell very fast. Although it was tempting, I resisted the urge to do it just to see if he really would.

I live in north Scottsdale near Loop 101 (about an hour and a half from the Lost Dutchman State Park campsite on Rt 88 known also as the Apache Trail). We have been down to one car since my Jeep was stolen and my wife still works so will I make an attempt to visit your campsite on Sunday afternoon the 16th.

 

[dustcap]

Re: 2011 DUTCH HUNTER'S RENDEZVOUS

Thanks, Ken,

"...since I started putting them on disk, I have not been able to find the ones I was looking for."

Beth,

Glad to know it's a problem for others too. I guess we need to choose our titles with greater care.

See you at the Rendezvous.

Ken

 

[Real de Tayopa Tropical Tramp]

Re: 2011 DUTCH HUNTER'S RENDEZVOUS

HI Dust: thanks for finally clarifying just what kind of a dust cap we are talking about.

Don Jose de La Mancha

 

[Blindbowman]

Re: 2011 DUTCH HUNTER'S RENDEZVOUS

BB

I'm always up for taking photos, or movies, as I was on several film crews in the old days for Public television. One shoot was of "Jack Jones Weekend with the Stars." We were the only crew allowed at that event as it was a charity fund raiser. Met at least 50 hollywood stars who turned out to be regular folks (most of them anyway). Buddy Hackett told us that if anyone stuck a camera in his face he would "kick him in the balls". My opinion of him fell very fast. Although it was tempting, I resisted the urge to do it just to see if he really would.

I live in north Scottsdale near Loop 101 (about an hour and a half from the Lost Dutchman State Park campsite on Rt 88 known also as the Apache Trail). We have been down to one car since my Jeep was stolen and my wife still works so will I make an attempt to visit your campsite on Sunday afternoon the 16th.

i am going to stop at a ruby mine in NC and the diamond creator in Ak... went there last time had a great time .. check this out ...i made this yoke this morning for carring two 5 gallon palesof refine stone at the diamond creator state park .. you can take a 5 gallon pale out with you but it takes two 5 gallon pales to make one of refine .. so a old guy i met there last time had a older yoke set up so i made this one for this trip .,,.. i enjoyed it . it was a lot of fun working the sand and stones hunting for the pea size stones ...i will add some strong rope and some carabiners and it should work great ..

 

[Blindbowman]

Re: 2011 DUTCH HUNTER'S RENDEZVOUS

ps ,shhh it could work for gold ore just as well ...lol

 

[mrs.oroblanco]

Re: 2011 DUTCH HUNTER'S RENDEZVOUS

BB,

I'm pretty sure you mean Crater of Diamonds in Mufreesboro Arkansas (AK is Alaska), AR, is Arkansas.

That's got a good campground, electricity, dump and even showers. Its a nice place to stay at this time of year. If you get a rain, it will be even better (for searching), and, since your vision isn't too great, I suggest you do it the old-timers way, rent a saruca and dig and wash and flip it. They used to show you for free - I'm assuming they still do - and dig in the areas that are going downhill from the main place. We were very lucky to spend a day with James Archer when he was still alive - gosh, that man knew how to get diamonds. Also, if it has rained, bring a little shovel, because, if you don't, you will be 6 inches taller in one hour than you did when you started out - your feet will also be 6 times the size (that stuff is sticky, sticky sticky, when wet), and a little shovel comes in handy to scrape it off your boots. (first time I was there when it rained the night before, I lost my whole boot in the ground - Roy had to go back for it, while I hopped on 1 foot.)

Also, and they don't advertise this very well - watch out for copperheads - this is their worst time for bites out there. You are from NY, you know how nasty copperheads are.

You sure are taking a round-about way to get to AZ - but, we've done it too, when we were in Pa. Fit as much stuff in as you can. I suspect you may run into some of the spots closed (In NC)- or semi-closed, which is more fun. We've had some of our best times when things were just opening or just getting ready to close. We went to Dahlonaga, Georgia in January - and, even though the hands got frozen a bit, we got to go to places, for longer times, (and cheaper), then during the "rush" times of year.

