Feb 21st 2026 Ole One Lane Bridge Field Trip Report

Field trip reports

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Updated: March 23, 2026 — 6:35 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.

Current News