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.
