Foundations in Genesis of Idaho/Oregon

 

CITY OF ROCKS/LAKE BONNEVILLE/FOSSILS

IDAHO – UTAH ADVENTURE

AUGUST 3 – 7, 2006

FINAL ANNOUNCEMENT

 

TRIP DETAILS (CONDENSED)

TRIP DETAILS & DESCRIPTIONS

 

 

CONTACT INFORMATION

EMAIL: FieldTrip@figionline.com     Brent Carter:  375-9592    Kathy Harris: 642-9207

 

Please read the information below thoroughly. Re-read to answer any questions you may have. For route & travel questions: check your map or access www.mapquest.com.  If you have additional questions/need more information, please use the contact information provided.  This announcement is available on our website: www.figionline.com.

 

THIS IS GOING TO BE A GREAT ADVENTURE!

 

 

TRIP DETAILS (CONDENSED)

• AUGUST 3, THURSDAY:

1.   Travel to City of Rocks, Idaho: Early Arrival is encouraged

Travel & Mileage: Thursday morning and early afternoon, August 3^rd. Travel from Boise via Hwy I-84 east to Delco off ramp at Exit 216, and southward on Hwy 17 and county roads to the town of Almo.  The City of Rocks is located about 15 minutes out of Almo past the Park Service Headquarters. www.mapquest.com reports 205 miles from Boise to Almo.  Remember! Plan extra travel time for possible road crews & rest stops. Fuel up before arriving at City of Rocks.

2.   Register FIRST at FIGI Registration Table located in the campground.

This applies to ALL registered FIGI participants.

Cost: $40.00

This includes camp fee’s, portable toilet costs & a trip field/route guide for the entire trip.

 

FIGI Dinosaur T-SHIRTS will be available for purchase. S,M,L,XL Price: $10.00 each

 

GUIDE Donation: Our guide, who is supplying the portable toilets at House Mountains, plus who we are relying heavily on his expertise for fossil localities and knowledge of the area, should be further compensated by donations.  We, as a group, will discuss our need to acknowledge his help and assistance, and how we might reimburse him.                            

 

Upon registration at the campground, you will receive:     

a.      Your Campsite #

b.     A Field Guide & Route Directions for the entire trip

c.      Each family is asked to sign a Liability Release Form

3.      Set Up Camp

 

• AUGUST 3-5: Camp & Field Excursions from City of Rocks.  On Saturday, August 5^th, campers will pack up and travel to House Mountain: Mileage & Route information provided in the Field/Route Guide provided at City of Rocks.

 

• AUGUST 5-7: Set up camp. Camp & Field Excursions from House Mountains. On Monday, August 7^th, campers will pack up, treasures & all, and travel home. Collecting Tools & Gloves available for purchase at this campsite from our Guide. Prices below are much less than if purchased in store; for example, geology picks vary from $15.00 to $32.00.  Brent Carters preference are:

ITEM #           ITEM                                                                  PRICE     

24M………… 24 oz. Plumb Pick for men………………………………………………$25.50 

20W…………20 oz. Plumb Pick for women………………………………………….. $24.00

16K ………...16 oz. Plumb Pick for kids  ………………………………………………$19.60 

TC. …………Thin chisels with double bevel are 10 inches in length …………………$9.00

            36WB ………Wizard bar length: 36 inches. …………………………………………...$32.00

            48WB ………Wizard bar length of 48 inches…………………………………………..$38.00

            20NN  ………The least expensive hammer: 20 oz. no name, which is very nice ……$15.00 

    

Gloves are essential to protect your hands.  Our guide does sell a nylon glove with a Nitrite rubber palm.  They wear like leather and fit tight for excellent dexterity. 

 

            ITEM #     ITEM                PRICE

 SGLV            Small Glove               $4.95

             MGLV            Medium Glove            $4.95

             LGLV            Large Glove               $4.95

             XLGLV          Extra Large Glove     $4.95

 

Purchasing Tools/Gloves: Pre-Ordering Required by July 28^th.

The earlier you order, the better the availability.

Please send the following information along with your registration information:

 

·        Item #, Item, Price & Quantity of Item

 

 

REGISTRATION REQUIRED:

We do REQUIRE a signup of participants who will be attend this outing, so we can plan accordingly.

Register by July 28^th. The earlier you register, the better the availability.

 

TO REGISTER:  

Email registration is preferred as this trip is just 2 ½  weeks away

Or

Call Brent H. Carter at (208) 375-9592 or Kathy Harris at (208) 642-9207. 

