Monday, March 26, 2018



   

Natural beauties like this are worth the work
Photo by Sam Gitchel
Last day––no one wants to leave, but pack up they must. The helicopter arrives and makes many trips carrying out stones and gear. Gitchel says the group is very fortunate to have a helicopter pilot with a long and illustrious global resume. His polished skills are evident in his experienced handling of his Robinson-44 which he describes as the Honda of helicopters––well built, fuel efficient and extremely maneuverable. The stones, which have been carefully selected earlier and packed in protective material, are loaded into cargo nets for airlifting to the waiting truck.
Via the winding mountain road, the crew travels the five-hour drive back to headquarters in Mendocino County where jade is sorted and cut, beginning the long process of transformation from rough stone to finished product. Everyone is already anticipating spring and a return to the Giant Gem––the one that got away––for now.
To be continued