BOULDER BUSTER Volume #49 Issue # 1, 2014 HELL’S CANYON GEM CLUB Serving the Valley for 61 YEARS P.O. BOX 365 LEWISTON, IDAHO 83501 PURPOSE OF HELLS CANYON GEM CLUB, INC. The purpose of this nonprofit, social club is to promote the rock hound hobby by providing opportunities for the collection, working and displaying of gems and minerals, as well as educational programs in the field of geology. MEETINGS: 2nd Friday of each month Board Meeting 6 pm Regular Meeting 7 pm VISITORS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME Dues: Adult [per person] $15.00; Junior [under 18] Free with a responsible adult membership. 2013 BOARD OF DIRECTORS President Vice President Secretary Treasurer Past President Steve Rand Mel Wilks Marylou Northrup Marilyn Sharp Linn Enger 208-791-2325 208-301-3939 208-743-6944 509-758-4218 208-746-4957 1st Year Trustee 1st Year Trustee 2nd Year Trustee Federation Director Federation Delegate Richard Peterson Jerry Blemka Betty Wilks Jeremy Giard Gail Giard 208-276-7077 509-758-7384 208-301-3939 509-758-2581 509-758-2581 HELLS CANYON WEBSITE: http://www.hellscanyongemclub.com WEBMASTER: Rick Westerholm: hcgemclub@yahoo.com =================================================================================================================================== HOW TO FIND OUR MEETING PLACE Page 1 BOULDER BUSTER Volume #49 Issue # 1, 2014 PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE Hello Rockhounds I hope everyone had a good holiday season; sorry I missed the holiday potluck and hope everyone had a good time. Looking forward to another year and working with some new treasure’s. We will be working on a variety of programs and see if we can get some classes going. So come on out and bring some treasure’s to share and we will see everyone on the 10th at 7 p.m. and Happy New Year to everyone. =================================================================================================================================== December meeting was a potluck, no meeting…NOVEMBER-General Meeting opened @ 7:10pm New Members and Guests: Sam, Lilly and Abby Spenee, Travis & Linda Heath, Paul & Beth Hardin, William & Susan Liedkie and Brian Bannan. Torch and Linda Heath counted the ballots for officer elections Marilyn gave a report on show- discussion of new ideas to improve show such as including other groups like the Gold Prospectors and Metal Detector group. Walla Walla club will have their auction next Tuesday evening. We need a chairman for field trips and suggestions for new places to go. Dec. meeting will be a potluck & start at 6pm. Bring a main dish and dessert. Bring a rock related gift if you want to exchange gifts. Discussion of a new building site. Geremy Giard, Dan Cease, Jerry Northrup, Steve Rand & Joe Schacher will meet to discuss and look for a new building. Meeting programs—Bruce will continue with his programs, looking for other ideas to give him a break, movies, classes, or? Checkout the club Facebook page, any member can use the page. Election results: President Steve Rand Vice-President Mel Wilks Secretary Marylou Northrup 1st Yr Trustee Richard Peterson, Jerry Blemka 2nd Yr Trustee Betty Wilks Past President Lynn Enger Show & Tell: Donald Johnson brought Agates and Deschutes Jasper, Joe Schacher brought Utah quartz and an assortment of jewelry he made, Bruce Borgelt brought a display box of agates, garnets and other stones from the Clearwater between Lewiston and Kamiah, Travis Heath brought a “black rock” to be identified. Door prize drawings were held. (submitted by Marylou Northrup) You might be a Rockhound if:  You don't have to Christmas shop because you have all the presents you need, they just need the mud cleaned off of them.  Your Christmas stocking says " I WANT A BIG ROCK "  You are disappointed when you shake your present and it weighs less than a pound..  Your relatives are disappointed when the present weighs more than a pound cause they already have enough paper weights.  your husband gives you a pick for Christmas and you are happy about it. You think every piece of furniture in your house is a "display cabinet".  Your Christmas tree branches won't hold your ornaments cause they are made of rocks.  If you've ever gotten rocks in your Christmas stocking and thought, "Damn, I must've been really good this year!"  If you've ever salted someone else's dirt/bucket with material from another locale, just to mess with their head.  you can say "nice find" in clear and distinct tones while gritting your teeth.  You have nightmares about being unable to recover crystals without shattering them.  You drive 12 hrs just to swing a hammer for 3 days.  