The Hauser Beds have been long known and explored for many decades since when Joel Hauser began digging for them in 1930s and considered a "mecca" of rockhounders for its geodes (actually a type of thunderegg). Despite many decades of rockhounding, the greenish decomposed perlite/tuff beds still produce the thundereggs from time to time since the thundereggs tend to occur in clusters along the lava flows. The shells of the thundereggs are not well silicified and are commonly geode types that sometimes contain amethyst crystals. There are several diggings along the Hauser Beds (#1, #2 and #3) and it takes some serious digging to reach the thunderegg bearing beds. I visited the beds and I was led by several fragments of banded agates and one with amethyst crystals to one place and took a chance at digging. I hit on a pocket of thundereggs and filled a 50-lb crate with them (not bad for the first time). My goal is to evaluate how much percentage of the thundereggs contain solid banded agates since most rockhounders seem to have ignored them and focus on the geode types.
     My digging and cutting experiences show that quite a low percentage of the Hauser thundereggs contain any kind of solid agates. The agates are typically clear to gray colors with bluish hue, and it's possible to find those with red and yellow colors as shown by the agate fragments scattered around.

Further Information on Hauser Beds can be found at this DesertUSA.com

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Rough Appearance:  Tan with ridges and greenish tint due to greenish pertile(?) beds
-Rhyolite shells usually dark brown with bleached rims when cut but can be competely bleached tan.
-Majority are geode types, usually rimmed with bluish agate.

Classic Hauser Thundergg with Amethyst center from the original Hauser Beds.	Red color?!

Brecciated jasper December 2009	colored agates are scarce December 2009	Banded agate, bit of color December 2009
Typical frosty agate December 2009	Typical geode with horizontal bands December 2009	My best find even it's fractured. >_< December 2009