ABOUT US
The refuge 15 year plan is now being scoped for new regulationsto manage the refuge for wildlife and wildlife recreation. You can't make the meeting so please send and save email to Charles Sheldon Wildlife Refuge at SheldonCCP@fws.gov for info go to http:// http://www.fws.gov/pacific/planning.
They have cut the loop road across the dam by the blue house that is the shortcut to Rainbow Ridge from the Peacock. This was your warning.The new 15 year plan is being now being made up Sooo PLEASE Make comments to the website.
10-20-2005 Leah Brashear perished in a tragic car accident by home. She was much loved and is missed by almost everyone touched by her love.
12-24-60 10-20-05 Life has always been an adventure and Leah was a willing participant. So tender a soul, but with the backbone of steel that these lonely mountains hone, she would bravely jump to defend those who would be hurt by mean people.
She could be a real handful too as some squabbling buckaroos found out after they got man-handled right out the front door one wild night at the Diamond Inn. She needed people around her but not like that.
I know that when she got to that last river we all must cross from this earthly realm to the life hereafter, that everyone else is going there, has
already been there, or is getting into the waters. All that have gone before us await on the spiritual side for our arrival and everyone we must leave behind in their loss are just living until the day that they too get caught up in Gods net.
I can only imagine all the wondrous places that Leah re-visited on that shore to the gathering drums before she crossed. I truly believe that Leah is alive with all her loving ancestors. I bet they saw the sun come up at her rebirth celebration. I imagine she is still having opal dreams as she sleeps with the angels.
Love is the biggest memory of all and might be all you take with you when you go.
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Howdy from the millsite. Sandstone is decoration and construction material. $200 a ton, you load at the quarry.
John Church.
Seems I only have one picture of myself on Disc. I'm constantly working hard sorting opals from the claims perched on a wall of our Pink Sandstone. This very pretty stone can also be seen in the Winnemucca US Bank surrounding the Vault door and on buildings in Salt Lake City, San Francisco, and more. Currently we are not selling dimension stone or facings, just rough blocks for landscaping orders and you pick loads.
SHOWS
Last weekend in January QUARTZSITE. 2009. I've not gone 2 years now due to the website and working locally for a lot more HAHA. Just no time off.
1st Weekend in March Klamath Falls Rock and Arrowhead Club Annual Gem and Mineral Show. Klamath Co Fairgrounds in Klamath Falls Or
Sometimes in conjunction with the Home show and Native American Show
1st weekend in May: Snyder's Rockhound Ranch Pow Wow. Valley Springs, CA. at the Snyder's Hereford Ranch in Valley Springs, CA Space B-4. If more people don't start coming here too shall go to just us miners and venders swapping stones and tales. http://www.valleyspringspowwow.com/
Memorial Day Weekend. The 3rd Annual Virgin Valley Gem and Mineral Show. (Vendors welcome to tailgate or set up a booth.) Held by the Opal Negra on their Millsite in Virgin Valley 2 miles south of the CCC campground. For more information contact Scott Ryals at http://thegemdealer.com/ .
1st weekend in June is the Denio Community fund raiser Steak and Chorizo
B-B-Q. It's the biggest local annual event with a community fundraising raffle. Prizes are expensive firearms and more. Team roping, steak feed, and dance with live music. Looking to put in some bucking chutes also for fun. Come on out and enjoy a real old west get together and hospitality. http://www.denio-nv.net/
November the American Opal Society holds it's show in Anaheim CA usually without me. Gas you know.
Marie and Leah relaxing after a day of opal digging. I got the opal bug rockhounding here with my Stone Healer wife Geri in the 80's (I'm a stone-finder). In 1993 I gave up on the power companies, pulled the knife out of my back and started vending at Gem and Mineral shows and other events as Swordfish Mining from Oregon. In 1995 Leah and I joined our forces in the Virgin Valley of northwestern Nevada prospecting and digging for opals in Virgin Valley since the 70s & 80s respectively. From the 90's on together. Swordfish Mining has been offering opals since 1995. Her children and family continue to be part of the opal mining and jewelry community. Her mother Marie Brashear led the way and now Crystal and Zack continue the tradition.
I live1.8 miles down Sagebrush Creek Rd on the left headed for Rainbow Ridge where me and the wolves hang out. If you have a dog in your vehicle they will jump up joyously barking possibly damaging your finish. I can deliver goods in the valley but I don't show off a store here. Call for details.
BE SAFE AWAY FROM TOWN! You are quite away's from any hospital ambulance (2 hours to get here and then 2 hours back maybe 3 1/2 if you deserve the helicopter). I'm the closest first responder who is occasionally available besides possible BLM Fire crews at Thousand Creek. Lakeveiw, OR is the closest hospital. There is no reliable cell phone service except at the pullout part way down Thousand Creek grade (Toward Denio). Most miners have regular phones. Bring your own phone cards. Satellite phones and Internet work fine from here.
You won't see much litter on Highway 140 here as I have participated in the Nevada State Adopt-A-Highway program for years by adopting this 3 !/2 miles from the Rest Area to the top of the Thousand Creek grade.
