May 14th, 2022, First Creek Field Trip Report

Field trip reports

On Sat. May 14th we went to First Creek for agate, jasper, and crystal geodes. It was a wet day but fortunately not very soggy or cold. We had 18 people and 2 dogs in 11 vehicles. The sweet spot seems to be 2 miles in so that’s where we always hike to, but the area is so large and varied that you can choose to dig in the pits, or search in the rockslides, or climb up to the rock outcrops, or go all the way to the top of the ridge and enjoy the views. The rockslides can be pretty sketchy trying to navigate so I was relieved that everyone made it back to the parking lot unscathed. Just a little rubbery legged and muddy from all the effort, but I could tell from the conversations that everyone had a great time. It was a little comical how dirty some of us were. Wished I had my camera out then. Most of what I collected on this trip was large seam agate found in the rockslides, so my pics reflect that. Others had gotten a nice collection of agate nodules pounded out of the rocky outcrops. Wood ticks didn’t seem to be an issue.  This is really one of the premier sites for rock hounding.

List of attendees: Peggy S., Loren M., Ann S. and dog Tess, Kate T. and family, Gina M., Julie M., Jenn and Luke S., David Y. (guest from Widbey), Nik B., Phillip T. and dog Tito, Ariyana B. (new member from Walla Walla) and 2 guests, and of course me.

Next trip scheduled is to Little Naches on June 11th for thundereggs and lily pad. Late season snow could impact this trip, so stay tuned.

Submitted by Roger Danneman Field Trip Guide (roger.danneman@gmail.com)
425-757-3506 cell and texts

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Updated: May 23, 2022 — 7:36 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.

  • Maureen will speak on the geology and the movement of the Washington coastline over millions of years. 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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