What is a Rock-Hounder and why do they flock to the Western Mountains of Maine?

A Rock-Hounder is a person who has experienced the adventure and rewarding benefits of going into a mine and looking for that prized mineral. You will find Rock-Hounders anywhere and everywhere there are rocks. They are always looking for that next place that they can go investigate. Their imaginations are always carrying them away to the day when they come upon that great find. Their determinations keep them looking for that prized rock that they can bring home with them.

Why is the Western Mountains of Maine such a draw for these Rock-Hounders? Of all the minerals that can be found through out the world, one third of those minerals can be found here in the Western Mountains of Maine. For years people have gleaned rich deposits of minerals from our hill sides. Some of these mines are open to the public. There is also the rivers and streams where people come from afar to pan for gold. We have been given the privilege to go into certain mines and streams in these Western Mountains and have a Rock-Hounding adventure of our own.

We went on our first Rock-Hounding adventure last fall. We happened to be a part of a group that had Jody Berry as our guide. We spoke briefly about what we expected and what we were hoping to find. Jody knew just where to take us. We spend about three hours in the mine. We had so much fun! The view was breath taking, the company was fantastic, and we brought back a back pack full of treasures. We found some green and black tourmaline, garnets, crystals, lepidolite, and more. Our guide taught us how to find the minerals we were looking for and so much more. She taught us to look for tiny caves that are found in the rocks themselves called vugs. Inside these vugs are many treasures such as appetites and micro crystals! Yes, we did come home with a green apatite!

Rock-Hounding is a wonderful addition to anyone's vacation. There is so much to learn about the minerals in the area, you get to see Maine at it's best, it tends to produces a great story to tell, and there is always that anticipation of finding the "big one"!