Beth

 

[Blindbowman]

Re: 2011 DUTCH HUNTER'S RENDEZVOUS

AR i am not from there lol
ya the streanm bed was great for that small gravile were most the diamonds are found the old timer i met there and me worked a area for a day and fill 4 buckets i have a eastwing madoc one of the best digging tools made ...and yes i like that park it was great for a day out in the diggings , i got to drop off some gifts in NC before i can go ruby hunting .. ya its the long way around but we should have a good trip and maybe finds something to make it wort the time the old guy i was talking about found a nice diamond a few years ago .. and knew the best spots , he was getting old and had a hard time trying to dig the compacked soil near the stream on the far side of the park , so ask him if he needed help i would help with the digging if he showed me some of the tricks of the trade. i had a great time digging and we both left happy with the days finds ..i think this is what the Rendenzous needs some in the feild events...i like the hands on actives .should be greart event this year ...

 

[mrs.oroblanco]

Re: 2011 DUTCH HUNTER'S RENDEZVOUS

Streambed?

I doubt if you have met James Archer, he passed awhile back, and stopped coming to the mine after he got sick - but, you would have liked him.

And, I feel honored to be able to go into his "cage" with him. (the park always let him put up a chainlink fence around the area he was working).

I'm not sure you have to BE from a state to know the proper abbreviation for it, but, Alaska is quite aways away from Arkansas. (both great places, but certainly a different trip).

The saruca is not for carrying dirt, its for processing the dirt.

Beth

 

[Blindbowman]

Re: 2011 DUTCH HUNTER'S RENDEZVOUS

Streambed?

I doubt if you have met James Archer, he passed awhile back, and stopped coming to the mine after he got sick - but, you would have liked him.

And, I feel honored to be able to go into his "cage" with him. (the park always let him put up a chainlink fence around the area he was working).

I'm not sure you have to BE from a state to know the proper abbreviation for it, but, Alaska is quite aways away from Arkansas. (both great places, but certainly a different trip).

The saruca is not for carrying dirt, its for processing the dirt.

Beth

i met the old timer in 2006 . and everyone there did know him . i never ask his name .. we worked, together day with out even know each others name .. he was about 70 years old then a tall man dark colored hair ..not much of a talker but he knew just what he was doing i lived in the area somewhere and said he had gave the best diamond he had ever found to his daught for a weding present ...i think i remember him saying it was 14 k yelleow ...he said he had found a lot of them threw the years he had had been going there for as long as the place was open ..we were both there when the park opened ..worked till about 3:00 and then went up to the water tanks on the hil and did some washing and sorting and then we shook hands and and we walked out ..

i dont know if thats the guy your talking about but he is someone i will never forget ..

 

[Oroblanco]

Re: 2011 DUTCH HUNTER'S RENDEZVOUS

This reminds me I need to find a place that sells sarucas; ours have fallen apart over time and while I suppose we could make up a couple, would prefer to just buy them. There are over 100 diamond bearing kimberlite pipes in two nearby states, so we don't have to travel quite so far to do a little prospecting for them. Won't need the sarucas til next summer though.

BB that doesn't sound like Mr Archer, he found more diamonds than any other visitor to the park. He very nearly averaged one per day, which is really saying something when you consider that over 99 percent of visitors find none. Mr Archer's hair was white. It sounds like your route will make for a fun trip, good luck and drive safe.

Looking forward to seeing you all at the rendezvous, can't wait to hear some of the stories!
Oroblanco

 

[mrs.oroblanco]

Re: 2011 DUTCH HUNTER'S RENDEZVOUS

BB,

I think you may have met James best friend. He did have dark hair. James didn't start with the diamond mine. It opened in 1972, and James started in 1978. Mr. Archer passed away January 8th, 2003 - at the mine. He found thousands of dollars worth of diamonds. If you look up Diamond James Archer (or Diamond Jim Archer) - you can see that he has some of the parks largest diamonds in such places as the Worthington Collection. He was a bit hard to understand when he spoke, but, boy, could he mine! And, every day we were there, he came up with, not one, but usually 6 or 7 diamonds. Our first trip, we started to do the "visitor" thing, and, thankfully, it was not crowded, and he said - "ya wastin time with that, come here, I show you how you wanna do it". When we left, we bought him a dinner at the local restaurant. They told us that more people bought James lunch and dinner, that he would never have to buy food again.

Just as an aside - when you go there - if the Crater of Diamonds is on your right, go past it, and, about a 1/4-1/2 mile up the road, on the left, is another campground. It also has diamonds. They found them accidentally, after they had bought the property - they wanted to make a campground there, and, they cut some trees, and when they were raking up the front yard - low and behold - diamonds. They had a red diamond there that I would die for. (way out of MY price range at the time), and I believe, the only one found (at least at that time). So, that diamond pipe spreads and hits the outside in more than one place.

When they first opened the mine (in 1972), I was in Oklahoma, and an 11 year old boy found a huge diamond. I was hooked ever since then.

The park has an interesting history, without a doubt. It was actually left - by a will - to be opened in perpetuity - to the public. Of course, the state has screwed around with that. (putting fencing around, and fencing off places, no metal detectors, and has been to court on several occasions, especially when they brought a commercial firm in - which is specifically a no-no according to the will.)

They stopped metal detectors the year that someone found a mason jar of diamonds - it went to court, the guy got to keep the diamonds, and they stopped the use of md's after that. (he detected the lid to the jar).

Beth

 

[somehiker]

Re: 2011 DUTCH HUNTER'S RENDEZVOUS

Tom's article on the Rendezvous is now online.

http://www.ajnews.com/vol15/100311/1003_com_AJNW_A4.pdf

Regards:SH.

 

[Cubfan64]

Re: 2011 DUTCH HUNTER'S RENDEZVOUS

Very nice writeup by Tom.

 

[Blindbowman]

Re: 2011 DUTCH HUNTER'S RENDEZVOUS

Rae's daughter is a teacher in NC , so i got to stop and say hello .and give her some things her mom is sending her .. but other then thats its on ward to the ruby mines a long day of picking and sluceing ...
i love that kind of outing , its hands on and if your good at it you will most likely find something worth keeping ..the places that are hard are the unknown deposites ..best rewarding but hard work ...the under brush is your friend .,..lol my dad told us that when we were kids , we soon learned he was full it ..

i crashed so much brush i thaught i live there ...
once we went to the cole hill lead mine and it had some big shafts frilled with water and the next time we came back the spot we had been working had fell into the shaft and about 6 ft of the bank was totally gone to bottom of one of the shafts .. very very dangerous ...

you got to be carefull in those old mines ...or around them ..
i am going to see if my brothers daughter will come up and watch helen for me for a few days ..

i got the gear to have a great time ..i wanted so bad to just get the gear and get back there and do the site the right way . but is been hard with my younger brothers death and all that has happend in the last 5 years....


its time to get it done ...

 

[mrs.oroblanco]

Re: 2011 DUTCH HUNTER'S RENDEZVOUS

Thanks for posting that link, Wayne.


Beth

 

[Blindbowman]

Re: 2011 DUTCH HUNTER'S RENDEZVOUS

it dose explain a lot about the Rendenzous and the events it selfs ..

good write up ..

.he forgot the part about the dutchman mine being found this year ......and its not 2 a mile radius...sorry wrong distence ... half of 5 miles is not 2 miles the last time i looked ...lol

thanks Tom its nice to have someone that cares about the even to do a write up....

PS the measurement really did not matter much it was mistranslated from the start ..

the word is not diameter, the word was mistranslated , the word is (decimeter)....lol

 

[Cubfan64]

Re: 2011 DUTCH HUNTER'S RENDEZVOUS

it dose explain a lot about the Rendenzous and the events it selfs ..

good write up ..

.he forgot the part about the dutchman mine being found this year ......and its not 2 a mile radius...sorry wrong distence ... half of 5 miles is not 2 miles the last time i looked ...lol

thanks Tom its nice to have someone that cares about the even to do a write up....

PS the measurement really did not matter much it was mistranslated from the start ..

the word is not diameter, the word was mistranslated , the word is (decimeter)....lol

You can't give simple credit or thanks to someone for ANYTHING without it turning the focus back on yourself and turning the credit into a not so subtle rude and condescending remark.

Some people might say it's compensation for something, some would say it's egocentrism or narcissism - all I know is it completely clouds any message you hope to get across to people. You can't treat people like crap and expect them to bow down to you. I'm sure when it happens though, it'll be everyone else's fault.

 

[cactusjumper]

Re: 2011 DUTCH HUNTER'S RENDEZVOUS

Paul,

Kind of a waste of time, isn't it?

It turns out that the McGee's were big fans of Thomas Bent and the Tucson Artifacts. They were sold on the story of Calalus. They became very good friends with the Bents.

They all believed that Emil Haury was a liar, because he debunked the Tucson Artifacts. Haury was a very well respected archaeologist, and someone I admire greatly. It's amazing how this story is coming around full circle to the Superstitions, Ben Davis and the McGees. You can throw the Stone Maps into that mix as well.

Take care,

Joe

 

[Oroblanco]

Re: 2011 DUTCH HUNTER'S RENDEZVOUS

Ditto to Wayne, thank you for posting the link, and have to agree that was a great write up by Tom K! I am glad that he credited Joe for his having started this rendezvous idea too.

Can't wait to see you all there,
Roy