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2008 Upcoming Field Trips:
Check back for upcoming trips
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2008 Previous Field Trips:
February 16-17, 2008
Saturday & Sunday
Newport
Moolack Beach and Lost Creek for Agates and Fossils
WAMS Coast Trip
February 16-17, 2008
Submitted by Emily Start
Did someone say agates and fossil? Those are the key words to use to get our club members to the Oregon Coast. The weekend of Feb 16-17 was our second coast club trip. Friday folks were on their own.
Bob Manley went to Scots Point from 68th street north of Newport. He headed north around Scotts Point and a sneaker wave caught him, but he got away. Last Friday another club member, Mylon Miller, had the same experience at Scotts Point. So we decided no to do that trip on Saturday with the club.
Joe and Emily Start met club members at Moolack Creek parking lot at noon on Saturday. Joe explained the fossils on that beach to about 12 club members that showed up. The sun was shining n us with the ever present wind that kept us bundled up.
Buckets in hand we spread out and got rewarded with agates and shell fossils. It was a minus tide (.1) at 2:51pm revealing the Astoria Formation and lots of rock showing. A rock hounds dream! North of Moolack Creek, Emily Start found a skull fossil, probably a seal skull. Joe found a large vertebra, near the same location that afternoon. Everyone was successful and smiling coming off the beach.
We then headed for 68th street to go to Schooner Creek south of Scotts Point. The parking was limited, lots of rock showing, but limited finds. A few agatized snail shells, but the Astoria Formation was completely exposed and very spectacular. It looked like large loafs of bread with flat tops. The low tide also exposed 2 beautiful cedar stumps washed away from a tidal wave 700 years ago (according to Bill Orr). The stumps were 15-20 feet across and undulating like a bunch of seals frozen in time.
Seven members gathered at 5:30 for Chinese food at a great new restaurant just north of Newport on 101. It is at the old location for Rocky Joes rock shop. The building is painted neon yellow with green trim. You can’t miss it.
Joe Van Cura and Barry Ward led about 12 members at Lost Creek. I think it should be renamed Found Creek! There were 70 people besides our club members there on Saturday and 100 plus people on Sunday. Everyone was happy as that location south of Newport continues to be very productive, mostly agate, including the very popular Newport Blues and some fossils too. Joe stayed over to Sunday and so had 2 days of fun at Lost (Found) Creek! That will put you in a good mood for sure. Sunday was .5 minus tide at 3:30pm. Ideal place for rock hounds.
Thank you, Newport. Thank you, Pacific Ocean for sharing your bounty with the WAMS club. We will return to the Oregon Coast another day.
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January 12-13, 2008
Saturday & Sunday
Newport for Agates and Fossils
Come for one day or two
Meet at Lost Creek south of Newport
2007 Previous Field Trips:
McDermitt Field Trip - September 27-30
Prineville Pow-Wow June 21st - 24th will be having field trips:
Friday - June 22: Maury Mtn. Moss Agate
Saturday - June 23: McDonalds Petrified Wood (Ashwood)
Sunday - June 24 - Paulina Limb Casts
Succor Creek
June 1st - 3rd
Call Tom Robertson or Joe Van Cura for more information.
COAST TRIP TO NEWPORT
Saturday, February 24th
Aaron Currier will be leading the trip.
Call him for additional information.
This is same weekend as Newport Seafood and Wine Festival so lodging is limited.
Some Links:
Oregon Park and Recreation Department:
City of Newport
2006 July 6 - 8. Succor Creek
Led by Tom Robertson & Joe Van Cura
June 9 - 11. Bear Creek
Led by Joe Van Cura
February 25th - COAST TRIP TO NEWPORT.
Some Links:
Oregon Park and Recreation Department:
City of Newport
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Due to extreme fire hazards the
Succor Creek Field Trip was cancelled.
for Sept. 16 - 18: Succor Creek, Eastern Oregon
This trip may be rescheduled for next year.
Succor Creek Web Links:
Oregon Parks and Recreation - Succor Creek State Natural Area
Eastern Oregon Visitors Assoc - Southeast Oregon Tour
Graveyard Point - General Information
Succor Creek, Leslie Gulch
Highlights include Succor Creek,a remote and beautiful desert canyon; Leslie Gulch, another canyon marked by towering redrock spires; and the upper end of Owyhee Reservoir, a spectacular rock gorge. Despite some washboarding, a couple of narrow spots along the creek, and a steep climb out of the canyon, the gravel road through Succor Creek Canyon to the hilltop above Leslie Gulch is wide, easy, and gravel. The road into Leslie Gulch is wide and gravel at the beginning and then steep and occasionally narrow for the last 3 miles, which run down the middle of a dry creek bed....
Thundereggs - Succor Creek
This deposit is in the far eastern part of Oregon almost on the border with Idaho. this was and is a very large deposit of Thundereggs. These thundereggs can get large as in excess of hundreds of pounds! But most are average sized up to grapefruit sized. Interesting specimens, but not much color. they are mostly a clear and white agate mix.
July 17: Ochoco Mountains for thundereggs
May 28 - 29: (Memorial Day weekend): Northwest Mineral Prospectors Club invites WAMS members to Quartzville Creek
Contact Kristi Edwards or Ray Plummer for additional details
June: Hart’s Mountain on a private claim (tentative)
May 14 - 15, 2005: Kalama/Green Mountain for carnelian
agate (limited number of attendees allowed; contact
Janine Owens for more information)
February 5 - 6, 2005: Oregon Coast Trip - Meet at Lost Creek, south of Newport on Saturday Morning. Many members will be staying over Saturday night for additional collecting on Sunday. Collecting at Moolack Beach and other areas possible.
September 11 - 12, 2004
McDermitt for wood, thundereggs and jasper [photo gallery]
Suggestions from Theresa B. for people taking this trip in the future: bring a camera, stop to admire the beautiful horses on the Indian reservation outside McDermitt, have plenty of coffee for the Burns-McDermitt drive (or plan on slapping yourself silly trying to stay awake) and stop at the Brothers rest stop on the way back - its heated!
August 14 - 15
Saddle Mountain, WA (south of Vantage) for petrified wood
In August we had another small group as Chris, Dan Groah, Ted and Gerri Silver and I headed over to Saddle Mountain, Washington for petrified wood. On Friday afternoon, Dan, Chris and I found ourselves digging in 106 degree heat. I do not recommend this. On Saturday we only dug until about 1:00 and then visited the Ginko Petrified Forest and a rock shop in Vantage. On Sunday Chris led us to a couple of thunderegg beds in Natches Washington. We only stayed long enough for each of us to get a sampling of the eggs, since we were on our way home.
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For more information comments or suggestions email info@wamsi.org.
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