For the year of 2019 propspecting season, in the past we have gone from the middle of May until the end of September with outings each weekend.

     This year we are switching it up again. 

     The season actually began April 1st and has been sporadic with a variety of events. We are no longer limiting ourselves to the weekends as we have had opportunity to go out prospecting in the middle of the week, so we have choices as to when we strike out and get er done.

    You will see here reports of the activities that you might find interesting with posts about places, experiences and what you might find as you create your own adventures with rocks, fossils and mining in Montana mostly.

     The state is so alive with energy of the mineral nature that you might stimulate the idea, "Oh, I never thought of that!" while checking out our events or topics.

      May you enjoy this free service as a gift to those who would like to enjoy Montana's outdoors and have an opportunity to engage with it. 

     Beginning a month earlier than ever before might mean you have more selection to choose from to take your family and friends to places on your many excursions around our great state of Montana.

    You will find topics of all sorts such as some listed here:

• Butte Mining Museum
• Ancient Rock Formations Remote
• Gazing at a sapphire collection
• Gold Fox in Conrad
• Antimony Mine in Thompson Falls
• Sapphire Picking in York
• Giant Crystals in stores near you
• Rock Shopping in Missoula
• Panning for Sapphires in Gem Mountain
• Unearthing dogtooth calcite from its cave home
• Gem and Mineral Shows Rule! Why?
• Mountainside sluicing
• Searching for garnets in the ranchers' haven
• Washing gravel for garnets
• Getting Brazilian gems by the roadside
• Can you find flourite in Montana?
• Do caves call to the rock hounder?
• Seeing gold retrieval without water
• Visiting a dinosaur museum
• Gold Panning Sites and Success
• The "Big Dig"
• The National Gold Panning area in Libby
• Checking out gold mining history
• Garnets in Alder
• Agates in White Earth
• Crystal Searching Everywhere
• Barite Hunting on a hillside, just off the highway 
• Ringing on the Rocks
• Backyard Possibilities
• Comparing Rock Shops to Mines of the same name
• Prospector's Plans out of the state
• Using a mini portable trommel in a moutain streambed
• Getting shark teeth stew
• Checking out rock sinks in Bynum
• Learning about rock and dinosaur books
• Crystal hunting techniques
• Finding some educational videos
• Learning from interviews with rock people
• Does heat treating really work?
• Does spending more give you more stones?
• Do Montanans enjoy our outdoors more than out-of-staters?
• Making equipment inspiration available?
• Do roads to sites deter the seeker?
• Can you use the same equipment in rock hounding as gold panning?
• Government rhetoric can be a part of your rock experience
• Schools can teach prospecting
• What sites are teamwork experience for panning? 
• Is art a part of the rock experience?
• Do mineral clubs have claims to serve members? 
• Are there prospecting inventions happening in Montana?
• What does a statewide mining symposium have to offer?
• And even a critique on the styles of the gold search...some not so productive in comparison
• What popular activities can you see while heading to prospecting sites?