June 8th, 2024 Little Naches Field Trip Report

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 2024 is in our rearview mirror. It was a very successful year for our club. We moved our Cascade Gem Show to June at Kent Commons. It has been an excellent decision for our club. We had the largest attendance since resuming our shows in 2018, with approximately 3,200 visitors! The proceeds from our two club auctions in 2024 brought in around $1,800. These funds help to cover our club’s largest expense, the liability insurance policy. I expect the premium for 2025 will be near $3,000. Our booth at the Puyallup Gem Faire

Meeting Announcements

  • February 13th – Jim Cerenzie – Finding New (Old) Rockhounding Sites Our club member, Jim Cerenzie, is going to speak on how he finds long forgotten sites to hunt for rocks and crystals. He has a YouTube channel called the “Vug Meister” where he and his son go rockhounding to these places. If you watch YouTube please support him by subscribing to his channel. Show ‘n Tell: Your favorite rockhounding find. It can be a find from a field trip, your yard, the beach, or a riverbed.

  • March 13th – Glaciers by Paul Ahnberg What are the benefits of glaciers? Glaciers, slow-moving rivers of ice, have sculpted mountains and carved valleys throughout Earth’s history. They continue to flow and shape the landscape in many places today. But glaciers affect much more than the landscape. Show ‘n Tell: A white or clear mineral or crystal.

  • April 10th – Rock BINGO Kent schools on spring break. So all you members, junior members and their friends, your grandkids, guests it is time for our Rock Bingo night.  Everyone is guaranteed to be a winner. Rock Bingo is free tonight – bring 3 wrapped presents (see below). Maximum 3 game cards per player. Each player is to bring 3 wrapped presents. Rocks, minerals, fossils, cabachons, slabs, jewelry, or anything that you think would be a nice gift.  Guests do not need to bring any wrapped items.

Current News