May 11th & 19th, 2024 First Creek Field Trip Reports

Field trip reports

On Saturday May 11th we had a field trip to the DNR property known as First Creek. It was a clear day with temperatures in the mid to upper 70s. Kind of getting a bit hot for me, but a nice westerly breeze made it tolerable. We ended up with a small group for one reason or another. Maybe the previous night’s Aurora Borealis contributed to that. A spectacular late-night light show that I missed. Anyway, we hiked to the 2-mile ravine and went up on the east side first. The pit where we’ve taken out so many waterline agate nodules and crystal plates is all caved in now and not yielding much. I moved over to the large rockslide and collected some seam agate. The rockslide is very difficult to walk in due to steepness and loose rock. After a couple of hours I went up on the western side of the ravine to some pits near the top. I did get a few nice chunks but the yellow jackets and bees were getting more aggressive there. It was about 4:00 when I decided to head down. I didn’t see any wood ticks on me throughout the day, but on Sunday morning I found a wood tick on my shorts where I had left them in the garage. He was patiently waiting for the former occupant to reoccupy those shorts. After a ceremonial flush I bade him farewell and good riddance.
Michelle M., Jarrod D., Loren M., Phillip T., and Barbara M. (new member) joined me on this trip. We pretty much stayed spread out so I didn’t see what others collected.
On Sunday May 19th Loren Merriman lead another trip into First Creek. It was a cooler day with temperatures in the upper 50s to low 60s. Seemingly perfect for the hike and digging, but at some point a storm cell moved in and dumped hail and up to 2.5 inches of rain. Just a small localized system. Joining Loren on this trip were Hannah G., Heather M., James R., Michael , Josh D and sons.
In June we have 2 outings scheduled. The first one on June 8th to Little Naches for thundereggs, Lily Pad jasper, and leaf fossils. The second one on June 15th to Redtop for agate, jasper, and crystal.
Pictures seen here are from the May 11th trip.

Submitted by Roger Danneman Field Trip Guide

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Updated: May 23, 2024 — 9:00 pm

Presidents Message

  • From the Top of the Rock Pile 2024 is in our rearview mirror. It was a very successful year for our club. We moved our Cascade Gem Show to June at Kent Commons. It has been an excellent decision for our club. We had the largest attendance since resuming our shows in 2018, with approximately 3,200 visitors! The proceeds from our two club auctions in 2024 brought in around $1,800. These funds help to cover our club’s largest expense, the liability insurance policy. I expect the premium for 2025 will be near $3,000. Our booth at the Puyallup Gem Faire …

Meeting Announcements

  • February 13th – Jim Cerenzie – Finding New (Old) Rockhounding Sites Our club member, Jim Cerenzie, is going to speak on how he finds long forgotten sites to hunt for rocks and crystals. He has a YouTube channel called the “Vug Meister” where he and his son go rockhounding to these places. If you watch YouTube please support him by subscribing to his channel. Show ‘n Tell: Your favorite rockhounding find. It can be a find from a field trip, your yard, the beach, or a riverbed.

  • March 13th – Field Trip Preview by Roger Danneman Where will we go this year? Join our wagonmaster Roger Danneman as he gives us a preview of all of the places the Club will explore this year on field trips – and what kinds of materials you might find there. Show ‘n Tell: Something you’ve found on a prior field trip (with a club or on your own!).

  • April 10th – Rock BINGO Kent schools on spring break. So all you members, junior members and their friends, your grandkids, guests it is time for our Rock Bingo night.  Everyone is guaranteed to be a winner. Rock Bingo is free tonight – bring 3 wrapped presents (see below). Maximum 3 game cards per player. Each player is to bring 3 wrapped presents. Rocks, minerals, fossils, cabachons, slabs, jewelry, or anything that you think would be a nice gift.  Guests do not need to bring any wrapped items.

  • May 8th – Glaciers by Paul Ahnberg 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: A white or clear mineral or crystal.

Current News