CLUB MEMBERS LOGIN
SEARCH OUR SITE
CLUB EVENTS
Club Calendar
Field Trips
Shows & Swaps
CLUB INFORMATION
Become a Member Contact Us Fact Sheet Map to our Meetings Questions/Comments SPECIAL SECTIONS
Colorado Rockhounding Important Legislation Colorado Links Related Links 
2008 Field Trips
This is the list of field trips for 2008. Times/dates/info are subject to change.
Where: (contact the leader)
Time: (contact the leader)
Land owner: (contact the leader)
To Collect: Zeolites (Analcime, Thompsonite, etc)
Leader: Flatirons club
Fee or Donation: none
Health Hazards: cold; wind; snakes; scorpions; very steep; boulders.
Terrain: mountains; old quarry
Difficulty: Easyto Moderate
Elevation: ~6000 ft (just above Golden, CO)
Vehicle Suggested: Any
Equipment Suggested: crack hammer and chisels
Camping: n/a
Water: n/a (nearby Golden)
Nearest Town for Supplies: Golden, CO
Nearest Motel is in: Golden, CO
Additional Comments: Our club was invited by the Flatirons club.
BACK TO TOP
Where: meet at the Super 8 Motel in Grand Junction
Time: 10am
Land owner: BLM
To Collect: Barite and Calcite
Leader: Ron and Judy Knoshaug
Approximately: 4 hours from Denver to the meeting place
Fee or Donation: None
Health Hazards: Heat and sunburn (there is no shade). Bring adequate protection from the sun such as sunscreen. Some people bring a tarp to shade themselves; wind; snakes; scorpions (every trip Ron sees several); no water (bring plenty of water). Always a possibility of heavy rain.
Terrain: Low barren hills.
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation: ~4,000 ft
Vehicle Suggested: Any
Equipment Suggested: Shovel, rock pick, rock hammer, prybar, chisels, scratcher and something to hold your collected specimens. Barite crystals are very heat-sensitive, so they should be kept cool and moist so they don't fracture. Then let them gradually dry at home. You might want to bring a small cooler to put the barite crystals in to keep them from rapid temperature changes.
Camping: Dry camping near the site; no shade
Water: Not available
Nearest Town for Supplies: Grand Junction (15 miles away)
Nearest Motel is in: Grand Junction (15 miles away)
Additional Comments: A 2-wheel drive vehicle is sufficient for the road to the digging area as long as the road is dry. If the roads become wet, the clay roads will become EXTREMELY slippery and impassable even for a 4-wheel drive vehicle; may have deep ruts and wash-outs after rain storms. Due to all the oil and gas exploration activity, the motels have been full recently. Joint trip with the RAMS club. Leaders Ron and Judy Knoshaug will be moving over to the Yellow Cat area on Sunday evening, October 7 to collect agates, petrified wood, and barite pseudomorphs on Monday. Anyone wishing to go along from the Book Cliffs area is welcome. If you wish to go to Yellow Cat, let us know and we will give you a map. The area is much the same as the Book Cliffs area in that there is no water so you need lots and the roads will become impassable if it rains much. BACK TO TOP
Where: (contact the trip leader)
Time: (contact the trip leader)
Land owner: Public property
To Collect: Blue Forest Wood, Eden Valley Wood (?)
Leader: Don Beamer
Fee or Donation: None
Health Hazards: Heat; sunburn; mosquitos and ticks; can be extremely windy. Wyoming weather can be extreme in any direction – hot, cold, windy. Please prepare for almost anything. We have experienced sleet on July 4th. Another time someone’s tent nearly became a balloon.
Terrain: High desert
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation: ~7200 ft
Vehicle Suggested: Any; 4WD vehicle not required.
Equipment Suggested: Shovel, pick, long thin pole for probing in the ground, and collecting bags.
Camping: Near collecting sites
Water: Not available; bring PLENTY of water.
