Hey Chris. I'm the guy who was a guest of the WPMA when we spent the day at the Carlson mine a couple of weeks ago. I told you I was a subscriber. Turns out I was wrong but I just fixed that. Thanks a ton for the advice and input when we were cruisin' fer Blues. Everyone in our group found just enough color to hook us for good, lol. On my way back home (to California, sorry) I stopped at the Smith River and was blessed with a 30ish pound glossy black/blue chalcedony-veined seam jasper. Epic. Blue seems to be following me since leaving the E-burg area! Love your content my dude, you need more subs, js.

@chrisandrewoutside1560

2 жыл бұрын

Hey Wayne, glad you subscribed for real this time! 🤣. Very cool that blue is now following you around! Not a bad problem to have, as far as I’m concerned! And yes, we’d love to have more subscribers…

Chris, thank you for the “shout”, the generous trade, and this video! Well done 👍.

@chrisandrewoutside1560

2 жыл бұрын

You’re welcome, and thank you too!!!

Great video thanks for posting this. This explains a lot. Definitely makes a lot more sense now.

@chrisandrewoutside1560

2 жыл бұрын

Hi Erick, thanks for the comment. We appreciate it. Hope you're getting in some last minute trips for Blues, before the blanket of snow hides them all!

Great video, Thanks for sharing experience and thoughts on this beautiful agate.

@chrisandrewoutside1560

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you. My favorite agate! And thanks for the great comment!

Very interesting. I love blue agate. Great fun to cut & polish.

@chrisandrewoutside1560

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for commenting! Blues are so nice!

Good information. Been doing research for months, and some of this was new info. I'm from spokane, hope to see you out there is summer. You got my sub from this video btw!

@chrisandrewoutside1560

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the great comment, Travis! And the sub too! If you see us out there, say hi! We can compare notes.

We put a video out not long ago about Nevada blue AGUA agate. Great info & video. Thank you.

@chrisandrewoutside1560

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you for your comment. We appreciate you taking the time to watch!

Very helpful, especially the thermal conductivity information.

@chrisandrewoutside1560

6 ай бұрын

Thank you. We agree!

Thank you for your informational video. I’m just learning about EBs so what you had to say was very helpful. I went digging my first time over at first Creek just last week. I ran into three different spots that had blue colored veins running north and south un the mountain . I mostly surface scavenged but I did use my rock hammer a little bit to get some nice pieces from my others left behind. The main thing was I wanted to scour the hillside to try to find where the best places were. Spent half the day walking all over that hillside through a couple different valleys. I’ll definitely be going back with more tools. Definitely found some good spots.

@chrisandrewoutside1560

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for taking the time to comment! Happy to hear you got out and found new places! Half the fun is just getting Outside!

@demottjeff

2 жыл бұрын

If you want a buddy message me

Love this video! I also love your slogan! I have a shirt I got from Sedona, az that says the same thing! ❤go outside and do things!!! ❤

@chrisandrewoutside1560

Жыл бұрын

Thanks so much for your awesome comments! We appreciate you. 🙂

I am going in 3 weeks! So excited for the hunt 🙂

@chrisandrewoutside1560

2 жыл бұрын

Good luck!! Let us know if you find anything great!!

Thanks for all these great vids! Going to hunt the blues in 2 days!!

@chrisandrewoutside1560

2 жыл бұрын

Good luck! We’re gonna have another video soon, discussing the differences in the blues from the same seam and area.

@karmakeefarm2686

2 жыл бұрын

Great! Excited to see that one too!

Chris, thanks SO much for doing this video!! I have been meeting with Carl myself lately (I don't make videos). It really does this subject true justice and answers my questions about the Red Top blues (and greys).

@chrisandrewoutside1560

2 жыл бұрын

Matt, thanks for the awesome comment!! This video has been in the making for a little while now, and we're pretty happy how it turned out. Carl is a fantastic person, and so generous with his knowledge. He is the Godfather of Ellensburg blue! I'm sure some people will disagree about Red Top, but that's ok...

