Old Slope Field Trip Report June 2017

Over 30 turned out for our March field trip to Old Slope in the Greenwater area. I met people that traveled all the way from Graham and Seattle. The weather was beautiful for a drive to Greenwater.  
Mount Rainier greeted us when we arrived at the Enumclaw Ranger Station. We met and Tony and he filled us in on the plan for the day. 
Mount Rainier

Mount Rainier

Tony Johnson briefing

Tony Johnson briefing the pack

 

 

 

 

 

 

We drove from Enumclaw to the parking area to begin our hike to the Old Slope collection area.
Parking area for collection site is here: Parking Area The collection site is about 1/2 mile hike from the parking area. The hike in was generally easy with a slight gain in elevation and a couple of small streams to cross.

Hiking

Starting the hike in

Hiking

On the hike in

 

Our first look at the Old Slope

 

Old Slope

Old Slope first look

Old Slope

Old Slope our Destination

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Slope was steep and muddy. It didn’t slow the crew down much. There was a lot of material at the base of the slope that was easier to pick. Mostly Jasper and Agate. The mud made it difficult to actually see what you had.  I am pretty sure I was not the only one to bring some leaverite home today.

Rock Collecting

Collecting at Old Slope

I believe everyone left with material from old slope. By the time we got back to the parking area I know I was wishing I had a pack mule to carry me and the rocks.

Since it was such a nice day it was decided that we would continue up the road to check out some other collection sites Tony was aware of. I took advantage of the collection of CMS Members and got this photo.

CMS members

Part of the CMS Crew

We continued up the road to a site that was a good spot to eat some lunch and look for seam agate.
With a view like this it was hard not to enjoy the day.

landscape view

View from the collection site

Landsacpe view

View from collection site

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The site is a road cut and the road was wide enough to allow parking on the shoulder. This site was a lot dryer since it was on the sunny side of the mountain. Good collecting from the bottom of the slope and in the ditch.

Road cut

Collection Site for seam agate

road cut

Seam Agate collection site

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There was also some Jasper discovered. We tried to go even farther up the road but ran into snow and snowmobilers that had the road blocked. We turned around and called it a day. Some of us stopped and scoured the creek at the bottom of the hill since it was such a nice day.

It was a great day and thanks again to Tony Johnson for putting this trip together. Thanks for the folks from the Puyallup Valley Gem and Mineral Club for partnering with us today to make this trip a success.

Mark Hohn
CMS Board Member

Updated: January 7, 2018 — 9:00 pm

Presidents Message

  • From the Top of the Rock Pile Despite the weather concerns, our club picnic at Lake Wilderness Arboretum turned out to be a delightful event. We were blessed with a sunny day, and around thirty-five of us enjoyed the beautiful park, a good meal, and a lot of visiting. The day’s highlight was our club auction, a resounding success. Thanks to everyone’s participation, we raised over $1,100 for our club treasury, marking it the best sale. Our club auctions help cover club expenses and prevent us from having to increase our annual dues. If you’re a new member, we’re thrilled

Meeting Announcements

  • November 14th – CMS Food Drive & Glaciers by Paul Arhberg Don’t forget to bring a food item for our food drive to support the Kent Food Bank.  What are the benefits of glaciers? Glaciers, slow-moving rivers of ice, have sculpted mountains and carved valleys throughout Earth’s history. They continue to flow and shape the landscape in many places today. But glaciers affect much more than the landscape. Show ‘n Tell: Something white, clear, or a crystal.

  • December 1st – Holiday Potluck Dinner, Election of Officers, and Club Auction. Holiday Potluck Dinner: The club provides ham and turkey. Members fill in with side dishes, rolls, desserts, and drinks. If you cannot bring anything for dinner, please come as we would like your company. We always have loads of food. After dinner, we have the election of Officers for 2025. We close out the day with the club auction. It is a great time to buy holiday, birthday, anniversary, or just because gifts. The auction prices are always a fraction of retail or gem shows. Mark your calendar now! Let’s have a great turnout. Let’s enjoy having dinner together, sitting and visiting with one another, and getting some “rock talk” in.

  • January 9th – Field Trip report of 2024 and what lies ahead for 2025. Our Field Trip Guide, Roger Danneman, will review our 2024 field trips and what was found, then look ahead to what is planned for 2025. Show ‘n Tell: Something you found on a field trip, your yard, beach, a hike, etc.

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