Nearest Town for Supplies: Farson, WY
Nearest Motel is in: Farson, WY
Additional Comments: Toilets available at camp site. One motel in Farson; more in Rock Springs which is 35 miles to the south. Can be extremely windy! Joint trip with the RAMS club. BACK TO TOP
Where: (contact the trip leader)
Time: 2pm
Land owner: Private property
To Collect: NO COLLECTING; mine tour only!
Leader: Richard Parsons
Fee or Donation: $15.00 Adult; $10 age 3 - 12; under 3 free (10% discount if we have 25 people)
Health Hazards: n/a
Terrain: Mountains; old mine
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation: ~10,000 ft
Vehicle Suggested: Any
Equipment Suggested: Bring a coat to keep warm; underground mines are cold (~55 degrees)
Camping: n/a
Water: unknown; definitely in Cripple Creek
Nearest Town for Supplies: Cripple Creek, WY
Nearest Motel is in: Cripple Creek, WY
Additional Comments: This is a mine tour with the Lake George club. BACK TO TOP
Where: (see the June newsletter)
Time: 9am
Land owner: Public property
To Collect: Blue Forest Wood and Eden Valley Wood
Leader: Dale Gann
Fee or Donation: None
Health Hazards: Heat; sunburn; mosquitos and ticks; can be extremely windy. Wyoming weather can be extreme in any direction – hot, cold, windy. Please prepare for almost anything. We have experienced sleet on July 4th. Another time someone’s tent nearly became a balloon.
Terrain: High desert
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation: ~7200 ft
Vehicle Suggested: Any; 4WD vehicle not required.
Equipment Suggested: Shovel, pick, long thin pole for probing in the ground, and collecting bags.
Camping: At the Blue Forest (dry camping with no facilities) or at the Big Sandy Reservoir (Has pit toilets)
Water: Not available; bring PLENTY of water.
Nearest Town for Supplies: Farson, WY
Nearest Motel is in: Farson, WY
Additional Comments: Toilets available at camp site. One motel in Farson; more in Rock Springs which is 35 miles to the south. Can be extremely windy! Joint trip with the RAMS, CMS and Littleton clubs. BACK TO TOP
Where: (see the July newsletter)
Time: 9am
Land owner: National Forest Service
To Collect: Geodes and agate nodules
Leader: Dale Gann
Fee or Donation: none
Health Hazards: (to be announced)
Terrain: Mountains and pine trees
Difficulty: Moderate It is approximately a 2 mile hike up the logging road to the first collecting site. The trail is shaded but it is all up hill.
Elevation: ~8,400 ft
Vehicle Suggested: Any
Equipment Suggested: Rock hammer, crack hammer, chisels, and a bucket to hold your specimens.
Camping: There are 2 forest service campgrounds near the site.
Water: Bring your own. Campgrounds may or may not have water.
Nearest Town for Supplies: Pagosa Springs, CO
Nearest Motel is in: Pagosa Springs, CO
Additional Comments: Collecting is on an old logging road that is closed to vehicles. The geodes are weathering out of basalt. Some can be found on the ground and others have to be broken out of the basalt. This is the same rock formation that people have collected from along the highway for many years, but it is a lot safer and has not been over-collected. BACK TO TOP
Where: (see the July newsletter)
Time: 9am
Land owner: Private mining claim
To Collect: Amethyst and Clear Quartz (and maybe Calcite)
Leader: Gary Rowe (CMS club member)
Approximately: 100 miles from downtown Denver to the meeting place
Fee or Donation: none
Health Hazards: (see the July newsletter)
Terrain: Mountainous; pine trees
Difficulty: (see the July newsletter)
Elevation: ~9500 ft
Vehicle Suggested: Any
Equipment Suggested: Plenty of water, sunscreen, hat, coat, lunch, snacks, hard-rock tools including small sledge hammer, pry bars, and chisels if you plan to work the quartz veins. Bring screens of various sizes if you plan to work the old tailings for amethyst. And bring something to hold your collected specimens.
