Warmer Weather.

The weather is finally feeling warmer on the Lakes. This means more time to hunt. Since we are teachers, we do have another month of school to tend to before we can go hunting full time. We are definitely looking forward to that. Heading north this summer near Canada, we hope to find some really cool fluorescent rocks to share with you. There are beautiful amethyst mines where we are headed. We are planning to hit up some of those mines as well. The digging is intense sometimes, but is quite rewarding. If we do find some nice specimens, we will definitely share them.

It’s important to make sure that you have ample sun lotion when spending time on the Lakes. Because the temps are cooler, the weather can fool you into thinking that lotion is not necessary. It’s easy to get sunburnt on the Lakes if you don’t take strong precautions. Wearing layers is also important as the weather changes so easily.

Finally, PLEASE bring bug spray with you. I prefer the natural sprays and have heard good things about ‘Deez Natz’ Bug Repellant Spray from Etsy. We are going to try that this summer. The biting flies and mosquitoes are the worst and precaution is really necessary.

Most of all, have FUN! Fluorescent hunting is amazing. There are so many minerals, plants and insects that fluoresce. Every time we go, it is a treasure hunting trip!

Happy Hunting,

Janine

What’s In A Name?

I absolutely love to name Yooperlites. I don’t give them names like Hermann and Xavier, but rather names that identify them by their characteristics. These names are not formally accepted in the geological world, but ones that I have attached to specific patterns on the rocks that we find.

The patterns on these rocks alone is enough to study. How did they become so diverse? Why do some have lines and others don’t? Why are some so bright they make you look away while others have hardly any sparkle? So many questions worth exploring. I have put a few pictures here of some of the rocks that we have found and named. We have our favorites. Maybe you can find a favorite too? I bet you will.

Snowflake

This specific find was huge, and had a perfectly smooth concave center. This pattern covers the entire rock. Did you know that if a Yooperlite is cut open, that the fluorescence goes all the way through? We do have a reel up where we cut one open. It’s quite fascinating.

Gold Dust

These are the hardest rocks to photograph for some reason. We have a very difficult time. When taking the photos, or the videos for reels, this rock tends to show two different colors, one brassy and the other gold. This capture shows a great representation of how they fluoresce. I credit this to David who is a VERY patient photographer. He probably took this shot 12 times. I tried and could not get one good shot out of 15 attempts. Everyone loves gold, but what do you think of a Gold Dust Yooperlite?

Snakeskin

I seriously doubt we will find anything like this again. This is one rare rock. It really does look like snakeskin. In all of our years of hunting, we have never found another one. You can see the purple color hue, which I believe to be feldspar. The combination of the fluorescent sodalite and the feldspar in this one is unique. Does a Snakeskin Yooperlite creep you out, or is it something that might become your favorite?

Cosmic

When you look into the deep dark night sky, you can see constellations and colors like you see in the rock on the left. The rock on the right is another Gold Dust sample. We went to a beach in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan a bit ago and the night sky was so clear and full of stars. There was no light, only the deep dark sky. I was amazed at all of the stars. Our world is a gift to be explored. If you love the night sky, this type could be your favorite.

Lined Bright

I absolutely love these, they are my favorite. We find them with many different patterns. Recently, we found one where the lines outlined a heart shape. Snowflake pattern can be seen here too. This rock could be considered a mix, but with such poignant lines, it fits better in the Lined Bright category. This rock is pretty big too, and a nice find. Do you agree? Are these your favorite?

Super Bright

When you see a Super Bright, you almost have to look away. I have before. On a deep dark night at the beach, the glow from the rocks is emphasized. There are more deposits of fluorescent sodalite in these Yooperlites. It’s quite fascinating to see one of these in person. Most of the Super Brights we find are smaller. This sample is a bit bigger. Are you feeling the groove for Super Brights?

Starry Night

This can be considered a Cosmic Yooperlite, but named Starry Night due to the vast amounts of dotted deposits of fluorescent sodalite. If you compare this rock to the Cosmic rock listed above, you can see some differences. This one actually looks like it holds many stars in the night sky. It has a more even appearance with the blue purple base. A lot of the Starry Night and Cosmic rocks have big black spots on them. Both of the rocks featured in this blog post have the big spots. Is this one a favorite?

Mixed Pattern

Sometimes we find rocks that are cross categorical, meaning they meet the requirements for many different patterns. I just call these Mixed. This one is Super Bright, Lined, and Snowflake all wrapped up in one beautiful rock. Mixed Yooperlites encompass a lot of diversity. Could this type be your favorite?

Julia’s Rock

OK, Julia’s Rock is not a real category, but we have decided to call this kind of Yooperlite, Julia’s Rock. I can bet you are curious as to why? My son and his girlfriend wanted to hunt with us, and of course we obliged. That night, we found so many Yooperlites and Julia had the pleasure of pulling this rock out of the sand. This is a very rare unique Cosmic, Mixed pattern. If you look at this beauty, you can see lines, but in a swirled pattern. We have never seen any other rock like this in our years of collecting. This and the Snakeskin pattern are unique and rare. Added to the swirls are lines, super bright, and some cosmic. Cool story. Cool find. Is this your favorite?

I adore the Lined Bright and David loves them all. Did you find a favorite??

Happy Hunting,

Janine

Getting Started….

