Flatirons
Facets
Published by The Flatirons Mineral Club
Volume 45, No. 4 April
2003
Flatirons Facets
P. O. Box 3331
Boulder CO 80307-3331
Flatirons Facets is
published monthly by The Flatirons Mineral Club. The deadline for submission of
articles to Flatirons Facets is the 20th of each month. Permission is granted
for reprint if credit is given to the publication and author unless
specifically restricted.
The Flatirons Mineral
Club is a non-profit organization, established March 9, 1957, and dedicated to
developing and maintaining interest in all aspects of earth science and
associated hobbies. The club meets the second Thursday of each month at 7 p.m.
We meet at The
Senior Center, 9th and Arapahoe Avenue, Boulder, CO. Guests and visitors
are welcome. Membership dues are $15.00 per year (beginning October of each
calendar year). People interested in membership can contact the club either by
writing to the above address or by attending one of the meetings.
Deadline for the May
Facets is April 20.
****************
President's Corner
Evan D. Elliott
The silent auction is one of my favorite programs. I do so enjoy
the hustle and bustle of the event. We had some generous donations this
year--many thanks to all of you. I do hope that all bidders were able to go
home with something special. The kids' table was especially active. Our younger members really had some fun.
Well, spring has sprung. Brad, William, Louis, and I have already
gone trout fishing, with some success. It was through two feet of ice in
Granby, and it has snowed 5 to 10 feet since--but it's springtime in the
Rockies!
The drought conditions are easing, and hopefully the forest fires
won't negatively impact our club collecting opportunities this season. Recently
I was talking with Paul Boni. He has
designs on some awesome fieldtrips. Watch the newsletters and go when you can.
See you soon.
****************
April Meeting
(Apr. 10)
Alex Cook
Alex Cook will present a video on the Cripple Creek Mining
District, and then make some comments about the Cripple Creek area. This should be an excellent presentation about
one of the most interesting and important mineral districts in Colorado.
****************
From The
Field
Paul Boni
Field trip report, Platte River: A few of us gathered on Saturday afternoon,
March 15, at the Platte River. The day was warm and bright and the water level
in the river was lower than I have ever seen it. We were able to access a
couple small gravel bars that are normally isolated by raging currents. The
last bit was overstated but it sounded good :o). We didn't find much at first
but kept looking anyway. After a while we changed locations, found different
gravel bars and hit pay dirt. Fossilized wood, agate, jasper, colorful bits of
tumbled glass, and a few tumbled quartz crystals landed in our bags. We found
numerous small pieces of fossilized wood for the grab bags and some of our
finds will make pretty good lapidary material.
Getting ready for the coming collecting season:
Two of the questions I am asked most often are 1) where do I go?
And 2) what do I need to bring? I'll address "where do I go?" next
month when the snow starts to melt. Let's talk a little about tools. Most of us
seasoned rock hounds have a shed full of tools that we have tried, dumped money
into, invented, and mostly leave in the shed. I am one of those. When I stop to
think about it, there are a few tools in my arsenal that go every time. On most
digs, they are all I need:
Crack hammer
Splitting Chisels
Gad pry
Folding shovel (military surplus)
Leather Gloves
Sample bags and padding
That's it. Everything else is extra weight in my backpack most
days. Don't get me wrong, there are other useful tools and I do include them
depending on the collecting location. Most rock hounds have a special tool or
two that they swear by. So, if your tool didn't make my list, feel free to add
to it. What I wish to make clear is that one does not need a shed full of tools
to collect rocks, especially if one is just getting started in the hobby. Of
course, one also needs water, lunch, sunscreen, first aid kit, and all the
other stuff one should have for hiking. For now let's keep to the subject of
tools.
A crack hammer is a little heavier than a rock pick and thus makes
a larger impression on the rock. They come in weights between 2 to 4 pounds.
Crack hammers are also much better for driving chisels into fractures in the
rock. If you don't have a crack hammer but do own a rock pick, then use that.
It's just my preference in hammers.
