Oct 14th 2023 Field Trip to Red Top (agate, jasper, and crystal)

Past Field Trips

On Oct. 14th, 2023, we’ll be going to Red Top for agate, jasper, and crystal geodes.

There are two options from the same road where we park:
1). Our dig site for agate/jasper close to the road but up steep embankment, or
2). A 4/10 mile hike up Indian Creek Trail to the meadow just below the agate beds loop.

Option 1 has some fine agate, jasper, and occasional crystal geode fragments and is about 50 yards up a steep slope.
Option 2 has more whole and half geodes in the diggings, but is a 4/10 mile hike, the first 100 yards being fairly steep, then flattening out.

Meet 9:30 AM at the Cle Elum Safeway around the gas pumps (I-90 Exit 84, 804 W 1st St, Cle Elum, WA 98922).  Group leaves promptly at 9:45. Bring dig tools.  The meeting spot is about 1 1/2 hour drive from Renton/Kent.  There are DOT restrooms at Snoqualmie Pass and I also like to use the Cle Elum Safeway for coffee, restrooms, gas. 

Contact me for updates if planning to attend.

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

Updated: October 19, 2023 — 8:46 am

Presidents Message

  • Digging It!  Thanks to everyone who came to the club camp out at Teanaway campground near Cle Elum last month. After a brief spell of rain the first night, we were blessed with sun, clear skies, and rockhounding the rest of the weekend. And a big thanks to Roger Danneman for doing all of the trip organizing, and keeping us all warm and well fed during the weekend. This month I’ll be giving a talk at our club meeting about how to use Gaia for rockhounding. If you have specific questions, please bring them along or feel free to email …

Meeting Announcements

  • 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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