just got home from a trip to the Yoop! Say Ya To Da UP Eh?
was roughly a 60 hour round trip turn and burn of almost 1100 miles, but we did get to have a little fun while we were up there... and my cousin found a trophy of sorts
i started hunting for Fluorescent Sodalite bearing rocks a little over a year ago now... and i'm totally hooked. We use 365nm UV lights to find them after dark on stony beaches here in the great lakes region.
my friend has access to some private beaches along lake superior's south shore, and tooks us out in hopes of finding some goodies.
since my cousin was with me for the job we had to do... he went along with me and my buddy mike sunday night to a beach that hasnt been accessible for over 2 years. with the water levels up at historical highs the last few years, the area we were searching has been buried under several feet of sand (and water) and has only been exposed in the last could weeks as the wave action has moved the sand back out into the lake where it belongs exposing the rocks.
its a real trick navigating a beach of softball (and larger) sized stones in the dark with only UV lights - not to mention the risk to your ankles/knees... but falling on the rocks is a legit danger to be worried about. i do NOT suggest doing this alone if you dont have a choice!
just for reference - this is roughly what the beach we were searching looked like (we stopped a few miles from there at a scenic lookout/beach access to get some pics for his wife and kids the next day)
this stone is the largest sodalite i've ever laid eyes on personally - its 5lbs 6.4oz, and roughly the size of a large softball. its spectactular due to not only its size but the ammount of sodalite it carries. This is truly a once in a lifetime class stone. We have a polishing kit on the way - granite polishing pads work a treat for this type of stone from what i read. I cant wait to get it buffed up and see what it looks like with the outer crust on it buffed to a shine.
there was barely a dime sized area of it exposed and peeking out from under several other rocks. my cousin thought he was picking up an egg sized rock before he started to dig it out. mY buddy mike about lost his mind when he saw it and he's been picking these things for years and years now!
just a rough pic for now.. this was taken on the tailgate of my truck about 1am when we called it a night. you can see the water bottle there for size reference.
more to follow when i get it polished and in its full display mode.