When we first realized there were minerals that fluoresced, we were amazed at what we saw. We explored the internet looking up everything we could to understand the phenomena. It’s important that you have at least a bit of a goal when you start. What are you looking for? Where will you look? What are the expectations? When we started, we loved hunting fossils in the daytime. After realizing we could be at the beaches at dark, we decided we would look for Yooperlites, making that the goal.

We purchased a really lousy light, trying it out, and found a couple of Yooperlites. It is really important that you have a great light. We always recommend the Convoy C-8 365nm UV flashlight. Make sure you have a 365. A 395 does not show the light spectrum well enough to see the ‘glow’ of the rocks as well. If you are on top of the rock, right near it, you will see it with a 395, but it’s best to have a 365.

What beach? Any of the beaches of the Great Lakes in North America will have Yooperlites, and fossils. I think that we might make it look too easy to find them, but we have had years of practice. It might take a day or two before you find one, however, you could find ten if you hit the right beach after a rainstorm. When you go to the beaches, make sure you remember where you entered the beach. It’s quite nerve wrecking to get lost on a dark beach. Some people use ‘glow sticks’ marking their way so they can find their way back easily. We usually go out on the beach in the daytime and look around to check out the area. We have gotten misplaced a couple of times on new beaches and did have a difficult time finding our way back. It’s really important that you gauge your distance.

We always take a cell phone with us on the beach. We use the flashlight to walk back in the dark, but also know that if we do get misplaced, or if we have an emergency (storms sneak up on the Lakes quickly, animals, getting lost), we have a way to contact someone. Having said that, sometimes the service is stifled on the beaches, but this does not happen often. It all depends on where you are, and what beach you are on.

Do NOT go alone. It’s best to have someone go with you.

Make sure you have all your gear. Taking a bag, flashlight, phone, protective goggles and gloves if you prefer, and a jacket or coat is important. Oh, and bug spray. The flies and mosquitoes on the lakes can be quite overwhelming. One year our car was covered in biting flies. There were hundreds if not thousands of them.

When you do go to the beach, it’s always good not to go to beaches that are in touristy areas. We look at our navigation and find inlets to the public beaches that are not frequented. If you do go to tourist areas, walk down the beach about a mile, or out of the way of the tourists. Tourists tend to stay in the general beach area to hunt.

Finally, have fun! Yooperlite hunting and beach walking are fun. You will be hooked after you find your first fluorescent stone. I would encourage you to check out all of the colorful rocks you find. We find rocks with uranium (fluorescing green), rocks with feldspar (fluorescing purple and blue), calcite (fluorescing pink, red), and other colors.

Hopefully, these tips will help you get started in a safe way, where you can relax and have a blast!

Happy Hunting,

Janine

Our Favorite Gear

We often get asked what kind of gear is necessary when fluorescent rock hunting. It really depends on who you are. Each person is unique in what they want and the things that they use. Our grab and go every time includes a bag, UV glasses, water shoes, sunblock, gloves, and of course, a flashlight.

We have found that using a good backpack or bag is necessary to carry all of your treasures. We use a regular cloth bag with two handles, but it becomes uncomfortable and cumbersome as it begins to fill. We will start reviewing backpacks soon. Let us know if you have a favorite. We would love to check it out.

I use TATTU glasses, which can be found on Amazon here. Using the glasses is also a personal preference. Because the flashlight is a UV light, eye protection is important. I use them, but David does not. Using the TATTU glasses can be beneficial.

David uses boots on the beach, but I prefer NRS Kickers which can be found on Amazon for women here and men here. These are my favorite water shoes and they hold up really well in the elements. They fit perfectly too and are so comfortable.

If you are spending time in the sun before nightfall, it is important that you protect your skin with a good sunblock. While there are so many out there, I prefer sunblock that uses non nano zinc as a block. Sun protection is also a personal choice as everyone’s skin is different.

We cannot forget the flashlights. Please check our shop for availability.

Finally, I use gloves because my hands are always under UV light. For those who have difficulty being in the sun a long time, the gloves are a necessity and can be found here.

We have our faves, but we are always exploring new options in gear. Let us know if you have some favorites or if there is any gear that you are curious about. We would love to check it out.

Happy hunting!

Janine

What kind of flashlight do you use?

What kind of flashlight do you use? is the number one question we are asked, hands down. It’s a really good one!

I thought I would kick off the blog with our flashlight experience. When we first started hunting, not knowing if there were Yooperlites available at the beaches we frequent, we used a 395nm UV flashlight that we had picked up on Amazon. We did find a couple of pretty fluorescent rocks, but did not have a lot of ‘luck’ unless we were right up on the rocks.

Fast forward about six months and four or five trials later, we found the Convoy C-8 365nm. This was an expensive light in my mind, however, we decided to purchase one from Amazon. One week later, after a couple of hunts, we purchased a second and have not looked back.

The Convoy is by far the best from our experiences. It gives a great field of vision for fluorescent hunting and also exposes Yooperlites from further away. It catches the glimmer of the fluorescence even when you are not right on top of the rocks. I’m sure there are other lights that are of equal worth, however, once we found the Convoy, we decided to go with it. Our Convoy has lasted us about four years with no trouble. We haven’t had to even replace the batteries as they are still accepting a good charge.

We currently carry the Convoy C-8 365nm with batteries in our shop here. We also carry the WTC Mini 365nm UV flashlight in our shop here. The Mini is great if you are just getting your fluorescent rockhounding feet wet, you need a more economical option, or you have kids in tow that want to hunt also.

Happy hunting!

Janine