tacomaguy
starting to shine!
Member since September 2006
Posts: 39
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Post by tacomaguy on Oct 7, 2006 12:54:41 GMT -5
Has anyone been to the areas in Lanny Reams book Gems and Minerals of Washington such as the South fork of the Newaukum River or Lucas Creek area. Or around Castle Rock/Toledo area. Also the Tenino/Rainier area. Im just thinking with my luck there will be a houseing development or Wal Mart there... LOL -Eric
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spacegold
has rocks in the head
Member since September 2006
Posts: 732
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Post by spacegold on Oct 7, 2006 13:33:38 GMT -5
I see you posting about collecting sites in Western Washington. It occurs to me that there might be some interesting rock close by on the local beaches, rivers, and gravel pits. Have you checked out the gravel bars on the Nisqually? The beaches both sides of the Narrows? I have seen gravelly creeks crossing I-5 north of Ft. Lewis.
If you want to go camping on the Oly Peninsula, there are several rivers that run into the Pacific north of Aberdeen, all gravelly, starting with the Hump, which I believe runs into Grays Harbor. It is gravelly in its upper reaches, as are the streams in the Chehalis system. The Satsop, Wynooche, Wishkah, and even the Chehalis come to mind. A road runs along about ten miles of the Quinault's gravelly reaches.
The beaches both sides of Puget sound and Hood Canal have a gravel zone at and above mean high water that must contain glacier and wave worn tumbling rock. Streams that empty into Puget Sound usually have a gravel fan or bar at the mouth. You might be very pleasantly surprised at what you can find by spending a few hours in a beachcomber suit.
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Post by xenaswolf on Oct 8, 2006 0:18:14 GMT -5
Spacemanspliff, a former co worker of mine lives in Tenino and used to find tons of carnelian in his yard and behind his house. I've been on the nisqually river and didn't find much, just some river rock, but its been awhile. Stuff could have washed down in the floods. I know there is tons of pet wood around Orting in the river there.
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tacomaguy
starting to shine!
Member since September 2006
Posts: 39
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Post by tacomaguy on Oct 8, 2006 11:51:10 GMT -5
Spacegold: I've tried on the Tacoma side of the Narrows, got some agate pebles but that was about it. I've got some nice rock out at the ocean beach near Westport, found a REALLY cool brown jasper w/quartz and gold colored banding out there. Also found some SMALL red and green jasper with banding there as well. I need to go check out the Nisqually area, sounds like a good place to check out. Up near Port Townsend ( Where i got the material for my first tumble batch ) i got some nice quarter size agates and some cool looking white and black rocks that took a really good polish. Xena: I'll have to go check out near Orting, i grew up in the Wilkeson and Boney Lake area when i was a kid. ( I remember when Boney Lake had a stop sign and a convenient store on highway 410 where all those strip malls are now lol ) Thanks both of you for the tips  Take care - Eric |
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polished
has rocks in the head
Member since February 2006
Posts: 567
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Post by polished on Oct 9, 2006 13:14:29 GMT -5
I find good beach rocks in Port Townsend, and also at Point no Point. The Hoh river is nice for larger rock, not a lot of agate there, but some very attractive rocks, to be sure.
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tacomaguy
starting to shine!
Member since September 2006
Posts: 39
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Post by tacomaguy on Oct 10, 2006 10:34:25 GMT -5
I read in the Roadside geology book ( WA ) that the Hoh river is a good place to go in the winter when the larger waves pull the sand off the beach and uncover the rocks. Im gonna go check it out this winter for sure! - Eric Going out toward Westport today for rocks with the wife and daughters, should be good stuff |
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spacegold
has rocks in the head
Member since September 2006
Posts: 732
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Post by spacegold on Oct 10, 2006 14:11:09 GMT -5
Check out the Humptulips and Quinalt as well.
I drove up to Foulweather Bluff, north of Hansville day before yesterday, out to the end of the road. Parked, got out and walked straight down to the water's edge to view a panorama I had not seen for about fifty years. In my path walking back up to the car, I picked up three pieces of reddish jasper. Looking right and left, I could see at least a dozen more within twenty feet of the way. Folks, just keep looking down.
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tacomaguy
starting to shine!
Member since September 2006
Posts: 39
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Post by tacomaguy on Oct 10, 2006 21:28:00 GMT -5
My trip was a TOTAL bust lol We had alot of fun, but the rocks were few and far between. I read that the rocks get exposed in the winter and covered in the summer, but i went to the same area in mid July and scored some NICE rocks... Oh well, there is always this winter. Did score some red jasper on a hillside near the beach and a few small jaspers. - Eric |
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tehpenguin
off to a rocking start
Member since March 2007
Posts: 5
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Post by tehpenguin on Apr 3, 2007 17:39:17 GMT -5
Considering I grew up in the Westport area (just south but I went to high school in Westport) I uh, know for sure that rockhounding the beaches is mostly futile. Specimens are, like you said, few and far between and you have to spend quite a bit of time to, maybe, find something.
You have a much better chance of finding neat beach flotsam than interesting rock specimens. Those old-time japanese glass buoys are pretty common but in the summer there's a lot of competition from the tourists and locals.
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grant
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since March 2007
Posts: 85
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Post by grant on Apr 22, 2007 6:23:11 GMT -5
The Johnson creek road, Rainier end of it, head up the road towards the Skookumchuck River. On the left about 2 miles in watch for a gravel pit against a steep hillside. In the pit on the right side of the road going in is an upthrust the jeeps have been using for fun. There is a quartz vein showing at the top. Thundereggs in different spots on the side of the upthrust. I even saw one on top the jeeps had broke the top half off of. It was about 8 inches long and 6 across, had been about half full of pure white crystals, they smashed a nice one. Go on down the road to the "T", turn left and go along the river until you see the qate to the hatchery. There are some great gravel bars along that stretch. Petrified wood,carnelian, and other stuff Unfortunately there is not much turnover since it is close to the dam. I am not sure if the falls is still exposed on the upper river. It may be under the lake. I have not been into that area since the dam was built. I can also remember Dad and Uncle Swede digging agate up close to the top of Miller Hill there. You will have to walk in to that place, and it is at least 6 miles Unless Weyerhauser will let you drive in. That river was such a great camping place before the dam. The old railroad trestles were still there all the way to the pit where the rock for some of the Jetty at Westport came from. . |
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Take care - Eric
