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Obsidian Dome LbNA #41427

Owner:8 Bare Feet
Plant date:Jul 3, 2008
Location:
City:June Lake
County:Mono
State:California
Boxes:1
Found by: Not yet found!
Last found:N/A
Status:aaa
Last edited:Jul 3, 2008
Obsidian is the result of volcanic lava coming in contact with water. Often the lava pours into a lake or ocean and is cooled quickly. This process produces a glassy texture in the resulting rock. Iron and magnesium give the obsidian a dark green to black color. Obsidian has been used by ancient people as a cutting tool, for weapons, and for ceremonial purposes and is sometimes found by archaeologists in excavations.
Obsidian has several varieties. Obsidian can contain small bubbles of air that are aligned along layers created as the molten rock was flowing just before being cooled. These bubbles can produce interesting effects such as a golden sheen, known as Sheen Obsidian or a rainbow sheen called Rainbow Obsidian. Inclusions of small, white, radially clustered crystals of cristobalite in the black glass produce a blotchy or snowflake pattern producing Snowflake Obsidian. Small nuggets of obsidian that have been naturally rounded and smoothed by wind and water are called Apache Tears.

Often confused with smoky quartz, obsidian has similar properties to quartz because of a similar chemistry. However, many properties dependant on a crystal structure are altered or absent in obsidian because it lacks any crystal structure of its own. The piezoelectric and optical properties in quartz are thus absent in obsidian. Smoky quartz usually has a splotchy or zoned distribution to its color while Obsidian's color is more uniformly distributed.
http://www.galleries.com/minerals/mineralo/obsidian/obsidian.htm


10-16-08 CLUES HAVE BEEN UPDATED TO HOPEFULLY PROVIDE MORE SUCCESSFUL FINDS. SO FAR THE FEW BOXERS WHO HAVE ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT FINDING THIS BOX WERE NOT LOOKING IN THE RIGHT AREA... so don't let the 'attempts' keep you from looking. :)

Clues: From HWY 395 take the road that shares the box name. The paved road will quickly become a dirt road (2 wd is OK). Go past the wilderness information sign and continue straight through the next intersection. Up the road a bit follow the sign and turn left to Obisidian Dome. When you find a 40 foot fallen tree with roots attached take a sharp left turn BEFORE passing the tree. Low clearance vehicles may want to park here... others can drive closer to the dome and park near the 3 foot rusted metal pipe sticking straight up out of the ground on the right side of path (which is on the highway end of the dome). Find the fallen Giant that is closest to the rusted pipe (between the pipe and the dome) and walk to its root end. While facing the obsidian dome line up this root end with a smaller stump (that is between fallen giant and dome) to find the direction of travel. About 30' out into the Obsidian Dome rubble find the cave... you will need to climb up a bit to get inside cave. While exploring the cave you will find your prize at your right shoulder when facing the dead end.

HINT: The cave is large enough that our family of four, including one over 6 foot tall, could all fit inside the cave at one time.