Crook County - Ochoco Mountains
The Ochoco Mountain range lies in the center of Oregon and can be seen as the geographical and emotional heart of the thundereggs, which is also the state-rock of Oregon. A lot of famous sources are located in the area and a lot of sites or beds still have to be discovered.
Dead Wood (Deadwood)
The Deadwood or Dead Wood Bed is a new bed found by Nolan Hinkle (father of Jason Hinkle) in an area with lots of dead trees and limbcasts.
size:
Only a few eggs are available from the Dead Wood Bed till now. Some are from the surface and a few more from the dig. Very rare, but very interesting.
H2L Mine
This source is located northeast of Prineville up in the Ochocos and is held by Jason Hinkle. The thundereggs are very rare.
biconid, opal: ~55x40 mm
precious opal, waterlevel: 90x80 mm
green mudball: 51x48 mm
yellow mudball: 43x42 mm
Josephine Mine (aka. Radford Lower Bed, Opal Bed)
Originally the Jospehine Mine was known as the "Lower Radford" or Opal Bed. It was later reclaimed by Leonard Kopcinski and offered as a gift to his new wife (Josephine). After health issues Josephine could no longer pursue mining so it was then offered to Jason Hinkle and has been currently claimed for about 12 Years.
white opal layer: 22x21 mm
precious opal: 20x24 mm
Lucky Strike Mine
One of the most famous locations for mining and collecting in the Ochoco Mts. is the Lucky Strike Mine owned by Leonard Kopcinski (RIP). The mine brought eggs since a lot of years in several sizes and with quite different matrix patterns.
Here are some examples for the various eggs to be claimed from that source:
#1: 215x150 mm, rc
#2: 84x65 mm
#3: 60x60 mm
#4: 131x125 mm, rc
Mountain View
size: 133x60 mm
One great specimen from the brand new location
Mountain View in the Ochocos, OR. Nice contrast between the red matrix and the simple blue & white filling.
Radford Mine
size: 73x49 mm
A fine mossy in blue t-egg specimen from the Radford Mine.
yellow opal: 66x52 mm
red: 60x55 mm
Rojo Di Mine
size: 8 x 7,5 cm
A level banded t-egg with the typical matrix from the Rojo Di Mine.
Star Boy (Mine)
The Star Boy Mine is located at the Marks Creek Drainage in the Ochoco Mts. They have a smooth solid non-porous matrix which gets a nice finish. The filling often contains quartz, agate and opal
- often in one piece and the core is comoonly tri-conid.
#1:
#2: 76x81 mm
#3: 105x90 mm
Valley View (Thundereggs Mine)
size: 6,5 x 9,2 cm
A very nice and mossy t-egg with slightly level banding in red and blue from Leonard "Kop" Kopscinski's private mine - the Valley View Thundereggs Mine..
Whistler Springs
size: 9,5 x 10,5 cm
A typical blue agate core, level banding, agate-eyes and nice level grown moss structures from the Whistler Springs. At this claim it is free to collect.
Stephenson Mt. area
The area around the Stephenson Mountain is not so full of thunderegg-beds, but there are a few beds with very nice eggs to find.
Opal Creek
size: 41x38 mm
That tiny egg comes from the Opal Creek near Stephenson Mt. You can make a coinflip if it's more in the Ochoco Mountians or in the Jefferson County. This egg shows a nice dark chalcedony filling and slightly opal leve banding on the bottom.
big mudball: 88x88 mm
small mudball: 56x44 mm
