Columbine Gem and Mineral Society Columbine Gem and Mineral Society is Chaffee County, Colorado's own rockhunting, fossil, artifact, lapidary and earth science club.
Meetings are held the second Thursday of every month in the Meeting Room of the Mount Shavano Manor at 525 West 16th (at J street) in Salida, Colorado and start at 6:30 PM.

Meetings include programs, door prizes and refreshments.
Guests and visitors are welcome.

Home

About Columbine

Need Directions?

Related Links

Contact Info

Rock Talk

Minutes & Notes from Meetings

 

For notices of
Columbine Gem and
Mineral Society's
events, join our Mailing List
(You must be a
society member to join.)
schedule graphic

Please note that while our meetings are open to the general public, field trips are
limited to Columbine members, plus members of our sister club in Oklahoma and the 
Pueblo and Canon City clubs with which we maintain reciprocal agreements. Often, 
field trip destinations are small, remote areas which limit the number of participants.

Interested members must sign up one month before the trip.

To sign up for a field trip you must be a Columbine Society member and sign up on the 
field trip list at a meeting or preferably go to:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ColumbineEvents/cal///group/ColumbineEvents 
and pick the field trip you want to attend -  click it and follow the instructions.

 Note: To fully utilize the yahoo groups site you must sign up as a
 ColumbineEvents member by completing the yahoo groups member
 profile (please list your real name). Your name will checked against 
the Columbine Society membership roster and you will be approved 
for the ColumbineEvents group if you are a Society member.

If you do sign up for a trip and can't go - please be considerate and cancel your
reservation by contacting the field trip coordinator.
If you wish to join, please use our Membership Application Form

WHAT TO WEAR Recommendations for all outings: 

1. DO NOT WEAR SHORTS OR SANDALS!
2. Wear Long Sleeve Shirt and Long Pants!
3. Bring lots of Water and a Lunch!
4. Wear a Hat, gloves and Sun Glasses!
5. Bring any medications you  may need!
6. Wear Hiking Boots with ankle support.
7. Bring any and all equipment you may need (shovel etc.)!

Jan 8 Regular Monthly Meeting

Where: Meeting Room at Shavano Manor
Time: 6:30 PM
In Charge of Refreshments: Linda Colling
Show & Tell: Bring you favorite rock book.
Jan 17 Travel Channel - Treasure Hunter - Kristen Gumm - Mount Antero Special Feature 8pm mst - check local listings
Feb 12 Regular Monthly Meeting

Where: Meeting Room at Shavano Manor
Time: 6:30 PM
In Charge of Refreshments: Toni Williams & Judy Ensley
Program: Don Campbell talking about Metal Smithing and Lapidary
Show & Tell: Bring a rock from another country
March 12 Regular Monthly Meeting

Where: Meeting Room at Shavano Manor
Time: 6:30 PM
In Charge of Refreshments: Donna Curtis
Program: 
Show & Tell: Bring your favorite Colorado rock.
April 9 Regular Monthly Meeting

Where: Meeting Room at Shavano Manor
Time: 6:30 PM
In Charge of Refreshments: Karen Bertrand
Program: Dr. Bob Carnein (retired geology prof from Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania). Topic: Why are there so many pretty copper minerals?
Show & Tell: Birthstone rocks (even a Herkimer diamond)
April 18  Field Trip: TeePee Butes, Florence 
What: Cretaceous fossils
Easy (2x2 vehicle)
Sponsor Club: Canon City
Where: Canon City / Florence area
Leader: Jim Meacham
April 25 Field Trip: Baculite Mesa, Pueblo
What: Cretaceous Fossils-ammonites, baculites and clams.
Easy (2x2 vehicle)
Sponsor Club: Pueblo
Where: Pueblo Area
Leader: Larry Frank
May 9-11 Field Trip: Grand Junction / Moab (multi-day trip)
What: Book Clifts-Barite, Moab-Yellow Cat-Petrified wood, agate
Moderate (2x2 vehicle)
Sponsor Club: Columbine
Where: Grand Junction & Moab Utah . Sites are flexible to be determined by group
Leader: Christina Johnson
May 14 Regular Monthly Meeting

