Second Quarter 2016 Newsletter

BEDROCK-NEWS
THE OFFICICIAL QUARTERLY PUBLICATION OF THE BEDROCK PROSPECTORS CLUB
April, May, June 2016
MONTHLY MEETING PLACE
PUYALLUP MASONIC HALL
1005 West Pioneer Ave.
HELD ON THE THIRD MONDAY OF EVERY MONTH
7:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Monroe Gold Show:
The new year of club activities has started already
with our participation at WPMA’s Monroe Gold
Show. It sure didn’t take long to get the booth set
up with all the help. We had a good turnout of
club members, some of us even camped up there!
The Pres took his new trailer to test out and
towed it up with the new truck. He said it looked
pretty big parked in his driveway, but gotta say
that it looked pretty small parked in between
those bigger trailers!
Some of us even had time to help out on the
Resources Coalition booth. They both look happy
to be there!
The booth layout
Some of us had time to get our mug shots drawn
up. Some were better than others, but all were
very accurate and we could always tell whose mug
it was.
We ran three raffles at the show. Two were
awarded at the show (Seahawks Jacket and a
Nugget). We spent the last 30 minutes before the
drawings counting money and getting ready for
the drawings.
The show closed down at 4PM and most of us
were on the highway by 6PM. Some of us stuck
around to help with the tear down and vendor
packing.
This lady won the Seahawks jacket and very
appreciative with her win. She planned on giving
it to a son.
Of course, you can never have a nugget drawing
without our own Colleen buying tickets. Guess
who won our nugget draw? We can’t figure out
how she does it! We need to watch her a lot
closer!
April 2-3 Gold Show:
The April Gold, Gem, and Treasure Show is over
with and we did well with our planning. As of Feb.
23, we had 17 elementary schools that agreed to
participate, we placed an announcement in the
JBLM newsletter, and into a South Sound online
newsletter. We have gotten notification of our
show in Lost Treasures and ICMJ magazines. We
have invited the State Legislature (Democrats and
Republican caucuses). We have sold out all but
four of our available booths and had one
committed food vendor. We received door prize
donations from Mine Lab, Irish Mining Stuff, NW
Underground Explorations, Tom Bohmker
(author), Black Bear Outpost, and from members
of Bedrock.
April 2-3 Gold Show (Continued)
We planned well and implemented our plan, but we just simply didn’t have the turnout for a real successful
show. We learned a lot and will take that forward if we decide to try this again next year. Enjoy the pictures
and a big thanks to those of you who remembered to get some memories snapped! The coin scramble is
pictured above and other snapshots of the show and potluck follow.
Entrance Booth
One of our Toys for Tots reps
Panning Trailer Amigos
Panning Trailer
Learning Metal Detecting
Vendor Booth
Bedrock Booth
Signs – Signs – Signs
Resources Coalition Booth
Gold Coin Winner!!
Vendor Booth
Sand Box with Polished Stones
Potluck Fixins
Richards Cobbler – YUM!
Redneck Lounge Chair
Colleen’s Nugget Cake – YUM!
Shutup & EAT!
CLAIMS INFO:
McCoy Creek
This information was requested by Skip Kidd from
www.HighwayShopper.com. “Not only do I have
no info re: when repairs will be made. But we fear
that there are very many roads impassable due to
Dec. 9 huge rainstorms, many not even discovered
yet because of snow cover and snow obstructing
access, and the very short staffing that the Forest
has now (200 twenty years ago down to 23 now).
We fear that many now impassable roads may be
very delayed- years- to get repaired, that very
sadly many may never get repaired. The Forest
Service local people have been working to apply
for funds but the funds available are only for the
most major roads #23 & #25 and maybe #26. The
funds are not for other lower-grade roads. I
presume that the Forest Service road
maintenance crew will work as usual on the roads
prioritized according to: 1) most urgently needed,
2) require the least repair, and only finally 3) the
rest of the roads. Both #28 and #29 are among
those "lower grade" roads with impassable
damage, but I've heard nothing specific about
their repair- only the sad report that these special
funds won't apply to them and that their repair is
very uncertain.
I've asked the ranger station to give us regular
reports of roads damages, closures and estimated
repair dates, and will put those reports in the
Shopper as I receive them.”
Claims Work report
We had a discussion on filling out the Claims work
forms by Jim Curtiss (claim’s chairman) at our last
meeting. A copy of our form is attached for your
use as you visit our claims.
Jim’s biggest concern is getting adequate
information for the BLM reports. We get a lot of
forms without the correct claim name (i.e. Blewett
claim is inadequate). We need to insure that we
put our name(s) on the bottom of the form. Each
form can be used for two claims, three days on
that claim, and two different work types
(maintenance or mining). Don’t put details about
your finds – keep it general (you can brag or cry
about it in a private conversation.
Claim
conditions should be detailed enough so that we
can find any issues without spending hours
looking for it!
GOLD SIZING INFO:
The size of individual gold particles ranges widely.
Commonly the gold in lode deposits occurs in
particles of submicroscopic size.
In placer
deposits the finest flour gold may be too tiny for
individual particles to be seen without the aid of a
magnifier, but they may be as large as nuggets
that weigh several pounds each. One of the
largest nuggets is the “Welcome Stranger”,
weighing 190 pounds and was found in 1869 near
Ballafar in Australia. The largest nuggets found in
Washington are from the Swauk district in Kittitas
county. A 73 ounce nugget was found in 1900 at
the Elliott placer on Williams Creek, and a 77
ounce nugget came from a bench on Swauk Creek
above the mouth of Baker Creek.
