Crook County - Mill Creek Wilderness Area (Ochoco Mts.)
There are several beds In the Wilderness Area which are not available anymore today. Digging is not allowed anmore!
Desolation Canyon (several beds)
The Desolation Canyon is located on the southern slopes of the Ochoco Mountains in the Crook County, Oregon. It is now part of the Mill Creek Wilderness Area [established in 1984] and is closed to digging or any other mineral claim activity. There is a variety of egg types from this area that share a common similarity, in that the grainy matrix is like most matrixes from the northern slope beds. Some are difficult to distinguish from old Valley View, Viewpoint, Whistler Springs, or the old Ochoco Agate Bed eggs.
At different times the Taber Hall of Bend (Oregon) held, or was partner in, 9 claims in the Desolation Canyon area: Bear Springs, Smokey Blue, Little Smokey Blue, Sleeping Beauty, Fly Ridge, Two Dogs, Lavish Lady, and Tamarack 1 & Tamarack 2. Unfortunately, there is no way to differentiate which eggs came from which claims (according to Jason Hinkle "the papers regarding these mines were destroyed by family members").
Small blue: 57x60 mm
atoll: 79x78 mm
moss, yellow: 113x92 mm
blue duck: 61x60 mm
'Sheep face': 52x63 mm
blue, red rim: 95x102 mm
orange moss: 130x125 mm
water level: 56x91 mm
Fern Meadow aka. Bear Springs
size: 141x117 mm
A really large egg from Fern Meadow, a location now unavaiable in the Wilderness area. Great egg with opal level banding and some cavities filled with Illith.
Lavish Lady
size:
One of the most rare sub-locations (one of the lost ones). Got one, that's all. ;)
Yellow Jacket
size: 90x80 mm
One of the known sites in the Desolation Canyon is Yellow Jacket. But it's impossible to go there nowadays.
Ochoco Agate Bed (aka. TVGC-Claim)
size: 57x67 mm
The Ochoco Agate Bed(s) is now a private mine owned by the Mt. Hood Rock Club. Permission must be obtained from the club before entering the mine. Until a few years ago this used to be called Tualatin Valley Gem Club claim (TVGC-Claim), or (Old) Viewpoint. It is one of the Ochoco Mts. summit locations, with course grained matrix, and agate cores that tend to be clear, to light blue, to carnelian agate centers being top gem. (by Jason Hinkle)
Apparently the forestry filled in the old pits some time ago, which makes it hard to find anything above golf ball size. "All the times I have been up to Viewpoint, I have never came out with much for eggs to cut. This bed was very active many decades ago. Now you can find an occasional egg, but most I have run into in situ are hollow cores, with very little silica. You actually have better luck in looking for float eggs, but there is a spectacular view to be had up there, hence the name of the bed." (by Timothy DiGennaro)
size: 83x64 mm
A nice dark carnelian agate with a greyish blue botryoidal chalcedony filled cavern from the site of Ochoco Agate Bed.
Sandy's Bed
size: 98x86(x70) mm
A large but simple t-egg from a very rare location nowadays in the wilderness area - Sandy's Bed. It has the typical white matrix with plainly chalcedony. This egg has a nice cavern with very small botryoidal chalcedony on the walls.
Steve's Bed
size: 52x48 mm
A lot of moss in this interesting Steve's Bed thunderegg.
Green moss & blue banding: 76x59 mm
Viewpoint (area)
size:
Viewpoint was discovered by Dwight McCorkle. In 1953 Herb Lawson got the claim and gave it the name „Ochoco deposit“.
A large floating egg from surface finds in the Viewpoint Area. Beautiful bright violett matrix and a yellow-orange jasper filling.
White Rock Springs
size: 96x73 mm
A strange shaped thunderegg from the famous White Rock Springs bed. The eggs from that bed became famous because of their good quality banding and the great colors.
