Before every rockhounding trip, we do our homework. We research locations, study maps, save coordinates, check access, and make lists of what we're supposed to find when we get there. By the time we leave home, our maps are covered with little pins, and we have enough research to convince ourselves that we know exactly what we're doing. Then we get there and discover that apparently the rocks had changed the assignment. Our August trip through Montana, Wyoming, and South Dako

What happens when you pack your gear, water bottles, fluffy cat, love of rocks, and then head off the grid? For us, it meant dirty fingernails, bruises and scrapes, and a whole lot of adventure while soaking in the kind of quiet you can only find where the wild things are. We spent 12 days rockhounding in Wyoming and South Dakota and came home with stories, treasures, and just a little sunburn. We weren’t exactly sure what we’d find — but that was part of the fun!