You have more toothbrushes in your truck and outbuilding than your bathroom.  Your MAGMA buddy gives you a rock at a Christmas Party and y'all wonder why everyone is laughing.  You've ever named one of your rocks.  You love getting political flyers in the mail because they're perfect for wrapping specimens on a dig. And they're free. And you know those politicians really understand mud-slinging, just like you do.  As a kid your Christmas stocking was full of coal, and you spent the rest of the day looking for fossils in it.  If you know that a lapidary is not a reindeer farm in Russia.  If you name your van the Rock Mobile. Page 2 BOULDER BUSTER Volume #49 Issue # 1, 2014 Mineral Match ========================================================================================================= Draw a line from the mineral name to the correct picture. Silver Gypsum Fluorite Rhodochrosite Magnetite Garnet Amethyst Wulfenite Pyrite Tourmaline Taken from MINIMINER MONTHLY Page 3 BOULDER BUSTER Volume #49 Issue # 1, 2014 Mineral Crossword Puzzle Across 1. A blue mineral named after a word which means blue. 4. A red variety of the mineral quartz. It can sometimes be yellow, too. 7. Also known as “Fool’s Gold.” 9. This mineral contains the element fluorine. It comes in many colors. 10. The mineral name for salt. Down 2. 3. 5. 6. 8. 10. Also called “Television Stone.” This mineral can form crystals weighing hundreds of pounds. A variety of quartz with many colors and patterns. This mineral is used in photography and chemistry. It can form long wires. A very heavy mineral with metallic luster. It is an ore of lead. This mineral melts above 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Taken from MINIMINER MONTHLY Page 4 BOULDER BUSTER Volume #49 Issue # 1, 2014 STANDING COMMITTEES 1. Bulletin Editor—Lynn Enger, Ed Shoemaker GEM SHOW 1. Show Chairman--- COMMITTEES 2. Membership Chairman---Lon & Marilyn Sharp 2. Show Co-Chairman--- 3. Juniors Chairman---Mike Horne 3. Show Treasurer--- 4. Field Trip Chairman— 4. Dealer Chairman--- 5. Program Chairman --- 5. Advertising Chairman--- 6. Show & Tell Chairman--- 6. Displays Chairman--- 7. Claims Chairman--- 7. Demonstrations Chairman--- 8. Historian Chairman--- 8. Floor Plan Chairman--- 9. Library Chairman--- 9. Silent Auction Chairman--- 10. Sunshine Chairman--- 10. Kids Corner--- 11. ALAA---Linn Enger (American Lands Access Association) 11. Admissions--12. Security--- ========================================================================================================== NFMS MEMBER CLUBS’ SHOW SCHEDULE (Partial list) Feb 8 & 9, 2014 Sat – 9 – 5 Sun – 9 – 4 Feb 14-16, 2014 Fri 9:30-5:30 Sat 9:30-5:30 Sun 9:30-5:30 March 1 & 2, 2014 Sat – 10 – 6, Sun – 10 – 5 Mar 28 - 30, 2014 Fri 10–6, Sat 10–6 Sun 10–4 April 12 & 13 Sat 10–6, Sun 10–4 Whidbey Island Gem Club April 26 & 27 Sat 10–5 Sun 10–4 Lakeside Gem and Mineral Society NFMS Mid Year Meeting Oregon Agate and Mineral Society East King Co Rock Club Rock Rollers Club of Spokane WA Yakima Rock & Mineral Club Oak Harbor Senior Center 51 SE Jerome Street, Oak Harbor WA OMSI 1945 SE Water Ave. Portland OR 97214 Pickering Barn, 1730 - 10th Avenue NW, Issaquah WA 98027, (across from Costco) Spokane County Fair & Expo Center, N.604 Havana Spokane WA Washington National Guard Armory, 2501 Airport Lane, Yakima WA Benton County Fairgrounds 1500 South Oak Street Kennewick WA Keith Ludemann 360 675 1837 rock9@whidbey.net Sonia Watt soniawatt@yahoo.com or Jim Urbaniak nygiants1931@yahoo.com Robin Feiner 206 579 8448 PO Box 2203 Redmond WA 98073 Contact: David Rapp 509 891 6533 showchair@rockrollers.org Marti Sondgeroth marthams@q.com 509 248 6401 evenings Mary Lou Omstead 509 783 2798 PO Box 6652 Kennewick WA 99336 Page 5 BOULDER BUSTER Volume #49 Issue # 1, 2014 ========================================================================================================= When Nature Conspires Against You! Most, if not all survival stories begin with the same lines: I was just going to be gone a short time. I’ll just look over the edge and into canyon and return to camp. Its nice out, I’ll leave my coat and hat in the tent. I’ve hiked this area all my life, why do I need a compass? Sound familiar? In moments of desperation Mother Nature may indeed become a little irritated with overpopulation and your presence on the planet. When the latter takes place, be on your best behavior and be prepared. Nature abhors a vacuum, especially when it’s between your ears, and taking you out of the equation is part of the selection process. Every year there are dozens of Darwin Awards given out to individuals who fail to think before leaving the security of their homes or camper. Don’t be one of them. Living