New rockhounding guide

Garret 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

Dans list
How many years you've been rock hounding?
45 years. 1st time was a copper mine in Hells 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 Fishers Ore-Rock-On DVD Eckerts Earth Treasures series; Gem Atlas, Gold Diggers 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 verifymultiple 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 didnt 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

Roads 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

Whats 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.org http://www.geocommunicator.gov http://www.earth.google.com http://www.maps.google.com http://www.geonames.usgs.gov/ http://www.oregongeology.org/ http://terraserver-usa.com/ http://fossilsites.com/index.html http://www.missourigeologists.org/MinLoc1-2005.pdf

Q&A