Opal Mining

In August I got invited to spend the weekend with my Aunt Sara, her husband Len and my cousin Austene.  They took me opal mining!  Len as been doing this with his brothers for a rather long time.  Len and his brothers have mine share in a little place called Virgin Valley, NV. 

We started out driving all day on Saturday, stopped in Lakeview, OR at a tasty place called the Snack Shack for lunch. 

After lunch we headed to the camp.  Right before the camp is an old homestead called Kenny Camp.  It is obviously abandoned now, but here are some really cool pics of it.

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We shortly arrived at the Mill Site, got settled and visited with the others at the Mill Site.  They where all so nice and hospitable.  Almost every night we spent with them eating, laughing and sharing stories.
The next day we where able to do some exploring.  Len touch us to some spots he hadn’t been to in several years.  First we set out to find petrified log.














After the petrified log we hiked around found some spots where the mine for opals.  I even stuck my foot in quicksand.  Only the side of my foot got muddied.  My aunt also stuck her foot in the quicksand, but she  got muddied all the way up to her ankle!  I warned her…..HAHA!
Did you notice the RAIN in the last picture.  Now remember we where in the Nevada desert, in the middle August!  Rain….nope  THUNDERSTORM YES!!!!  It lasted for about 30 minutes.  I LOVED it….Austene hated it!  That evening we got rested up for tomorrow is Opal Mining Day!
MINING DAY!
The dirt piles.  Instead of digging in the side of a mountain you can actually order your dirt, they will dig it out of the mountain for you and you then dig through the piles.  We started at 8:00a and finished at 4:00p.

Here is proof that I dug ALL DAY!  You should have seen the sunburn on the back of my neck.  OUCH!
 














For being in the middle of no where there was a really cool
chance for some desert pics and really sweet full moon!





 

Thank You for the

Great Adventure!