[meteorite-list] Marissa's meteorite hunt report

From: Larry Atkins <thetoprok_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Wed, 3 Jun 2015 21:57:20 -0400
Message-ID: <14dbc497444-7e30-81d6_at_webstg-m10.mail.aol.com>

Hi Marissa, Michael, List,

Call me a softy but that was a touching story! Marissa, I'm so glad that you have had this opportunity to experience a dry lake bed, to find a meteorite and share in the unique thing that is meteorite hunting. Your story reminded me of how fortunate I am and how tough it can be for others. You are a brave and courageous person with more guts than most! Shoot, I have perfectly able bodied friends that won't hardly leave the couch, let alone go to the desert and hunt for the rarest stuff on earth! Good on you!

Michael, what can I say, you rock! I wish I could have been there.

Sincerely,
Larry Atkins
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IMCA # 1941
Ebay?alienrockfarm
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-----Original Message-----
From: Michael Mulgrew via Meteorite-list <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
To: meteoritelist meteoritelist <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
Sent: Sat, May 30, 2015 3:08 pm
Subject: [meteorite-list] Marissa's meteorite hunt report


Hello, list.Marissa has posted her trip report on Club SpaceRock,http://meteorites.ning.com/forum/topics/official-meteorite-hunting-trip-reports.I'veincluded it below, as well.Happy hunting,Michael in so.Cal."Well it's the moment that you've all been waiting for, myentirereport on my greatest adventure ever, my meteoritehuntingexperience!!!!!! Yes it's very long because there was a ton toreport!I hope that you all enjoy it because this was all your doing :)Mikeand Rogan will probably report their experiences as well. They better!:)this was a group effort, the trip wouldn't have gone so perfectwithout eitherof them. Enjoy!!!Day 1We boarded our plane at about 6:40am and we werefortunate to get toboard first, I got the window seat that I wanted and Icould look outperfectly. We took off at 7:20am and it was a great amazingride!Cleveland looked beautiful even though it was mostly cloudy, thesunpeaking through only a little and the lake was the same color as thesky,I couldn't tell where the water ended and the sky
 began. A fewminutes later wewere above the clouds. They were all wavy and itlooked like one big comforterthat you could just land on and it'dcatch you. An hour or so later we finallypassed the front and all theclouds beneath us and I got my first view of theland from 37,000 feetup, it was stunning! The trees formed around rivers, itlooked likeroots under trees or the structure of the universe branching outawayfrom the rivers. The landscape really did look like a topographicmapwith brown, tan, and green squares and rectangules everywhere. Thehouseslooked like sparkles on the earth. Hours later we were finallyseeing a changein the land from farm land to desert. Some spots weretan and some were red. Weflew over a canyon but I'm not sure if itwas the grand canyon but nonethelessit was beautiful, I could see theriver inside the canyon. A little later weflew over the tallestmountains that I've ever seen, they we completely snowcovered. Anhour or so later we started making our decent, once we passedthecloud cover
Vegas was in site and it was huge!!! I could seethestratosphere standing tall and all the hotels and casinos. Thepilotlanded the plane so beautifully and smooth. We made our way throughtheridiculously huge airport trying to find the baggage claim, we hadto get on anAmtrak to get to the baggage claim area. Once we gotthere I saw a young manwaving at me, I had no idea who this was andthought for a moment that someoneI knew from Ohio came too and Icouldn't remember them. He walked over and tomy surprise it wasRogan!!!!! I was in shock, I had no idea he would come. Ihad asked along time ago if he could be there but he couldn't give me astraightanswer and lead me to believe that he couldn't go. I was so happythathe actually came! From there we got our rental van and we drovethroughlas Vegas Blvd to check out the Vegas scene. I'll only be hereonce so I had tosee the city. We stopped at New York New York for anamazing breakfast followedby the hard rock cafe and some gambling. Icouldn't believe that they actuallyhad
 Vegas showgirls out on thesidewalks. After that we headed to pahrump whereour hotel was tochange for dinner, we had reservations to the Top of TheWorldrestaurant in the stratosphere hotel and casino. During the drivebackthrough the mountains we saw a rain cloud and a beautifulrainbowembedded inside. The view was stunning, the restaurant was amazingandthe food was incredible! There were people bungee jumping off the sideofthe building. Our waiter was so good that when I asked for plasticsilverwareand he said that they had none he actually went to anotherplace in thebuilding to get me some. The service was amazing. Wefinished a bottle of roseabaringer wine it was very good. Once it gotcompletely dark the lights in thedistance were shimmering like starsin the sky. We sat enjoying the viewwatching the moon and Venus setin the distance.Day 2Michael Mulgrew wascoming in today for our first hunt in StewartValley and to show off his metaldetector and meteorites. The bubblechair did arrive in Las Vegas but theywould
