2024 Symposium Registration is open

Precious Metals and Golden Memories

October 18-20, 2024
Online registration is now ready to go!
https://pnwfm.square.site/

Notes on this year’s symposium

  1. Most important: This year’s symposium will be held in ELLENSBURG, Washington! We are no longer in Kelso! Details below.
  2. Full-time students may attend the talks free of charge. Please be prepared to show student ID. Students may become members of PNWFM and/or attend the banquet for the same costs as regular members: $20 and $25, respectively.
  3. The Banquet menu is To Be Determined. The banquet and live auction will be held at the Ellensburg Red Lion hotel.
  4. Speakers and Talks will be announced soon!

2024 Dates

October 18:
Afternoon setup and on-site registration
Room dealers open well into the evening (at Ellensburg Red Lion)

October 19:
Lectures at Discovery Hall
Evening banquet and live auction
Room dealers open well into the evening (at Ellensburg Red Lion)

October 20:
Morning Lectures at Discovery Hall
Breakdown cleanup

Locations

Sympsium talks
Discovery Hall
Central Washington University in Ellensburg, Washington

Room Dealers, Saturday evening Banquet and Live Auction
Ellensburg Red Lion

Costs

There is a $10 discount on paid symposium if you register before October 1.

  • Symposium + Dinner + PNWFM membership $130
  • Symposium (NO Meal) + PNWFM membership $105
  • Full-Time STUDENT (NO membership or dinner) Free with student ID
  • Extra or Student dinner $25
  • Extra or Student membership $20 (included in paid symposium)
  • Add-on Room Dealer (requires paid Symposium) $25

Washington Pass collecting trip – CANCELLED

Hello PNWFM Members. We had been hoping that the fire situation in the North Cascades would be resolved in time for the Washington Pass trip, but an August “fire season” is again our reality. With the closure of Highway 20 we have made the decision to cancel our event. We hope to try again next year and explore the possibility of holding the field trip earlier in the summer when fire risk is not so high. 

In the meantime Markus has offered to analyze any of your unknown Washington Pass or related mineral. He would perform EDX and XRD as needed and share the results at the PNWFM Symposium in October. Please contact him at markus.raschke@colorado.edu if you wish to send him material for analysis.

Thank you for understanding, and we’ll try again next year.

CANCELLED – Washington Pass Collecting Trip – Aug 25-27, 2023

It’s been several years, but PNWFM is pleased to announce that we will be returning to Washington Pass this August, the weekend of August 25. Please join us for this weekend field trip to a fascinating spot of interesting geology. The field trip will be led by Markus Raschke.

To help the novices Markus will provide handouts and an introduction into Washington Pass geology. We also plan a short evening presentation on the exotic minerals including an update on recent research on some of the exotic minerals. The usual evening prospecting with UV light for zektzerite is of course a must. We aim to visit the talus field of Liberty Bell one day, and some road side localities the other. 

A note on logistics: Our past “clean up” events at the pass were coordinated in loose partnership with the Forest Service arranging for our group to have campsites near each other, but Forest Service policies have now changed and require much more formal and extended volunteer commitment and procedures than our small group can support at this time. Therefore, we’re revising our tradition into more of an independent camping and geological field trip experience. The campground is first-come, first-served, so while we can attempt to group our camp sites close together, we may end up a little dispersed. If you plan to attend or have questions about logistics, please contact Markus at Markus.Raschke@colorado.edu. A second note: as of this email, portions of Highway 20 on the west side are closed due to fire, but Washington Pass is still accessible from the east side. Cross fingers that fire will be out by August 25, and we’ll keep watching to see if plans need to change.

Seattle Mineral Market – THIS Weekend! (5/20/23 – 5/21/223)

PNW Friends of Mineralogy will have a prominent presence at this year’s Seattle Mineral Market. Stop by our booth, flanking the main entrance:

  • Learn about Friends of Mineralogy and join the PNW chapter
  • Get info about our October symposium – Rare Earth Element Minerals
  • Join our summer Washington Pass cleanup
  • Grab some merch with our brand new logo!
  • Silent auctions
  • Educational displays
  • Kids’ activities

Display and photo: Jessica Robertson

2023 Seattle Mineral Market
May 20 & 21, 2023
Hangar 30 Building @ Magnuson Park
7400 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115
Saturday 10:00AM-6:00PM
Sunday 11:00AM-5:00PM
https://elementalendeavors.com/seattle-mineral-market