@mattrichards1492

2 жыл бұрын

@@chrisandrewoutside1560 I just love to dig into this history. There was some sort of localized geologic event that occurred and is not completely understood yet. Hence all of the controversy that surrounds these stones.

@chrisandrewoutside1560

2 жыл бұрын

Absolutely! And we may not ever understand or know, but man is it fun trying to figure it out!! Chris

@mattrichards1492

2 жыл бұрын

@@chrisandrewoutside1560 Hell yes, it is. And finding lots of other cool stuff along the way! We should hook up out there sometime.

@chrisandrewoutside1560

2 жыл бұрын

Yeah, we'll have to figure something out.

Very informative, I have a few blue agates that look exactly like the specimen's you showed in your video. i dug a couple from Red top mountain. And a nice one came from the Tomahawk ranch.

@chrisandrewoutside1560

4 ай бұрын

So much fun to hunt for! We’d love to see your finds some day!

1000th Subscriber! Interesting video! I'll be heading out to look for some blues in the spring after watching a few of these videos! Thanks for the education! Maybe sooner since I'm only in Bothell?

@chrisandrewoutside1560

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the 1000th sub! We’re going to try to make at least one more Ellensburg Blue video before spring. Hopefully it’s a good blue agate year for all of us!!

@amr8457

Жыл бұрын

@@chrisandrewoutside1560 I'm new to rockhounding. But I'm interested in learning as much as I can. So your videos have been very interesting and educational. I spent a few weeks in ellensburg right after covid hit! I wish I would have known about this while I was there I could have spent better use of my time there!

@chrisandrewoutside1560

Жыл бұрын

@amr8457 Thanks, we appreciate your awesome comments! We try to teach what we know. Now you’ll be better prepared to go out rockhounding! We’ll announce some rock hounding trips later this year, maybe you can join us!

@amr8457

Жыл бұрын

@@chrisandrewoutside1560 Plus I drive a dump truck. So I'm always someplace where there's digging and dumping of dirt and rocks. Opportunities are abound if can better identify my rocks and such. If you ever organized a group of rock hunters I would love to be a part of that! :)

Very nice video thank you! I am a blue hunter...they are beautiful stones

@chrisandrewoutside1560

2 жыл бұрын

Yes they are! My very favorite!

Thanks for the knowledge, just was at redtop, plenty of treasures up there if your willing to put in the work.

@chrisandrewoutside1560

2 жыл бұрын

Great place! Hope you did well.

And thanks for the video!

@chrisandrewoutside1560

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching!

great vid!! thanks for the info..

@chrisandrewoutside1560

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks! We hope the info helps you.

@thomascovenant665

2 жыл бұрын

@@chrisandrewoutside1560 Ive got a few blues from green canyon that dont have a pink hue but are simply cornflowery blue.. thanks for pointing that out...

@chrisandrewoutside1560

2 жыл бұрын

Hi Thomas, I just saw this. Thanks for this comment. Maybe one day you can show us those! Love to see everyone's blues!

Beautiful finds. I can’t wait to get up there. Can you tell me a little about your saw? Where did you get it? What kind of oil? Thanks!

@chrisandrewoutside1560

Жыл бұрын

Hello! I actually purchased the saw from a friend many years ago. He had owned it for 20-30 years. I run it with water, although food grade mineral oil also works very well.

You guys rock

@chrisandrewoutside1560

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks Logan!

I am so glad I found your video. Thank you so much. I have inherited various different unidentified stones and have had an interesting time trying to identify them, especially the tiny blue/purplish ones. I'm still unsure if they're Ellensburg Blues or not; however, some of them might be. I wanted to ask if it would be alright if I sent y'all an email with attached picture/video so maybe I could get your opinion on what I might have here.

