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