Splitting chisels are worth far more than the price of scrap metal
when it comes to collecting in hard rock. They should be straight and case
hardened. This is very important!! Sometime folks will pick up any old chisel
and have at it, even a wood chisel. Wood chisels are more brittle and likely to
shatter when impacted, sending shrapnel in every direction. A bend in the
chisel will cause the force of the hammer blow to be misdirected, bending the
chisel further, possibly breaking the chisel. A good splitting chisel is used
to wedge open existing fractures in the rock. Open up the right rock and you
just might find treasure within.
A gadpry is a tool make by Estwing. It's basically a
straight-shanked pry-bar with a right angle chisel edge on one end and an
inline maul point on the other. It is guaranteed trouble on rocks! This tool
allows one to wedge and pry at rock.
If I'm not bashing rock, or picking off the ground or a dump, I'm
digging. If I had to choose one and only one tool to bring to Mt. Antero it
would be my shovel. I prefer a folding shovel because it is lighter weight,
less bulky, and fits into my backpack. One can also position the blade at a
right angle to the handle. This works great for mucking a hole. Mucking a hole
is rock hound slang. Stick around, you'll catch on (wink).
Good fitting, all leather gloves are essential, unless you want
blisters and/or are somehow able to smack a chisel without ever missing and
hitting your own hand. Composite leather and cloth gardening gloves are not
tough enough and wear quickly. When digging in pegmatites, sharp quartz
splinters are sharper than broken glass. Gloves protect ones hands and provide
a better grip on the tools.
Sample bags can be just about anything, from recycled plastic
grocery bags to cloth bags made just for rock samples. Grocery bags can also
serve as padding. Your backpack can serve as a rock bag if you have nothing
else with you. Padding material can be anything soft that will serve to protect
fragile crystal tips during the trip home. I like to use clear plastic wrap. A
friend of mine prefers a roll of toilet paper. Some people carry
newspaper. But wrapping material of
some sort is strongly suggested. It is so very frustrating to unearth a
treasure only to have it maimed during the hike down the mountain.
Well, that is my essential list. There are other useful tools to
use but these are enough to start with. Keep it simple to begin with and expand
as your experience requires. Good Hunting!
****************
Field Trips
Paul Boni
There are no field traps planned, but as our big spring snows
begin to melt, Paul Boni will be making plans, and seeking volunteers to lead
trips. Trips may be announced at the club meetings, or you can contact Paul to find out about any
upcoming trips, or to volunteer to lead one.
****************
Cleaning Tip
Make A
Pressure Sprayer for Cleaning Rocks
Most (city) water systems supply water at 60 psi. You can make a
poor man's water gun with a hose and a brass end cap. Using the smallest drill
you can find, run a hole through the center of the brass end cap. From the
inside of the cap, and using a large drill, bevel the inside of the hole - but
don't go more than 1/2 way thru the brass. Put the cap on the hose, hook the
hose up, and turn it on. You should get a very fine stream of water coming out
with at least 60 psi of pressure (hydraulic effects can supposedly increase
this up to 200 psi). If all you get is a fog, your hole is too small, or is not
smooth, or is plugged with sediment. It's nothing like an expensive unit, but
it does do a reasonable job, and it probably won't damage the delicate crystals
a manufactured unit would. And using it with a small (soft) toothbrush does
wonders.
Source: http://tomaszewski.net/Kreigh/Minerals
****************
Membership
News
New members are always welcome. Annual dues are $15, payable in
October. The newsletter is e-mailed, as an Acrobat PDF document to those
members with e-mail address, or by first class mail otherwise.
Paul Boni will have a display case at our meetings of membership
"finds", and/or artistic creations. Sometimes he will have a theme,
sometimes not. Call Paul and arrange to share your special treasures with the
club.
Don't forget, Charlotte Morrison has open house on Wednesday
evenings at 7. You can use the tools in her basement and maybe spare some time
to prepare minerals for our grab bags.
Please call Charlotte if you are planning to visit.
