Winter is the perfect time to hunt agates and fossils on the Oregon Coast

K.T. Myers (left) and Guy DiTorrice, both of Newport, search for agates and fossils
in a creek near Newport's Beverly Beach State Park. (Joe Hansen/Special to The Oregonian)

Click here to read  the entire Special article in the Oregonian, by Joe Hansen - on December 11, 2013 

My notes: A good time was had by all as we all found a nice selection of goodies in just a couple of hours. I found a pocket full of jasper, petrified wood, fossils some agates and one sizable smooth sagenite agate specimen. It certainly was a beautiful sunny, warm 52 degrees and no breeze for our November stroll on the beach.  You can see by my coat hanging from my back pack it was actually too warm for the long sleeves.  Not a bad trip considering that the sand still needed to be swept out to sea by the winter storms. Maybe tomorrows south westerly storm will help to scour the sand away and expose some more gravel beds. 

February Beachcombing at Newport

Another day of trophies found by the father and son team Frank and Jeremiah sharing quality time on the beach together at Newport. The first two specimens to the left are agates, the pink/orange one is very unusual with a pattern we haven't seen before. The one next to it appears to be a blue-black fortification (band can be seen within in the sky-blue sunk in area) agate.

The two Sagenite agates are just beautiful specimens, the yellow sard is very compact and will make a beautiful piece of jewelry. The black one is rather coarse with the needles of sagenite right up at the surface (kinda looks like a face with the hair going straight up). It definitely has personality.

The enhydro agate is actually a cloud agate that also happens to have a water bubble trapped in it. The black cloud is a dark cloud like inclusion that just happens to look like a claw (no it is NOT a CLAW) just happens to be shaped like one.

Beachcombing trophys found for the New Year!

< - - Jeremiah of Newport, found this beautiful sagenite carnelian agate Saturday beachcombing south of town while hunting for agates with his dad for New Years. It is about the size of the nickel beside it. He also found another beautiful trophy of carnelian (as shown below) weighing in at just under a pound and measuring 4 inches wide.

This is great fun as a family activity when done in pairs for safety sake. His dad also had some treasures as shown in the photo to the right above his large carnelian, the other agates were drying out in the photo but the color and sizes are impressive. The white agate laying on the large carnelian displays a nice white banded design throughout.

BEAUTIFUL Select Fancy Sagenite Agate Found!

This Fancy Sagenite Agate shown as front and back is actually the size of a quarter, found by Susan and Paul of Florence. This has to be one of the finest pieces of agate found on the Oregon Coast. Good job Susan!