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In Part 1 of The Great Kentucky Agate Hunt, we set off on a hike up a creek in Eastern Kentucky. After hours of trudging through this beautiful country we have found nothing. The question remains, will we find what we are looking for? Our saga continues.
Trekking through the cool knee deep waters we discovered the
beauty of springtime in eastern Kentucky. The terrain of the creek bed changed
from gravel and stone, to a smooth black slate. It looked as if the creek bed
had been paved. These areas of large slate formations looked like marble flooring
found in mansions of the rich and famous. Although beautiful these formations
were a bad sign for us. The treasure that we were looking for is rarely found
in areas such as this. Wasting no time
Roland left the creek and bypassed the area for more fertile hunting grounds.
Within minutes we were back on the hunt in rich, rocky territory.
The creekbed changed
Hour by hour passed, mile by mile of stone examination and Roland
calling my attempted finds as "junk" was beginning to wear on me.
After each rejection he would toss them back into the rock bed like he was
throwing away an empty potato chip bag. I was beginning to wonder, “Would my
journey end on a high note?” It sure felt like my adventure wouldn't end with a
triumphant catch. As fast as those feelings of leaving here empty handed came,
they quickly fell to the way side. "There's one right there," Roland calmly
reported. We found it! We found our treasure! As I picked up the stone I
quickly realized just how different it was from the hundreds I had presented
for approval. I could feel the excitement wrap me in its electrifying embrace.
I then felt something come over me. It was a feeling that I had never felt before.
I could feel my eyes glow with agate fever. We had finally done it!
There was only one problem facing us – the long walk back to
the car. Over the last three hours or so we covered almost two miles of
territory. The walk back would be a test of my endurance and stamina. Not only
was it a long walk wearing hip waders, I had to do it carrying my treasure.
Take my word for it, after hours of hiking, these stones felt twice as heavy as
they were.
The Long Walk Home
The hunt was a success! I could now leave this beautiful landscape
with the knowledge that I had prevailed over this elusive opponent. Even though they weren't what I was looking
for, I found a lot of different goodies that day. The education that was
imparted to me by my hunting guide Roland was only the beginning of my love
affair with Kentucky agate hunting.
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This is excellent information. I'm continuing to process what I can apply to my classroom. Thanks.
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