n't deliver it because itwas the holiday weekend to them so Rogan had togo get it, my staffAutumn went with him. While they were gone Mike arrived andwe left toget lunch and supplies for the hunts. When we returned wewentstraight to looking at maps and meteorites. He showed me where weshouldstart looking and we planed the days to come. Then he bustedout his meteoritesand we geeked out. I looked at some of his StewartValley finds and one was apuzzle piece meteorite where he couldactually piece it back together! Not longafter he started showing mehis meteorites Rogan and Autumn were back and thethree of us weregeeking out and got pumped to find our own. It was so fun tofinallyshare the love of meteorites with others who love them as muchasmyself. After that we loaded everything up and headed to StewartValley forthe first hunt, they had to take my chair apart a little sothat it would fitin the back of Mike's truck. Thankfully Mike is anengineer and between the twoof them they were able to load up mywheelchair.
I'm so glad Rogan came becausewithout him the trip wouldnot have been possible it takes two men to help witheverything and hemade the trip extremely smooth and perfect! The chosen sitewas onlyabout 20-25 minutes away and each time we went we had to crossintoCalifornia for about 200 feet so I can say that I was in NevadaandCalifornia. We arrived at the hunt site at about 4:30 and afterunloadingmy chair it was about 5:00 and my very first hunt began! Thelandscape wasincredible, there were mountains all around us and Icould see every detail inthem that shaped them. The valley was verypeaceful, not a sound was heardunless we heard the sweet sound of ameteorite jumping onto our magnet canes.Within minutes one of myaides found a meteorite and within a half hour RoganHennie found one,I rushed over to see his find and check the surrounding areaand Ifound my first meteorite near his find, a small fragment weightingabout0.6-0.8 grams!!! The valley got very windy which Mike said wasnormal andactually it was tame compar
ed to what it usually is like inthe valley. Hourswent by and Mike and Rogan made more finds, about anhour or so before we endedthe hunt someone else found anothermeteorite and again not far from their findI found my secondmeteorite! The tiny rock weighted about 0.1-0.2 grams. Withthe windit got cold very fast so we decided to end the successful firsthuntand Rogan, Mike and myself shared a drink on the dry lake bed inthetwilight under the crescent moon and Venus. Mike also set offsomefireworks to celebrate the historic moment and then we headed back tothehotel where we grabbed dinner and then headed away from Vegas tosee a propernight sky. I saw more stars and meteors than I've everseen as well as theMilkyway clearly visible, a perfect end to aperfect day.Day 3The next daywe woke up early, got some breakfast at a Denny's andloaded up for a very longday of hunting ahead of us. The weather wasbeautiful again with clouds aroundthe mountains and sunny overStewart Valley, the wind was perfect keeping uscool while
hunting.Across the lake bed I noticed that I was observing my firstmirage, itwas so intense that the mountains in the distancecompletelydisappeared! My aides decided to stay with the truck while thethreeof us hunted, Mike and Rogan took turns walking beside me havinggreatconversations and forming deep friendships. My fellow hunters foundmoremeteorites but I was not so successful which that didn't botherme because Igot to experience a successful day and a bust like everymeteorite hunterexperiences. Lunch was late around 4:00 and we had tocharge my chair whileeating so that I could continue hunting. Eventhough I came with a full batterythe terrain really made mywheelchair work hard, I was told that it'stechnically not built forthe outdoors but she put up a good fight. Spendingtime with otherhunters was more than enough as well as priceless to me beingable tocompletely be myself and let go of all my fears andinsecurities.Throughout my life I always felt like I don't belong...that myburdenshould be my own and no
