Editor’s Message

Hello Rockhounds,

The end of May definitely snuck up on me, and I apologize for the late arrival of your newsletter! I hope your Memorial Day was enjoyable.

I look forward to hearing how the Memorial Day campout with the miner’s club went. For any that attended, perhaps you could provide an article for the newsletter? Pictures? It sounded like a fun event to attend.

The dig in Kalama for carnelian and crystals was fun and very well-organized. There was quite a large group of attendees from many different clubs, and most of them were camping Saturday night at the RV park in Kalama. It sounded like they had a great potluck/barbecue planned, as well as a big breakfast on Sunday, also. Zachary and I had a good time, and the weather cooperated even though it was very muddy from the previous days of rain. We didn’t find any major treasures, but saw others dig up a few. We tramped around the woods and picked and poked and dug a bit and just had a really good day together. We topped it off with a milkshake in Kalama before heading home. We didn’t go on Sunday, as I was starting a new job on Monday and figured we needed a day at home to do some housework and relax before a stressful week.

Please help by submitting articles, poems, artwork, and photographs for the newsletter. You can submit items electronically to me at sunshynnn@comcast.net, or contact me at the meetings (or by phone at 503.881.4373).

See you at the meeting,

Janine Owens, WAMS Bulletin Editor

How Can I Help?
- submitted by Ted Silver

I hear so many of you asking that question. Here are some answers. Stamps! Bring in your cancelled postage stamps. They're sold by the Northwest Federation and the money helps fund cancer research. Newspapers! Your recyclable newspapers help fund the Salem Senior Center. Toss 'em in the big blue bin outside, drop 'em by one of the collection barrels inside or just toss 'em in the back of my truck. Aluminum pull tabs! There's a collection bin by the pop machine or you can bag 'em and give them to me. Proceeds are used to fund kidney dialysis. Worthy causes, all!

Upcoming NW Shows
June 3-5 Puyallup Valley Gem & Mineral Club
Puyallup, WA
June 17-19 Oregon Coast Agate Club
Newport, OR
June 17-19 Deschutes County
Redmond, OR
June 23-26 Prineville Rockhound
Prineville, OR
June 29-July 3 All Rockhound Pow Wow
Madras, OR
July 1-4 Roundup of Gems
Sisters, OR
July 7-10 Rock Rustlers
Cascade Locks, OR

August 5th -7th Oregon Treasure Trails - NW Federation Show hosted by Willamette Agate and Mineral Society - Albany OR

Northwest Federation Show Report - submitted by Janice Van Cura

The show will be here before we know it. The committee is meeting monthly now. We meet at the senior center on the third Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. Anyone who is interested is welcome to come. We are beginning to sign people up to help during the show. We are getting support from several of the local area clubs, in addition to our own club members to work during the show. If you have a time or area that you particularly want to help with contact Katy Bayless to get signed up, before your choice spot is taken by someone else. We will need people for set up and take down, along with ticket sales, silent auction, etc. during the show. If you have not sent in your display application yet, please do so soon. We need to know how many display cases and bases to round up. We are shooting for 200 displays and have over a hundred currently. We do not want any of our club members to miss out on the opportunity because they signed up too late and we don't have a case available for them. Same is true if you plan to go to the banquet; there is limited seating and it will probably sell out before the show opens. We will have some great special displays at the show that you won't want to miss. I don't want to spoil the surprise so you will just have to come see. Hope to see all of you at the show.

Swiss Cheese? - submitted by Ray Plummer

Each of the new cases has 142 holes drilled in them, for a total of 5,680 holes total in all 40 cases. That’s not including the 10 cases that were taken apart after they were assembled and re-cut then re-drilled or counting the replacing of the three bottom door brackets with heavier material.

Minutes from May 5 General Meeting
- submitted by Chuck Hunt

Meeting called to order at 6:35 p.m. by President Kit Leshk. Introduction of guests. There were 77 members and guests.

Jennifer Ferrell was announced as the new leader of the Junior Programs.

Show and Tell: “A” there were a lot of agates, arrowheads, Ashwood Thundereggs, Ammonites, Amber, Angel Wing, etc.

Program: Janice VanCura spoke about the difference between competitive and non-competitive cases. She also spoke about how strict the judging and the Uniform Rules can be as an aid for you to see how to improve your case or material. She advised that each case starts off with 100 points and deductions for errors reduces that total to your final score.

