Adventures in Prospecting!
We have been traveling throughout North America for over 20 years, collecting unique and rare rocks, minerals, precious metals and fossils. Please browse the photos from our prospecting adventures below!
Cobalt, Ontario
Jim and a friend had a claim in Cobalt, Northern Ontario for several years.
Here they and Lois dug through tailings and glacial fill from the last glaciation. They found much of the silver that is in the store!
Scroll right to see the the white head frame on top of the shaft and the wench (next photo) which lifted or or lowered workers or trollies full of minerals down to the tunnels.
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Another photo shows Lois with their grandson in Cobalt at Le Rose blacksmith shop. The fable is that that Le Rose threw an axe at a fox but hit silver instead, and started the mining industry there. The Le Rose silver mine produced millions of ounces of silver until around the 60s.
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The Town of Cobalt, seen from Nippissing, used to be a mining town.​
Bancroft Gemboree Show, Ontario
Lois and Jim attend the four-day Gemboree Show each year. This is the biggest show of its kind in Canada and dealers come from all over the country to sell and trade rocks, minerals, fossils and other similar items.
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Trips to the Tucson Gem & Mineral Show
Jim and Lois have attended the Tucson Gem & Mineral Show for many years. Often they would land in Las Vegas and immediately head south, along the Colorado River, stopping at the following sites on the way to the big event.
Death Valley
Heading north-west, Jim and Lois would visit Death Valley, the lowest place in North America, at 100 ft below sea level!
This very dry desert gets cold enough most nights to frost. In the morning when the frost melts, it causes the rocks to slide and move, giving an eerie effect for those paying close attention!
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Grand Canyon
They would then travel through Flagstaff, stopping at the Grand Canyon for one of the world's most spectacular natural landscapes...
California
Along the 395 from Death Valley, near Yosemite Valley, there were some beautiful mountain ranges to see along the road...
Sedona, Arizona
Jim and Lois would stop in Sedona...
Old Tucson, Arizona
visit Old Tucson...​
South Tucson Mountains
and the South Tucson Mountains...​
Quartzsite
on the way to Quartzsite, near the California-Arizona border. Hundreds of people congregate in the desert here for a major outdoor rock event. People stay in trailers, displaying items they’ve found on their tables. It is the place to stop and pick up a few gems (literally) before heading to the main event!
Tucson Gem & Mineral Show
They finally arrive in Tucson for the show of the year!
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This is the biggest gem and mineral show in all of North America, and the population of Tucson nearly doubles with people arriving from around the world to buy and sell rocks!
Jim and Lois would rent an apartment, and spend two weeks buying rocks for the store.
This is Great Canadian Prospecting's main supply of rocks, minerals and jewelry.