2012 CFMS Big Sur Jade Hunt

Today I participated in this month's CFMS field trip which conveniently enough for me just happened to be to some of the more well-known Big Sur jade-hunting grounds in the Pacific Valley area of Greater Big Sur. Most often these "federation field trips" as they are more commonly known take place too far away for my convenience' sake. Not so this time as this one occurred just over an hour's drive from my house.

Over the course of this year I have grown increasingly stir-crazy to get out and rockhound as I have been too busy and too poor to afford the time to indulge in what is now for me an avocation and no longer a failed attempt at a vocation. Quite fortunately I was able carpool with fellow Santa Lucia Rockhound member Dale Conrad (our rock show dealer chairmen) whose automobile we utilized (as opposed to my "beater").

Dale and I headed up the Central California coast as the only contingent from the Paso Robles club to which I'm aware. We arrived late as CFMS (South Region) Field Trip Co-Coordinator Robert Sankovich (who along with his wife were camping in Plaskett Creek Campground) had already taken the main body of field trip attendees down to North Cove (Jade Cove). Nonetheless, Dale and I contacted Robert's wife at their campsite which was the meeting place for this field trip and signed in thus insuring we were covered by the CFMS insurance policy.

While there I had the honor of meeting my favorite history teacher at Cuesta College (which I am currently attending), my friend Dennis Judd (he taught the three history classes I have taken in college heretofore), who by coincidence was breaking camp at the adjacent campsite. Following those two details Dale and I headed diagonally across the street down to Sand Dollar Beach to look around and get our first taste of the day of jade hunting. What follows is a photographic journal of the day. Each image is shown in the order it was taken and none have been altered in any way.

Note: we found Sand Dollar Beach parking lot entirely filled with Rest Station #3 of the cycling portion of the 2012 Best Buddies Challenge. Cyclists were everywhere coming or going or taking a break at the rest station. There was a snack bar, port-a-potties, and loud electronica pulsating throughout the immediate vicinity, something I had never before heard in this bastion of neo-hippiness (flavored with paleo-hippiness). Dale and I had noticed on the way up as far south as the old townsite of San Simeon (in and around Sebastian's Store) that there was some sort of cycling event underway today. CHP units both on two wheels and four, were all over the place maintaining safety for the cyclists.

Mrs. Sankovich was both accommodating and affable. I felt sorry for her that she had to "woman" the fort and not go down to the beach to hunt jade. She seemed happy enough while "taking one for the team".

The Juddster showing off his jade finds.

South Sand Dollar Beach.

North Sand Dollar Beach

Stairway to heaven (upper end).

Interesting piece of serpentine with chrysotile.

Stairway to heaven (lower end).

Sand Dollar Beach

Large landslide of the south bluffs of Sand Dollar Beach as viewed from the bluff-top.

Gopher Snake adjacent to the Sand Dollar Beach parking lot.

The second place we visited today. Dale was too winded to do the requisite bluff climbing so our visit here was brief.

Next stop: North Beach at Willow Creek and my first and only jade discovery of the day.

There was a guy on the beach hunting for gold. Note the solar panel powering this operation.

By coincidence I met my jade-hunting mentor Mike Lyons at North Willow. He found jade here today.

The waves were distractingly awesome here today as the tide continually rose during our visit.

As my visit here progressed I found myself increasingly drawn away from jade-hunting and towards the powerful waves and gorgeous scenery.

This is late Summer when the seas here are relatively tame compared to winter and Spring.

These conditions are perfect for finding jade as the gravels are constantly churned by the wave action.

I found this odd beauty (or beautiful oddity) as part of a larger boulder lodged on the beach.

 Note Highway 1 on the mountainside above the beach.

The sort of gravel conditions of which jade dreams are made.

Dale and the gold-hunter.

The gold-hunter was friendly and helpful and offered Dale his pan and taught him some tips about panning.

Dale found a few small flakes.

By this point I was thinking little of jade.

A wave poised to strike this huge boulder.

And BOOM!

Repeat Step #1

Repeat Step #2

The road down to Willow Creek day use area lined with autos.

The Highway One bridge spanning Willow Creek Canyon.

All photos by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved)