| Frequently asked questions about the Hogg Mine : |
| 1.) What hours do we dig ? We usually dig from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Time Please note that in Lagrange , Georgia , that is 9 a.m. Eastern Time . If you are coming from a state West of Georgia , that there is a time difference between Central Time and Eastern Time ! 2.) Can we keep everything that we find ? Yes , keep everything you find 3.) How much can we take with us ? You can take one 5-gallon bucket plus any big rock you want ( I can help load the big rock with my backhoe for a small fee ) . 4.) Do you rent tools ? No . Donnies Corner Store does sell most everything you need. 5) What tools do I need ? Bring a five gallon bucket , newspaper to wrap your finds , and something such as a potato rake or pick mattock or shovel to dig with . Bring a hammer , but , if you use a hammer you HAVE to wear safety glasses to protect your eyes . Screens are very useful . Gloves are very important . You will get hand cuts if you don't wear them ! All of these things are available for purchase at the meeting place. 6) Can a regular car make it into the mine ? Yes , you can drive in with a regular car. The parking area is in the mine on level ground. 7.) Can a camper make it into the mine ? Yes , we have a huge area which is necessary to bring in machinery on 18 wheeler rigs , so campers are not a problem . 8.) Can we camp at the mine ? No , but there are nearby campgrounds . People with a camper can usually get permission to stay a night or two at Donnies Corner Store ( no hook-ups although in the past he has ran extension cords for people with oxgen or cpap devices ) . *** Sometimes during special events such as a DMC dig , we do allow camping at the mine. There will be announcements made on a different page when camping is allowed. 9.) Where are the nearby campgrounds ? There are many nearby private camp grounds as well as state owned ones , since west point lake is nearby . Just do a search for " west point lake camp grounds" or "Hoofer's" or "camping Lagrange Georgia". While we don't endorse any specific campground , a popular one that is eleven miles away from the mine is Hoofers : 3472 Hogansville Rd, Lagrange , Ga. - Phone (706) 885-9300 There is also an attached Restaurant and gospel and Bluegrass music barn . At last check their website was not working . 10.) Where are the nearby hotels ? I recommend the days inn ( phone 706-882-8881 ) since it is reasonably priced and is on the same road & 2 miles from the meeting place , and is easy to find ( exit 13 on interstate 85 ) . It is near subway , McDonald's,waffle house , Arby's etc . There are other hotels , 5 miles away in Lagrange , Georgia . An Internet search should reveal them . 11.) Can we bring our pets ? Well behaved pets on leashes are welcome . 12.) Can we bring food and drinks ? Sure , bring your own drinks and snacks from home ! But if you need to you can also buy them at the meeting place : Donnies Corner store has breakfast biscuits and tables to dine-in . Donnies also has a good lunch of pizza and bar-barb-q . At only 1 mile from the mine , this is truly an oasis in the desert ! Please show our appreciation of being able to use Donnies Corner Store as out meeting place , and grab a drink or snack while you are visiting . 13.) What can we find at the mine ? Star rose quartz ( massive , not crystals ) , Tourmaline crystals , Aquamarine crystals, various colors of beryl . You can visit several websites to see what has been found on recent digs : Kudzu Minerals & Imperial Facets both have several field trip reports about the Hogg mine . 14.) Do you have anyone that can cut stones ? We recommend Jerry Call of www.riodoce.com . Tell him Rodney sent you . 15.) What about rain , is the dig still on ? Digs are held rain or shine ! We almost always have the dig . In only rare circumstances have we canceled a dig , which was due to snow . So the dig is almost always on . You can check the website late the night before , or early in the morning before you leave to see if there was a cancellation. This will almost never happen . Please don't call me or email me asking is the dig still on . I constantly update this website . Please book mark it and refer to it often for current & ACCURATE conditions . 16.) Do I need to register , pre-pay , or contact you to attend a dig ? No , You don't have to register or pre-pay , you can just show up at the meeting place on the dates that digs are advertised. Please note that you must be on time that morning in order to join the group. 17.) I cant find the link to release form or I cant print it out, what do I do ? TRY PRINTING THE RELEASE available here : RELEASE FORM Here is a link for the release form that you can copy and paste into your browsers address bar : http://dixieeuhedrals.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/release.pdf if you cant get it to print out , WE WILL HAVE COPIES . However , it is much easier and faster for all concerned if you already have this completed. Wouldn't you rather spend time digging instead of filling out forms that morning ? 18.) What are the directions to the mine ? There are basic security & safety issues , so we don't publish or give out exact directions . This prevents unauthorized visits and theft . Therefore , we meet at a meeting place . We meet at the PETRO STATION : Smiths Corner Store 1231 Bartley Road Lagrange , Georgia 30241 . gps is 32 57.296'n 85 1.130'w I have placed a map at the top of this page . You can also click the following link for a map quest map : CLICK HERE 18 A ) What time do we meet ? Please be at the store before 9 a.m. Eastern time to get checked in . The announced field trip leader will arrive at the store anywhere from 8:30 -8:45 to start signing people up . Please note that in Lagrange , Georgia , that is 9 a.m. Eastern Time . If you are coming from a state West of Georgia , that there is a time difference between Central Time and Eastern Time ! 18 B ) I might be late , or , I am running late or , I forgot about the time difference ( Eastern time zone ) ,can I still visit the mine ? NO . I have a very important reason for this policy . At the time you are checked in , as a group , several important things take place . You are asked to sign the release form and make payment . Everyone is then given a safety lecture in general , and then any specific safety items are addressed. You're then told about what can be found , methods of finding things , and the areas to look in . We then convoy as a group to the mine and then given a tour . If you miss this important orientation , safety , and registration period , you will not be allowed to enter after we have left for the mine . (If your coming from a long distance it is recommend that you stay overnight in one of the nearby hotels to insure that you can meet with us on time .) Again , don't forget about the different time zones if you are coming from Alabama or other state West of Georgia : Please note that in Lagrange , Georgia , that is 9 a.m. Eastern Time . If you are coming from a state West of Georgia , that there is a time difference between Central Time and Eastern Time ! 19.) What does it cost to attend ? It is $35 per adult and kids are free . Kids are under 18 . Please note that there should be a supervising adult on a paid admission basis for each 2 children . If you have 3 children , you can do the math and realize that 2 adults are needed to properly watch them. 20.) WHEN ARE YOU OPEN , or , I want to come visit in a couple of months , Or , I will be visiting the area soon on business , vacation , visiting family , etc , and want to know if you will be open on a certain date that is not listed ? As a general rule , we try to be open the first Saturday of every month whenever possible , plus other dates as we see that we can staff the site . I announce the dates as soon as I am aware that I will be able to open the place up . This means if you don't see a date listed on the date page , then it will not do any good to email me about it , because I wont have an answer for you . I constantly update this site , usually weekly but quite often , daily . So please keep an eye on this site to see what dates are announced. I usually can figure a month ahead . Despite me saying that if you don't see a date here that it will not do any good to ask , I still get many email's about this . For $100 additional over the $35 per person entry fee ,Paid in advance, I can open the mine most any day except sundays. I can drive 90 miles to the mine , open it and sit with you all day , then drive nearly two hours back home . I have only had a couple of people take me up on this & it is not really something I am interested in doing to start with . So for those who insist on ignoring the information about dates , if your willing to pay extraand can give advance notice , we can probably arrange it . I think this is more than fair considering it cost me $30 in gas to go to the mine and involves an 11 hour day . 21.) We showed up at the store at 8:00 a.m. and the lady at the store said there was no dig , so we left . Where were you ? Please show up between 8:30 or so to sign up . Someone should appear before 9 a.m. to get everyone signed up . Please note that the people at the store often are unaware of the dig schedules and may give you incorrect information . Please just wait patiently in the parking lot at the correct time and date and someone will be along to help you . 22.) What type facilities do you have ? We have a regularly service port-a-potty but no running water or electricity . We now have a shelter for people to take breaks under as well as picnic tables . Other site improvements are in the works . We now have a big FISHER PAPA BEAR wood stove installed ! We will provide some firewood on occasion . If you want to bring fire logs or firewood , this will be helpful . 23.) Are there other mines nearby or any you recommend ? The owner of the store where we meet at allows quartz crystal collecting in the adjacent field on a fee basis. We are not involved in this so direct any inquires to the store. There are no other Georgia mines nearby or any that I recommend . We do not endorse any other places nor do we seek or desire endorsement from any other entities or operatives. We do offer books for sale at the meeting place that list other places . However , we do not provide a free referral service for them nor any endorsements . 24.) What about amethyst or any of your other mines ? We currently do not offer amethyst digs or any other Georgia locations . We do have a mine for sale in South Carolina near Diamond hill mine . We also are working with the owner of a new mine near Herkimer , New York : New digging site near Herkimer , New York . If you want to check out a new herkimer diamond mine in Saint Johnsville , New York , then email me from the contact page or call the owner , Mike Batiste at 518-568-3566 . 25.) How much help can we expect ? Your charged a $35 land access fee , which is a bargain , considering the historic location and the chance to find nice and perhaps valuable gemstones . This doesn't include " service " . We will show you what to look for and what the specimens look like . We usually start the morning off with a tour of the mine to show you the different collecting areas. We will give you a brief explanation about what to do . It's pretty simple . You dig or sift through dirt or break up rocks . If your a fast learner , you'll fit right in ! The best thing to do is watch what the regular visitors are doing ( it's basically very simple ) . 26) Are you hiring or do you need any help ? No . 27) IS THE WEBSITE RIGHT ? Do we really meet at the store at the times listed on the website ? Yes ! THIS WEBSITE IS REALLY RIGHT ( see link at top right of page ) . I am surprised at the number of people that ask me this . Please refer to this website for current accurate information , It is " REALLY RIGHT " . 28) Do you offer group discounts ? Certainly ! Groups of 50 or more people will get 25 percent off . Groups of 100 or more get half-off . Small parties less than 50 people don't qualify for a discount . 29) Can I just buy a half bucket ? We don't charge by the bucket , it is $35 for the day . 30) Can I just dig a half day ? Sure ! You pay the $35 entry fee and dig for as little or as long as you want that day between 9 A.M & 5 P.M. 31) Can we pay by check or credit card ? Sorry , we only accept cash as payment . However , items at the store can be charged with a debit and/or credit card. 32) Why is the place called the " Hogg Mine " ? The mine in the past has been called the Foley or Minerals Processing mine , the big beryl mine , and the Hogg mine . We believe it was named after nearby Hogg mountain . It is sometimes incorrectly called the hogg mountain mine or the hog mine . The current and proper name for the mine is " The Hogg Mine " spelled with 2 G's . 33) What about school groups , home schooling groups , or Boy Scout groups ? Please note that there should be a supervising adult on a paid admission basis , for every two children . Please see policy # 20 regarding available dates . |
| The specific days we are open varies . We announce these dates on a certain web page that is updated weekly. After reading the questions/answers here you can check out the available dates by CLICKING HERE |
| No Drugs or alcohol on premises ! Park in designated areas only . Do not pull your vehicle into back pit or near the tourmaline collecting area. |
| If you have a question that is not shown here , it quite simply means that I don't have the answer ! |
| Please Note : |