@chrisandrewoutside1560

Жыл бұрын

Hi Audra, thanks for watching! We appreciate it. We’d be happy to look at some pics of what you have. No promises, though. It’s not always easy to i.d. by pictures. Chris.and.Andrew.Outside@gmail.com

At the 14.21 mark you showed 2 stones from Carlson Brothers. I believe I bought both. One for sure. The rectangular one. I'll try to send pics.

@chrisandrewoutside1560

2 жыл бұрын

They did sell to the same person, if I remember right.

Ancient Rhyolite outcrops and veins within the fan make a lot of sense as well.

@chrisandrewoutside1560

2 жыл бұрын

It really does explain a lot.

@mattrichards1492

2 жыл бұрын

@@chrisandrewoutside1560 I tried to find your email address in KZread so we could connect. I could not find it. I don't do any social media.

@chrisandrewoutside1560

2 жыл бұрын

@@mattrichards1492 Hi Matt, our email is Chris.and.andrew.outside@gmail.com

@jaredmitts5203

2 жыл бұрын

Except all the of rhyolite from the sound of it are from the older layers which are on the otherside of the Columbia plateau basalt. I would venture that because that alluvial plain is so old that you are getting fracturing within the substrate. I was personally commenting just this weekend when I was at rock n tomahawk about how rough the rocks were. Another possibility is the substrate was washing down the river in large amounts and very steep before hitting the fan and not having time to round out.

Great video! I"m a long-time blues hunter, but mostly pick up other stuff, some of which is exquisite. One thing I wonder: what about big blue ones (size of my fist) that are very pale? Not gray at all, just pale blue. Are they E'burg blues? Steve Townsend (E'burg Agate and Bead) said no, but I tend to think yes. Also, I occasionally find blue "jasper," meaning stones that are brown on exterior, but opaque blue inside (or a mix of blue and brown, or green, blue, and brown, etc.). These are soft stones (though the blue in them is pretty hard). Are they rhyolite? Or perhaps volcanic ash with some sort of pseudomorph action? I find a pretty fair number of these. Again, thanks for great video and keep going!

@chrisandrewoutside1560

Жыл бұрын

Hi Daniel! Thanks for watching and for your question! Without seeing the “big light blue” stones in person, I would tend to agree with what Steve had previously told you. Although there have been some fairly thick seams of Ellensburg Blue found, I haven’t seen any that I would say were as big as my fist. And if what you have are nodules, that would also be another strike against them. But I’d love to see them in person someday, and speak with you about them! There is a lot of blue and blue gray jasper in the area and chert as well. What you’re finding could very well have morphed from ash into the above mentioned, or from mud as well. It’s such a diverse area!

What is best time of year to go hunting - weather wise. Thanks!

@chrisandrewoutside1560

Жыл бұрын

Good question! After the snow, and when it starts to warm up some, unless you don’t mind hot weather, then all summer is good too. A little rain can help show the agates better, as well as an overcast sky. Ticks and mosquitos are ever present, so we suggest you use a spray of your choice. Good luck!!

Chris.. I have found a few blues that are not from ellensburg. I think this you should see these. Maybe you can tell me if they are or not.

It would be interesting to get those red top blues checked by cwu for the chemical testing and see if they are the same since they most likely all from the same overall geological complex

@chrisandrewoutside1560

2 жыл бұрын

We agree, one day we will test them, but it’s honestly not a priority just yet. However when we do, we will make a video with the results!

As a Gemologist I have to think the lower thermal conductivity is probably related to the Zirconium in the agate. Zirconium melting at around 3,371 F I would think would contribute to this being a very refractory metal.

@chrisandrewoutside1560

4 ай бұрын

Thanks for commenting!

I have a question. What color is considered to be the most valuable? I know they come in a range of colors the more blue the better??

@chrisandrewoutside1560

2 жыл бұрын

Hi Brida. This is an ongoing debate and subject to individual tastes, but in my opinion, the nice dark cornflower blue is valued higher. Google cornflower, and you’ll see the flowers are a deep blue with hints of violet. For some reason people think the light milky blues (Baby blanket blues) are cornflower, but they’re not. They’re still valuable, just slightly less than the dark ones. I hope this helps! Thanks for your question! Go OUTSIDE and find more blues!!

I'm curious about Crystal Mountain and Reecer creek since they are in the same general area?

@chrisandrewoutside1560

2 жыл бұрын

Well, we haven’t been up to Crystal Mountain but I’ve heard of nice stuff found there. Just no firsthand experience. I’ve also heard of some really intense blues found near Reecer Creek, but again no firsthand experience. Worth checking out if you have access.

@rokclymer1

2 жыл бұрын

I grew up at the corner of Reecer Creek and Robins Rd. We had a mobile home that was at the Fire Station from 1974ish until my parents moved 2 miles closer to town in 1991. I have lot's of Ellensburg blues from all over that area. I just posted some pics in the Ellensburg Blues Group on FB.

Good information, but when a stone has value there will always be controversy.

@chrisandrewoutside1560

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks! You're absolutely correct about that!

@mattrichards1492

2 жыл бұрын

Totally...but this is the best factual information available today on KZread.

@mattrichards1492

2 жыл бұрын

Rhyolite, Goethite, quartz.

@chrisandrewoutside1560

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks Matt!!! We happen to agree with you... 😁

@chrisandrewoutside1560

2 жыл бұрын

Glad you mentioned quartz. It is present very often, and I always forget to mention it.

Hello Chris and Andrew, I'm very doubtful that what I have is Ellensburg Blue Agate and after watching this video I'm safely siding with it probably is not. But, here is the short story. I was going through boxes of rocks left by someone who had passed away and on one of the smaller boxes they had written names of the contents and Ellensburg Blue was one of them. I'm not ready to call them Ellensburg Blues, but I'm not going to throw them away either. I just don't think there is a way to really tell. There is matrix on one of them, light blue dog tooth crystals on another, and they are all lighter blue in color with rather jagged edges. I'd really like for someone who is much smarter to take a look. This video is great and just about as informative and definitive as it can be in identifying EBs. Thanks.

@chrisandrewoutside1560

2 жыл бұрын

Unfortunately people have been misidentifying agates as Ellensburg Blues for years. And the bad info has been passed down through the years along with the stones. I’d love to see your agates. I’m usually at the First Creek Rock shop every week. Our email is chris.and.andrew.outside@gmail.com if you’d like to send pics or arrange something. Pics can help but are not always definitive. Thanks for watching and your great comment! There will be at least one more Ellensburg Blue video coming out in the near future!

just wondering if you compared them to the Mt baker blues, in swift creek?

@chrisandrewoutside1560

2 жыл бұрын

Well, as far as we know those are the same as the Walker Valley blues, which we did test and compare, and they did not look the same (Walker valley were less color and more sugary in texture) and the thermal conductivity was also different.

@shantellesmith7225

2 жыл бұрын

Thank for the info. have been wondering. Live up in Skagit co.@@chrisandrewoutside1560

@chrisandrewoutside1560

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the question!!

Can't figure out how to send pics in this format. If you want to see them set from Carlson's let me know and I'll send. Fred and I spent a lot of time going through everything they had/ or were willing to sell at the time. He said they were 1 A and 1 B of what they had. Spent a small fortune on them but I don't care. Well worth it!!!

@chrisandrewoutside1560

2 жыл бұрын

Hi Don, if I remember correctly, the person that bought the ones in the vid was wanting to match an agate they already had, and they did buy both. If it's the same gems, there's only a few other items of jewelry made from the agate! An amazing color!!

@donnunley4561

2 жыл бұрын

@@chrisandrewoutside1560 yes. That was me. They turned out fabulous!!!

@donnunley4561

2 жыл бұрын

If you'd rather not get pictures from me I'm sure Fred has them and you can get from him. Even of mine. Was a gift from my dad years ago. His personal ring is a thing of beauty as well. He has passed and my brother has it. Just tell him I said so and I think he'd be ok with it. He can call me if he has questions.

@chrisandrewoutside1560

2 жыл бұрын

@@donnunley4561 Hi Don, we don't mind getting them from you, just been busy with non-agate issues! You can send them to Chris.and.andrew.outside@gmail.com can't wait to see the finished products!

What your thouts of swiftcreek blu

@chrisandrewoutside1560

Жыл бұрын

We tested several from the area. The ones that we have are light colored and tested differently than an Ellensburg Blue. They also had a different fracture type than Ellensburg Blues. I personally didn’t like them as much as Ellensburgs.

5:00 you describe how it was formed....sounds like the same process opal is formed....so the chemical makeup is important along with the stones hardness will identify the actual rock type.....the term agate is general for translucent shiny rock. I agree the rhyolite locally may contribute a unique chemical makeup. Not sure if your video helps identify it as the peticular rock from the region in question....may be the term is too vague .

Thanks for the info in this video. I live in Ellensburg but have never actually been on a real hunt for them yet. I've acquired about 10 since the age 11 and one is the size of a baseball but I think it's time I find one for myself. I thought it was great that you said if they say " it's not a blue, but I'll take it off your hands" because I was just telling my buddy I'm going hunting with that I know a guys that'😢s infamous for saying that lol. Great video and thanks again!

@chrisandrewoutside1560

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching and commenting! Good luck when you go OUTSIDE! Find some Blues.

I would love to buy some Ellensburg Blue jewelry.

@chrisandrewoutside1560

4 ай бұрын

We’re going to be auctioning real Ellensburg Blue jewelry on “The Ellensburg Blue” Facebook group in the next week or two. It’s a private group but people can join after answering some questions and agreeing to the rules. Join us!

@thegatesofdawn...1386

4 ай бұрын

@@chrisandrewoutside1560 Thanks, but no FB for me. Never.

@chrisandrewoutside1560

4 ай бұрын

I understand! Are you in Washington state?

@thegatesofdawn...1386

4 ай бұрын

@@chrisandrewoutside1560 No, California.

@chrisandrewoutside1560

4 ай бұрын

@@thegatesofdawn...1386 gotcha. I do make real Ellensburg Blue jewelry, but I don’t have a website yet. I’ll message you when I do!

There are other places too..

They named the agate after the town!

@chrisandrewoutside1560

28 күн бұрын

Yes we know. It was a joke.

We Dub Mr. Carl Carlson= THE MAN / THE MYTH / THE LEGEND!!!

@chrisandrewoutside1560

11 ай бұрын

Haha yup!

Hello Chris and Andrew, I really like your channel, and I am wondering if there is an email address for you guys. I have something I'd like to communicate with you about, that wouldn't be suitable for the comments section. It's regarding Ellensburg Blues. Thank you...

@chrisandrewoutside1560

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching! Your comment is somewhat cryptic… is your message suitable for email?

@straightupsports6330

Жыл бұрын

I'm sorry. It wasn't meant to be cryptic. I just have a few questions about selling some Ellensburg Blues I inherited a few years back. I have no idea where I can go in western Washington to sell them, and I was going to email you some pictures.

@chrisandrewoutside1560

Жыл бұрын

Ok, sure we’d like to see pics of your agates. Our email is chris.and.andrew.outside@gmail.com

God, that constant guitar strumming is annoying!

@nopacocopatron6264

2 жыл бұрын

I knew someone agreed with us!

@kw1105

2 жыл бұрын

Dood! Right?!?! Great video otherwise..

You lost me at verified every single way except chemical make up, well the only difference between an Elly and a blue is chemical, Ellys contain a specific mineral others don't, that's the crux of it not every blue found there is a Elly

He is wrong on the red top

Your info on 79% of this is wrong