****************
Silent
Auction
Alex Cook
Our deepest thanks to all those who made our annual silent auction
the success that it was. We especially appreciate those who came up from CMS
and other clubs to participate in the activities. Seventeen individuals had
material for sale in addition to what was donated or brought from the shed, all
of which ended up providing a net addition to the club treasury of $259.00. We
had a turnout of 44 buyers plus a considerable number of children who
thoroughly enjoyed the special tables set up for them where the bidding
increments were set at five cents. Charlotte Morrison even had a "dark
room" consisting of blankets hanging over a table set on top of another
table, underneath which she had a nice display of fluorescent minerals and an
ultraviolet light to examine them by.
Our special thanks to the West Side Senior Center for providing
tables and facilities, and to all those who help set up and later take down the
tables, and also to those who brought cookies and other goodies to tempt the
palates of all the participants.
****************
Show
Committee News
Andrea Elliott
We have had our first show meeting, to start planning for the fall
show. Charlotte, Geri, Brad Alex, Emily, & John attended. We will need many
volunteers and especially are counting on new members to help out and get
involved.
The Show Committee will meet after our monthly board meeting,
which is always the Monday before our club meeting. Feel free to attend and
share your ideas. This month's Board meeting is at the Elliotts'. Contact Andrea for directions.
****************
Upcoming Events, Nearby & Elsewhere
March 21 - 23, 42nd Annual Fort Collins Gem & Mineral Show, Lincoln Center,
417 West Magnolia, Fort Collins, CO. Fort
Collins Rockhounds, Inc., 970-484-6752. (If you go, introduce yourself as a
Flatirons Mineral Club member, or better yet, wear your FMC name badge!)
March 29 - 30, WIPS
Founders Symposium 2003, Colorado School of Mines, "Volcanoes, Camels & Carnivores:
The Eocene/Oligocene Story". Western Interior Paleontological Society,
http://www.wipsppc.com (or call Beth Simmons, 303-986-9693)
April 11, North Jeffco
Gem & Mineral Club Silent Auction, North Jeffco Senior Center, 6842
Wadsworth Blvd., Arvada, CO. Setup at 6:00 PM, Auction begins at 7:00 PM.
Jewelry, Gems, Minerals, Bake Sale, Crafts. Free refreshments, Public invited.
Sellers & Buyers welcome, call Ron Knoshaug, 303-423-2923
April 26-27, Rocky Mountain Bead Society Bead Bazaar, Denver
Merchandise Mart Expo Building (58th
Ave. & I-25), Denver, CO. Sat. 10-6, Sun.
10-5. 90+ Vendors, Classes, Glass
bead-making demos. Admission, $5. See Bead
Society's web site for further information and vendor forms.
May 10-11, Grand Junction Gem & Mineral Club 56th Annual
"Rocks Through The Ages" Show, Two Rivers Convention Center,
First & Main, Grand Junction, CO. Sat. 9-6, Sun. 10-5. Exhibits & Demonstrations,
National Dealers, Mineral Specimens, Jewelry, Beads, Stones, Door Prizes,
Tools, Equipment, Supplies, Books, Gifts, Special Attractions, Activities for
Kids. Admission: Adults $3, Students
aged 12-18 $1, Kids under 12 with adult FREE. Contact: Carl Mulholland
970-241-3065 or B. J. Brown 970-241-3051
May 17-18, Capitol City Mineral & Gem Society, 4th Annual Rock
Show,
Holiday Inn, Fox Farm Road, Cheyenne, Wyoming. Sat. 9-6, Sun. 10-4. Raffle Drawings, Grab Bags, Gold Panning,
Jewelry & Diamonds, Silent Auction, Hourly Door Prizes, Fossils, Gem
Stones, Lapidary Items & Tools, Special Guests. Contact Paul Moot,
307-634-6773.
May 22-25, Tri-Federation Rockhound Rendezvous and Field Trip, Texas Springs,
NV. Contact Dean Richardson, Rocky Mtn. Federation,
or call 801-595-6750.
June 20-23, Mile High Rock & Mineral Society Show, Westminster
Mall, 88th & Sheridan, Westminster, CO. Contact Show Chair Jennie Baldwin, 303-659-7630.