body else's problem, I avoid asking for helpasmuch as possible because I don't want to hurt and burden others. ButwhenI'm with the meteorite community and the scientific community ingeneral myproblems and fears melt away, I completely forget about mydisease and don'tsee the dark that lies ahead. I've only receivedacceptance from everyone, notone person involved in science saw mywheelchair....they only saw me and theyhelp me bring out my best.There were a handful of moments where I feltinsecure, a bit afraid ofwhat these gentlemen would really think of me and howthey'd react tothe amount of help I require. Being the first meteorite huntersthatI'd be hunting with I wanted to make a good impression and not lookthatweak. But they welcomed me with open arms and showed that theywere ready tohelp with anything that they could. Rogan assured methat I'm with friends, Ihave nothing to fear. We started hunting onone side of the lake bed and walkedacross to the other side to endthe hunt, myself and Rogan had a wonderful
 talkand the scenery wasamazing. The sunsets were beautiful every evening with themountainsglowing yellow, orange, gold, and red. We ended the day withfireworksagain and headed back for dinner which was always hilarious!Wecracked so many jokes but I'm not telling, what happens in Vegas staysinVegas remember!Day 4We didn't wake up quite as early as the day before andthe plan was tohit a different hunting site called Stump Spring a densecollectionarea and then back to Stewart Valley. After eating ourDenny'sbreakfast we loaded up my chair for the last day of hunting, Iwasfeeling lucky and determined to find one or more meteorites. StumpSpringwas not too far from our hotel maybe 20-25 minutes away. Makingour way to thelocation I observed numerous dust devils which I hadnever seen before. Oneeven went right across the dirt road we were onand Mike tried to catch up withit but the dust vortex was too quick.There were also some rain clouds comingoff of the mountains and I wasworried that it might rain on us, if that
would've happened then mychair would've surely gotten stuck. Luckily they alldissipated whenthey moved over the desert and the smell of the rain wasintoxicating.The ground had rocks everywhere! Hunting could never becomeboring atStump Spring but it's also slow going having to check countlessrockshoping that you'll hear the sweet sound of one jumping onto yourcane.We talked about the Meteorite Men a bit and commented on howSteveArnold's magnet rake would've been perfect for this area and Icoulddrag it around and hunt at the same time! I saw much more wildlifeatthis location from bugs to butterflies to lizards, one lizard evenhidunder my wheelchair. Mike and myself spent the most time walkingaroundtogether here while Rogan, the geologist, was nerding out overall the rocks.He actually found quite a few that were veryinteresting and later he let mechoose some to take home. After a fewhours I decided that we needed to getback to Stewart Valley becausethe odds are better and it wouldn't stop callingmy name so we p
ackedup and left. By the time we arrived and unpackedeverything it wasabout 6:00 so we went straight away to looking formeteorites. Theground was perfect for my wheelchair but I still had to watchout forsoft spots so that I wouldn't sink and get stuck. Griding an areaisactually very easy for me because my chair left tire tracks so I knewwhereI already looked. Rogan made the only find of the day on thatlast day, I lookover and see my tire tracks just feet away from hisfind!!! I was so mad butnow I can say I had the complete experienceof hunting with other hunters whereyou missed one and someone elsefound one right where you were. The sunset gaveus a beautiful showwith lighting up the mountains and the sky, Rogan couldn'tstop takingamazing pictures. We started heading towards a new area but atacertain point my chair kept sinking in sand so we had to turn back andbythat time it was time to end the hunt....I looked around at thescenery, themountains, the clouds, the lake bed and said my finalgoodbye to Stewart V
alleyand thanked it for my precious meteorites aswell as making the weather perfectfor me to hunt safely andsuccessfully. My hunting days are all over and Icherished everymoment of the experience, I finally understand how hunters feelwhenthey find a meteorite and they say/think "there's gotta be more Igottafind just one more!" Hunting is truly addicting. I think StewartValley was sadto see me go because a storm rolled in up in themountains, it was stunning tosee all the lightning strikes. We headedback for our last dinner together asMike was leaving right after ourmeal. He brought his metal detector with himto show me how they work,he was forming ideas on how I could use one but I'mstill doubtfulthat I can because my wheelchair is metal and I'm betting thatit willset off the detector too much. We sat at the table checking out allofour finds and taking photos, Mike brought his scale cubes for thephotosbut the lighting in the restaurant was poor for the rocks. Itwas a bittersweet moment for me because while it
