Bear Gulch, Id obsidian

[kleinpm]

I am heading over the hill this weekend with my 5 yo to look for some obsidian in Bear Gulch, NW of Ashton, Id.

I figure its an outside chance, but has anyone here been there? Is it worth going to?

I am not expecting Obsidian Cliffs, or the buttes but would like to be able to supply myself for the year with maybe some extra to trade for staves.

On another note, my 5 yo is enthralled with flint knapping. We usually sit down a couple of times a week to break some stone. I took him to the Livingston, Mt knap-in last weekend. I brought his tools just in case he wanted to break rocks with the pro's. After throwing the atlatl a few times he started gravitating to the knappers tent and he said he wanted to make another arrowhead. We waited till a chair was open and I told him to go sit there and have at it. He sat down, picked up a flake and started pressure flaking it. Before long quite a few people were gathered around watching him, taking pictures, commenting how great it was to start kids young with this stuff. To say I was a proud Dad is an understatement. The gentleman sitting next to him started to give him lessons and it turned out that gentleman was the one and only Ray Alt. Together they made a pretty sweet arrowhead. Since he is 5 I figure I need to get him involved now before he is just wants to chase girls and doesnt want to tag along with Dad anymore.

Patrick

[bowtarist]

I don't know about Idaho rock, but I'm in the same boat with my boys, 8 and 5.  Feels good when they like to do what Papa wants don't it.  HAve fun, and good luck on the rock run, dpgratz

[mullet]

I was just in Pocatello, Id working and one of the local engineers gave me some obsidian from that area. And showed me some artifacts he found made out of some.

[anasazi]

Not sure about ashton but over in the owahees south west of twinfalls there are supose to be some fields of obsidian and in the same general area there should be bruno jasper which is supose to make some good points but needs heat treated i think. Thats what i know

[kleinpm]

I went camping there last weekend with my son. I thought we would be alone since it is a long way from anywhere, but half of Ashton was camping there.

There is litterally obsidian everywhere. Lithic scatter covers the mountain. I came home with about 1 1/2 5 gallon buckets. I could have picked up much more but after a few hours my 5 yo wanted to do some other stuff. Most of the pieces are smaller, but we scored 6 or 7 larger nodules.

I made a few points from it and it is sweet stuff.

Patrick