July 19th, 2025 Crystal Mtn Field Trip Report

Field trip reports

On Sat. July.19th we went to Crystal Mountain north of Ellensburg for geodes, crystal plates, jasper, and agate. A lucky break in the weather kept the temperatures in the low to mid 60s. 1st stop was a site where we’ve been busting through soft basalt and finding crystal lined geodes and agate nodules. Special thanks to Peggy for helping folks identify their finds at that site. 2nd stop was to a ravine where we find crystal and multi-colored jasper/agate. More of a challenging road to get into that site, but I love the colorful material and interesting patterns we find in the rocks there. This site is on our schedule again in October, but last year we had to hike in because rain made the road impassable. That’s why I wanted to make sure we got in there during a dry season.  You’ll notice burned trees in some of the photos which was a result of the spread of the Jolly Mountain fire in 2017.

The group consisted of 22 people in 15 vehicles:
Nik B., John & Dave C. (thanks for all your help at both sites), Paul A. & Peggy S. (thanks for all your help at the geode site), Kelly G., Terry F., Arleaha W. +2, Philip T., Michele M., Ben K., Jarrod D., Will & Drew C., Noel B., Jonathan C., Jackie B. +2, and me.

Submitted by Roger Danneman CMS Field Trip Guide

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Updated: November 8, 2025 — 5:27 pm

Presidents Message

  • Digging It!  Thanks to everyone who joined us in March for Maureen Carlisle’s fascinating look at the world of professional paleontology digs. Our next meeting on April 9 is a great club tradition: Rock Bingo! Whether you’ve been a member for decades or you just joined last month, Bingo is the ultimate fun night for everyone kids included. All you have to do is bring three rock-related gifts (rocks themselves are just fine!), wrapped so that they are hidden, and then show up at 7pm on the 9th. Everyone is a winner – win a new treasure for your shelf and …

Meeting Announcements

  • Come one, come all and play ROCK BINGO! With schools out for many local school districts, we invite members, guests, and especially families and kids to come and enjoy one of our most fun nights of the year. Everyone is guaranteed to win at this FREE event! All you have to do is bring three wrapped presents – presents can be rocks, gems, minerals, crystals, fossils, cabochons, slabs, jewelry, tumbled stones – anything you think might be a nice gift for a rock enthusiast. 

  • Our own Mike Blanton will bring his expertise to this club meeting program – he will share the tools, tips and tricks he has developed to drill holes in stones and minerals so you can do more with the rocks you find. Show and Tell: bring a rock you’d like to make into something else.

  • Club Wagonmaster and rock shop creator Roger Danneman will present an overview of the new club shop – including equipment, scheduling, stewards, and what you can expect from this exciting new resource.  Show and Tell: bring a rock you want to polish or make into a cabochon (or something you’ve already polished or made)

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