Chaffee County is known for its rugged roads. Parker Seibold (Parker Seibold The Gazette)
Chaffee County is known for its rugged roads. Parker Seibold (Parker Seibold The Gazette)Sandra Gonzales and her 83-year-old mother Viola Padilla, follow protégés Jason Roys and Ian Schimpfle — “the rising stars” on Antero, she calls them — up to a claim on Mount Antero on Friday, August 2. The mountain boasts North America’s highest gem field, as the nation learned in “Prospectors,” the reality TV show of 2013 that had a brief run on the Weather Channel. Prosectors flock to the mountain for the ultimate prize: the aquamarine crystal. Gonzales and Padilla were scavenging the mountain long before the wave of newcomers, and have been digging there every summer since they got their first claim on the mountain 12 years ago. Gonzales became a mentor to Roys and Schimpfle when she guided them to the mountain five years ago, watched them straddle a ridge amid fierce winds to stake their claim on the neighboring Mount White. On the rough road now, the guys lead the way up in their Toyota truck. (Parker Seibold, The Gazette) (Parker Seibold The Gazette)Sandra Gonzales and her 83-year-old mother Viola Padilla, follow protégés Jason Roys and Ian Schimpfle — “the rising stars” on Antero, she calls them — up to a claim on Mount Antero on Friday, August 2. The mountain boasts North America’s highest gem field, as the nation learned in “Prospectors,” the reality TV show of 2013 that had a brief run on the Weather Channel. Prosectors flock to the mountain for the ultimate prize: the aquamarine crystal. Gonzales and Padilla were scavenging the mountain long before the wave of newcomers, and have been digging there every summer since they got their first claim on the mountain 12 years ago. Gonzales became a mentor to Roys and Schimpfle when she guided them to the mountain five years ago, watched them straddle a ridge amid fierce winds to stake their claim on the neighboring Mount White. On the rough road now, the guys lead the way up in their Toyota truck. (Parker Seibold, The Gazette) (Parker Seibold The Gazette)Sandra Gonzales and her 83-year-old mother Viola Padilla, follow protégés Jason Roys and Ian Schimpfle — “the rising stars” on Antero, she calls them — up to a claim on Mount Antero on Friday, August 2. The mountain boasts North America’s highest gem field, as the nation learned in “Prospectors,” the reality TV show of 2013 that had a brief run on the Weather Channel. Prosectors flock to the mountain for the ultimate prize: the aquamarine crystal. Gonzales and Padilla were scavenging the mountain long before the wave of newcomers, and have been digging there every summer since they got their first claim on the mountain 12 years ago. Gonzales became a mentor to Roys and Schimpfle when she guided them to the mountain five years ago, watched them straddle a ridge amid fierce winds to stake their claim on the neighboring Mount White. On the rough road now, the guys lead the way up in their Toyota truck. (Parker Seibold, The Gazette) (Parker Seibold The Gazette)Jason Roys digs in a pocket where he believes there may be treasures to be found. After seeing signs that often lead to the finding of aquamarine he and his partner and competitor Ian Schimpfle began to dig. (Parker Seibold, The Gazette) (Parker Seibold The Gazette)From left, Jason Roys and Ian Schimpfle climb under their Toyota after stalling out on the rocky road up Antero above 13,500 feet. Sandra Gonzales and her mother, Violla Padilla, wait patiently in their jeep behind the bickering men. “This is all part of Antero,” Gonzales says. After nearly thirty minutes the pair in on their feet, rejoicing with greasy high fives and rumbling back down the mountain. (Parker Seibold, The Gazette) (Parker Seibold The Gazette)From left, Sandra Gonzales and her 83-year-old mother, Viola Padilla come around a corner near the summit of Mount Antero where Jason Roys and Ian Schimpfle inspect a pocket. Gonzales and Padilla have been prospecting on Antero every summer of the 12 years since they staked their first claim. They dig mountains elsewhere, but Antero remains their favorite place to scavenge. (Parker Seibold, The Gazette) (Parker Seibold The Gazette)Jason Roys holds a handful of Aquamarine that he and Ian Schimpfle found on their first Antero dig of the season a few weeks ago. The pair dug up what they later calculated to be 831 carats, estimating the worth between $20,000 and $60,000. (Parker Seibold, The Gazette) (Parker Seibold The Gazette)Sandra Gonzales and her 83-year-old mother Viola Padilla, follow protégés Jason Roys and Ian Schimpfle — “the rising stars” on Antero, she calls them — up to a claim on Mount Antero on Friday, August 