WAMS had 17 schools sign up and come to the Show this year. Two of those schools wrote letters about how great the show was. Kit read a few of them to the membership.

Field trip chairperson Kristi Edwards spoke about the field trip over Memorial Day weekend with the Northwest Mineral Prospectors Club. Mount Hood Club would like to share some field trips. Check the newsletter for additional information.

BREAK

The Executive Board met during the break and voted to accept new member applications of Janet Todd, Tom Decker, James and Diane Smith. Motion made and seconded to accept the new applicants and to present to the membership. Approved.

Motion made and seconded to approve up to $500.00 to purchase fabric for the new cases. Approved. Motion made and seconded to approve up to $500.00 for glass, hardware, Styrofoam, duct tape, and additional supplies above the initial $4000.00. Approved.

Business Meeting called to order.

First item of discussion was the fact WAMS needs a First Aid Kit for the show in the future as stated in the executive minutes.

A great big “thank you” to Dave and Rosemary Giesfinger for filling Gary Buss’ space at the show.

Federation Show information presented by Janice Van Cura.

Field trips already covered above and look in WAMS Rockhound Ramblings for more information.

Federation Report: Dexter Leonard absent. It was reported elsewhere that WAMS has the highest total membership in six western states.

Secretary’s Report: Motion made and seconded to approve the minutes as printed in the newsletter. Approved

Treasurer Report: Motion made and seconded to accept the treasurer’s report as read. Approved. Motion made and seconded to pay bills in hand. Approved.

Motion made and seconded to approve spending up to $200.00 on supplies by George Goetzelman for the badge maker. Approved.

Motion made and seconded to accept new members Janet Todd, Tom Decker, James and Diane Smith. Approved.

Refreshments for June will be provided by Joe Van Cura, Jennifer Ferrell, and a mystery guest. The letter for rocks, stones and gems for June is “B”.

Meeting adjourned at 9:00 p.m.

Minutes from May 16 Board Meeting
- submitted by Chuck Hunt

The meeting was called to order by Aaron Currier at 7:05 p.m. Members present were Aaron Currier, Dan Groah, Ray Plummer, Theresa Byrne, Tom Beaty, Chuck Hunt, Janine Owens and Dexter Leonard.
[“May 16 Minutes” continued on Page 5]
[“May 16 Minutes” continued from Page 4]
Members absent were Kit Leshk, Bob Harrison, Don Miller, and Chris Wissinger. Guests were Linda Groah and Zach Abbas.

Treasurer's report: The income for the 2005 Gem Show, with bills still coming in, is a bit off from 2004.

An idea was discussed for next year’s show. Purchase the raffle prizes, from the dealers just prior to the show and pay full price and do not ask for donations.

Volunteer Coordinator: Make sure that all of the committee heads have notebooks on procedures and problem areas. The books are to be returned to the Volunteer Coordinator after the show.

Ray Plummer reported on the progress on construction of the club’s new cases. They are finished for the most part except installing the hasps and some additional hardware.

The present problem is storing the cases, 40 new ones and additional 20+ restored cases. They can be stored at Ray and Mary Haslebacher’s, Jim Bennett’s and Tom Robertson’s, but after the Federation Show we may have to look into another idea for storing them.

The lighting in our old cases is out of code and needs to be repaired. No estimates as of yet. Will need to replace and bring our old cases up to code for the Federation Show.

Federation dealer info from Linda Groah: 38 confirmed dealers, with 28 paid in full and the additional 10 are due between now and June 1.

Members at Large: We will have an opening with Chris Wissinger’s reluctant resignation due to increases in his work hours.

Motion made and seconded to approve up to $300.00 to rewired 40 of our old cases for lighting to bring them up to code. Approved.

Motion made and seconded to pay up to $16.00 for work party lunches. Approved.

Motion made and seconded to pay a bill for $1.50 to Ray Plummer for copies of Federation applications for display cases. (He had other bills but he forgot them at home.)

After a lengthy discussion about paying mileage for lengthy trips made for the club, the following motion was made. Motion made and seconded that the club will allow mileage reimbursement up to the rate allowed by the Federal Government. Approved. Exceptions: Not to include a 20 mile radius of Salem or trips to Albany and Rickreall. Any mileage can be reimbursed if approved, but not including Albany.

Meeting adjourned at 8:55 p.m.

Lapidary Shop Update - submitted by Ted Silver

With the approach of summer, we're experiencing the usual slowdown in lapidary shop visits. This sometimes becomes a problem for supervisors who must close the shop after 30 minutes if no participants come in (shop rules prevent anyone from working alone in the shop). To avoid unnecessary trips to the shop, we're reverting to our policy of reserving time in the shop. Anyone who wishes to access the shop is asked to please notify the respective supervisor of their intended visit. Monday call Ted Silver, Tuesday call Steve Lawrence, Thursday call Gene Gangle. Any questions or problems call Ted Silver.

Rattled Rockhound? - submitted by Chuck Hunt

As for the request from our illustrious editor of, “Rockhound Rumblings”, I shall add one more story that comes to mind. We were up on the Upper Applegate River near Copper, which was a small place with gas and groceries (now underwater from the Applegate Lake) south of Jacksonville. We were looking for some of that famous “Applegate Jade”. Barb found a good 20-pound boulder for me to lug up to the VW van. Since there were many gold claims posted in the area we were careful where we looked and made a very pointed search so that those prospectors knew we were not trying to get to any of their gold. After we got a couple more pieces we decided to look for cones for one of the kids’ art project. We went further up into the mountains of Southern Oregon and found some. My son, Chris, and I were walking down the road, with Barb and Trina coasting in the van when all of a sudden Trina is hollering at me to come back up the road. She is telling me that her mother wanted her to pick up this beautiful stick along side of the road. Trina is telling me that the stick is a snake. Well, I had to go and see for myself. I thought at first it sure was a beautifully painted little stick, about six inches long. So I sauntered over to it. I took my entrenching tool and rolled it over on its back. I said, “The thing must be dead.” About that time, it rolled back over on its belly, snapped into a coil and made like to say, “Bring it on, Bubba!” The ground was so hard and dry I did not kill it, since I couldn’t bury it, but dumped it over the side of the cliff. I think to this day there is a 20-foot rattler up there just waiting for me to come back for another go. And, Trina still tells the story about the time her mother wanted her to pick up a baby rattler!
Update on Display Cases
- submitted by Ray Plummer

The new display cases are about 98% ready for the upcoming Federation Show. Boy, do they look nice! The case part is all assembled, the glass fronts are all finished and assembled and all that needs to be done is putting on the hasps and hooks and eyes. Also, we may paint the inside of the cases with a sealer to help resist moisture. The lights are complete and stored in the trailer at Rickreall.

Susan Robertson is in charge of getting the liners ready and needs some help cutting and pressing the material. Tom Robertson is working on getting the cardboard and the styrofoam cut for the liners. At some point we will need to have a work party to cover the styrofoam and cardboard with the material. If you can help cut and iron the material, call Susan at 503-363-9678.

I would like to thank everyone who has helped work on the cases; without these people, the cases wouldn’t have been finished in time. Don Miller, for all his work in getting and cutting the wood, and getting things started. Wayne Chesley, Terry Kramer, Bob Watkins, Tom Beaty, Tom Robertson, Bob Harrison, Don Esch, Steve Lawrence, Ted Silver, Bill Jacobi, Theresa Byrne, Danny Groah, and Bob Strayer for all the help in assembly, cutting, advice, and general camaraderie during the marathon work parties to get them finished. I hope I haven't forgotten anyone; if so, you can beat me with a wet noodle, and I sincerely apologize.

Rockhounding Adventures Made Better with a Map

This article appeared in the January 2005 issue of the Powell Butte View. Written by Dhyana Kearly publisher. It can also be viewed at their website at http://www.thepowellbutteview.com

Spending your weekend traveling about Central Oregon's bumpy back country roads in pursuit of the perfect rock may not be everyone's idea of a good time. But for hundreds, if not thousands of rockhounders from all across the U.S. (and sometimes from other countries), Crook County is one of the places that draws them the most.

Like all outdoor sports, first having an idea of what to look for, then knowing where you’re going and how to get there, are key points to getting the most out of the experience. For those who may not be savvy to the popular treks for rock collecting, the Prineville District BLM, Ochoco National Forest and the Prineville-Crook County Chamber of Commerce offer a comprehensive map just for rockhounders. All three of these organizations joined in a partnership agreement to produce an attractive Central Oregon Rockhounding Map, readily available through each organization and at other locations around town.

Local rock and mineral deposits have been sought after in one form or another for well over a century, likely starting out with gold and cinnabar or mercury ore mines of the Ochoco and Maury Mountains. According to the BLM Website on rock hounding, a wide variety of rocks, minerals and semi-precious gemstones are still available for collecting on 16 million acres of BLM-administered lands in Oregon and Washington. Most BLM lands are open to rock collecting and some areas, such as the Glass Buttes obsidian area in the Prineville District and a public sunstone area in the Lakeview District, have been specifically set aside for this purpose. Collectors are advised that there are some restrictions and a BLM permit may be required, depending on the amount of material collected, how it is collected, where or when the collecting is done, and whether the material will be used commercially.

History tells us that in the fall of 1871 gold was first discovered in the Ochocos on Scissors Creek by a fellow known as Preacher Mansfield. Early in 1872, Mansfield began development on Scissors Creek and soon Howard Mining District (and a community of the same name) was born. Directly thereafter a whole slew of mining operations popped up all over the mountain. These claims, known as the Ochoco Mines, pulled many tons of gold-bearing ore from the earth over a period of about 30 years. Some decades later, in the glory days of polishing and faceting, Crook County rightly earned the reputation as a rockhounder's paradise with local enthusiasts taking the sport quite seriously. Many an old-timer spent long summers scouring the hillsides, digging pits in the earth or blasting holes in cliff faces in pursuit of specimens. Mineral finds of the time, generally from private lands and mining claims, were polished or faceted in backyard shops and offered at annual rock shows and through mom-and-pop rock shops. Rockhounding has changed very little over the years though popularity certainly wavered since its heyday. But today, things are changing, as a whole new generation discovers the wonders of hounding for rocks.

Digging into the past, one rock at a time – Photo credit to Dyanha Kearly

After a period of decline, popularity for rockhounding seems to be growing once again in Crook County, drawing perhaps several thousand visitors each year. Who are the 'new rockhounders'? According to Bureau of Land Management's geologist Ryan Franklin, rock-hounding is appealing to a much younger crowd. "Until recently, there seemed to be relatively few young people in the hobby, but that may be changing now," Franklin says. "Members of the Willamette Agate and Mineral Society (WAMS) recently told me they've seen a rise in their membership and many of these new members are young adults, some are kids."

BLM's Prineville District features more than 50 percent of all rockhounding sites in Oregon and Washington. Many areas are open to public access and are managed by the Ochoco National Forest and BLM. But, bear in mind that all rockhound collections sites are for personal use only, not for commercial resale. Rock collecting, as applied to petrified wood, is limited to 25 pounds (plus one rock) per day or 250 pounds on a yearly basis. Among the riches offered up by our Ochoco and Maury Mountains, as well as nearby BLM, lands are the ever popular thunder eggs, rich assortments of agates, petrified wood, obsidian, jasper and limb casts. Franklin, instrumental for collecting and compiling the new Central Oregon Rockhounding Map's information and colorful photos, says the geology throughout this area is conducive for finding a wide variety of gemstone specimens. With a thought to the future, the map contains only those sites that sport an abundance of material, not likely to be over-picked anytime soon. "The sites we chose for this map were really unique in regards to the highly concentrated deposits with the greatest abundance of material and/or for having an exceptional variety of material," he explains. Novice visitors to some of these sites might be surprised by all of the open pits and holes they encounter. "BLM and Forest Service regulations allow rockhounds to use hand tools such as rock hammers, rock picks, shovels, and pry bars to aid in the collection of rocks," Franklin says adding that compared to mining operations, the amount of disturbance caused by rockhounds digging with hand tools is usually minor. Rockhounders should also be aware that the use of explosives or mechanized equipment such as backhoes, bulldozers, or jackhammers is not allowed on public lands.

One of the more popular sites, the Limb Casts area, is shown on the Central Oregon Rockhounding map located just 55 miles east of Prineville along the south fork of the Crooked River. Explaining how a limb cast is formed Franklin says that during the earth's more recent geologically formative years, rich tropical forests covered the area. At one point whole trees were buried by massive mudflows, caused by surrounding volcanic activity. Over time, the tree’s wood material eventually decayed, leaving perfect molds of tree limbs and roots. These forms filled with quartz and other minerals producing some very beautiful agates in the shape of tree limbs.

To find limb casts it is necessary to dig a little, as they tend to lie below the surface at an average depth of 18 inches. They are also occasionally found in streams and on the surface, though not as frequently as they used to be. There are two locations where you can find limb casts on the South Fork of the Crooked River.

To get there, follow Hwy 380 (Combs Flat Road headed toward Paulina) to mile post 51, turn right on Congleton Hollow Road. After 3.9 miles take a left on the road and proceed 0.4 miles, and park. To get to the next site, travel another 0.3 miles on Congleton Hollow Road to a turnout, just past the concrete bridge. Here material can be found on both sides of the road. The last site can be found by taking the left fork of the road just past the turnout. Follow it 0.4 miles to the top of the hill, and you're there. Part of the South Fork area is a BLM wilderness study area and vehicle use is restricted to the designated routes.

Another frequently visited site is in the Maury Mountain area, managed by the Ochoco National Forest hosts. Here an entire mountain top of agate beds are located. The agate found at this site is of the moss variety with angel wing and plume found throughout. The moss reportedly appears in gold, green, red and many combination shades. To get there go east on Hwy 380 (Combs Flat Road) to milepost 33. Turn right across the bridge on Road 16 for about 5 miles, crossing the Ochoco National Forest boundary. Turn right on Road 1680 (Drake Butte Road), travel about 2 miles. Turn right on Road 1690 and follow to parking area. Rock hammers, picks and shovels are needed as only scarce pickins litter the surface.

BLM manages the Bear Creek area where at least a couple huge logs of petrified wood can be found buried underground, exposed by years of digging. Crook County's own petrified wood forest, beautifully agatized specimens can also be found on the surface in this area. From Prineville, proceed south on Highway 27 (Main Street) about 33 miles south to Bear Creek road, beyond Roberts and Little Bear Creek Roads. Turn left for 5.2 miles. Turn off a primitive road to left just before fence. At 0.1 miles the road forks, proceed through the gate and bear right (or park your vehicle on the road 3/4 miles to the east and travel north along the west side of the fence) for .02 miles to the next fork where you take a right a half mile to the first collection site. Take rock hammers, picks and shovels for best results and be respectful of private lands in the vicinity.

BLM's Eagle Rock site hosts agate, dendrites, moss agate and sometimes angel wing. To get there take Highway 380 (Combs Flat Road) 14.5 to milepost 14, to monolith on right. Turn right at about 100 feet and left past the cattle guard. Follow the road one mile and keep to the right. Continue 0.4 miles to the next split in the road and left. Park at the base of the hill. You can follow the road about a quarter mile to the collection site. Here you'll need rock hammers, picks and shovels. Diggings are mostly at the base of the rim. Beautiful float found from mountain skirt are found at the base of rim rock to the flat below. With a little hard digging rockhounds can find agate with rhyolite.

And finally, who hasn't been to Glass Butte where an abundance of gold, silver and rainbow sheen obsidian can be found literally littering the ground? Take U.S. 20 between Bend and Burns to milepost 77 (13 miles past Hampton) turn south on Obsidian Road. Traveling for about two miles of rugged, rutty road will bring you to an area with many diggings. There are private claims throughout this area, but open BLM lands surround these claims. Obsidian lies all over the ground so digging is optional but you can explore different areas for different varieties of obsidian (midnight lace, black, pumpkin, mahogany and fire obsidian). Resist the temptation to go off-road as obsidian can cut tires.

Although we've highlighted only a few of the popular sites available to rockhounds, many more exist. Some such as the North Ochoco Reservoir site are only a few minutes drive from town. No matter how you choose to rockhound, safe digging practices should be practiced. Beware not to undermine the root systems of trees, dig tunnels or dig holes with vertical walls exceeding four feet in height or depth. This is because undermined trees may fall, tunnels may cave in, or vertical walls may collapse on the digger. Rockhounders are also reminded that they are digging at their own risk and are responsible for their own safety. Gloves and safety glasses are also essential equipment for safely striking rocks with tools. To learn more drop by the BLM office on Third Street. A visit with Ryan Franklin will prove most informative. For best rockhounding results be sure to pick up the latest rockhounding map from the Prineville-Crook County Chamber of Commerce, BLM or the Forest Service.

