Rock & Arrowhead Club
Klamath Falls ~ Oregon
Rock & Arrowhead Club of Klamath Falls
If you have any clip art or pics to contribute, please send to us.
e-mail to  charlie@klamathrockclub.org
We really need content, members, past and present, please help with old
photo's, stories or maps, if you have any...Thank You-
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We are a member of the Northwest Federation of Mineralogical Societies,
check their website at:
   http://amfed.org/nfms/index.html
We are also affiliated with:
   American Federation of Mineralogical Societies
   Oregon Council of Rock & Mineral Clubs
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This club was established many years ago as a non-profit organization to
promote interest, knowledge and understanding in the various earth
sciences...in particular, the subjects of mineralogy, geology, archeology,
paleontology and lapidary.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Monthly Meetings
We hold meetings on the second
Monday of every month, (except
Dec.), at 7pm. The Klamath
County Museum, Main and Spring
Streets, Downtown Klamath Falls
is the place. We discuss all our
recent happenings, field trips,
classes our members are offering,
and other club and community
related events.
Visitors are most welcome.
Charlie Wyckoff Webmaster
updated 2-1-10
Copyright 2007-2009 © Rock and Arrowhead Club
All Rights Reserved
New!
National Geographic
Maps TOPO Explorer
This is a new program and
application for scouting, touring
topo maps, viewing trips others
have posted  to the NatGeo site,
and once you get familiar with it,
creating your own trips to share
with the community....very neat,
very fun, it's an application full of
neat applications.

Go here, click on the register link,
create an account, and start
exploring.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2-1-10 new map program ~ we're
working on a topo-share kind of
thing, details coming soon.
Rockhounding
Pages
Photo Albums
Site update by Charlie 6/16/2010
The idea here would be to have a
whole big list of albums, please
help if you can....send pictures,
scans, whatever you might have,
to me...we'll edit, so don't worry
about size or quality.
charlie@klamathrockclub.org
Field Trips
During the summer months, we do
three(3) annual, Club sponsored
field trips scheduled around the
same weekends each year. We
will post details as they become
available. Also, we're working on
pages dedicated for each area,
with maps and other relative, site
specific details.
(under construction)
May 28-29-30-31
Memorial Day Weekend
Hampton Butte Trip

Plush Sunstone Claim Trip
June 25-26-27
Weekend before the 4th-

Davis Creek Swap
July 16-17-18

Stay tuned, we'll get this
fleshed out......below, are links
to specific area info pages,
with maps and more...
In this New Year, let's all take a moment to be thankful for the sacrifices our
men and women in uniform are making, say a prayer for them and their families.
Also pray for our leaders in these times, as always, that they make wise decisions and
keep our country safe and free.
[Most Recent Quotes from www.kitco.com]
Too far....no more. Whacha lookin fer.
Of Interest:
The AMERICAN LANDS ACCESS
ASSOCIATION (ALAA) is a 501(c)(4)
organization. Its purpose is to promote
and ensure the right of amateur
hobby fossil and mineral collecting,
recreational prospecting and mining,
and the use of public and private lands
for educational and recreational
purposes; and to carry the voice of all
amateur collectors and hobbyists to
our elected officials, government
regulators and public lands managers.
Your annual membership fee of
$25.00 helps support their activities.
Contact: Dr. Robert Carlson, ALAA
President, 1585 Los Pueblos, Los
Alamos, NM, 87544, 505.662.5534,
drobertcarlson@yahoo.com
HELPING OTHERS
The club participates in the NFMS
commemoratives, airmail, pre-
canceled, foreign and “ordinary”
stamps of all values. Members are
encouraged to use and save
commemorative stamps. The money
generated from the sale of these
used (cancelled) stamps is then
donated to Cancer Research. The
collected stamps can be sent to the
Stamps Chairman, or brought to a
meeting and given to our Fed
Chairperson, Kathi Milem.
Next regular monthly meeting, July 12, 7pm at the Klamath County Museum.
These are pretty handy Charts, we use them often to time precious metals purchases,
always trying to catch the market in a dip.
They're not advertisements.
2010 Show Charity
was:
Integral Youth Services (IYS),
a private non-profit social
service agency, has been
providing services in Klamath
County since 1988. IYS
serves as the umbrella agency
overseeing a wide range of
programs and services
designed to benefit youth
and their families. The various
programs are designed to
‘integrate' with each other to
satisfy any need a youth may
have; whether physical,
emotional, educational,
spiritual, or vocational.  
Integral Youth
Services
IYS' general philosophies in
dealing with adolescents
include compassion,
encouragement,
opportunities, structure,
accountability, and
responsibility.
This year, as last, we'd
like to thank
"Klamath County,
and the Tourism
Grant Program" for
help with funding the
various advertising
and promotion of the
Gem and Mineral Show.