in 2014 and enjoying the benefits of high tech gadgets, satellites, cell phones, maps, Gortex and countless other creature comforts have indeed dulled our primal instincts. The world is tame compared to what our ancestors dealt with, no Indian attacks, buffalo stampedes, freezing “Northers” on the windswept prairies of Texas. Life in certain regions of the world has lost its luster. The domestication of man is almost complete in most areas of the world. There are no more adventures to conquer, unless of course things go WRONG! As rockhounds we should be prepared for the worst should Mother Nature draw our name from the hat. Can you spend a few nights away from camp and be comfortable? Do you carry any food or water with you when you leave camp on that short hike? Can you build a fire with one hand under inclement conditions? Can you find your way back to camp in a whiteout or fog bank? What would you do if you sprained an ankle or broke a leg 5 miles from camp in steep country? Most rockhounds are in poor shape when compared to our ancestors. Desk jobs, inactivity and city life have taken their toll on most recreational outdoorsmen. Lacking experience and knowledge of “what to do” under tough conditions can render you a statistic. Listed below are a few things to add to your day or fanny pack when you venture into nature’s playground. Hypothermia Mention hypothermia and most folks think of sub-zero temperatures and snowbanks waist deep. Quite the contrary, you can die of hypothermia in 50 degree weather. Imagine the following: You are miles from camp and come to a shallow stream barely above your ankles. Having bought Danner boots with Gortex, you roll up your Levis and confidently begin fording the stream. Not paying attention, you slip on some mossy rocks in the water and land on your back knocking the wind from your sails. You lie in the stream for just a few seconds stunned at the turn of events. Getting back to your feet you are soaked from head to toe, your Levis and cotton sweatshirt are dripping wet. Those fancy boots have now become water storage containers as you wring out the cotton socks you bought because the wool ones felt funny. It’s late in the afternoon as the sun sets behind the ridge, the wind comes up and the temperature begins to drop. The water dripping from your shirt runs down your hands and the wind chill starts to take effect. You stumble occasionally and continue to blow hot air into your hands in an attempt to warm them up. It’s still a long walk back to camp across those barren ridges, and with darkness approaching it will take longer. At a comfy 50 degrees with a 5-10 mph wind blowing you can die under the above circumstances. Wet COTTON clothes, poor planning and preparedness are to blame.... Mother Nature rubs her hands together and claims another victim. Heat stroke You arise early in the morning to an overcast sky. Another beautiful day in paradise! You are in Arizona with a once in a lifetime rockhound trip. Running a little behind, you leave camp without taking any water. You are just going to search the canyon to the east of camp and return for lunch in a few hours. It’s cool out, it’s overcast, you won’t need any water until lunch. About 10:00 am you catch the glint of a crystal on the distant ridge only ¼ mile ahead. These narrow ravines and draws have enough cover to make it hard to keep the crystal location in sight, you quicken your pace to close the gap between you and the crystal. The ridge was considerably steeper than it looked when you first spotted the crystal, the overcast sky has vanished like tax dollars given to a politician. You are panting slightly as you reach the base of the ridge. The spot you have pictured in your mind for the crystal location is a long way up a steep slope. The dream of a secret/new crystal claim “like the ones on TV program” spur you on, the find of a lifetime is close! Page 6 BOULDER BUSTER Volume #49 Issue # 1, 2014 Climbing the loose rock is hard work, you slip, your hat falls from your head and rolls partway down the slope. Too much work to go down and back up, you’ll pick it up on the way back, you keep climbing the slope. You slip again banging your knee on a sharp rock and cutting your hand. The adrenalin is flowing, you shake it off as you head for the bench below your goal. Wiping the sweat from your brow, It’s now 11:30 and you have the location in view but you must go up and around a steep section to get to it. You push on and finally reach the spot. Now what, no crystals or fragments in sight, must be the wrong place. So is it up some more or more to the left? You search all the logical spots. “It has to be here,” you say to yourself, “It couldn’t