GMS Field Trip August 2024

GMS Field Trip
Petrified Wood, Pebbles, and Picnic in Alabama
Saturday, August 17, 2024

This trip filled up so fast! We had almost as many people on the waiting list as we were allowed to have on the trip! There were some last-minute cancellations though, so almost everyone on the waiting list had a chance to go. When we arrived, the owner of the property and his grandkids expertly herded all of us into perfectly packed parking formation. Members quickly unload our picnic goodies and rockhounding gear as we prepared for a day of rockhounding adventures. Our host showed us some examples of the petrified wood we could find, and even offered to give us pieces if we didn’t find any ourselves. He explained that one of the pieces with weird little nodules was an exotic wood, so we all tuned our eyeballs to it.

Ages and composition of the petrified wood in the creek are varied and distinct. Some specimens are highly silicified and are usually brown or a creamy white color. Other specimens are lignitized (carbonized) and often contain pyrite or marcasite. All of the petrified wood can vary from chips to hand-sized to 2-foot logs, and rarely, even larger. My understanding is that the oldest specimens are from the Paleozoic Era (541-252 mya) and younger specimens are from the Mesozoic Era (251.9 to 66.0 mya).

Eager to get started, we all hopped onto flatbed trailers, then the property owner and his grandkids took us on an exhilarating ride through the woods and down to the water. The trip to the creek was an adventure unto itself, and juniors seemed to enjoy that almost as much as the collecting! It was a sweltering day, but jumping into a creek to look for petrified wood can turn a hot day into a cool day for rockhounds.

There wasn’t a lot of recent rain, so there wasn’t a lot of petrified wood washing out, yet determined members still managed to find some excellent specimens. There were several pieces of beautiful lignitized wood that sparkled with pyrite/marcasite. These will have to be stored carefully because marcasite can be unstable and deteriorate, releasing sulfuric acid that can damage other specimens. Silicified wood was sparse, but there were a few notable pieces including a superb specimen of the exotic wood we saw that morning and a small piece that appears to be bark.

In addition, there were some pretty pebbles to peruse, so everyone found lots of goodies in the gravel. The red/orange carnelian was the most sought after. The material can be tumbled or cabbed with excellent results. Some of it is semi-translucent and practically glows in sunlight. It was easy to find, so everyone who wanted some most certainly got some.

After a few hours of collecting, we all hitched rides back to a cabin where air-conditioning, a bathroom, and a picnic feast awaited. Cameron Clines grilled up a pile of weenies. He also grilled some Conecuh Sausage, a legendary Alabama delicacy that one of our members brought. Cold drinks plus side dishes and desserts shared by members rounded out a refreshing rockhound repast. Great food in us and great company around us, we relaxed and told tales of the wood that got away before we packed up our gear and goodies, then bid our fellow rockhounds adieu.

A trip like this has so many people to thank, but first and foremost, we must thank our outstanding hosts, the property owner and his grandsons. They went above and beyond to welcome us into their private paradise, they kept us safe, and they filled our day with so much fun. A thousand thanks to them for their warmth and generosity. Thank you to Cameron Clines for bringing hotdogs, buns, and grilling supplies, then grilling up a gustatorial delight. Thank you to the members who attended the trip and showed me what they found so I could photograph them for this report, and for graciously sharing their picnic goodies and camaraderie. Just being able to hang out with such a great group of rockhounds was worth the trip. Thank you to the Montgomery Gem & Mineral Society for sharing their location with us. And, of course, thank you to Charles Carter for arranging this marvelous trip!

Lori Carter on behalf of Charles Carter
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