April 19th 2026 Swift Creek / Baker Lake Field Trip Report

Field trip reports

On Sunday April 19th we had a beautiful day for a field trip, the kind of day I hope for when we go to Swift Creek on the east side of Mt. Baker. The Baker Lake reservoir is still low and the gravel beds accessible but quite a hike on river cobble to get across and downstream.. Metamorphic rocks in abundance – the Baker Blue Agates rather sparse. We met on-site at 10 am. I didn’t do very well on the agate hunt, but I was also looking for nice jasper. I started noticing that there are a lot of the rusty skinned rocks here like Listwanite, except these don’t have the hints of green in the skin. I took a couple of them home to cut and check out. After we finished at Swift Creek I went to the Cascade River further east by Marblemount. Here there is the Listwanite with strong green colors. One of my pics shows the comparison of the two colorations of the Listwanite. Curious, I queried Gemini and got some interesting information that I’m submitting for the May Tumbler publication. Anyway, we had a good group, good weather, and there’s no better place to be on a beautiful spring day than by a mountain stream looking for rocks.

Joining me on this trip were John M., Michelle M., Vanessa L., Aubrey S., Diane C., Chris V., Mathew C., Mary F., Jarrod D., and guests Alexis and David.

Submitted by Roger Danneman CMS Field Trip Guide

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Updated: July 20, 2026 — 8:42 pm

Presidents Message

  • Digging It!  Our big rock, gem and jewelry show is at the end of this month. We have so many opportunities for you to come and be a part of it – from helping our wonderful vendors load in their gear, to setting up tables, greeting guests, helping with kid’s activities, and so much more. All of our volunteers always go home with free rocks – and free shop hours! I’ll be spending those three days (Friday, June 26 – our set up day – through Sunday, June 28) at the Silent Auction table, working on raising money for our …

Meeting Announcements

  • Club president Noelle Barnes will present “Rockhounding on the Road – How to Find Rocks Wherever You Are” – tools you can use to find a rockhounding location when you’re on the road, and in places you haven’t been before. Show and Tell: bring a rock or fossil you found outside of Washington (if available) or something that’s just too good not to share.

  • Our own Mike Blanton will bring his expertise to this club meeting program – he will share the tools, tips and tricks he has developed to drill holes in stones and minerals so you can do more with the rocks you find. Show and Tell: bring a rock you’d like to make into something else.

  • Club Wagonmaster and rock shop creator Roger Danneman will present an overview of the new club shop – including equipment, scheduling, stewards, and what you can expect from this exciting new resource.  Show and Tell: bring a rock you want to polish or make into a cabochon (or something you’ve already polished or made)

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