Safety First – Safety Rules for Field Trips - by Bill Klose, AFMS Safety Chair

Field trip season is upon us and we need to pause and review appropriate safety rules. Field trip leaders need to review these rules before every field trip.

1. Never go on a field trip alone. Have someone along who can help or summon help if necessary. Make sure someone knows where you have gone and when you will return. Carry a cell phone with spare battery to expedite your communications. Call someone if you are going to change your routine or are going to be late. Should you leave a field trip early, notify the person in charge.

2. Should there be children on the field trip, have them within sight or talking distance at all times. A child could not only become lost, but could encounter a snake, scorpion, etc., or have an accident of some sort.

3. Do not collect directly above or below other people or below unstable rock piles, cliff walls or overhangs where there may be danger of falling rock.

4. Park so that all cars can get out. Do not block the roadway. Do not drive cars, SUV’s, or RV’s, such as “4 wheelers”, across fields to avoid damaging property, setting grass fires with catalytic converters or damaging the vehicle. Do not drive across or walk on newly planted or cultivated fields without special permission.

5. Have your vehicle in proper working order with appropriate emergency equipment and supplies as outlined in last months Safety First article.

6. Make sure that all fires are completely out and wet down the ashes with water, stir to make sure there are not any buried embers and then smother completely with dirt. Adhere to local fire regulations and warnings.

7. Break all matches and shred all cigarettes before discarding and be careful where they are disposed of. Take them with you rather than leaving them as litter.

8. Do not throw rocks or engage in “horse play” and do not allow children to do so.

9. Do not over exert or stay in the direct sunlight or heat too long. Take a rest in the shade from time to time and drink plenty of electrolyte replacing fluids, such as sports drinks. Properly wear appropriate safety equipment, sunscreen, and clothing.

10. Avoid old mine tunnels. Never go into a mine alone. Carry a flashlight and a candle with you. Carbon dioxide or other gases, such as methane, may be present. There may even be a lack of Oxygen. Mines are also havens for snakes, scorpions, spiders, rodents and their feces which can carry disease. Mines also may contain uncovered shafts and pits. Also be extremely cautious around abandoned buildings. You may stumble into old deep wells or cesspools not properly covered.

11. Respect property rights and signs. Obtain permission to enter property if owned by private individuals or corporations. Attend Company safety briefings required by OSHA and sign releases. Pay attention to and practice the Companies safety policies. Adhere to government regulations and restrictions if collecting on public lands or parks. Pay any collecting fees required and do not exceed collecting limits where established.

12. Inquire if there are any dangerous animals on the property. Close all gates you open.

13. Refill any holes you dig so people or animals will not fall in. Do not dump dirt or other debris into streams.

14. Respect another’s diggings. If a person has left for lunch or for any other reason with the intent of returning, and has left a pick, coat, or definite marker, find another spot.

15. Leave any place in good condition. Don’t leave paper, cans, and other litter lying around to mar the beauty of the place, and to tell others that you have been there. Take your litter with you, do not bury it.

16. Never eat wild berries or anything else unless you are absolutely sure they are safe. Carry bottled water or other drinks and do not drink from streams or wells that have not been recently tested.

17. Be able to recognize poison ivy, poison oak, etc. Should there be any doubt, don’t tough.

18. Always be alert for snakes, scorpions, ticks, spiders, rodent infestations, etc. Be very careful where you place your hands and feet.

19. Bring and properly use the appropriate well maintained and inspected tools. Don’t expect others to provide tools for you.

20. Use proper lifting and carrying techniques to bring home your finds. Do not overload your vehicle.

Many of these safety rules are covered in greater detail in the AFMS Safety Manual and on the AFMS web site. Have a safe field trip season in 2005.

What’s Rocking?

WAMS General Meeting
Thursday
June 2 – 6:30 p.m.
Salem Senior Center
1055 Erixon St. N.E., Salem
Guests Welcome!

June Program
Meet Your Executive Board

June Show and Tell
Bring rocks/minerals/gems beginning with the letter ‘B’ for Show & Tell