June 8th, 2024 Little Naches Field Trip Report

Field trip reports

On Sat. June 8th we went to Little Naches for Thunder Eggs, LilyPad Jasper, and Leaf Fossils. We had a beautiful day and the scenery was breathtaking. Going over Chinook Pass (which was just opened for summer on May 31st) you can see a number of waterfalls this time of year and the views of Mt. Rainier were picture perfect. Temps were in the upper 60s and low 70s. Our meeting spot was on NF-19 by the Little Naches Campground. We had 22 people, 1 dog, and 14 vehicles on this trip. Very pleasant conditions for digging. We spent 2 1/2 hours at the Thunder Egg site. Blue chalcedony in various forms, but of course we’re mostly looking for full or broken-half thundereggs. A nice breeze kept us relatively cool. I expected more mud in the pits because it had rained hard earlier that week, but the site was fairly dry. After hiking back to the cars we drove on to the Lily Pad site. Easy pickings there. After that about half the group stopped at the mud stone formation for leaf fossils. WA State geology maps peg this as a 35-million-year-old mudstone, so the carbon imprints and leaf outlines we find embedded in that stone, are that old. A few nice specimens were found. Certainly a fun day.

List of attendees: Julie & Gina M., Annie & Nicole S. & dog Tess, Chris W & Raquel, Ananda C., Nik B., new member Kerri-Lynn D., Michelle M. & Gerry P., Jarrod D., Robert M. & Evelyn & Jonathon, Loren M., Hannah G. and her Mom, and guests Ben, Daniel, and Jack. And of course me.

Next field trips are on June 15th to Red Top and on July 13th to Greenwater area for black agate, jasper, and opal. Remember our CMS Rock, Gem, and Jewelry Show is June 29-30th at Kent Commons this year.

Submitted by Roger Danneman Field Trip Guide

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Updated: June 25, 2024 — 9:09 am

Presidents Message

  • From the Top of the Rock Pile Our annual club picnic went off great. The grass and Arboretum area was not wet or muddy, plus it didn’t rain while we were there. We had the usual club members attend, plus a few new faces. I forgot to count how many people attended, but I estimate around 40. Thank you, Angie and Brian, for shopping for the food and setting everything up. Thumbler’s Tumblers donated a tumbler for our picnic auction and another one for our holiday auction in December. The new double-barreled 15# tumbler sold for $120, approximately one-third the …

Meeting Announcements

  • We are going to show a video of the most unusual and amazing things found in Amber. It isn’t just insects. We are also going to have a recap of how our Gem Show did last month. Show ‘n Tell: An item that has something trapped inside or a picture rock, thunder egg, or geode that looks like it has an insect, animal, or face inside.

  • This meeting will cover the “Geologic History of Washington State.” The meeting will be an interactive program designed to tell the story of the complex geologic history of our state. It works for kids as well as adults, with families working together to assemble the state.   Show ‘n Tell: Favorite rock or mineral from Washington.

  • Glen Ripper is a leading authority on Obsidian. He is a walking encyclopedia which should make this an interesting and educational meeting. Show ‘n Tell: Obsidian – let’s see your colors.

  •   We start the day off with a potluck holiday meal. The club provides roasted turkey and ham. Members fill in with their favorite holiday potluck dish. We follow our meal with the election of officers for the coming year. Our final activity is our club auction. It is a great time to pick up great bargains on rough rocks, polished rocks, slabs, fossils, opal, etc. Our Young Tumblers can use their Rock Bucks to purchase auction items. This meeting is also our semi-annual food drive for the Kent Food Bank. Please remember to bring something. The Food Bank has informed us that they need feminine hygiene products and grape or strawberry jelly. People donate loads of peanut butter but never jelly. They also receive very few donations of feminine hygiene products.

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