diamond mining

Across the road from the campground is a Herkimer Diamond Mine so this morning I walked across to try my luck.  Our stay in this CG, which is owned and operated by the same folks, got me a dollar off the mining fee.  They furnished a 2 lb hammer and sent me off to break rocks.  They have three open pit quarries/mines for hunting but one was closed for professional operations.  In the gift shop they will gladly sell you the beautiful and perfect crystals and jewelry made from same.  It only took me a couple of hours to see all I wanted to see and do the "chain gang" making little rocks from big ones action.  There is definitely quartz sparkle in most of the rocks but to find a single crystal is going to be a rare find with just a hammer.  I brought Jo back a hand full of pretty rocks and one so-so piece of a crystal from their gift shop.  We have better quartz crystals at home in Kenneth's collection.

Pictures of today

entrance to the mines

mining areas 1 and 2

 nice waterfall between the mining areas

 mining area 3