Nov 12th, 2022, First Creek Field Trip Report

Field trip reports

On Sat. Nov 12th we went to First Creek for agate, jasper, and crystal geodes. It was a cold but clear and sunny day. Temps were in the mid to upper 30s. We had a little bit of snow on the trail in some sections (1-2″) and in some of the dig areas, but the slopes facing southeast and south were clear and were the better option for collecting. Beautiful views of snow-covered hill tops and mountains. The hills above the trail are steep with rockslides and scree, and much care needs to be taken if attempting them. 8 other brave souls joined me on this 2-mile trek. So much great material to be found in the area. We collected for 3-4 hours and then I broke out my camp stove and kettle for hot cocoa, tea, and coffee as the sun was sinking low on the southwestern hill tops. Winter weather has definitely arrived in the Cascades and this was our last scheduled trip of the year. The CMS Christmas party is coming up on Sunday Dec. 4th where we have a potluck, quick meeting, and auction of club material. A nice way to cap off the year. I’ll be putting out the Field Trip schedule for 2023 in mid to late Jan. with our first trip being in March.

Attendees on this trip were Nik B., Peggy and Paul, Ananda C., Julie M., Gina M., new member Arlie W. and guest Tonya.

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Updated: November 20, 2022 — 6:10 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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