Graptolites, Beryl and Concretion Rumors – April 2021
We went out following some vague reports of graptolite fossils on Kings Road. We couldn’t find Kings Road, so we took Orin-Rice Road, between the towns of Addy and Rice. We found one interesting road cut with interesting quartz, and potentially fossil-containing shale, but we were unable to find any fossils.
From there we went to the bridge in Kettle Falls, following a report of beryl crystals under the bridge when the water’s low. Found no signs of any beryl. The water was about as low as it gets, though perhaps what is considered ‘low water’ levels has changed over the years.
While we were near the Kettle Falls Campground, we decided to check if the ranger station was open to see if the concretions, as mentioned in multiple Washington rockhounding books, were on display. The ranger had never heard of them. Perhaps they were removed many years ago but the rumor remains.
Next, wanting a sure thing, we stopped at the sulfide mineralization spot near the city of Kettle Falls.
This was a weekday, so we stopped in at the Stevens County Courthouse is Colville, as we’ve heard that there is a display of minerals in the building. There was indeed a very old-looking display of a great variety of minerals that have been found or mined in Stevens County. Worth a look if you’re driving through and want to take a quick break. A video and more information on the mineral display can be found here.
