COLLECTING:   Very large Almandine garnets and very large sericite covered staurolite. The iron garnet specimens at this site range in size from a small egg to as large as a  grapefruit or bigger. You may even find a double!   Some collectors have polished the crystal faces of these garnets to reveal a attractive mottled brown and tan coloration.  You may be able to find small areas within these garnets that are of facit grade quality!

SPECIAL CONDITIONS: 
This collecting site in on a privately owned farm and cattle and horses may be present. This means that our field trip policy of "filling in ALL the holes you dig" is very  important at this location.  All participants are subject to Cobb County Gem & Mineral Society rules, and are subject to the directions of the Cobb County G&MS field trip leader - Jim Haege. 

BRING:  You should bring gloves, a small and large pick, buckets, and a good shovel to remove the two to four feet of overburden.  A cart or  large wheeled dolly will be useful because of the distance to our parking area and the weight of the garnet material.  Don't  forget to bring lunch and plenty of liquids as this location is not near a store.  As always, take all trash when you leave! 

DIRECTIONS AND WHERE TO MEET:

• Where:  Theater parking lot behind McDonalds at the junction of SR 515/76 and SR 5 in Blue Ridge, Ga.
• When:  9:00 AM, Saturday, March 25th, 2000
• Directions from Atlanta:  Take I-75 north to I-575. Follow the four lanes as it turns into SR 5 at Nelson and US 76(SR 5, SR 515) at East Ellijay. Turn left onto SR 5 at the Blue Ridge McDonalds and then right into the theater parking lot.   About a 1 hour and 25 minute drive from Atlanta. 
• Drive Time:20 minutes from theater parking lot to the Epworth collecting location.

Pictures of Epworth location!