May 2nd 2026 First Creek Field Trip Report

We had a great field trip to First Creek on Sat. May 2nd. Mostly sunny skies with temperatures in the 70’s. There were 21 of us altogether, 2 carts, 4 wagons, and 2 e-bikes. We hiked to the 2 mile ravine and spread out from there. Phillip and I rode on for another mile and a half to see if there were any treasures beyond our usual spots. We didn’t find much in the way of rocky outcrops or rock slides. Just a few pieces in the trails so we went back. Much of the group were up on the east ridge of the ravine, some going to the top. Loren later said he walked 8 miles before the afternoon was done. No wood ticks reported. Maybe the first hatch is done or maybe our spray was effective or maybe they’re not a big issue this year. I worry about safety here because of the steep terrain, drop offs from the road, and having to navigate through a few rock slides up and down steep slopes. Thankfully no injuries. Attached pics are some of what I found plus some of Jeff’s finds from up on the ridge.

8 of us finished the day at the Red Arrow Drive-In in Cle Elum. A great place for a burger, fries, and shake.

Joining me on this trip were Loren M., Robert M. & daughter Evelyn, Christine B., Phillip T., Jeff C. & dog Cooper, Arleaha W. & friend Rachel, Becky P., Vanessa L., Aubrey S. Neil N. & son Nicolas, Carrie L., Karen J., Jarrod D., Alexis W. & David, Matt C. & Mary.

Submitted by Roger Danneman CMS Field Trip Guide

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Updated: May 6, 2026 — 6:42 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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