Try our NEW Calendar System (click me)!
For old trips (1997 - present), please see our Field Trip Archives page.
Index:
| April 23 - 24 | Jet, Oklahoma Trip | |
| May 7 - 8 | Book Cliffs, CO Trip #1 | |
| July 30 - 31 | Mt. Antero (Nathrop, CO) Trip #1 | |
| August 13 | Glen Cove (Cascade, CO) | |
| August 20 - 21 | Spruce Grove/Tarryall Mtns., CO Trip | |
| September 3 - 5 (Labor Day weekend) | Mt. Antero (Nathrop, CO) Trip #2 | |
| September 24 | Hartsel, CO | |
| October 15 | Elizabeth, CO (petrified wood) |
Jet/Cherokee, OK Trip
April 23 - 24
Days: Saturday and Sunday
Where: (contact the trip leader for details)
Time: (contact the trip leader for details)
Land owner: Public
To Collect: Selenite crystals
Leader: Don Beamer (RAMS Club)
Approximately: (contact the trip leader for details)
Fee or Donation: (contact the trip leader for details)
Health Hazards: (contact the trip leader for details)
Terrain: Flat, dried up lake; no trees
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation: (contact the trip leader for details)
Vehicle Suggested: Any
Equipment Suggested: (contact the trip leader for details)
Camping: (contact the trip leader for details)
Water: (contact the trip leader for details)
Nearest Town for Supplies: (contact the trip leader for details)
Nearest Motel is in: (contact the trip leader for details)
Additional Comments: (contact the trip leader for details)
BACK TO TOP
Book Cliffs, CO Trip
May 7 - 8
Days: Saturday and Sunday
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.
BACK TO TOP
Mt. Antero, CO Trip #1
July 30 - 31
Where: (see the July 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: High 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 (almost a 30 minute bumpy drive)
Water: Not available (bring plenty of your own)
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
Glen Cove (Cascade, CO) Trip
August 13
Where: (see the August newsletter)
Time: (see the August newsletter)
Land owner: National Forest Service
To Collect: Topaz and Smoky Quartz
Leader: Eldon Hunewell
Approximately: 2.5 hours from Denver
Fee or Donation: $12 per person to drive up the Pikes Peak Highway toll road
Health Hazards: Falling rocks and loose talus (it's next to a very tall cliff); sunburn; afternoon lightning storms; rain
Terrain: Rocky mountains and cliffs; pine and aspen trees
Difficulty: Moderate to Extreme
Elevation: 11,400 ft!!!
Vehicle Suggested: Any
Equipment Suggested: Pick, rock hammer, crack hammer, chisels, screen, small prybar, scratcher and something to hold your collected specimens.
Camping: n/a
Water: might be available at gift shop near collecting area
Nearest Town for Supplies: Cascade, CO
Nearest Motel is in: Cascade, CO or Woodland Park, CO
Additional Comments: Located on Pikes Peak, Glen Cove is one of North America’s highest gemstone localities. Perhaps most famous for topaz of exceptional quality, the Cove still produces smoky quartz and there is the odd bit of amazonite. It is a classic locality, well worth visiting. Most pockets found at the Cove have been in the cliffs, worked by intrepid folks rappelling down the face. But good specimens can still be found in the talus below as the crystals can weather out of the cliffs.
BACK TO TOP
Spruce Grove/Tarryall Mtns., CO Trip
August 20 - 21
Where: (see the August newsletter)
Time: (see the August newsletter)
Land owner: National Forest Service
To Collect: Topaz, Smoky Quartz, Microcline Feldspar and Fluorite
Leader: Kevin and K.C. Larsen
Approximately: 2 hours from Denver
Fee or Donation: $11.00 per night if camping at the campground (subject to change without notice)
Health Hazards: Mosquitos!!!
Terrain: Rocky mountains and hills; pine and aspen trees
Difficulty: Moderate to Extreme
Elevation: ~8700 ft
Vehicle Suggested: Any to the campground; 4WD or High clearance to drive to the "shortcut" (to wade across the river)
Equipment Suggested: Shovel, pick, hammer, prybar, screen and something to hold your specimens.
Camping: at the Spruce Grove Campground; 1 1/4 miles from collecting site.
Water: Well water available at campground
Nearest Town for Supplies: Lake George, CO (15 miles away)
Nearest Motel is in: Lake George, CO (15 miles away)
Additional Comments: Paved road to campground; usually has potholes. We will wade across the river to cut the hiking time in half. Depends on how deep the river is. If it's too deep, we will hike 1 1/4 mile over moderate to difficult terrain to collecting site. One or two steep hills. Toilets available at the campground. Bring mosquito repellant! Digging will be on the "Lost Boot" mining claim.
BACK TO TOP
Mt. Antero, CO Trip #2
September 3 - 5 (Labor Day weekend)
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: Jim Hall (Bob Loeffler can't lead the trip)
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: High 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 (almost a 30 minute bumpy drive)
Water: Not available (bring plenty of your own)
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 rocky roads that can have potholes more than a foot deep. This is not a trip for drivers who have not driven on mountain roads very much. Joint trip with other clubs.
BACK TO TOP
Hartsel, CO Trip
September 24
Days: Saturday
Where: (see the September newsletter)
Time: (see the September newsletter)
Land owner: Private mining claim
To Collect: Barite crystals
Leader: David and April Peters
Approximately: ?? hours from Denver (contact the trip leaders)
Fee or Donation: None
Health Hazards: Heat; sunburn; ???
Terrain: Barren hills; grasslands
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation: ~9100 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, CO
Nearest Motel is in: Fairplay, CO
Additional Comments: No facilities at digging site.
BACK TO TOP
Elizabeth, CO Trip
October 15
Where: (see the October newsletter)
Time: (see the October newsletter)
Land owner: TBA
To Collect: Petrified Wood
Leaders: Eldon Hunewell
Fee or Donation: None
Health Hazards: None
Terrain: TBA
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation: ~6400 ft
Vehicle Suggested: Any vehicle.
Equipment Suggested: Small shovel, pick and collecting bags or bucket.
Camping: N/A
Water: Can be purchased nearby, or bring your own.
Nearest Town for Supplies: Elizabeth, CO
Nearest Motel is in: N/A
Additional Comments: There will be a limit to the number of people who can go on this trip, so reserve your space quickly (North Jeffco club members only)! We may also go to one or two other locations for petrified wood because this location might not have much left. The trip leader will let you know if he has gained permission for other locations.
BACK TO TOP