March 21st 2026 Saddle Mountains Field Trip Report

Field trip reports

On Sat. March 21st we went to the Saddle Mtns. for petrified wood There was a bit of rain/snow mix going over Snoqualmie Pass but then it was a beautiful sunny day. We met in Mattawa at 9:45 AM and headed up the hill just after 10. The area is still on the cusp of transitioning to spring. The orchards still looked dormant and there were no wildflowers yet. I often get asked about the geology of the area and how the petrified wood was formed. I’ve always felt my answers to be inadequate so decided to study up on it and write an article for the April Tumbler. It’s a complex story of basalt flows, lush green forests, ice age floods, more basalt flows, etc. The petrified wood there is in the ballpark of 6-15 million years old. We went to the same area as last year which is relatively undug but is very productive. It was easy digging and collecting as the soil had been moistened by recent rain. We had 26 people in 15 vehicles for this trip. Joining me were John C., Dave C., Gregg H., Victor, Phillip T., Paul J. +3, Chris V., Venessa L., Ann S. (+dog Tess), Matt C. +1, Terry F., Ben K., and guests Mischa E. +3, Alexis & David, Michael & Elliott.

Submitted by Roger Danneman CMS Field Trip Guide

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Updated: March 23, 2026 — 6:48 pm

Presidents Message

  • Digging It!  Thanks to everyone who came out for our February club meeting – it was a fun one, with our own Roger Danneman presenting the highlights of our field trips to come for 2026. Several club members brought their impressive best finds from 2025 for show and tell. Speaking of field trips – our first field trip of the year is in the books, with a mildly snowy day at the Middle Fork of the Nooksack River up by Ol’ One Lane Bridge outside of Acme, Washington. The variety of rocks this year was excellent, thanks in part to …

Meeting Announcements

  • Maureen Carlisle, Former Docent at the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, will take us through A Day on a Dig: “Over the years I’ve been asked about what it is like to be on a dino dig, so I’d like to answer some of these questions. I’ll cover some of the practical aspects of both archaeology and paleontology, as I have had the pleasure of being involved in both.” Show and Tell: bring a fossil or artifact that you’ve found or collected.

  • 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.

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