March 16th, 2019 Baker Lake Field Trip Report

Field trip reports

We had beautiful weather for this fieldtrip to Baker Lake and Swift Creek.  There was still quite a bit of snow to cross, but the waters were relatively shallow and easy to pick with waders and gloves.  7 CMS members made this trip. There’s interesting jasper (with golds, greens, browns, and reds) metamorphed into layers and swirls, a lot of quartz veined rock, and a blueish agate in sand/gravel pockets.  Iron is present, giving bright reds to some of the material.  I found at least one nephrite tremolite jade rock which is predominately light cream in color and had a density of 3.4.  Other rocks from the trip will be further diagnosed.  I put a batch in my tumbler and plan to bring some for the April meeting.  All in all, I think a good spot for a March trip while the reservoir is at a low point and plan to return next year.
Submitted by Roger Danneman CMS Field Trip Guide.

Updated: May 6, 2019 — 4:23 pm

Presidents Message

  • Digging It!  I hope you’ve all had a chance to get out and look for rocks during the lovely weather we enjoyed in July – it’s been mostly perfect rockhounding weather. And for those of you who were able to come on the field trips led by our fearless wagon master Roger Danneman, I hope you found some good material. Big thanks to Roger for getting us all out there and helping us find beautiful rocks! August is a bit of a break from the usual club meeting cadence – instead of having our club meeting on the second Thursday …

Meeting Announcements

  • Our August meeting will not be happening at the American Legion – instead, this month’s meeting is our annual club potluck and picnic on Saturday, August 15. Join us from 12-4 at Gene Coulon Park, South Shelter 2 – setup begins at 10:30am. Bring something you want to share and/or donate to the club auction, also happening during the picnic. 

  • September’s program is coming soon. We will update this page as soon as we know more.

  • Noelle Barnes will present Using Gaia for Rockhounding, an overview of the features and tricks associated with the app Gaia and how you can use it for GPS, saving waypoints, navigation, photo tagging, trail recording and more. Show and Tell: Bring the rock(s) that have the best “story” – and tell everyone how you found them and where!

  • Club board member Paul Ahnberg will talk to us about the impact of wildfires on our lives – from protecting your home to staying safe while out rockhounding – and what we can do today to help mitigate our risk. Paul will combine his knowledge gained from learning at both the WSU Green School (Master Gardener) and WSU Climate Steward programs. Show and Tell: Bring something you found, from a place that you know has since been impacted by floods or wildfires – or was impacted shortly before you arrived. Tell your story!

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