****************
In Memory Of
Lucille Hultquist
Flatirons Mineral Club charter member Lucille Hultquist died in
Boulder on Feb 27, at the age of 87. Her obituary
appeared in the Daily Camera on March 4. The following remembrance is from John
Hurst.
For today's members, it may be difficult to remember back to the very
first meetings of our Flatirons Mineral Club. Would it surprise you to know
that Lucille was there taking notes as the FMC secretary? Lucille and her
husband, Martin, were founding members of the Flatirons Mineral Club, along
with the Tripps. In the fifties, Don Tripp operated a grocery store on
Broadway, just north of Pearl Street. Don was the first president of our club.
Lucille and Martin Hultquist have been contributing, hard-working
members of our club for almost fifty years. They helped set up our annual club
shows and between Lucille's fabric and Martin's gemstone bowls and boxes in
their cases, we had some of the finest lapidary displays in the hobby. Lucille
always sewed grab bags so creatively, that children and adults alike bought our
grab bags primarily for the special fabric features---the rocks were just an
extra bonus. Her cheerful enthusiasm for our hobby was infectious and she
always encouraged Martin to new lapidary feats. How many of us have lapidary
works in the Lizzadro Museum of Fine Arts in Chicago? Can you fathom how many
times Lucille provided new and different treats for our club gatherings? More
importantly, the Hultquists contributed many of the ideas that made our club
the success that it is today.
We recall how Martin and Lucille hosted club members for a class
on bowl making, the many hours of nurturing and mentoring several of us in the
lapidary arts always followed by Lucille's and Martin's delicious treats. In
recent years, her interests also included some fine work with her church bell
choir and it should be noted that she wrote music and arrangements for that
group.
For those of us who were fortunate enough to know Lucille, she
will always hold a special place in our memories---for all those times she
brightened our gatherings, for all those happy faces of children clutching one
of her special grab bags in their hands, and above all, for just being Lucille.
Our thoughts are with your family and yes, Lucille, we all miss you too.
****************
Nominations
Sought for Rockhound of the Year
Dennis Gertenbach
Every year the club bestows the honor of Club Rockhound of the
Year to an active member or husband-and-wife team. We are seeking nominations of a club member or members who
contribute substantial time to the success of our club. Last year we honored Charlotte Morrison for
the many hours she has spent over the last 25 years in making our club a
success. Please help us honor that
special someone by filling out a nomination form and returning it to Dennis
Gertenbach at the April meeting, or e-mailing the nomination to Dennis. Deadline for nominations
is April 15.
****************
New in the
Library
Dennis Gertenbach
We have acquired two new books in the library that you might want
to check out.
Simple Methods of Mining Gold by Terry R. Faulk is a booklet that
any would-be gold miner should check out.
Gold panning, sluices, and rockers are all explained. A short history of placer mining
state-by-state is included.
The World of Dinosaurs by Michael Tweedie provides details on
these fascinating ancient animals, written for the layman. Chapters give a background on dinosaurs,
describing similarities and differences.
Also covered is the question, were they reptiles? A history of our understanding of these
animals is also discussed.
These books and many others will be at the next club meeting. If you have a special interest, contact Dennis Gertenbach to see if
there are any club books on the subject.
****************
Report from
travelers
John & Jeanne Hurst
DEMING, NEW MEXICO "ROCKHOUND ROUNDUP" MARCH 6-9, 2003.
Highlights: Free admission, Robert Evans' miniature SW scenes on rock slabs;
Jerome Scheyer selling Chihuahua Gem Blue Agate @ $5/lb.-not by the gram; Marco
Franco selling various agates and geodes from Chihuahua, Mexico; Doc's Rocks
out of Socorro, NM selling everything from Australia ranging from tigeriron to
gem zircon to Agate Creek (Queensland) Agate--they spend three months a year
fossicking there; Baker Ranch field trip for nodules; and the Big Diggings
field trip for agate. In all about 48 dealers outside and about 45 dealers
inside. Sure glad the wind didn't blow too hard.
