There's Treasure under Your Feet
- Daniel Venturo
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
Have you ever taken the time to notice the treasures under your feet? Whether you’re walking on the beach, along a trail, or in a gravel parking lot, there are interesting and sometimes spectacular rocks you can find—if you’re looking for them.
The sun smiled down on the glassy surface of a lake high in the mountains. Jagged spires ringed the sapphire pool, reflecting their massive outlines into its dark depths. At odd intervals, a chunk of rock came loose on one of the pinnacles and went catapulting down to join the others at the bottom of the slope. Already a huge quantity had accumulated, even extending far down into the lake.
This was our first time in the Sawtooth Mountains of central Idaho and we were backpacking. Four days of our lives would be spent in this vast wilderness. We pitched camp by the lake and spent the next two days exploring the surrounding lakes and streams. We admired the flaming glow of the towering spires around us as the evening sun struck them. We gazed upwards at the expanse of stars above our little campsite. We peered into the clear water of the lakes to see fish gliding silently past.
We were so focused on the beauty around us that we forgot to look for treasure. So naturally, it came as a surprise when I stumbled upon a patch of blue on one of the boulders by our little lake. I bent down for a better look. Several bright blue crystals sat embedded in the humpy gray surface I was standing on. What a find!
As is frequently the case in my rock-collecting career, the rock with the blue crystals in its grip was way too big to bring home. It was too big even to lift! Also, the crystals would be next to impossible to break off because they laid almost flush with the surrounding rock.
We began the hunt for a rock specimen containing some of the “blue stuff’ that would be small enough to bring all the way out of the mountains. I was rewarded with a piece of rock nearly the size of a pineapple containing a quarter-sized patch of “blue stuff.”
I could lift the piece, but it was still too heavy to haul back. There was only one thing I could do . . .
SMASH! Shards of rock flew everywhere as I hurled it again and again at the ground. Sparks flashed, and the smell of gunpowder wafted through the air. After scouring the surrounding area for a long time for the fragment with blue on it, I found my prize. The perfect specimen.
Later, we found out that it was probably aquamarine, which is one of our favorite stones. The only problem is that now all we can think about is what the next treasure might be . . .
Photos by Jenny and Joe Venturo