Where: Meeting Room at Shavano Manor
Time: 6:30 PM
In Charge of Refreshments: Jim & Nancy Drennan
Program: Kim Woodruff with the DOW and Chris Welker form the Forest Service will be there to answer questions concerning the Habitat Stamp, Access Permits, Hazards like poisonous plants, snakes, etc., and whatever other questions we might have for them.
Show & Tell: Fossils
May 16 Field Trip: New Hope Amethyst Claim
What: Amethyst, barite
Moderate (4x4 +/- vehicle) Car Pooling will be required
Sponsor Club: Canon City
Where: West of Canon City toward Guffey
Leader: Steve Jones
May 23 Field Trip: Lake George - Pueblo Rockhounds Claims
What: Smokey Quartz, Amazonite, Fluorite and Goethite.
Moderate (2x2 or 4x4 vehicle)
Sponsor Club: Pueblo
Where: North of Lake George
Leader: Einar Wulfsberg / Larry Frank
May 30 Field Trip: Fox Fluorspar prospects above Garden Park, Canon City
What: Fluorspar
Difficult (4x4 vehicle rough road)
Sponsor Club: Canon City
Where: Canon City Area
Leader: Steve Jones
June 6 Field Trip: Courtney Marie / Dreamtime Claims, Lake George
What: Smokey Quartz, Amazonite, Fluorite and Goethite.
Moderate (2x2 vehicle)
Sponsor Club: Canon City
Where: North of Lake George
Leader: Steve Jones
June 11 Regular Monthly Meeting

Where: Meeting Room at Shavano Manor
Time: 6:30 PM
In Charge of Refreshments: Dwayne Argaud & Linda Solomon
Program: Ralph Eiler presentation on Mt. Antero - Specimens, minerals, extreme situations
Show & Tell: Items made with rocks (candles, wind chimes, jewelry, bookends, etc)
June 13 Field Trip: Fuzzy Moe Topaz Claim, Tarryall
What: Topaz, Quartz and Feldspar
Difficult (4x4 vehicle - rough road)
Sponsor Club: Canon City
Where: Tarryall Area
Leader: Steve Jones
July 4-6 Field Trip:  Last Chance Mine, Creede (multi-day trip)
What: Sow belly Agate, Amethyst and Fossils
Easy (2x2 vehicle)
Sponsor Club: Pueblo & Canon City
Where: Creede & Wolf Creek pass area
Leader: Jim Meacham & Steve Jones
July 9 Meeting/Annual Society Picnic and Silent Auction 

What: bring, table service for your party,  a covered dish to share and your own meat to grill - drinks are provided, and please also bring donations for the silent auction
Where: Centennial Park, Salida (at the shelter on the west side of Salida Hot Springs Pool)
Time: 6:00 PM
July 11 Field Trip: Hartsel Blue Barite
What: Blue Barite
Moderate (4x4 or 2x2 vehicle with high clearance)
Sponsor Club: Canon City
Where: Hartsel 
Leader: Steve Jones
July 12 Field Trip: Mt. Antero
What: Aquamarine, Quartz, Fluorite, etc.
Extremely Difficult (4x4 vehicle ONLY with high clearance and low gearing)
Warning: 11,000 - 13,500 foot elevation with rapid weather changes. Not for the weak at heart.
Sponsor Club: Columbine
Where: Mt. Antero 
Leader: Ralph Eyler
August 1-2 Chaffee County Fair 

Where: Chaffee County Fairgrounds in Poncha Springs.
Leader: Fred Jackson 539.3930 - volunteers needed for booth set up and take down,
and for the "decorate a rock" contest.  We need small rock specimens for give-a-ways.
Aug 5-9 Contin-Tail Rock and Gem Show

What: Open air rock swap and show featuring local and regional dealers
Where: Buena Vista Rodeo Grounds
Time: 9:00am to 5:00pm
Aug 8 Field Trip: Sedalia Mine
What: Garnets, Magnetite, etc.
Moderate (4x4 or 2x2 vehicle with good clearance)
Sponsor Club: Columbine
Where: Four miles North of Salida 
Leader: Fred Jackson
Aug 8-9 Buena Vista Gold Rush Days

What: Wild West festival
Easy
Where: Buena Vista downtown business district
Aug 13 Regular Monthly Meeting
Where: Stock yards bridge south of Salida
Time: 6:30 PM
In Charge of Refreshments: Kiers
Program: 
Show & Tell: Petrified wood 
Aug 30 Field Trip: Mt. Antero
What: Aquamarine, Quartz, Fluorite, etc.
Extremely Difficult (4x4 vehicle ONLY with high clearance and low gearing)
Warning: 11,000 - 13,500 foot elevation with rapid weather changes. Not for the weak at heart.
Sponsor Club: Columbine
Where: Mt. Antero 
Leader: Ralph Eyler
Sept 10 Regular Monthly Meeting
Where: Meeting Room at Shavano Manor
Time: 6:30 PM
In Charge of Refreshments: Cathy & Jim Storey
Program: Chris Marchase, a numismatist will speak on Joseph Lesher and the Lesher Dollar (has to do with the Cripple Creek mining boom)
Show & Tell: Rocks from West of the Mississippi 
Sept 12 Field Trip: Florissant Fossil Beds ($3.00 fee)
What: Fossils, Colorado Historical Society Museum, Special tour by Bob Carnein: Also a fee collecting site ($10.00/Hour)
Easy (2x2 vehicle)
Sponsor Club: Columbine & Pueblo
Where: Florisant 
Leader: Einar Wulfsberg / Larry Frank
Sept 18-20 The 40th Annual Denver Gem and Mineral Show

What: One of the world's best gem and mineral shows. 
Where: Merchandise Mart, Denver, Colorado
For more information on this event, please visit the above link. This is far to large an event for a sentence or two to do it justice.
Time: 9am - 6pm
Oct 3 Field Trip: Lake George - Pueblo Rockhounds Claims
What: Smokey Quartz, Amazonite, Fluorite and Goethite.
Moderate (2x2 or 4x4 vehicle)
Sponsor Club: Pueblo
Where: North of Lake George
Leader: Einar Wulfsberg / Larry Frank
Oct 8 Regular Monthly Meeting

Where: Meeting Room at Shavano Manor
Time: 6:30 PM
In Charge of Refreshments: Wulfsbery
Program: 
Show & Tell: Rocks from East of the Mississippi
Nov 12 Regular Monthly Meeting 
Where: Meeting Room at Shavano Manor
Time: 6:30 PM
In Charge of Refreshments: John & Betty Schnaderbeck
Program:
Show & Tell: Stamps featuring gems, minerals, mining, etc.
Nov 14-15 30th New Mexico Mineral Symposium
New Mexico Tech Campus, Socorro, Nm (Info: Virgil Lueth 505 835-5140)
Dec ?-?- Flatirons Mineral Club Annual Gem & Mineral Show
Dec 10 Meeting/Christmas Party
Where: Meeting Room at Shavano Manor
Time: 6:30 PM
In Charge of Refreshments: Potluck style - everyone bring a dish to share
Program: voluntary gift exchange - if interested, bring a wrapped gift with a value of ~$10-15. This gift should be
 related in some way to our various hobbies - a mineral specimen, an agate, a fossil, interesting rocks, artifacts, etc.

*

*

*
American Federation of Mineralogical Societies
Member of the
American Federation
of Mineralogical Societies		 Rocky Mountain Federation of Mineralogical Societies
Member of the
Rocky Mountain Federation
of Mineralogical Societies		 Colorado Federation of Gem Mineral Societies
Member of the
Colorado Federation
of Gem & Mineral Societies
[Home] [About]  [Directions] [Related Links] [Contact]