Camping: n/a
Water: Not available
Nearest Town for Supplies: Red Feather Lakes (or maybe Livermore)
Nearest Motel is in: Ft. Collins
Additional Comments: We will be visiting CMS member Bill Hayward's amethyst/quartz claim at Red Feather Lakes in the Roosevelt National Forest. This claim has yielded some high-quality amethyst crystals and facet-quality rough as described below. The main amethyst-bearing seams were mined out years ago but working material in the dumps may yield some overlooked amethyst crystals. Recent visits by other clubs to the claim have focused on quartz veins above the main amethyst seam that have yielded clear quartz as well as milky and limonite-coated quartz crystals. If time allows, we may visit a site in Owl Canyon on the way home to collect calcite crystals. No facilities are available on site. BACK TO TOP
Where: (see the August newsletter)
Time: 9am
Land owner: private claims on National Forest Service land
To Collect: Aquamarine, Fluorite, Phenakite and Smoky Quartz
Leader: Bob Loeffler
Approximately: 3 hours from Denver to the meeting place
Fee or Donation: None
Health Hazards: Extremely high altitude; cold; very windy; rain, snow, hail; lightning in afternoon; sunburn; rockslides (loose talus rocks).
Terrain: Steep, barren, rocky mountains; above the tree-line.
Difficulty: Extreme
Elevation: 11,500 - 13,500 ft
Vehicle Suggested: Hi-Clearance, 4WD REQUIRED
Equipment Suggested: Shovel, pick, rock hammer, prybar, crack hammer, chisels, garden scratcher and something to hold your collected specimens.
Camping: 2 miles from digging site
Water: Not available
Nearest Town for Supplies: 20 miles away in Buena Vista (takes a couple hours due to bad road)
Nearest Motel is in: 20 miles away in Buena Vista (takes a couple hours due to bad road)
Additional Comments: Afternoon storms (lightning, rain, snow and hail) are common. Elevation at camp is 11,500 ft. All collecting areas are above 12,500 ft. Buena Vista is a couple hours away due to extremely rough dirt and rocky roads that can have potholes more than a foot deep. Joint trip with other clubs. BACK TO TOP
Where: (see the September newsletter)
Time: (see the September newsletter)
Land owner: Claim on private property, permission REQUIRED (club members have permission)
To Collect: Blue Barite and Calcite
Leader: April Peters
Approximately: 2 hours from Denver
Fee or Donation: None
Health Hazards: Can be hot, cold and/or windy; Sunburn (no shade); possible rattlesnakes; small cactus.
Terrain: Grassy plains and barren cliffs.
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation: ~4500 ft
Vehicle Suggested: Any
Equipment Suggested: Shovel, crack hammer, chisels, prybar, pick, wedges and something to hold your delicate specimens (such as egg cartons and tissues).
Camping: No camping available
Water: Not available
Nearest Town for Supplies: Ft. Morgan, CO (36 miles to the south) or Sterling, CO (to the east).
Nearest Motel is in: Ft. Morgan, CO (36 miles to the south) or Sterling, CO (to the east).
Additional Comments: Digging is in rock-hard clay. No open fires. Fill in holes. If wet or muddy, do not drive on access road; park on main road and hike in. The claim owner says the gate might not be open, but we will figure out a workaround if that is the case, and possibly have to go around. BACK TO TOP
Where: (contact Bob Loeffler for details)
Time: 9am
Land owner: Private mineral claim
To Collect: Amazonite, Smoky Quartz, Fluorite, Albite, etc
Leader: Jim Hooten (Littleton Club)
Approximately: 45 minutes to 1 hour from Denver to the meeting place
Fee or Donation: None
Health Hazards: Sunburn; cold; insects.
Terrain: Mountains and pine trees.
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
Elevation: ~9,500 ft
Vehicle Suggested: 4WD required
Equipment Suggested: Shovel, pick, rock hammer, prybar, chisels, scratcher and something to hold your collected specimens.
