New rockhounding guideGarret Romaine

April, 2009

To do list:

• My background• Process for writing a guide book (quick)• Talk about updated 2009 Gem Trails • List favorite Oregon, Washington sites• Ask about Eugene-area locales• Q&A

Dan’s list• How many years you've been rock hounding?

– 45 years. 1st time was a copper mine in Hell’s Canyon • A few anecdotal stories?

– Alvord Desert flat tire– Plush forest fire

• What prompted you to rewrite this book? (Why this OR edition is better)– Tired of complaints– Statewide refresh; 40+ new sites– GPS readings; road names and mileage updates– Better mix for general rockhounds

Introduction• BS geology University of Oregon• MA geography University of Washington• Grandfather Harold Banta served on the

board of directors for DOGAMI• Long interest in rockhounding, especially

mining districts• Journalist, technical writer, & educator• Magazine columnist for 12 years• Linked In: http://www.linkedin.com• Blog: http://writingdocs.blogspot.com/• Email: gromaine3@comcast.net

Process for writing the book• How to land a contract: email• Lots of research

– Tim Fisher’s Ore-Rock-On DVD– Eckert’s “Earth Treasures” series; Gem Atlas, Gold

Digger’s Atlas– Beste PDF available online; fossil database also

online– Gladwell series– More online resources (“Billy Bob” Thompkins)– Old Gem Trails editions; DOGAMI literature– Quite a few campfire interrogations

• Lots to verify…multiple road trips!

Site visit planning• Identify a likely spot or cluster of locales• Verify claim status on BLM LR2000• Check mine info on Mindat• Print road directions from Google Earth• Trace roads on Delorme/Benchmark• Purchase updated USFS/BLM maps for gate info• Look up Scenic Highways info• Consult Roadside Geology• Look up ghost town information• Check online for weather, road cams at passes, and fire

closures

Actual site visits• First, find the area

– Can we camp? – Or just a smoke break for Grampa?

• Secure good samples; bag and tag• Record GPS readings; take notes• Get plenty of pictures• Repeat as necessary; record is 22 stops in one

day along central/southern coast• Turns out to be a lot like work – didn’t get to

really hunker down at some sites that were worth returning to

Writing process

• Author is responsible for all data• Supplied DVD for pics and maps, an Acrobat file

with all information, plus a Word file with no art• Gem Guides has a map-maker, but I provided a

basic Illustrator file• Kept “boilerplate” for interior info about tumbling• Kept existing glossary and interior; mostly

recycled• Circulated PDF for limited review• Hurry up and wait for the publisher

Fisher

• Thanks to Tim Fisher– http://www.ore-rock-on.com– Excellent DVD– 2500+ GPS readings for NW– Good with fossils; not so good with gold

prospecting, IMHO– Still leads a tour now and then

Oregon statistics

• 24 trips from 1-7 days in length• 18 different helpers• 15,000 miles on lead SUV• 250 person-days in the field• 250 samples bagged• 300 GPS readings recorded• 700 pictures in digital format

Favorite Oregon locales

• Road’s End agates • Rabbit Hills sunstones• Lucky Strike thundereggs• Harney Lake agates• Delintment Lake ammonites• Homestead native copper• Gold Hill quartz crystals• Quartzville Creek pyrite• Cedar Butte augite

Favorite Washington locales

• Hansen Creek quartz crystals• First Creek agate• Liberty wire gold• Stonerose fossil leaves• Metaline Falls galena• Saddle Mountain petrified wood• Lake Wenatchee garnets• Adna carnelian

Eugene area

Not in book:• Cox Butte• Hammond Camp• Boulder Creek• Jasper • Fall River• Local fossils• Carnelian to the west?

Other Gladwell sites?

• Mill Creek Quarry• Rickreall Creek Pit• Saddle Butte• Thistle Creek• Wren Quarry

What’s Next?

• Idaho guide for Falcon in 2010• Wyoming?• Dummies book?

Web Links

• Mindat• BLM LR-2000• Google Earth• Google Maps• GNIS• DOGAMI• TerraServer• Fossils• Beste

http://www.mindat.orghttp://www.geocommunicator.govhttp://www.earth.google.comhttp://www.maps.google.comhttp://www.geonames.usgs.gov/http://www.oregongeology.org/http://terraserver-usa.com/http://fossilsites.com/index.htmlhttp://www.missourigeologists.org/Min-

Loc1-2005.pdf

Q&A