There are no trash service in refuge. Please take all your garbage and refuse back to the rest area canisters. Contain Your Load. Alas, a pickup truck bed is not a comfy trash can but a traveling litter dispenser. If you noticed someone else has been picking up the litter behind the public here.
Calls to 1-866-698-5666 for fee mine digging information will not be returned. You have to call the 3 fee digs and leave messages for info yourself. Their website's are listed on the Links page, My messages will get returned. Just maybe not this week. Please leave a message. If there is no answering machine, then I am on the computer...sorry my call waiting is NG unless I'm talking.
ABOUT THE SWORDFISH GROUP OF CLAIMS:
The discoverer, or least the miner living on site was Mrs. Lockheed. She was the Queen of the Valley in many minds. She mined on every property worth mining out here that had been discovered. She prospected outside the current mining district also for other local precious opal outcrops. She walked to the high opal deposits on and past Catnip mountain. No, I can't tell you where those are, and neither can the BLM even tho' they admit they are there. Those areas have all been withdrawn from claiming by an act of Congress. I'm looking for a copy of the Winnemucca BLM rockhound handout map which they no longer furnish. Lost the last copy the had so I want to get one from you if possible.
She raised her "second" family on the old Green Fire Mine located on what is now the Swordfish Claim Group (not the new Green Fire claim which the Krol's now control). There are many different stories about Mrs. Lockheed (Loughead). The original Green Fire mine is reported on by John Sinkakis in "Gemstones of America". I claimed this area as the Swordfish in 1994. It is not open for public opal digging.
The Swordfish claims were underground mined where the fabulously rich pockets made underground precious opal mining feasible. Opal is not just automatically everywhere in the opal bearing clay layer. Historically the only way to have excellent opal recovery was to mine it by hand like we do. There is a stunning black opal with multicolor flagstone broad flash on display in Gaumers Museum in Red Bluff, CA that was mined from this deposit by myself.
I would trade an cut opal for a definitive photo that actually shows her tunnel mine (NOT the Rainbow Ridge tunnel). Please just scan your original and e-mail me the picture. Lacking that I must drop a shaft like the Aussie's do.
The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) is the repository of John Sinkakis' vast library of books, magazines, field trip notes, and gemstone cutting records. They are not available to the public or common members.
As a side note The GIA was gifted an excellent collection of polished dry Virgin Valley opals from Rainbow Ridge and the other mines. These stones came from the students who mined them and the mine owners who donated them to provide a definitive representation of the Virgin Valleys' fine opals suitability for gemstones. The GIA could document the stability of all these stones from the first weigh in to the existing collection along with their representative samples from other world mining districts.
Honest opal is honest opal. Proof is in your hand at any of the opal dealers who offer these rare gemstones.
The Guide (published for GIA members to wholesale price all gemstones) makes no differentiation in price for opals except for Mexican and Boulder as to where they came from. Once an opal is a gemstone it can be fairly graded and can no longer be readily told apart from other stones of the same type.
The Stone Tree with the future claimholders from 20 years ago. Time flies; Make the most of your life. This Opalized log is from a layer usually found weathered out on top of the ground or upright as stumps. These are Leah's' children perched on the NON PRECIOUS OPAL log which is on one of the oldest claims they are on. These original discovery placer claims have been mined continuously since the first days of the mining district with a clear chain of title.
This is a privately owned claim and isn't a public collecting area. I do still have 3 claims adjoining these for sale. Felony Mineral Trespass is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and up to a $25,000 fine. Don't let us catch you destroying the tree because you are too cheap to buy wood from the mines. I will immediately place you under citizens arrest and turn you over to the Sheriff. A Civil Suit would follow to recover damages and expenses from court proceedings. BLAH BLAH BLAH This a published formal warning.
They're thankful the Refuge management put up a large informational sign on their Stone Tree claim. I'm sure it has slowed the disintegration from souvenir hunters. Please remember that you are visiting a valid claim with permission to look, not collect, and should not vandalize their log. It is not precious, it is a landmark fossil. WE could claim petrified wood in the good old days and all those valid claims are still valid.
Swordfish mining does not operate any fee digs and all claims are private. If you are caught illegally mining on any of my claims, even if you were defrauded by convicts, you WILL have to give back everything you mined as stolen property evidence, you'll be talking to the Sheriffs, and booked if you cop an attitude. Then you get to make excuses to our local judge.
The rest of the wildlife refuge is always open to rock hound the legal 7 pounds of material a day. That limit has been enforced - be warned that the rules are published, posted, and available so you can't play dumb.
Contact usopal@lycos.com or call 775-941-0725, 1-866-698-5666 toll free.
Swordfish Mining
PO Box # 124
Denio, NV
89404-0124
Leah setting up at Snyder's. No Building - Opals in the direct sun, the opals take it fine after our initial selection and cutting. Dewy mornings and sunny afternoons mean that they are taking in and releasing moisture constantly.
Note: All text and photographs copyrights reserved by John Church.
Re-publication not for gain is permitted with proper URL credit given.