Camping: Not applicable
Water: Not available
Nearest Town for Supplies: Harris Park has limited supplies; Bailey has more.
Nearest Motel is in: Not applicable
Additional Comments: We will be digging with the Littleton club on their "Honey Bee/Queen Bee" claim. Toilets not available. Bring insect repellent and plenty of water. BACK TO TOP
BACK TO TOP
For old trips (1997 - present), please see our Field Trip Archives page.
Index:
| April 12 | North Table Mtn, CO Trip | |
| April 18 - 21 | Book Cliffs and Yellow Cat Trip #1 | |
| June 21 - 22 | Blue Forest (Farson, Wyoming) | |
| June 29 | Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine tour (Cripple Creek, CO) | |
| July 4 - 6 | Blue Forest (Farson, Wyoming) | |
| July 19 - 20 | Wolf Creek Pass, CO | |
| August 2 | Red Feather Lakes, CO | |
| August 30 - Sept. 1 | Mt. Antero (Nathrop, CO) | |
| September 20 | Stoneham, CO | |
| October 4 | Harris Park, CO | |
| October 11 - 13 | Book Cliffs (Grand Junction, CO) #2 |
North Table Mountain, CO
April 12
Pictures
Where: (contact the leader)
Time: (contact the leader)
Land owner: (contact the leader)
To Collect: Zeolites (Analcime, Thompsonite, etc)
Leader: Flatirons club
Fee or Donation: none
Health Hazards: cold; wind; snakes; scorpions; very steep; boulders.
Terrain: mountains; old quarry
Difficulty: Easyto Moderate
Elevation: ~6000 ft (just above Golden, CO)
Vehicle Suggested: Any
Equipment Suggested: crack hammer and chisels
Camping: n/a
Water: n/a (nearby Golden)
Nearest Town for Supplies: Golden, CO
Nearest Motel is in: Golden, CO
Additional Comments: Our club was invited by the Flatirons club.
BACK TO TOP
Book Cliffs and Yellow Cat (Grand Junction, CO) Trip #1
April 18 - 21
Trip Report
Where: meet at the Super 8 Motel in Grand Junction
Time: 10am
Land owner: BLM
To Collect: Barite and Calcite
Leader: Ron and Judy Knoshaug
Approximately: 4 hours from Denver to the meeting place
Fee or Donation: None
Health Hazards: Heat and sunburn (there is no shade). Bring adequate protection from the sun such as sunscreen. Some people bring a tarp to shade themselves; wind; snakes; scorpions (every trip Ron sees several); no water (bring plenty of water). Always a possibility of heavy rain.
Terrain: Low barren hills.
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation: ~4,000 ft
Vehicle Suggested: Any
Equipment Suggested: Shovel, rock pick, rock hammer, prybar, chisels, scratcher and something to hold your collected specimens. Barite crystals are very heat-sensitive, so they should be kept cool and moist so they don't fracture. Then let them gradually dry at home. You might want to bring a small cooler to put the barite crystals in to keep them from rapid temperature changes.
Camping: Dry camping near the site; no shade
Water: Not available
Nearest Town for Supplies: Grand Junction (15 miles away)
Nearest Motel is in: Grand Junction (15 miles away)
Additional Comments: A 2-wheel drive vehicle is sufficient for the road to the digging area as long as the road is dry. If the roads become wet, the clay roads will become EXTREMELY slippery and impassable even for a 4-wheel drive vehicle; may have deep ruts and wash-outs after rain storms. Due to all the oil and gas exploration activity, the motels have been full recently. Joint trip with the RAMS club. Leaders Ron and Judy Knoshaug will be moving over to the Yellow Cat area on Sunday evening, October 7 to collect agates, petrified wood, and barite pseudomorphs on Monday. Anyone wishing to go along from the Book Cliffs area is welcome. If you wish to go to Yellow Cat, let us know and we will give you a map. The area is much the same as the Book Cliffs area in that there is no water so you need lots and the roads will become impassable if it rains much.