Placer gold particles are classified as follows:





Coarse – More than 0.06 inch in diameter
(about the size of a grain of rice).
Medium – Less than 0.06, but more that
0.03 inch in diameter (1/2 a pin head)
Fine – Less than 0.03, but more than 0.015
inch in diameter (1/4 a pin head and
12,000 colors/ounce).
Very Fine – less than 0.015 inch in
diameter (40,000 colors/ounce)
Flour – 300,000 colors/ounce
April – 2016
4/2 – 4/3
Thurston County Gold, Gem, & Treasure Show:
This is a Bedrock Prospectors sponsored event with Toys for Tots, Resource Coalition,
and local clubs (rock hound, metal detectors, prospecting clubs). It’ll be at the Thurston
County fairgrounds from 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM. Camping will be available.
4/5
Board Meeting
4/9
Breakfast at Johnnies (in Fife at 9 AM)
4/10
Salmon Creek Rock Hounding trip for Carnelian and Coprolite. This is another fun trip
and is led by Jim Curtiss.
4/15 – 4/17
GPAA Monroe Gold Show
4/21 – 4/22
Upper Yakima River and Sauk Creek Rock Hounding trip for agates and Ellensburg Blue.
This trip is led by Jim Curtiss and is a good dry run for future outings.
4/23 – 4/24
Cashmere Gold Show. Bedrock has a booth at this show for membership drive and a
raffle. Need members to participate and help man the booth. Camping should be
available.
4/18
General Meeting
May – 2016
5/3
Board Meeting
5/7
First Creek Rock Hounding trip for agate nodules and Ellensburg Blue. This trip is led by
Jim Curtiss
5/7 – 5/8
Cape Disappointment Beach Mining
5/16
General Meeting
5/26 – 5/28
Resources Coalition Gold Show
5/28 – 5/29
Blewett Claims Cleanup. This is an annual event and our first planned club trip up to our
Blewett claims. Claims cleanup will start at 9AM and there’ll be a potluck dinner on
Saturday night (6PM at Scotty creek campground). We’re usually done with cleanup by
noon and spend the rest of the time playing in the dirt!
June – 2016
6/4
Hanson Creek Rock Hounding trip for terminated crystals and amethyst. Jim Curtiss is
leading this super trip is led
6/7
Board Meeting
6/11
Bedrock Prospector’s Rendezvous
6/20
General Meeting
BEDROCK PROSPECTORS OFFICERS AND BOARD 2016
President: Dennis Petersen 253-848-8112 Pete_N_Gwen@comcast.net
Vice President: Richard Holcomb 253-359-5890 raholcombsr_bedrock@msn.com
Secretary: Charlotte Marriner 206-245-4490 - no email address
Vice Secretary: Vic Pisoni 206-722-4238 tunnelhound@gmail.com
Treasure: Bill Willette 253-581-2342 wdwillette@comcast.net
Vice Treasure: Colleen Zimmerman 360-897-9043 zimmerc@comcast.net
Board Positions:
1: Mark Smith 253-312-1556 mfinman59@gmail.com
2: Vic Pisoni 206-722-4238 tunnelhound@yahoo.com
3: Ugene Tucksen 206-713-8995 samuri2503@aol.com
4: Ken Denny 253-230-1779 kddenny@q.com
5: Mike Lindsay 253-218-5700 kenaikelly1@msn.com
6: Gene Zimmerman 360-897-9043 zimmergc@comcast.net
Sgt. at Arms: Alex Dunaway 425-533-6779 akdunaway1358@gmail.com
Claims Chairman:
Jim Curtiss 360-427-7210 mining4minerals@comcast.net
Membership Chairman: Colleen Zimmerman 360-897-9043 zimmerc@comccast.net
Membership Drawing: Teresa Doll 253-882-2498 teresadollfame@gmail.com
Web Master:
Ron Larson 253-850-0699 rlarson686@comcast.net
2016 Dues are due now. Your dues may be sent in with the application page in an envelope. Be sure to update all
contact information so you may get the latest notices on upcoming events and outings.
Other ways to pay your dues:
 At all of our meetings
 Outings if pre-arranged
 Events and gold shows.
We take credit and debit cards, checks and of course, cash. You don’t want to miss out on what may prove to be a
very spectacular year for the club.
Bedrock Prospectors Club
Members Claim Work Report
Form
For the purpose of required annual assessment work that must be completed on our claims, please complete this
rd
form and return it to the Claims Committee on or before the August club meeting (3 Monday of the month), or
return by mail to:
Bedrock Prospectors Club
P.O. Box 25
Puyallup, WA 98371
Claim Name
Type of Work Performed (Dredge, Sluice, Panning, etc.)
Hours
Spent
Date
Hours
Spent
Date
Hours
Spent
Date
1.)
2.)
3.)
Maintenance Work Performed (Removing Trash, Cleaning Trails, etc.)
1.)
2.)
3.)
Training/Education (Panning, Dredging, Sluicing, Highbanking)
1.)
2.)
3.)
Condition of Claim and or Problems:
Precious Minerals Recovered:
(Size, type- Gold or Gem)
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Claim Name
Type of Work Performed (Dredge, Sluice, Panning, etc.)
Hours
Spent
Date
Hours
Spent
Date
Hours
Spent
Date
1.)
2.)
3.)
Maintenance Work Performed (Removing Trash, Cleaning Trails, etc.)
1.)
2.)
3.)
Training/Education (Panning, Dredging, Sluicing, Highbanking)
1.)
2.)
3.)
Condition of Claim and or Problems:
Precious Minerals Recovered:
(Size, type- Gold or Gem)
Your Name:
Date: