CMS June 13th 2020 Fieldtrip to Saddle Mtn (petrified wood – agatized, opalized, silicified)

Past Field Trips

Originally the plan was to go to Red Top on June 13th, but the area has been closed down for the past 3 weeks due to police activity (fugitive manhunt).  So now we’ll be going to Saddle Mtn which is the trip I had to cancel in April.   There is no hike involved here.  A high clearance vehicle is recommended.  I generally take my Santa Fe SUV with no problems, but the road is a rough ride going up to the dig sites.  This is BLM land, so no special pass required.

Meet at the Shell Station 9:45, 723 Government Road, Mattawa, WA 99349.
Group will leave promptly from the meeting point at 10:00 AM.
From Renton, it’s approx. a 3 hr drive (155 miles).
Petrified Wood – Bring digging and hard rock tools, buckets, sturdy shoes, lunch, and plenty of water.
Roger Danneman CMS (roger.danneman@gmail.com 425-228-8781 or 425-757-3506 cell).

 

Updated: June 15, 2020 — 5:00 pm

Presidents Message

  • From the Top of the Rock Pile Our annual club picnic went off great. The grass and Arboretum area was not wet or muddy, plus it didn’t rain while we were there. We had the usual club members attend, plus a few new faces. I forgot to count how many people attended, but I estimate around 40. Thank you, Angie and Brian, for shopping for the food and setting everything up. Thumbler’s Tumblers donated a tumbler for our picnic auction and another one for our holiday auction in December. The new double-barreled 15# tumbler sold for $120, approximately one-third the …

Meeting Announcements

  • We are going to show a video of the most unusual and amazing things found in Amber. It isn’t just insects. We are also going to have a recap of how our Gem Show did last month. Show ‘n Tell: An item that has something trapped inside or a picture rock, thunder egg, or geode that looks like it has an insect, animal, or face inside.

  • This meeting will cover the “Geologic History of Washington State.” The meeting will be an interactive program designed to tell the story of the complex geologic history of our state. It works for kids as well as adults, with families working together to assemble the state.   Show ‘n Tell: Favorite rock or mineral from Washington.

  • Glen Ripper is a leading authority on Obsidian. He is a walking encyclopedia which should make this an interesting and educational meeting. Show ‘n Tell: Obsidian – let’s see your colors.

  •   We start the day off with a potluck holiday meal. The club provides roasted turkey and ham. Members fill in with their favorite holiday potluck dish. We follow our meal with the election of officers for the coming year. Our final activity is our club auction. It is a great time to pick up great bargains on rough rocks, polished rocks, slabs, fossils, opal, etc. Our Young Tumblers can use their Rock Bucks to purchase auction items. This meeting is also our semi-annual food drive for the Kent Food Bank. Please remember to bring something. The Food Bank has informed us that they need feminine hygiene products and grape or strawberry jelly. People donate loads of peanut butter but never jelly. They also receive very few donations of feminine hygiene products.

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