be far away.” You pause to give your legs a break, hours have now expired and the crystal claim has evaporated into thin air. You decide to climb to the top of the ridge and see if you can spot the crystals from there. Upon rising an excruciating pain shoots through your leg and knee, you can hardly stand from the pain. Its now 2:00 pm and the sun is directly overhead, you feel the heat on your thinning hairline and long for the hat you left behind. You are miles from camp, walking is extremely painful, you are thirsty, feeling a little nauseous, and a pounding headache is getting the best of you….. Anyone care to trade places with our intrepid rockhound? I didn’t think so… Whether he realizes it or not, he’s in big trouble and this may be his last trip. We can see how a simple hike given a few twists and turns can go completely upside-down. These are simple scenarios and can happen to anyone. What matters is can we survive and do we have the necessary gear with us to do so? Let’s take a look at the gear every rockhound or hiker should have in his or her possession when going afield.---1. Parachute cord at least 50-100 feet of genuine military grade cord. You’ll know it’s real if it has 7 white strands inside the green sheath. Para cord has hundreds of uses, tying shelters, snares, making a splint, tying up bad guys, etc. 2. Good knife, no cheap junk. Purchase a quality hunting knife with a 4-6 inch blade. Most hunters have a good hunting knife, or should. Your knife should be scalpel sharp every time you enter the field. 3. Compass. No matter how familiar you are with the area, take a good compass and a map of the area showing roads, streams, etc. A simple sketch of the area will suffice. Note roads, landmarks and their location relative to camp. Laminate or waterproof for best results. AND if you have a GPS, (always take a compass) have extra batteries. Turn on the “tracking” feature and know how to backtrack. Always “tag” or make a waypoint for each find or promising location, even if you KNOW you can find it next time. Make notes in your field notepad for each waypoint. 4. Personal Locator Beacon or PLB. If you travel alone, in isolated areas or change your plans often, you should consider a PLB. These cost $150 and up, but allow you to push a button and have a rescue on the way to your location (GPS builtin) in a matter of hours. Some allow family members to track your location as you hike, via the internet. 5. Flashlight(or headlamp) and mirror with extra batteries. LED versions last a long time. Mirror can be used for signaling. Buy quality gear, not cheap junk. 6. Fire starter--- Single most important tool you can have!!!!!!—wooden matches in a waterproof case, lighter, fire starter kit, etc. Or Blast Match Fire Starter... These units allow the user to build a fire with only one hand. If you can’t get a fire going with a Blast Match you deserve to be taken out of the gene pool. 7. Small, good quality belt axe or hatchet (Gransfor Bruks axe or similar). Great shelter builder and works equally well for quartering up animals if you are a hunter. Small and lightweight, this is ONE HANDY TOOL. It too must be razor sharp. Can be used as a defensive tool if your car breaks down on the wrong side of the tracks. 8. 6' x 8' plastic sheeting or tarp and a sponge. Pretty self explanatory. Sponge is used to soak up water, and can be used as a compress on a wound. 9. Obviously water, and some food depending on the time of the year and amount of gear you want to carry. A fanny pack or small day pack can be used to carry the above gear without looking like the Michelin Man. Practice making a fire with one hand. Be realistic in testing your gear. Be sure you can make it work under inclement conditions. If lost, make camp for the night with plenty of daylight. Don’t wait till dark to gather supplies and get situated. Morning comes soon enough and you’ll save those precious flashlight batteries in the process. There are plenty of other things you can carry, but with the above you can last several days and come out a survivor. Have the right mind set. Don’t be a wimp and give in to Mother Nature’s desire to overtake you. Get tough and do whatever it takes to make it out… Be safe and enjoy the great outdoors. If you are prepared, chances are you’ll never be called upon to perform. Leave all your gear in camp and you’ll be a featured guest in my next story.... edited and adapted from an article in Long Range Hunting (http://www.longrangehunting.com/articles/mother-nature-3.php) by Darrell Holland, a Custom Riflesmith and designer ========================================================================================================= Page 7