Personal Highlights: Unexpected friends: Bumping into Harlan and
Marcia Hult from NE Nebraska and finding a truck with Colorado ML plates-it was
Pat and Barb Shanahan of Boulder. Expected friends: Carl and Naomi Byrd of FMC
and Earl and Della of Scottsbluff, Nebraska. Don't Miss the Deming Luna Mimbres
Museum--quilts, Native American artifacts, Mimbres Pottery (two rooms), the
"Geode Kid" rock collection, arts, dolls, bells, etc.
Return trip: Tucson and the Rockies; Holbrook, AZ and the
Petrified Forest and all those rainbow colored, magnificent logs.
Mileage: Shortest route=714miles x 2. Our route=2300 miles and yes
we would do it again at the drop of a hat!
FORT COLLINS SHOW, March 21-23, 2003
Highlights: Those two U-V Cases with a wide variety of specimens
set afire by those $800 high intensity Shortwave lamps--extremely well done!
Hefting a 3/4 lb. gold nugget in one's hand. Watching long time member, Lolly
Martin, assemble her display. One is never too young or too old to make an
interesting display!
Seeing Friends and Acquaintances!
Which brings us to: All aboard for the FLATIRONS MINERAL CLUB SHOW
NOV. 14, 15 16, 2003
Get on board now! The key
to a better show is you. We need your
help. If all members pull together, we
can improve our show in 2003. We need a
variety of chairpersons and each chairperson could use a couple of
helpers. We don't need perfection, just
regular rock collectors like you and me. No one is too young or too old.
Put your excuses down the old mine shaft and step up to the
plate! You can make a difference by
helping on Youth Activities- (The Digsite, the Fishing Pond, Grab Bags, Kid's
Wheel), Displays, Working Demonstrations, Door Prizes, the Grand Prize, Mini-Classes
and Slide/Video Programs, Ultra-Violet Displays, Signs for inbound traffic, the
Club Table, Electrician, Set-up and Breakdown, the Colorado Mineral Map. Field
Trip (Monday after the show), Sound System, Acknowledgment chair and more!
Seriously, I think we all are a little timid about our first
show. I found that helping produce a
quality Rock Show had many more perks than one might expect: seeing the eyes of
children and adults alike light up in the U-V Room, the kid's delight with their
newly purchased grab bags, people studying the fascinating displays, the
opportunity to shop at a variety of rock, gem, fossil dealers, and perhaps best
of all, making new friends and learning from all those other rock collectors
out there. Why not participate and benefit from the experience!
Talk to our Show Chairperson, Andrea Elliott, at any meeting and
be ready to help our show whenever the phone rings. We need all age groups!
Plan a display - the club can arrange a Denver Show Case for any
member free of charge, delivered to the show site - all you need to do is pick
out a few of your specimens---the newest, the oldest, the weirdest, the
flashiest--it really is easy. Make an insert out of masonite or 1/4 inch
plywood (base size 22.5 inches by 43.75 inches and cover it with suitable
fabric. Then all you do is add your specimens! It really is fun.
****************
Minutes of the Board Meeting, March 10, 2003
Emily Epstein, Secretary
Present: Alex Cook, Evan Elliott, Emily Epstein, Ray Horton, Steve
Lubbs,Charlotte Morrison, Gerry Naugle, Paul Ralston, Brad Wilkomm, Lew Yoder
The meeting came to order at 7:30.
Alex Cook passed out flyers for the Silent Auction, asking board
members to post them if possible. He announced the Auction at this month's CMS
meeting, and may or may not get to the Gates meeting also. The staff told him
we will not have our usual room at the Senior Center this month. We have a
choice of the dining room or the shuffleboard room. After some discussion, the
board decided that the dining room is preferable. Alex will inform the Senior
Center staff of this. Also, one member of the staff told Alex we could come in
at 6:30 to set up. Unfortunately, this is not the same staff member who mans
the desk on Thursday nights. Alex will try to coordinate communications so all
Senior Center Staff agree on when we can get in. General discussion of
arrangements for the Auction ensued. Gerry Naugle already has change available.
