Gem Trails Of Southern California Download Free (EPUB, PDF)
Detailed maps and descriptive text lead the rockhound to over 82 of the best collecting locales for gems, minerals, and fossils. Numerous black and white photos aid in locating the collecting area and color photos help with specimen identification. Includes a handy mineral locator index, glossary and helpful contact information.
Paperback: 214 pages
Publisher: Gem Guides Book Co; 2nd edition (January 2003)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 188978625X
ISBN-13: 978-1889786254
Product Dimensions: 0.8 x 6 x 9.2 inches
Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #141,802 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #59 in Books > Science & Math > Earth Sciences > Rocks & Minerals #2898 in Books > Science & Math > Nature & Ecology
We just spent the last weekend in the Mojave Desert with this book. We found several wonderful sites using the guide. We also got lost on webs of dirt roads, no matter how closely we followed the book's instructions. I have to think that a lot of the roads have changed, or that some of the directions are not accurate. We also encounted two sites in a row that were closed, but not labeled as such in the book. So although the book is great, it obviously needs an update, even though it was only published in 1999. My boyfriend thought it would also have helped us to have GPS coordinates of the sites. Still, we would never have found the great spots we did without this book, so I would definitely recommend it...
This book gives you accurate maps and information about the many sites to find gems, geode beds, old gold, chalcedony, opal and agate mines in the area, and many other sites and places of interest.It is easy to read and follow and I would recommend it to anyone interested in investigating these types of places in Southern California.
This is an excellent product. The information is clear, concise and easy to understand and follow. It offers complete istructions to many places throughout southern California. I look forward to trying out many more of the places outlined in the book.
This is a great book and would be getting 5 stars from me except for a few inaccuracies. Let me be clear though, this is through no fault of the author. Roads change or get closed, properties change hands, materials become depleted, and many other factors affect whether one can find these sites or anything on them. In my experience I've found it best to use this book in conjunction with other books, some internet research, and satellite mapping. Using these methods you'll get to most of these sites easily. Don't expect to just show up and start picking up quality material. While that's possible on a few of those sites, most will require some hard work. Bring shovels, rock hammers, collecting bags/buckets, and be prepared for lots of walking. For the desert sites bring at least two vehicles, plenty of water (at least two gallons per person) and food. You never know what could happen or when you'll see another person.
Wife was on a "cheap vacation" kick and thought this would be fun adventure. The book was good and informative but as we learned it's not so easy to find "gems" even the less valuable kind.
The book has a wealth of information and is, at least, a survey of the popular sites. However, the off road maps are not always easy to follow and there are no GPS coordinates. Certainly worth adding to your collector's library, for the price.
I recently bought this book at a visitors center near the Mojave as a spur of the moment supplement to the info I already had with me on my 2 week rock-hounding vacation. If you like wandering around aimlessly in the desert cursing the author then this book is for you. If you like clear concise writing and easy to follow directions so that you actually find the sites then my advice is to keep looking. Distances made no sense. No road condition descriptions. No GPS locations. Roads and turns in the directions were non existent in reality. I know BLM and FS roads can change a lot since the time of writing (hint: you really need to update this book) but I have never struck out and not even found a site using any other guidebooks or directions and I have an entire shelf full.I passed this book around to my traveling companions to try to decipher the directions and they were as exasperated as I was. All we managed to find was a ton of trash with thousands of bullet holes, casings, broken beer bottles, exploded propane tanks, and various other tell tale signs that rural gun fetishists were active in the area. And then they complain when the land is closed... This isn't a slam against the Gem Trails books as a whole though. I find the other authors in the series to be excellent writers with clear instructions and accurate directions.
I really like the book, even though it has lots of flaws. Directions are outdated or just plain wrong. We are season desert adventurers and usually find our way very easily. Some locations are no longer open to collecting, but the author cannot control that. The maps are a little hopeless but the text is very informative and we have visited many of the described locations and had wonderful adventures. Well worth the money.I hope it comes out again refreshed, and with GPS coordinates.
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