Jefferson County - Ashwood Area


Ashwood is a ghost town east to Madras. In the region around Ashwood there were several loactions and beds found for thundereggs.


Alex McDonald Ranch

The Alex McDonald Ranch is located in the Ashwood Area of the Jefferson Co.

Joe and Alex are brothers and owners of two different ranches with thunderegg locations on them.

'New Bed'


Brogan Ranch

Brogan Ranch
Brogan Ranch

size: 98x67 mm

 

Probably a Brogan Ranch thunderegg, but clearly an Antelope Area egg. One of the 'ugly' t-eggs with a nice cavity.


Brown Ranch

Brown Ranch seems to be a quite rare location outside near the Antelope area.

Here are three examples of those t-eggs.


Cherry Creek

The site of Cherry Creek was found by Jason Hinkle in late summer of 2008. Only collected one time during 2008 and never again touched until 2012 for a second dig along with Ed Pieters. That site is near the boarder to the Wheeler County.

Cherry Creek
Cherry Creek

size: 68x45 mm

 

A slice of a Cherry Creek specimen sowing some collapsed matrix structrues in blueish translucent chalcedony.

Cherry Creek
Cherry Creek

size: 83x45 mm

 

Another specimen from Cherry Creek. It's full of matrix, barely agate core and has a nice fluid structure.


Cougar Trap

The site of Cougar Trap was discovered in 2008 by Jason Hinkle and friends. It is a road cut site on the Ashwood Road.

There is a reason to the name: not very far from where they found these eggs up a canyon they came upon a illegal baited 'cougar trap'. So to do a good deal for nature they sprung that trap.

Cougar Trap
Cougar Trap

size: 75x56 mm

 

A nice typical specimen from the Cougar Trap. They commonly have that smooth yellowish-brown matrix and a fine light chalcedony with greenish yellowish moss structures.

 

 

 

 

size: 82x55 mm

Cougar Trap
Cougar Trap

(Darrell) Friend Ranch

(Darrell) Friend Ranch
(Darrell) Friend Ranch

size:

 

A great black and white filled thunderegg from the Darrell Friends Ranch or simple Friends Ranch. Before the death of Darrell Friend in 2009 the ranch was open for digging by fee several times the year.


Donnybrook

Donnybrook
Donnybrook

The Donnybrook deposit was a fast dug bed of nice greenish thundereggs with a clear agate filling.


 

 

#1: 60x41 mm

#2:

#3:

#4: 70x60 mm

#5: 54x47 mm

#6: 56x55 mm


Dutch Donny

Dutch Donny was discoverd by Ed Pieters, May 26th 2011 during lunchtime when he was digging Donnybrook thundereggs. For that reason the word 'Donny' is in the name, 'Dutch' comes from the nationality of Ed, who lives in the Netherlands, Europe.

Dutch Donny
Dutch Donny

size: 56x52 mm

 

The Dutch Donny t-eggs look qite similar but also quite different to the Donnybrooks. The eggs are a bit darker and brownish in matrix and show more often Crystobalite 'balls'.

 

 

 

#1:

#2: 60x90 mm

#3: 49x69 mm

#4: 94x81 mm

#5: 76x64 mm


Hay Creek Ranch

Hay Creek Ranch
Hay Creek Ranch

size: 61x65 mm

 

This Hay Creek Ranch specimen has a really deep pool of chalcedony with opal and moss structures. Unfortunately the specific bed is unknown to me by now.





'Uruguay-type': 78x79 mm


Joe McDonald Ranch

The Jow McDonald Ranch has several thunderegg beds and lies in the area of Ashwood.

Fuston Bed

Fuston Bed
Fuston Bed

size: 90x93 mm

 

A great egg with nice level banded opal filling and a growing core in the middle. It's from the Fuston Bed on Joe McDonald's Ranch.

Pink Abbey

size: 103x112 mm

 

A classic Pink Abbey thunderegg with waterlines and the typical red outline.

Pink Opal Bed

Pink Opal Bed
Pink Opal Bed

size: 80x75 mm

 

The newest found bed on Joe McDonald Ranch is near to the famous Pink Abbey and was called PiunkOpal Bed. This specimen shows some great deep view and nice yellowish moss structures.


Swanson Ranch

The Swanson Ranch is a private ranch near Ashwood, Oregon. It was open to collecting for a fee in the 1970s and '80s. The Swanson Ranch is located near the Friends Ranch and the exterior of the eggs look quite similar. The Swanson eggs are generally softball sized and larger. They tend to be filled with mostly clear agate, sometimes with some faint waterline formations, or in rare cases with spots (they are also near the Polka Dot agate). It is very hard to find these anymore. The deposit is sometimes known as the Easteregg Bed. But there are several other beds on the Ranch aswell.


Wilson Creek Road

The Wilson Creek Road is the name of the gravel road, where you can find the thundereggs. They have a same look a like as Couger Trap thundereggs. This road is the backside of the hill, where you can find the Cougers.

Wilson Creek Road
Wilson Creek Road

size:

 

Typical stretch-egg with clear and dark filling and moss.

Wilson Creek Road
Wilson Creek Road

size: ~ 100x60 mm

 

Another Wilson Creek Road egg with a strange light green filling.