2. The mountain boasts North America’s highest gem field, as the nation learned in “Prospectors,” the reality TV show of 2013 that had a brief run on the Weather Channel. Prosectors flock to the mountain for the ultimate prize: the aquamarine crystal. Gonzales and Padilla were scavenging the mountain long before the wave of newcomers, and have been digging there every summer since they got their first claim on the mountain 12 years ago. Gonzales became a mentor to Roys and Schimpfle when she guided them to the mountain five years ago, watched them straddle a ridge amid fierce winds to stake their claim on the neighboring Mount White. On the rough road now, the guys lead the way up in their Toyota truck. (Parker Seibold, The Gazette) (Parker Seibold The Gazette)Sandra Gonzales and her 83-year-old mother Viola Padilla, follow protégés Jason Roys and Ian Schimpfle — “the rising stars” on Antero, she calls them — up to a claim on Mount Antero on Friday, August 2. The mountain boasts North America’s highest gem field, as the nation learned in “Prospectors,” the reality TV show of 2013 that had a brief run on the Weather Channel. Prosectors flock to the mountain for the ultimate prize: the aquamarine crystal. Gonzales and Padilla were scavenging the mountain long before the wave of newcomers, and have been digging there every summer since they got their first claim on the mountain 12 years ago. Gonzales became a mentor to Roys and Schimpfle when she guided them to the mountain five years ago, watched them straddle a ridge amid fierce winds to stake their claim on the neighboring Mount White. On the rough road now, the guys lead the way up in their Toyota truck. (Parker Seibold, The Gazette) (Parker Seibold The Gazette)Sandra Gonzales and her 83-year-old mother Viola Padilla, follow protégés Jason Roys and Ian Schimpfle — “the rising stars” on Antero, she calls them — up to a claim on Mount Antero on Friday, August 2. The mountain boasts North America’s highest gem field, as the nation learned in “Prospectors,” the reality TV show of 2013 that had a brief run on the Weather Channel. Prosectors flock to the mountain for the ultimate prize: the aquamarine crystal. Gonzales and Padilla were scavenging the mountain long before the wave of newcomers, and have been digging there every summer since they got their first claim on the mountain 12 years ago. Gonzales became a mentor to Roys and Schimpfle when she guided them to the mountain five years ago, watched them straddle a ridge amid fierce winds to stake their claim on the neighboring Mount White. On the rough road now, the guys lead the way up in their Toyota truck. (Parker Seibold, The Gazette) (Parker Seibold The Gazette)Sandra Gonzales and her 83-year-old mother Viola Padilla, follow protégés Jason Roys and Ian Schimpfle — “the rising stars” on Antero, she calls them — up to a claim on Mount Antero on Friday, August 2. The mountain boasts North America’s highest gem field, as the nation learned in “Prospectors,” the reality TV show of 2013 that had a brief run on the Weather Channel. Prosectors flock to the mountain for the ultimate prize: the aquamarine crystal. Gonzales and Padilla were scavenging the mountain long before the wave of newcomers, and have been digging there every summer since they got their first claim on the mountain 12 years ago. Gonzales became a mentor to Roys and Schimpfle when she guided them to the mountain five years ago, watched them straddle a ridge amid fierce winds to stake their claim on the neighboring Mount White. On the rough road now, the guys lead the way up in their Toyota truck. (Parker Seibold, The Gazette) (Parker Seibold The Gazette)Sandra Gonzales and her 83-year-old mother Viola Padilla, follow protégés Jason Roys and Ian Schimpfle — “the rising stars” on Antero, she calls them — up to a claim on Mount Antero on Friday, August 2. The mountain boasts North America’s highest gem field, as the nation learned in “Prospectors,” the reality TV show of 2013 that had a brief run on the Weather Channel. Prosectors flock to the mountain for the ultimate prize: the aquamarine crystal. Gonzales and Padilla were scavenging the mountain long before the wave of newcomers, and have been digging there every summer since they got their first claim on the mountain 12 years ago. Gonzales became a mentor to Roys and Schimpfle when she guided them to the mountain five years ago, watched them straddle a ridge amid fierce winds to stake their claim on the neighboring Mount White. On the rough road now, the guys lead the way up in their Toyota truck. (Parker Seibold, The Gazette) (Parker Seibold The Gazette)Sandra Gonzales and her 83-year-old mother Viola Padilla, follow protégés Jason Roys and Ian Schimpfle — “the rising stars” on Antero, she calls them — up to a claim on Mount Antero on Friday, August 2. The mountain boasts North America’s highest gem field, as the nation learned in “Prospectors,” the reality TV show of 2013 that had a brief run on the Weather Channel. Prosectors flock to the mountain for the ultimate prize: the aquamarine crystal. Gonzales and Padilla were scavenging the mountain long before the wave of newcomers, and have been digging there every summer since they got their first claim on the mountain 12 years ago. Gonzales became a mentor to Roys and Schimpfle when she guided them to the mountain five years ago, watched them straddle a ridge amid fierce winds to stake their claim on the neighboring Mount White. On the rough road now, the guys lead the way up in their Toyota truck. (Parker Seibold, The Gazette) (Parker Seibold The Gazette)Sandra Gonzales and her 83-year-old mother Viola Padilla, follow protégés Jason Roys and Ian Schimpfle — “the rising stars” on Antero, she calls them — up to a claim on Mount Antero on Friday, August 2. The mountain boasts North America’s highest gem field, as the nation learned in “Prospectors,” the reality TV show of 2013 that had a brief run on the Weather Channel. Prosectors flock to the mountain for the ultimate prize: the aquamarine crystal. Gonzales and Padilla were scavenging the mountain long before the wave of newcomers, and have been digging there every summer since they got their first claim on the mountain 12 years ago. Gonzales became a mentor to Roys and Schimpfle when she guided them to the mountain five years ago, watched them straddle a ridge amid fierce winds to stake their claim on the neighboring Mount White. On the rough road now, the guys lead the way up in their Toyota truck. (Parker Seibold, The Gazette) (Parker Seibold The Gazette)Sandra Gonzales and her 83-year-old mother Viola Padilla, follow protégés Jason Roys and Ian Schimpfle — “the rising stars” on Antero, she calls them — up to a claim on Mount Antero on Friday, August 2. The mountain boasts North America’s highest gem field, as the nation learned in “Prospectors,” the reality TV show of 2013 that had a brief run on the Weather Channel. Prosectors flock to the mountain for the ultimate prize: the aquamarine crystal. Gonzales and Padilla were scavenging the mountain long before the wave of newcomers, and have been digging there every summer since they got their first claim on the mountain 12 years ago. Gonzales became a mentor to Roys and Schimpfle when she guided them to the mountain five years ago, watched them straddle a ridge amid fierce winds to stake their claim on the neighboring Mount White. On the rough road now, the guys lead the way up in their Toyota truck. (Parker Seibold, The Gazette) (Parker Seibold The Gazette)Sandra Gonzales and her 83-year-old mother Viola Padilla, follow protégés Jason Roys and Ian Schimpfle — “the rising stars” on Antero, she calls them — up to a claim on Mount Antero on Friday, August 2. The mountain boasts North America’s highest gem field, as the nation learned in “Prospectors,” the reality TV show of 2013 that had a brief run on the Weather Channel. Prosectors flock to the mountain for the ultimate prize: the aquamarine crystal. Gonzales and Padilla were scavenging the mountain long before the wave of newcomers, and have been digging there every summer since they got their first claim on the mountain 12 years ago. Gonzales became a mentor to Roys and Schimpfle when she guided them to the mountain five years ago, watched them straddle a ridge amid fierce winds to stake their claim on the neighboring Mount White. On the rough road now, the guys lead the way up in their Toyota truck. (Parker Seibold, The Gazette) (Parker Seibold The Gazette)Sandra Gonzales and her 83-year-old mother Viola Padilla, follow protégés Jason Roys and Ian Schimpfle — “the rising stars” on Antero, she calls them — up to a claim on Mount Antero on Friday, August 2. The mountain boasts North America’s highest gem field, as the nation learned in “Prospectors,” the reality TV show of 2013 that had a brief run on the Weather Channel. Prosectors flock to the mountain for the ultimate prize: the aquamarine crystal. Gonzales and Padilla were scavenging the mountain long before the wave of newcomers, and have been digging there every summer since they got their first claim on the mountain 12 years ago. Gonzales became a mentor to Roys and Schimpfle when she guided them to the mountain five years ago, watched them straddle a ridge amid fierce winds to stake their claim on the neighboring Mount White. On the rough road now, the guys lead the way up in their Toyota truck. (Parker Seibold, The Gazette) (Parker Seibold The Gazette)