Visiting Klamath
Falls and the
region? Check out
"Klamath Klamath
"County Chamber of
Commerce" for all
kinds of ideas in
what to do and
where to
go.....Recreation,
Lodging,
Restaurants,
Museums, Parks and
Historical sites.....all
great family fun.
VIRGIN VALLEY FIELD TRIP
AUGUST 14 & 15, 2010

 For ease in club members enjoying the different mining adventures in Virgin
Valley, Saturday will be left open for members to go to the Fee dig(s) they desire.
This will allow members to arrive at Virgin Valley on their own schedule. A brief
description of these Fee digs is given below.
 Sunday, we will plan on meeting John Church (club member and owner of
Swordfish Mining) at 8:00am at the Virgin Valley Campground. John’s plan is to
go to what he calls the “Last Millsite Claim” first and then to
“Church Pews” by 4wd.
 This is also a Fee dig. Ages 15 and under will be free. The Fee for ages 16 and
over will be $10/person and $.25/pound for material out of the bank, or
$10/person and $1.00/pound off the surface.
 By going to John’s claim on Sunday, members will be able to leave whenever
they want to head for home.  

 VIRGIN VALLEY OPAL is located in Northwest Nevada just south of the
Oregon border, 100 miles from Lakeview and 135 miles from Winnemucca.
Travel time from Klamath Falls is around 3 ½ to 4 ½ hours depending on the
type of vehicle and if you are pulling a trailer. Access is by Highway 140.  
 There are four mines that are open for fee digs. Web site links for the four mines
and Swordfish Mining can be found under the following web sites:
thegemdealer.com opal mines  &  
goldnuggetwebs.com/VVOPALS/VVMAPS
The second site has good maps.

BONANZA OPAL MINE –  Fresh  tailing Fee digging is $60/person /day, 12
and under free with paid adult. $10 discount for rock club members with proof.
Ph. (864) 597-1421; Web. bonanzaopals.com

THE OPAL QUEEN – $150/person/day bank digging, $75/day tailing
digging. Ph. (775) 941-0130; Web. opalqueen.com

RAINBOW RIDGE OPAL MINE  New material is $500/day for one or
two adults, $70/person/day for tailings. Ph. (775) 941-0270; Web. nevadaopal.com

ROYAL PEACOCK OPAL MINE – Bank digging $180/person/day,
$75/person/day for tailings. 17 space RV park plus tent camping. Laundry room
& toilet/shower room. Bag ice, cold pop, pure well water, grass picnic area. Ph.
(775) 941-0374.

I encourage every one to check the web sites so you can get an idea of what the
country is like and what you can expect.

ITEMS TO BRING: Most important is water. In most places there is little or no
shade and it is easy to dehydrate. For working the ground suggested items are:
small pick, small garden rake, small shovel or trowel, spray bottle with water,
buckets for collecting specimens plus an extra bucket to sit on, sun block, hat,
and gloves.

The campground is on the south side of Hwy 140 and about 3 miles from Hwy
140. There is a toilet, a naturally heated hot water shower and outdoor swimming
pool (complete with guppies), and a few small trees.

Denio Junction, about 30 miles to the east, has reopened and offers food, fuel,
and rooms. Ph. (775) 941-0171.

HOW TO KNOW WHERE TO TURN OFF HWY. 140. Traveling from Lakeview
on Hwy 140, it is about 68 miles (if my memory is somewhat reliable) from Hwy
395 to the Oregon/Nevada border. The road going into Virgin Valley is
approximately 20 miles after entering Nevada. There is a rest area on Hwy 140
just west of the Virgin Valley access road. There is also a sign on the highway
inviting people to come into the opal mines and collect “black fire opal”.  

Leah and I are planning on being at the campground early Friday evening. We
will discuss the field trip at the August meeting. Call or e-mail me if you any have
questions. Ph: (541) 882-8341 e-mail: mrslas@ccountry.net

Marv Stump