Imagine a place where the ground sparkles with crystals of quartz and pyrite. And the land owners are friendly, so you can pick up all you want. Spruce Ridge is a crystal collector's paradise.
You can climb into a crystal cavern or learn the techniques to collect those fabulous minerals seen in museums. We provide tools and instructions to help you extract beautiful pyrite and quartz crystals, including doubly terminated, scepters, and phantoms.
Access to Spruce requires a strenuous hike: 1,000 feet elevation gain in one-half mile. That's about the energy equivalent of taking the stairs to the 30th floor of an office building. Our "office" is at 3,000 feet in a beautiful mountain valley. You'll hike through an old growth forest, with many stops to admire the view (and catch your breath!).
If you are overweight, short of breath, acrophobic, or have knee or back problems, choose another trip. If you have any doubt of your ability to hike to Spruce, go to a high rise building and stairclimb to the 30th floor in 50 minutes. This is how you will feel when you reach the collecting area at Spruce. YouŽll need to have enough energy left to swing a hammer! We hike in and out as a group, so the slowest person determines group speed.
Road access to our trailhead is via a rocky logging road. High clearance vehicles (7 inch minimum) are required. 4WD is not necessary.
2008 price: $275/person.
2008 Dates: August 2, 9, 16, 30. We accept Spruce bookings ONLY from customers who have been on other trips with us, unless you are accompanied by a friend who has been to Spruce before. If you are new to Geology Adventures, please email us before trying to book. See Group Trips.
Spruce Sunset tours:
Evenings are magical times at Spruce. Some of the pleasures we residents enjoy are watching the alpenglow on the adjacent snow-covered peaks, cooking at our BBQ site, which is on top of a 400 ft. cliff, dining in an old growth forest, and being lulled to sleep by the sound of a 150 ft. waterfall, just below our camp. A couple times each season, while we are collecting our museum specimen area at Spruce, we allow small groups (4 or less) of collectors to join us for an evening. You need not have been on another trip with us to book on this trip.
We'll feed you and provide a tent site with a fabulous view. Bring a sleeping bag and pad. Your tent or ours. Our tents are 2 person REI domes. Site is 8 X 12 ft. You will have access to our crystal collecting areas on two successive days. Can be offered any two days, Sunday thru Wednesday, in August, 2008.
Price: $750/person Minimum age: 14. Minimum charge: $2250
Spruce was chosen as one of the top 50 localities in the U.S. for America's Mineral Treasures, a project for the 2008 Tucson Gem & Mineral show. Read the Spruce chapter from the accompanying book (copyright 2008 Lithographie, LLC) Spruce Ridge article (PDF, 778k, opens in a new window)
