May 14th, 2022, First Creek Field Trip Report

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 Gem Show is on June 29th and 30th, with set-up on June 28th. Roger is looking for volunteers, so be prepared to help when he calls or emails you. We need a volunteer to ensure all the signs we need inside the venue are made and printed. We also need a volunteer to order street signs for our new location, place them before the show, and take them down. Then I am looking for a volunteer to take charge of the club sales table and set up the sales table. We need

Meeting Announcements

  • Topic: Out-of-state rockhounding sites by Roger Danneman Oregon, Utah, Idaho, Montana, etc. – So many rockhounding places! We have a few members who have combined a road trip vacation and rockhounding that will collaborate on this. It’s interesting to see the variety of material from these areas. After this meeting, you may want to plan a road trip too! Show ‘n Tell: Show us something you have found or bought on a road trip.

  • April 11th – Rock Bingo (Spring Break) and Food Drive This meeting is our annual “Rock Bingo” night. It is held during spring break so our Young Tumblers and their friends can attend without worrying about school the next day. Each member is asked to bring 3 wrapped items for each person who intends to play Bingo. You can play up to 3 games in person, and every person goes home a winner. Please try to donate an item you would like to receive, not junk slabs and rocks. Let’s all plan to have a fun evening together. Guests are welcome, and we encourage our Young Tumblers to bring their friends. Food Drive – We are collecting food for the Kent Food again. Try to donate 1 item or more for every person playing Bingo.

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