On Sat Feb 21st we went to Ole One Lane Bridge near the west side of Mt. Baker on the Middle Fork of the Nooksak River. 12 people joined me on this outing for Dunite, Gneiss, and tumbling material. A bit of a wintry mix of weather but decent enough for an outing. This early in the year our rockhounding sites are limited and this area generally makes a good starting point for the rockhounding season. We met directly on site. Dunite is a “jade like” green rock comprised mostly of olivine. Gneiss (“nice”) is a metamorphic rock that has been subjected to much heat and pressure underground from mountain building activity and through upheaval and erosion has made its way to the surface. Look for the yellowish skinned rocks with hints of green. They are all Dunite. References list dunite as a rare igneous rock, but a massive deposit exists at Twin Sisters Mtn near Mt Baker which is the source of our collecting site. The river conditions were normal and we had a large expanse of river cobble to collect from down stream of the bridge as well as down the DNR fisheries road. Present were members Noelle B., Vanessa L., Loren M., Scott & Lauri M. & sister Dani, Michelle M., Becky P. +1, Matt C., Kerri Lynn & John.
Submitted by Roger Danneman CMS Field Trip Guide
