March and April 2018 Field Trips Report

Field trip reports

On March 17 there was a joint trip to Mayfield Dam Quarry led by Dennis Batchelor of Puyallup Valley Gem and Mineral Club. I heard that material is getting harder to find there. The seams of jasper/agate are in pockets of the rubble pile, so finding a pocket is helpful. Pictures from previous trip can be found on Facebook CMS Group Page.

On March 17 there was also a WSMC field trip to Baker Lake, Swift Creek, and Grandy Creek up by Mt. Baker attended by CMS club members Roger D. and John C. Nice river rocks with swirling patterns were found here. Clear agate material was found where Swift Creek enters Baker Lake, but they were mostly small samples laying on top. Dig tools would have been handy to see if larger ones were down under the 1st layer of rocks. Water levels were low at this time of year, so collecting was easy with waders and PVC gloves. Interesting colorful jasper found in Grandy Creek.  Looked for jade, but didn’t find any this trip. Check Facebook CMS Group Page for photos.

On April 21st there was a joint trip to Saddle Mtn for petrified wood led by Dennis Batchelor of Puyallup Valley Gem and Mineral Club. I heard that everyone found nice material, but it was very windy on those hills this trip.

Updated: May 24, 2018 — 3:37 pm

Presidents Message

  • From the Top of the Rock Pile . . . . Boy was it good to see everyone after 16 months of no in-person meetings! We had a good turnout. I estimate we had 30 people. 27 members signed in but I think there were about 3 additional people who didn’t make it to the sign-in table. I would like to remind everyone to sign in at the front door. You get a door prize ticket for the drawing later in the meeting plus for insurance purposes, we need a headcount and the names of those who attended our meeting. …

Meeting Announcements

  • Lake Wilderness Arboretum Annual Picnic Potluck – Sunday, August 8th Setup noon. Enjoy a picnic lunch together at 12:30 pm. You bring your picnic lunch and the club provides drinks and a limited selection of store-bought desserts. If you attend church and are a little late  – that’s okay too. Mark your calendar now and plan on attending! It’s always so nice visiting with each other outside of our club meetings. This is such a beautiful, relaxing location for our annual Club picnic. The Lake Wilderness Arboretum is so gracious to allow us to use this outstanding spot. We are under the trees which with picnic tables and parking. It’s a great family event. Afterward, the Lake is within an easy distance for swimming, beach fun, and the children’s play area. We advise that you move your car to that section’s parking lot if you decide to take advantage of the lake beach and playground areas. Our club Arboretum parking area closes after we are done. It is a picnic with a rock and mineral auction following. It’s also a great time to sit and chat with each other and talk “rock”.   Lake Wilderness Beach area.           Lake Wilderness Park – all new!      

  • Dr. Russell Calvin Boggs will be speaking at our meeting. He is the founder and curator of the North Cascades Mineralogical Research Institute and Museum. Mark your calendars and plan on attending. I would like to give him a warm welcome as he traveling from Marblemount during peak traffic time to speak to us. A non-profit corporation to promote mineralogical research, operate a mineralogical research lab (XRD, petrographic microscope, and Electron Microprobe), and operate a mineralogical museum primarily related to the Pacific Northwest.

  • Time is Running Out – Lower Dues for 2021 2021 club membership dues is $15 for a family or individual! The Board has approved a temporary reduction in our dues for 2021 only to $15 per family or individual. As of October our dues will go back up to $25 per family or individual. Our club is resuming in person general meetings on June 10th. Our general meetings are held on the 2nd Thursdays of each month at 7 pm. From our website you can use a credit card to renew your membership. You can also mail a check to CMS, c/o Charles Benedict, 25838 W. Lake Wilderness Dr. SE, Maple Valley WA 98038.

Current News