BACK TO TOP
Blue Forest (Farson, WY) Trip #1
June 21 - 22
Where: (contact the trip leader)
Time: (contact the trip leader)
Land owner: Public property
To Collect: Blue Forest Wood, Eden Valley Wood (?)
Leader: Don Beamer
Fee or Donation: None
Health Hazards: Heat; sunburn; mosquitos and ticks; can be extremely windy. Wyoming weather can be extreme in any direction – hot, cold, windy. Please prepare for almost anything. We have experienced sleet on July 4th. Another time someone’s tent nearly became a balloon.
Terrain: High desert
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation: ~7200 ft
Vehicle Suggested: Any; 4WD vehicle not required.
Equipment Suggested: Shovel, pick, long thin pole for probing in the ground, and collecting bags.
Camping: Near collecting sites
Water: Not available; bring PLENTY of water.
Nearest Town for Supplies: Farson, WY
Nearest Motel is in: Farson, WY
Additional Comments: Toilets available at camp site. One motel in Farson; more in Rock Springs which is 35 miles to the south. Can be extremely windy! Joint trip with the RAMS club.
BACK TO TOP
Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine tour (Cripple Creek, CO)
June 29
Where: (contact the trip leader)
Time: 2pm
Land owner: Private property
To Collect: NO COLLECTING; mine tour only!
Leader: Richard Parsons
Fee or Donation: $15.00 Adult; $10 age 3 - 12; under 3 free (10% discount if we have 25 people)
Health Hazards: n/a
Terrain: Mountains; old mine
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation: ~10,000 ft
Vehicle Suggested: Any
Equipment Suggested: Bring a coat to keep warm; underground mines are cold (~55 degrees)
Camping: n/a
Water: unknown; definitely in Cripple Creek
Nearest Town for Supplies: Cripple Creek, WY
Nearest Motel is in: Cripple Creek, WY
Additional Comments: This is a mine tour with the Lake George club.
BACK TO TOP
Blue Forest (Farson, WY) Trip #2
July 4 - 6
Pictures and Trip Report
Where: (see the June newsletter)
Time: 9am
Land owner: Public property
To Collect: Blue Forest Wood and Eden Valley Wood
Leader: Dale Gann
Fee or Donation: None
Health Hazards: Heat; sunburn; mosquitos and ticks; can be extremely windy. Wyoming weather can be extreme in any direction – hot, cold, windy. Please prepare for almost anything. We have experienced sleet on July 4th. Another time someone’s tent nearly became a balloon.
Terrain: High desert
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation: ~7200 ft
Vehicle Suggested: Any; 4WD vehicle not required.
Equipment Suggested: Shovel, pick, long thin pole for probing in the ground, and collecting bags.
Camping: At the Blue Forest (dry camping with no facilities) or at the Big Sandy Reservoir (Has pit toilets)
Water: Not available; bring PLENTY of water.
Nearest Town for Supplies: Farson, WY
Nearest Motel is in: Farson, WY
Additional Comments: Toilets available at camp site. One motel in Farson; more in Rock Springs which is 35 miles to the south. Can be extremely windy! Joint trip with the RAMS, CMS and Littleton clubs.
BACK TO TOP
Wolf Creek Pass, CO Trip
July 19 - 20
Pictures and Trip Report
Where: (see the July newsletter)
Time: 9am
Land owner: National Forest Service
To Collect: Geodes and agate nodules
Leader: Dale Gann
Fee or Donation: none
Health Hazards: (to be announced)
Terrain: Mountains and pine trees
Difficulty: Moderate It is approximately a 2 mile hike up the logging road to the first collecting site. The trail is shaded but it is all up hill.
Elevation: ~8,400 ft
Vehicle Suggested: Any
Equipment Suggested: Rock hammer, crack hammer, chisels, and a bucket to hold your specimens.
