May 4th 2025 Field Trip to First Creek (agate, crystals, geodes)

Past Field Trips

Note: the date for this trip has changed to Sunday May 4th (from Sat May 3rd).

On Sunday May 4th 2025, we will be going to First Creek which is east of Cle Elum and part of the Teanaway formation.  Meet 9:30 AM in the Cle Elum Safeway parking lot near the gas pumps (exit 84 – 702 W 1st St, Cle Elum), about 1.5 hour drive from Renton.  We’ll leave there at 9:45, head east on Hwy 970, and park at the First Creek parking area (about 10 miles away – just 1/2 mile north of 97/970 junction).

Group will leave from the First Creek parking lot about 10:15 AM!

Agates, Jasper, Geodes, and Crystal – Bring digging and hard rock tools, buckets, and sturdy shoes. Appropriate clothing for weather, lunch, drinking water and snacks.  Bug spray for ticks.  This is a 2-mile hike on a logging road with 5 moderate ups and downs and there could still be snow and/or mud on the trail in May.  A wagon or jogging cart is handy for carrying tools and material.

Roger Danneman (roger.danneman@gmail.com  425-228-8781 or 425-757-3506 cell).

 

Updated: May 20, 2025 — 9:43 pm

Presidents Message

  • Digging It!  September is here, and it looks like a wonderful month so far for getting together and getting out in the field. First, thank you to everyone who helped make our August picnic and club auction such a success. The delicious food, generous donations, volunteer help and spirited bidding made it a great afternoon, and the auction raised $750 for the club. We return to our regular meeting schedule on Thursday, September 10, at 7:00 p.m. at the American Legion Hall in Kent. Our program is all about YOU: Show, Tell & Transform, where you get to briefly present …

Meeting Announcements

  • This program is all about YOU. Bring a rock, mineral, fossil, or other field find that you would like to turn into something. It might become a cabochon, carving, display specimen, jewelry piece, slab, polished piece, or something entirely different. Bring your item and share: Where and how you found or acquired it What interests you about the material What you’re considering making from it Any questions or challenges you would like help thinking through Then we’ll open the conversation to our knowledgeable and curious club members. Together, we can discuss the material, possible designs, cutting or finishing approaches, and other ideas that might help you take the piece from field find to finished project. You do not need to have a complete plan or any special expertise. That’s part of the fun. Bring the piece itself if possible, along with any sketches, inspiration photos, or examples that might help explain your idea.

  • Noelle Barnes will present Using Gaia for Rockhounding, an overview of the features and tricks associated with the app Gaia and how you can use it for GPS, saving waypoints, navigation, photo tagging, trail recording and more. Show and Tell: Bring the rock(s) that have the best “story” – and tell everyone how you found them and where!

  • Club board member Paul Ahnberg will talk to us about the impact of wildfires on our lives – from protecting your home to staying safe while out rockhounding – and what we can do today to help mitigate our risk. Paul will combine his knowledge gained from learning at both the WSU Green School (Master Gardener) and WSU Climate Steward programs. Show and Tell: Bring something you found, from a place that you know has since been impacted by floods or wildfires – or was impacted shortly before you arrived. Tell your story!

  • December’s date and time is coming soon. We will update this page as soon as we know more.

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