A couple of board members will bring their personal tape-printing adding
machines. Alex will bring the club's golf pencils. Evan Elliott has been to the
shed and located some good club materials to put into the auction. Dennis
Gertenbach has some equipment that was donated to the club to be included in
the auction. Board members were encouraged to ask their local grocery stores
for flats.
Ray Horton informed the Board that Paul Boni is absent due to a
death in his family. Paul asked him to tell the board about an ultraviolet
display case offered for sale by Betty Renz. After some discussion, the board
decided that now is not the time to purchase such a case due to problems with
expense and storage. Alternative uses for the cost of the case were suggested,
including a vacuum caster and replacing our old shed with a new Tuffshed from
Home Depot.
Boulder County has called Ray about the shed. Even though the
County budget for firefighter training has dried up, we cannot put off
relocating the shed indefinitely. Ray will be attending a meeting of the County
Commissioners this month.
Gerry Naugle gave the treasurer's report. The club is still
solvent. He has received a membership
renewal notice from the Colorado Federation. The board voted unanimously to
renew.
Melinda Thompson will be taking a break due to health concerns. Gerry
will be taking over her membership duties for awhile.
Gerry has finalized arrangements for the Club Picnic, which will
be on August 16 from 3:30-9 at the North Boulder Rec Center Pavilion.
Gerry reported on show arrangements. He, John Hurst, and Andrea Elliott will meet with the Elks Club to
sign the contract as soon as possible. We have signed commitments from 4
dealers, and verbal reservations from several others.
Charlotte Morrison reported that the Club's most recent field
trips were very well attended. 17 people went to the School of Mines Museum,
which is now closed down but hopes to reopen in its new location by
mid-September. The trip to the Adams County Museum also drew a respectable
number of people. Attendees went rockhounding on the Platte afterward the tour
and found a few things, but it's pretty well picked over. If the snowpack continues to build, we may
schedule another trip to the Platte after the spring thaw.
Charlotte reminded the board that the Fort Collins Show will be on
March 21-23. We may try to put together a carpool up there that weekend. It
would be an especially good idea for those running our show to observe their
methods.
Charlotte brought a card to be sent to Melinda. Another will be circulated at the meeting on
Thursday. We also need to send a card to Martin Hultquist, who recently lost
his wife. The Board unanimously approved a $25 memorial gift to the scholarship
fund in honor of Lucile Hultquist, one of the founding members of our club.
Charlotte reminded the Board that we need to be saving stamps to
donate to the Rocky Mountain Federation, which receives money for them. Paul
Ralston informed the Board that County Assessor Cindy Domenico has offered to
give us the used stamps from her office's incoming correspondence for this
purpose. Stamp collector Alex Cook expressed outrage over how certain board
members tear stamps when opening their mail.
Paul Ralston announced that he and Ray Horton will be 2 of the 4
judges in Earth Sciences at the State Science Fair at CSU on April 11-12. For
the last several years, the prizes awarded in the name of the club have been
gold nuggets from Ray's personal collection. The Board auhorized Paul and Ray to spend up to $90 to
purchase 1st- and 2nd-place prizes in the Junior and Senior divisions: upt to
$25 each for 1st place and up to $20 each for 2nd place. The names of the
winners will be published in the May issue of Facets.
Evan pointed out that we also should reimburse Charlotte for any
untoward expenses arising from club activities at her house, including
Wednesday night crafts and operating the rock tumbler to polish club materials.
Actually, anybody who incurs expense hosting club activities should be
reimbursed.
Charlotte informed the board that a group of women from the School
of Mines went to Australia last year to participate in a competition. We did
not respond to their request for funding. We need to keep better track of this
sort of activity, and try to help where we can.
Paul reported that a new member who will be out of town for the
meeting this month asked him to act as proxy in purchasing rocks for his young
son. Evan volunteered his son, Willy, to stand in.
Dennis Gertenbach passed out namination forms for Rockhound of the
Year. The only person who has been awarded this honor as yet is Charlotte.
Dennis will also bring forms to the auction on Thursday.
The meeting adjourned at 8:57 p.m.
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Updated 1/12/04