Camping: There are 2 forest service campgrounds near the site.
Water: Bring your own. Campgrounds may or may not have water.
Nearest Town for Supplies: Pagosa Springs, CO
Nearest Motel is in: Pagosa Springs, CO
Additional Comments: Collecting is on an old logging road that is closed to vehicles. The geodes are weathering out of basalt. Some can be found on the ground and others have to be broken out of the basalt. This is the same rock formation that people have collected from along the highway for many years, but it is a lot safer and has not been over-collected.
BACK TO TOP
Red Feather Lakes, CO Trip
August 2
Pictures
Where: (see the July newsletter)
Time: 9am
Land owner: Private mining claim
To Collect: Amethyst and Clear Quartz (and maybe Calcite)
Leader: Gary Rowe (CMS club member)
Approximately: 100 miles from downtown Denver to the meeting place
Fee or Donation: none
Health Hazards: (see the July newsletter)
Terrain: Mountainous; pine trees
Difficulty: (see the July newsletter)
Elevation: ~9500 ft
Vehicle Suggested: Any
Equipment Suggested: Plenty of water, sunscreen, hat, coat, lunch, snacks, hard-rock tools including small sledge hammer, pry bars, and chisels if you plan to work the quartz veins. Bring screens of various sizes if you plan to work the old tailings for amethyst. And bring something to hold your collected specimens.
Camping: n/a
Water: Not available
Nearest Town for Supplies: Red Feather Lakes (or maybe Livermore)
Nearest Motel is in: Ft. Collins
Additional Comments: We will be visiting CMS member Bill Hayward's amethyst/quartz claim at Red Feather Lakes in the Roosevelt National Forest. This claim has yielded some high-quality amethyst crystals and facet-quality rough as described below. The main amethyst-bearing seams were mined out years ago but working material in the dumps may yield some overlooked amethyst crystals. Recent visits by other clubs to the claim have focused on quartz veins above the main amethyst seam that have yielded clear quartz as well as milky and limonite-coated quartz crystals. If time allows, we may visit a site in Owl Canyon on the way home to collect calcite crystals. No facilities are available on site.
BACK TO TOP
Mt. Antero, CO Trip
August 30 - Sept. 1 (Labor Day weekend)
Pictures
Where: (see the August newsletter)
Time: 9am
Land owner: private claims on National Forest Service land
To Collect: Aquamarine, Fluorite, Phenakite and Smoky Quartz
Leader: Bob Loeffler
Approximately: 3 hours from Denver to the meeting place
Fee or Donation: None
Health Hazards: Extremely high altitude; cold; very windy; rain, snow, hail; lightning in afternoon; sunburn; rockslides (loose talus rocks).
Terrain: Steep, barren, rocky mountains; above the tree-line.
Difficulty: Extreme
Elevation: 11,500 - 13,500 ft
Vehicle Suggested: Hi-Clearance, 4WD REQUIRED
Equipment Suggested: Shovel, pick, rock hammer, prybar, crack hammer, chisels, garden scratcher and something to hold your collected specimens.
Camping: 2 miles from digging site
Water: Not available
Nearest Town for Supplies: 20 miles away in Buena Vista (takes a couple hours due to bad road)
Nearest Motel is in: 20 miles away in Buena Vista (takes a couple hours due to bad road)
Additional Comments: Afternoon storms (lightning, rain, snow and hail) are common. Elevation at camp is 11,500 ft. All collecting areas are above 12,500 ft. Buena Vista is a couple hours away due to extremely rough dirt and rocky roads that can have potholes more than a foot deep. Joint trip with other clubs.
BACK TO TOP
Stoneham, CO Trip
September 20
Pictures
Where: (see the September newsletter)
Time: (see the September newsletter)
Land owner: Claim on private property, permission REQUIRED (club members have permission)
To Collect: Blue Barite and Calcite
Leader: April Peters
Approximately: 2 hours from Denver
Fee or Donation: None
Health Hazards: Can be hot, cold and/or windy; Sunburn (no shade); possible rattlesnakes; small cactus.