 

Send email registration to FieldTrip@figionline.com

Please include the following:

 

            Name, Address, City, State, Zip Code    

            Telephone Number with area code

            Email Address

            Number of people in your family

            Camping Preference, TENT or RV

            Vehicle Size

            Tools or Gloves you want to purchase

 

Upon receipt of your registration, you will receive a confirmation email or phone call from FIGI and any possible updates.  If you register and do not receive a confirmation, please contact Brent or Kathy.

 

NOTE:  Your registration is a commitment to attend.  Any tools/gloves you order to purchase are also a commitment.  FIGI endeavors to accommodate individuals and families by offering seminars & field trips at an affordable cost that we may all come to fellowship, learn and glorify God together.  Please keep your registration commitment! A great amount of time, effort & expense are involved.  If unexpected situations arise that would keep you from fulfilling your registration commitment, please notify one the FIGI contact options. Thank you.

 

 

 

TRIP DETAILS & DESCRIPTIONS

 

 

This will be a 5 day adventure along the south-central Idaho border with Utah and extending into west-central Utah.  The first 2.5 days will be devoted to study of the interesting “Dismantled City”, as called by the wagon train pioneers traveling through, but now designated the City of Rocks National Reserve.  Beginning in 1843, City of Rocks was a landmark for emigrants on the California Trail and Salt Lake Alternate Trail.  How did  these curious rock features form?  From Idaho, the adventure route will traverse much of the eastern and southern portion of Ancestral Lake Bonneville to the House Mountain Range in western Utah; evidence for this very large ancient body of water exits in the form of elevated beaches, deltas, spits, and wave-cut cliffs.

 

The House Mountains of Utah are a rugged, uplifted, block faulted sequence of chiefly layered fossiliferous sedimentary rocks.  The last 2.5 days will be devoted to extracting well preserved fossil trilobites from bedded claystone, and siltstone.  We will have a paleontologist along to guide us to the best locations for collecting fossils.

 

TRIP EMPHASIS: Modern science tells us that the City of Rocks vary in age from 2.5 billion to 25 millions years old; in fact, the older portion of the rocks are some of the oldest rocks in the lower 48 states.  They go on to say these spires, pinnacles and bornhardts were formed by two stage weathering; really!  Why is it they look like water sculpted rock masses of yesterday?  The evidences for a recent formation of these unusual rock features are for participants to view, ponder and discuss.  Elevation of the area is 6,000 feet. Camping will be in the National Preserve with sites with tables, fire pits and 

restrooms.

 

The Lake Bonneville basin will be traversed by car from the Idaho border into Utah for fossil collecting.  The ancient shore line features are so recent that one can easily envision this great body of water being formed in post-Flood times.  Native Americans must have had fun times fishing for the big ones in this lake.

 

Camping in the House Range will be somewhat primitive with some shade, good spring water, and portable restrooms.  Elevations vary from 5,500 to 6,000 feet.  The rocks that make up the mountain range are bedded sediments that were deposited during the time of the Biblical Flood.  Slabbing layered rock for fossils in kind of potluck; that is, not sure what you might find.  However, our guide has insured us that everyone will find very nice fossil trilobites with other interesting fossils for collection also. 

 

The House Mountain trilobite localities are world renown for being very well preserved and for a wide variety of fossil trilobites.  The key is to have a guide who knows where to collect and we are blessed to have such a guide.  As you recall, trilobites are small, marine organisms that lived in the oceans of the created world, prior to the Biblical Flood.  These fossils are now found in sediments that the evolutionists call Cambrian rocks, many hundreds of millions years in age.  Further, they are found near the bottom of the geologic column, and should be very simple in structure; but, in fact, trilobites are very complex.  God made them interestingly unique for us to see his creative powers.     

 

REGRISTRATION IS IMPORTANT:  Campsites at the City of Rocks are very limited.  Working with the Superintendent of this Reserve, we were able to reserve 32 FIGI family sites.  We now have seven families signed up.  Don’t wait until the last minute to register.  The good news is there could be some first-come-first-serve sites through the Park Service in certain locations; but those sites are always questionable for availability and may or may not be near the pre-reserved FIGI family sites.  The Park Service did indicate that during the week days, the chances of finding available campsites can be good, but one can never be absolutely sure.

      

TRIP DETAILS:  We will be staying in the City of Rocks National Reserve, administered by the National Park Service, for the first part of the trip and primitive camping on Bureau of Land Management land in Utah for the second half of the trip.

• Camping Fees at City of Rocks:  We have reserved 32 family camp sites at the center of the park for tents and R.V’s.  Surrounding views are spectacular. Campsites are roomy with good shade.  There are tables, fire pits (wood is scarce), pit toilets and water outlets; no showers.  No hookups for trailers or R.V’s.  Costs for campsite will be $12.00 per night.
• Camping Fees at House Mountains:  We will be camping among Juniper and Pinion Pine trees in upland country next to an abandoned stone quarry.  There are standpipes from springs close by for potable water.  Wood is scarce for evening fires, so bring wood if you desire a fire.  Portable toilets will be furnished by our guide. We will charge a fee of $10.00 per family for use of these “luxury” facilities for the two days.  Note:  Our guide, who is supplying the portable toilets, plus who we are relying heavily on his expertise for fossil localities and knowledge of the area, should be further compensated by donations.  We, as a group, will discuss our need to acknowledge his help and assistance, and how we might reimburse him.       
• Registration:  We do require a signup of participants who will be attend this outing, so we can plan accordingly.  Registration can be accomplished by sending an email to: FieldTrip@figionline.com or call Brent H. Carter at (208) 375-9592 or Kathy Harris at (208) 642-9207.  In your email please include the following:

            Name, Address, City, State, Zip Code     

            Telephone number with area code

            Email Address

            Number of people in your family

            Camping preference, tent or RV

            Vehicle size

            Tool/Glove Orders

• Travel:  Thursday morning and early afternoon, August 3^rd and Monday, August 7^th will be considered travel periods.  Travel from Boise via Hwy I-84 east to Delco off ramp at Exit 216, and southward on Hwy 17 and county roads to the town of Almo.  The City of Rocks is located about 15 minutes out of Almo past the Park Service Headquarters.

 

Travel to the Utah trilobite collecting locality, from City of Rocks, will be by a combination of roads in Utah, on Saturday, August 5^th .  A route map will be part of the guidebook handout for participants, so if car pooling vehicles get separated along the route we will all end up at the same location.

• Fuel: Consider fueling up your vehicle before arriving at the City of Rocks and again before arriving at House Mountains.  This will allow participants more time for exploration and less time sitting at the gas pumps.
• Camping Considerations: Both the City of Rocks area and House Mountain area are about 6,000 feet in elevation.  In early August, days will be warm to hot and nights will be cool.  Afternoon thunder showers can occur.  Bring shorts, but also long pants together with t-shirts, long sleeve shirts, coat, hat and rain shell.  Of course, remember Bible, camera, binoculars, daypack, sunscreen, chapstick, insect repellant, water bottles, hiking shores or boots, and sunglasses.  There could be an occasional rattlesnake, scattered poison oak, and ticks to content with. Ice: Come prepared by packing your cooler with ice. There will be opportunities to purchase additional ice.
• Collecting Tools: for splitting rocks to extract trilobites; such as, flat-pointed geology picks, flat chisels, small to big bars, flat-bladed shovels, and gloves are important. Our guide will have some of these tools for purchase; his prices are much less than if purchased in store; for example, geology picks vary from $15.00 to $32.00.  My preference in the 24 oz. Plumb ($25.50) for men, 20 oz. Plumb ($24.00) for women, and the 16 oz. Plumb $19.60) for kids.  The least expensive hammer is a 20 oz. no name for $15.00, which is very nice.  Thin chisels with double bevel are 10 inches in length for $9.00.  Wizard bars come in lengths of 36 inches and 48 inches, and sell for $32.00 and $38.00 respectively.

 

Gloves are essential to protect your hands.  He does sell a nylon glove with a Nitrite rubber palm.  They wear like leather and fit tight for excellent dexterity.  He has them in four sizes S, M, L, XL that sell for $4.95 a pair. 

 

If you are interested in purchasing some of the tools from the guide, please let us know the items you would like to order when you register, so he can plan to bring them along for the collecting trip.

 

Trilobite specimens need to be protected after collecting.  Cardboard pop flats are the best.  Two can be put together to form a lid.  Many of the specimens will need to be wrapped for protection.  Newspaper works very well. Ziplock bags (Gallon & Quart) are great to bring along for specimens& Sharpie markers for labeling bags with specimen name, date, location & finders name.

 

Since many of us will have tools that look like everyone else’s, each family needs to label their property.  Especially when there are kids involved, things get set down and left.  If everyone has theirs marked, it will help find the owners. 

• Daily Schedule of Activities: Daily activities will be planned; however, that does not mean that all families have to attend all of the activities.  We all need some free time.  A guide book will be prepared for participants.  Individuals can purchase the book for a nominal fee.  Come prepared to enjoy the wonders of Creation and The Flood evidences that God made especially for us to view, enjoy, study, and guide us to better understand the manifold witness of His Grace.

 

 

B.H.Carter

7/14/06