Lone Pine Gem and Mineral Society Newsletter
October 2007
Crystal Ridge
Sunday, September 23rd was our trip to Crystal Ridge. We had a small, but enthusiastic turnout. Crystal Ridge lived up to its name as we all found quartz crystals, both clear and smokey, although most crystals were broken. Nevertheless, we made up in quantity for what we lacked in quality and some of us did find some nice specimens. We found many points and a few double-terminated crystals. In this image of Barbara, she was playing with the lovely smokey quartz crystal she found.
The following are pictures I snapped of our field trip to Crystal Ridge:
September meeting
We held our September 10th meeting at the Lo-Inyo Elementary School library. Meeting in the library has its advantages as we were able to sit in full-size chairs!
Roger DeHart, who headed up our bylaw committee, reported on suggested bylaw changes. The proposed changes were voted on and approved and will take effect January 1, 2008. We extend our thanks to Roger and also to Aldene Felton and Alice Smalley who served on the committee.
Our evening's entertainment came from the Camp Paradise trip report from Francis and Francee Pedneau. Camp Paradise is a 1-week summer camp for adults interested in earth sciences. Camp Paradise is hosted by the California Federation of Mineralogical Societies (CFMS) each year. Francis and Francee came back with pictures of the many activities and classes offered. The camp is 45 miles east of Marysville and, along with all the great classes, provided food and lodging for a reasonable fee of $300 per person.
Roger DeHart shared some interesting information with us about the distinct possibility of the Darwin Mine reopening. It seems the current prices of zinc, lead, and silver are high enough these days to make reopening the mine profitable. It is expected there will be jobs for about 20 people. Over 200 miles of tunnels make up the mine. The mine might be open by the end of the year.
Many thanks to all of our members who donate items for our raffles at the monthly meetings. The raffles really add to our fun.
October meeting in school library
The October club meeting will be held Monday October 1st at 6:30 p.m. in the Lo-Inyo Elementary School library, which is now our permanent meeting room. We'll have signs posted to the meeting room, courtesy of Jim Grandgeorge who made the signs.
Come eat and socialize with us before the meeting at the Bonanza Restaurant at 5:15. Find out if Jackie Grandgeorge once again orders the ice cream sundae for dinner.
Film Festival
The Lone Pine Film Festival is October 5, 6, and 7. We need help manning our club table 9 to 5 on Friday and Saturday and 10 to 4 on Sunday. We will have our spinning wheel, free rocks for kids, geode cutting, and rock and gem identification. Plus we'll be spreading the word about our club. We need prizes for the spinning wheel and free rock. If you can help, let Francis hear from you.
Upcoming field trips
October weather is cooler, making it a great month for one or more field trips. Here are our options:
- October 20th - Fossil collecting in trip to New York Canyon near Luning, Nevada
This trip is being led by Paul Burdena, our fossil expert from Crowley Lake. We'll be collecting fossils, including ammonites. There are also some copper minerals to collect. Meet at the Benton Café at the junction of US 6 and CA 120 at 9:30 Saturday morning. Paul will provide information about the material we'll be collecting and have samples to share. If you have further questions, you can call Paul at 760-935-4225.
- October 21st Otteson Turquoise Mine near Tonopah
Find turquoise at the Otteson Mine near Tonopah, Nevada. The cost is $50 per person. The dig is limited to 12 people and at this time the dig is full. Meet at the rest area at Hwy 6 and 95 about 5 miles west of Tonopah, Nevada at 8:30.
- October 28th - Otteson Turquoise Mine near Tonopah
For those who still want to dig for turquoise but missed out the first dig or couldn't make that one because of a scheduling conflict, you can still go on this fee dig. The $50 per person cost should be paid in advance to Francis Pedneau. The first paid are first on the list.
If you need more information on any of these trips, please call Francis at 760-876-4319.
Shop night
On September shop night, Barbara worked on her Varicite cab and her stone canyon jasper cab. Francee and Jackie worked on jewelry while Jim and Francis moved rocks and helped Barbara on her lapidary. Come join us on October shop night on Monday, the 22nd. Shop night is on the third Monday of each month.
New members
Welcome to our new members Gayle Millard, Cesar Reyes, and Brian Barfield.
A word from your editor
Thanks so much to all of you for your encouraging words about the last newsletter - it really helps and makes me eager to get on with the next one. I didn't tell any one yet what happened when I sent that issue to our computer's printer. The printer died. It had worked for us faithfully for a few years, but was giving us distress signals on occasion. But when I sent your newsletter to it, that was the end. So not having too many computer stores in Lone Pine, we quickly searched for a printer on the web and got it delivered within a few days. It's been working well, so hopefully this newsletter will print without any trouble. I guess each issue will be an adventure in some way.
I've decided it's too much work to print in black and white for the newsletter, and to put color /newsletters/2007/images in the emailed versions. So, to save wear and tear on me, everyone gets color. If you have web access, you can go to lpgms.org and view the newsletter there. On the web site version of the newsletter, you can click the /newsletters/2007/images and see a larger version of the same image.
If you have content for the newsletter or suggestions to make it better, let me know. You can reach me at 760-876-1009 or by email at newsletter@lpgms.org. I'll be looking forward to hearing from you.
Just for fun
Hey, gang! Ray Ramirez made up a crossword puzzle just for us. The definitions are geologic terms. Test your memory or add to your knowledge. The answers will appear in next month's newsletter. Good luck!
LPGMS Geologic Crossword Puzzle #1
ACROSS
6. A crystal within which an earlier stage of crystallization or growth is outlined by dust, tiny inclusions, or bubbles.
8. A broad gently inclined detrital surface extending from the base of a mountain range formed by lateral coalescence of a series of alluvial fans.
8. Angular, coarse rock fragments lying at the base of a steep cliff or slope.
10. A concave upward fold.
12. A porous cup made of bone ash used in assaying to sepperate base metal lead from precious metals.
14. The color of a mineral in its powdered form.
15. A body of ore or rock that is thick in the middle and thin at the edges.
17. A fault in which the hanging wall appears to have moved downward relative to the footwall.
19. A mound or ridge of unstratified glacial drift.
20. Bead of silver and gold left after lead has been removed during assaying. (pronounced dough-ray)
21. A high pyramidal peak with steep sides formed by intersecting walls of three or more cirques.
22. A sedimentary rock, usually a limestone made up chiefly of rounded accretionary bodies resembling fish eggs.
DOWN
5. A large isolated mountain on Mars.
7. A small cave or one of the rooms of a cave.
7. A miners term for a rich body of ore.
9. A variety of chert associated with iron ores and containing iron-oxide impurities that give it various colors.
11. Prefix meaning many or very.
12. Sediment transport in which particles are moved forward in a series of short leaps or bounces.
15. Igneous rock formed at great depth.
16. A small cavity in a vein or in rock, usually lined with crystals of different mineral composition from the surrounding rock.
18. Water in the solid state.
18. A yellow lead oxide- absorbed by bone ash during the assay process.
This puzzle was created by Ray Ramirez with the aid of the Dictionary of Geological terms Third Edition by Robert L. Bates and Julia A. Jackson, Editors
