For old trips (1997 - 2008), please see our Field Trip Archives page.
Index:
| April 11 | North Table Mtn, CO Trip | |
| May 2 - 3 | Book Cliffs, CO Trip | |
| June 6 - 8 | Blue Forest (Farson, Wyoming) Trip #1 | |
| June 13 - 14 | Blue Forest (Farson, Wyoming) Trip #2 | |
| July 25 | Red Feather Lakes, CO | |
| July 31 - August 2 | Last Chance Mine, Creede, CO | |
| August 1 - 2 | House Log Creek, CO | |
| August 22 | Hartsel, CO | |
| September 5 - 7 | Mt. Antero (Nathrop, CO) | |
| October 3 - 4 (CANCELLED) | Yellow Cat and Cisco, Utah | |
| October 4 | Harris Park, CO | |
| October 10 - 11 | Book Cliffs (Grand Junction, CO) #2 |
North Table Mountain, CO
April 11
Pictures
Where: (contact the leader)
Time: 9am
Land owner: (contact the leader)
To Collect: Zeolites (Analcime, Thompsonite, etc)
Leader: Dennis Gertenbach of the 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. The RAMS will also be there.
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Book Cliffs, CO Trip
May 2 - 3
Where: (contact the trip leader)
Time: 10am on Saturday
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 usually 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.
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Blue Forest (Farson, WY) Trip
June 6 - 8
Where: (contact the trip leader)
Time: 3pm on Saturday
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: Big Sandy Reservoir; near collecting sites; we will be camping on the west side of the reservoir.
Water: Not available; bring PLENTY of water.
Nearest Town for Supplies: Farson, WY
Nearest Motel is in: RockSprings, WY
Additional Comments: Pit 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 North Jeffco, CMS and Littleton clubs. Saturday afternoon we will collect at the Big Sandy and Sunday at the Blue Forest. Monday we will collect in a different area of the Big Sandy.
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Blue Forest (Farson, WY) Trip #2
June 13 - 14
Days: Friday thru Sunday
Where: (contact the leader)
Time: (contact the leader)
Land owner: Public property
To Collect: Blue Forest Wood
Leader: Ron Knoshaug
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.
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.
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Red Feather Lakes, CO Trip
July 25
Pictures
Where: (see the July newsletter)
Time: 9am
Land owner: Private mining claim
To Collect: Amethyst and Clear Quartz
Leader: Alan Platt
Approximately: 100 miles from downtown Denver to the meeting place
Fee or Donation: none
Health Hazards: Sun, weather, wildlife
Terrain: Mountainous; pine trees
Difficulty: Short walk (1/4 mile or less) to claim down hill.
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. 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.
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Last Chance Mine, CO Trip
July 31 - August 2
Days: Friday, Saturday and Sunday
Where: (see the July newsletter)
Time: 10am Saturday
Land owner: The mine is private property (Jack Morris is the owner)
To Collect: Amethyst, sowbelly agate and sulfides
Leader: Bob Berry
Approximately: 6 hours from Denver
Fee or Donation: $2.00/pound of material at the Last Chance Mine
Health Hazards: Old mine dump conditions (e.g. boulders, old timbers, rusty metal, etc.)
Terrain: Mountains
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
Elevation: ~11,000 feet
Vehicle Suggested: Any
Equipment Suggested: Pick, rock hammer, chisels, scratcher, prybar and something to hold your specimens.
Camping: Various places near Creede and South Fork. 2 small cabins at the mine site will be available for our use. Contract the trip leader for details and availability.
Water: Not available at the mine; available in cabins.
Nearest Town for Supplies: 5 miles away in Creede
Nearest Motel is in: Creede or South Fork
Additional Comments: Everyone can go to the FREE Mineral County Rock & Mineral Show on Friday and evenings. We will only be allowed to collect at certain spots on the dumps.
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House Log Creek, CO Trip
August 1 - 2
Pictures
Where: (see the July newsletter)
Time: 9am Saturday
Land owner: Public property
To Collect: Geodes/Thunder-eggs
Leader: Dan and Vicki Aber
Approximately: ?? hours from Denver (contact the trip leaders)
Fee or Donation: None
Health Hazards: Heat; sunburn; mosquitos and ticks
Terrain: Mountains
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
Elevation: ~9,000 feet
Vehicle Suggested: Any; 4WD vehicle not required
Equipment Suggested: Shovel, pick, rock hammer and collecting bags.
Camping: At the site hopefully. Forest Service Land, dispersed camping.
Water: Not available; bring PLENTY of water.
Nearest Town for Supplies: Saguache
Nearest Motel is in: Alamosa
Additional Comments: No facilities at camp site.
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Hartsel, CO Trip
August 22
Pictures
Where: (see the August newsletter)
Time: 9am
Land owner: Private mining claim
To Collect: Barite crystals
Leader: Bob Loeffler
Approximately: ?? hours from Denver (contact the trip leaders)
Fee or Donation: None
Health Hazards: Heat; sunburn; ???
Terrain: Barren hills; grasslands
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation: ~?? feet
Vehicle Suggested: Any
Equipment Suggested: Pick, shovel, rock hammer and something to hold your specimens; tissue paper (or TP) and cardboard flats are good for fragile specimens.
Camping: None
Water: Not available; bring PLENTY of water.
Nearest Town for Supplies: Hartsel
Nearest Motel is in: ???
Additional Comments: No facilities at camp site.
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Mt. Antero, CO Trip
September 5 - 7 (Labor Day weekend)
Where: (see the August newsletter)
Time: ?? am
Land owner: private claims on National Forest Service land
To Collect: Aquamarine, Fluorite, Phenakite and Smoky Quartz
Leader: TBA
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.
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Yellow Cat and Cisco, Utah Trip
October 3 - 4 (CANCELLED)
Where: (see details in September newsletter)
Time: 12 noon on Saturday
Land owner: BLM land
To Collect: Agates, petrified wood, barite pseudo morphs
Leader: Dale Gann
Fee or Donation: None
Health Hazards: Desert conditions (can be hot, cold and/or windy); scorpions and bugs; possible rattlesnakes; sunburn.
Terrain: Barren, rocky desert mountains. Remote and arid.
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
Elevation: ~4,000 ft
Vehicle Suggested: Any vehicle can get to the camp site. A high clearance vehicle is needed to get to some of the more remote sites.
Equipment Suggested: Shovel, rock pick, rock hammer, prybar, chisels, scratcher and something to hold your collected specimens.
Camping: Dry camp near collecting areas
Water: Bring all you will need. The closest water is 50+ miles away.
Nearest Town for Supplies: Moab, UT and Green River, UT both about 50 miles away. There is a gas station on I-70 at Thompson Springs.
Nearest Motel is in: Moab, UT
Additional Comments: We are going to dry camp at the site shown on the map, but no facilities. We will have a "Porto-Dale" for everyone to use. Bring plenty of water, ice and fuel because it's a long drive to the store. The Yellow Cat-Cisco area has many collecting possibilities. Each mesa has a different color agate. Some hiking is necessary to reach the best spots, but specimens can be found close to roads. We will meet at the camp site and head out from there after lunch. Look for the Yellow Rock signs, they will point the way.
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Harris Park, CO Trip
October 10
Days: Saturday
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.
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Book Cliffs (Grand Junction, CO) Trip #2
October 10-11
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.
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