Nov 12th, 2023 First Creek Field Trip Report

On Sunday Nov. 12th a small group of us went over to First Creek for our last field trip of the year. Originally scheduled for Sat. the 11th, I moved it to Sunday because of stormy weather forecasted for Sat. The day (Sun.) started out cool and slightly overcast, but it was actually quite pleasant for hiking and digging and more importantly we didn’t get rained on. 5 of us worked both sides of the 2-mile ravine and 2 more prospected the high ridgeline closer to the highway. The hills there are steep, and it was quite a workout. About 3:00 I heated up a pot of hot water and we enjoyed some hot cocoa, mocha, and coffee before heading back with our seam agate pieces, nodules, and crystal plates.
We’re definitely on the cusp of winter. Redtop was covered with a blanket of snow and seemingly no longer accessible.
With me on this trip was Julie G., Gina M., Pete W. and his son Alex, Loren M., and Nik B.
Remember our holiday party is on Dec. 3rd at the Legion Hall. An event filled with lots of good food and an auction of club material. A good place to pick up a few Christmas presents.
I usually have the new schedule ready by mid-January and our first trip of the year will likely be the 2nd or 3rd Sat. in March to areas around Mt. Baker. Until then, stay warm, stay dry, and stay active.

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Updated: November 29, 2023 — 2:49 pm

Presidents Message

  • Digging It!  September is here, and it looks like a wonderful month so far for getting together and getting out in the field. First, thank you to everyone who helped make our August picnic and club auction such a success. The delicious food, generous donations, volunteer help and spirited bidding made it a great afternoon, and the auction raised $750 for the club. We return to our regular meeting schedule on Thursday, September 10, at 7:00 p.m. at the American Legion Hall in Kent. Our program is all about YOU: Show, Tell & Transform, where you get to briefly present

Meeting Announcements

  • This program is all about YOU. Bring a rock, mineral, fossil, or other field find that you would like to turn into something. It might become a cabochon, carving, display specimen, jewelry piece, slab, polished piece, or something entirely different. Bring your item and share: Where and how you found or acquired it What interests you about the material What you’re considering making from it Any questions or challenges you would like help thinking through Then we’ll open the conversation to our knowledgeable and curious club members. Together, we can discuss the material, possible designs, cutting or finishing approaches, and other ideas that might help you take the piece from field find to finished project. You do not need to have a complete plan or any special expertise. That’s part of the fun. Bring the piece itself if possible, along with any sketches, inspiration photos, or examples that might help explain your idea.

  • 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!

  • December’s date and time is coming soon. We will update this page as soon as we know more.

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