Terrain: Grassy plains and barren cliffs.
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation: ~4500 ft
Vehicle Suggested: Any
Equipment Suggested: Shovel, crack hammer, chisels, prybar, pick, wedges and something to hold your delicate specimens (such as egg cartons and tissues).
Camping: No camping available
Water: Not available
Nearest Town for Supplies: Ft. Morgan, CO (36 miles to the south) or Sterling, CO (to the east).
Nearest Motel is in: Ft. Morgan, CO (36 miles to the south) or Sterling, CO (to the east).
Additional Comments: Digging is in rock-hard clay. No open fires. Fill in holes. If wet or muddy, do not drive on access road; park on main road and hike in. The claim owner says the gate might not be open, but we will figure out a workaround if that is the case, and possibly have to go around.
BACK TO TOP
Harris Park, CO Trip
October 4
Pictures
Where: (contact Bob Loeffler for details)
Time: 9am
Land owner: Private mineral claim
To Collect: Amazonite, Smoky Quartz, Fluorite, Albite, etc
Leader: Jim Hooten (Littleton Club)
Approximately: 45 minutes to 1 hour from Denver to the meeting place
Fee or Donation: None
Health Hazards: Sunburn; cold; insects.
Terrain: Mountains and pine trees.
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
Elevation: ~9,500 ft
Vehicle Suggested: 4WD required
Equipment Suggested: Shovel, pick, rock hammer, prybar, chisels, scratcher and something to hold your collected specimens.
Camping: Not applicable
Water: Not available
Nearest Town for Supplies: Harris Park has limited supplies; Bailey has more.
Nearest Motel is in: Not applicable
Additional Comments: We will be digging with the Littleton club on their "Honey Bee/Queen Bee" claim. Toilets not available. Bring insect repellent and plenty of water.
BACK TO TOP
Book Cliffs (Grand Junction, CO) Trip #2
October 11 - 13
Days: Saturday, Sunday and Monday
Where: TBA
Time: TBA
Land owner: BLM
To Collect: Barite and Calcite
Leader: Ron and Judy Knoshaug
Approximately: 4 hours from Denver to the meeting place
Fee or Donation: None
Health Hazards: Heat and sunburn (there is no shade). Bring adequate protection from the sun such as sunscreen. Some people bring a tarp to shade themselves; wind; snakes; scorpions (every trip Ron sees several); no water (bring plenty of water). Always a possibility of heavy rain.
Terrain: Low barren hills.
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation: ~4,000 ft
Vehicle Suggested: Any
Equipment Suggested: Shovel, rock pick, rock hammer, prybar, chisels, scratcher and something to hold your collected specimens. Barite crystals are very heat-sensitive, so they should be kept cool and moist so they don't fracture. Then let them gradually dry at home. You might want to bring a small cooler to put the barite crystals in to keep them from rapid temperature changes.
Camping: Dry camping near the site; no shade
Water: Not available
Nearest Town for Supplies: Grand Junction (15 miles away)
Nearest Motel is in: Grand Junction (15 miles away)
Additional Comments: A 2-wheel drive vehicle is sufficient for the road to the digging area as long as the road is dry. If the roads become wet, the clay roads will become EXTREMELY slippery and impassable even for a 4-wheel drive vehicle; may have deep ruts and wash-outs after rain storms. Due to all the oil and gas exploration activity, the motels have been full recently. Joint trip with the RAMS club. Leaders Ron and Judy Knoshaug will be moving over to the Yellow Cat area on Sunday evening, October 7 to collect agates, petrified wood, and barite pseudomorphs on Monday. Anyone wishing to go along from the Book Cliffs area is welcome. If you wish to go to Yellow Cat, let us know and we will give you a map. The area is much the same as the Book Cliffs area in that there is no water so you need lots and the roads will become impassable if it rains much.
BACK TO TOP