Fieldtrip report:
Fieldtrip to Washington State
By Denney Lawing
June 2004___________________
Hi to all, finally have time to set down and give a report on my trip to Washington and meeting with Basketweaverz and husband. We plan out trip for tuesday to collect. Basketweaverz and husband drove 80 miles from there home to meet us at our hotel. After meeting and talking a little off we went to collect some minerals. We went south for a while then we got on the road to Puget Sound. We drove for about an hour and stop to get something to eat just before going to the quarry. After eating we were off to the quarry. We were told we would have to walk about a half mile in because of a gate. Went we got to the road to the quarry the gate was open and we were able to drive right to the quarry. The quarry people were getting some material for road work and said it was ok to collect. This was one of the smallest quarries I have ever been to but it was one that produce a lot of specimens. It did not take long and we sterted to find Natrolite specimens. You looked for what I was told were pillow of basalt (Lava ? ). You would look for round tops and break them open and in a lot their was the Natrolite. We found about twenty to thirty specimens in only a couple hours. We also met up with Bob a friend of Basketweaverz who was the person who had is collection stolen while he was over in Iraq. What a shame. We also found Analcime and Calcite. After we wrap our specimens we were off to site see Puget Sound and we road a ferry back to northern Settle and ate dinner. We have a very good day and as for Basketweaverz and her hsuband they are great people and I hope in the future we will be able to get together again either in Washington or here back home in Charlotte.
Here are a few photos of the quarry and one mineral specimen. I will post more photos as soon as I get the minerals here. Basketweaverz is shipping them for me back here in Charlotte. Just one more nice thing that Basketweaverz is doing.
The first thing I saw as we enter the quarry.
The name of the quarry is Robinson. This Bob the man who had his minerals stolen. He is a hard core collector and very good rockhound.
Here Basketweaver and husband and my wife packing up minerals just before we were leaving.
One of the Natrolite we found. It was a one inch Natrolite ball. Very nice. I thought I would show a few photos of the Olympic mountians close to the quarry. This should make all of you up in the mountians if you would go there think you were home. . . .
Hope you like the photos. Riviera