 was so fun beingwith fellow meteoritelovers and checking out our haul it was also sadbecause this might be the onlyand last time that I spend with friendsand hunt for meteorites. Back at ourrooms it was time to say goodbyeto Michael Mulgrew...I tried not to but Iteared up while we wereembraced in a hug goodbye. I was so very thankful thathe was my guideand took me to his best locations for finding meteorites, mostneverdo that because as we all know these rocks are very valuable andnobodywants their spot to be hunted out. I'm so happy that I've madea new lifelongfriend because the truth is I don't have that manyfriends besides my astronomyclub, people usually don't want to bearound me. Whether it's fear, sadness,misunderstanding or pain mostavoid me, but not Mike and Rogan...they ignoredmy condition. I trulyhope that I get to see Mike again someday and hope fornothing but thebest in his life.Day 5Well today was my last day in Nevada.Before packing everything up andleaving we grabbed breakfast and then had an
ice swim in the pool atour hotel. That water was the coldest water I've everexperienced in apool!!! I know it gets to be in the triple digits but geez!The watertook all our breaths away and you never get completely used tothetemperature. Of course I can't swim but I love to sit on the stairsandmove a heck of a lot more than I usually can move while in mychair. By noon wewere done swimming and had to quickly pack up all ofour stuff and souvenirshoping that we don't leave anything behindwhich we didn't. By 1:00 we were onthe road back to Las Vegas, weneeded to make a quick stop at the welcome toLas Vegas sign forpictures since we forgot to do that on our first day. Can'tleavewithout getting that! The ride to the airport was so sad for meknowingthat it was all over and I had to say goodbye to Rogan andeverything. Thegentlemen who dropped off our van was right there topick it up and take Roganto another part of the airport because as wewere leaving his girlfriend wasarriving, they had plans for avacation as well
 and go visit family in Texas Ibelieve. The time hadcome to part ways.....We had one last hug and I thankedhim again foreverything he has done for me, he changed my life forever.Rogandidn't have to do this, most wouldn't due to how much work thisrequiredbut he did it anyway. I am eternally grateful for him andeverything he did aswell as Mike and every single person who helpedwith this trip. Once he walkedaway I cried my eyes out, I'm notashamed to admit that because they were happyand sad tears...I don'tknow if I'll ever see him and Mike again in mylifetime. I can onlyhope that someday I will. We made it through security andour planewas almost delayed by 45 minutes but luckily it wasn't. Whilewaitingfor the plane my Twitter account for the trip went nuts, I lookdownand it was Geoff Notkin! I was fortunate enough to have met him oncebackin 2012 at NEAF and we've talked a little here and there eversince. He wasspreading the news of my successful historic hunt and wegot to talking alittle saying his congrats to
 me and how he wishedthat he could've been therewith us. I mentioned how I'm gonna try toget to the Tucson gem and mineralshow next year and he said that if Igo he'll arrange private tours for me,well my jaw dropped to thefloor at that point! No promises but I'm sure asheck gonna try! Asyou can imagine that made my day better but it was still asad moment.The memories I've made will be with me forever and always bringasmile to my face in dark times. The plane ride home was amazing likethefirst flight but this time I was heading into the dark, I was soexcited to seecity lights from 37,000 feet. Before I could see anylights we were flying overclouds and I thought ok boring nothing tosee yet but then I saw a flash.Staring out the window I thought tomyself "there's no way that I'm luckyenough to see a storm cloud fromabove!" But sure enough I was!!!! Oh my God itwas incredible, I wasgeeking out so bad while my aides were about to craptheir pants!!!People worry too much and easily forget how amazing that is tosees
torms from above. Soon after the storm clouds we finally came toaclearing and I couldn't believe my eyes, there were small cities andlightsdotted everywhere! The ground actually looked like the nightsky, it took mybreath away. Back home the weather was supposed to bebad and storm but luckyfor us it was clear and nice out for a nicesmooth landing. Even the staff andpilots asked me if I was successfulin my hunt and they congratulated me for mysuccess and a great trip!We arrived home at about 2:00 in the morning, Ididn't even notice howtired I was because I was still sky high over the tripand everything.This was an unbelievable experience, Mike and Rogan were moreamazingthan I ever thought they'd be and I'm very thankful and lucky tocallthem friends. I really cannot thank you all enough for this, you guysareall amazing and angels in my book. YOU ROCK!!!!!MarissaFanady"______________________________________________Visit our Facebookpage https://www.facebook.com/meteoritecentral and the Archives athttp://www.mete
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Received on Wed 03 Jun 2015 09:57:20 PM PDT