Tar Heel Gem & Mineral Club - Planned Field Trips

TAR HEEL GEM & MINERAL CLUB
FIELD TRIP NOTICE
Saturday, July 23th
Martin Marietta Pomona Quarry

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN ATTENDING THIS FIELD TRIP PLEASE REPLY BACK ASAP WITH YOUR NAME AND TELE # INDICATING HOW MANY WILL BE IN YOUR PARTY. IF YOU NEED A RIDE I SUGGEST YOU "REPLY TO ALL" ASKING OTHER CLUB MEMBERS IF YOU CAN RIDE WITH THEM AND SHARE EXPENSES, ETC...

NOTES

1.    A copy of this email is enclosed as a pdf file that contains some visual pictures.
2.    Due to the size of our mailing list I need to send this communiqu� out in three separate issuances.
3.    Let me know ASAP if you are able to attend.
4.    Sorry, the plant manager said no one under <18 will be permitted in the quarry.
5.    Has any club members been to this quarry before? If so, reply back to all with what you have.

Greetings,

I am pleased to report that a TAR HEEL GEM & MINERAL CLUB FIELD TRIP is scheduled as follows;

FIELD TRIP DAY / DATE
SATURDAY, JULY 23, 2011
TIME:
09:00 am – 1:00 pm
QUARRY OPERATOR
Martin Marietta
QUARRY NAME
Pomona Quarry in Greensboro
QUARRY ADDRESS:
825 Marietta Rd, Greensboro, NC 27410
QUARRY TELEPHONE:
336-299-2211
QUARRY IN-CHARGE
Joe Opel
TAR HEEL TRIP COORD
Thomas Todaro, 919-349-9143 (M), 919-639-7798 (H)
caribtomt@yahoo.com

“REQUIRED”
1.    Everyone must comply with any and all safety requirements set forth by Martin-Marietta
2.    Everyone must stay away from quarry edges
3.    No climbing on rock face’s
4.    Everyone must have and wear a hard-hat
5.    Everyone must have work boots with steel toe would be better
- Note: Sorry but do not show up wearing sneakers and expect to go down into the quarry.
6.    Everyone must have safety goggles or glasses.
7.    Everyone must sign in at the quarry office and signoff on the safety rules

EXTRA STUFF:
1.    Feel free to bring buckets, picks, hammers, shovel, hand cart, rags, crow bar, etc.
2.    Sorry, but children under 18 yrs are not permitted per the quarry manager
3.    Bring a change of clothes in case you get wet.
4.    Dress according to the weather, expect it to be cold. It is always easier to take clothes
off then put stuff on that you don’t have.
5.    Camera
6.    Magnifying glass or eye loop
7.    Food, snacks
8.    Drinking water to stay hydrated
9.    Ask for help to load your take home rocks, as we don’t want to see anyone hurt their back
10. Please be prompt as the quarry operator is coming in on his day off to host our club.
11. Be sure to thank the quarry operator upon leaving as we want to leave a good impression so
so as we can come back.
12. Temperatures in the quarry will be excessive MAKE SURE you bring plenty of fluids. It also doesn’t hurt to bring a small cooler with water to dip a face towel into for cooling.
13. Be sure to arrive around 08:45 AM so as we can be safety briefed.
14. It will be hot, scorching, frying, boiling, etc. bring a closed bucket of water and a rag so as you can cool yourself…..take it from me there is nothing like wiping your face down with water. J
15. Have Fun and Rock On…………

As I have not ever been to this quarry, I have no information as to what can be found there. Anyone with information please reply back.

MapQuest directions

From:   Raleigh, NC

To:       Martin Marietta Pomona Quarry, 825 Marietta Rd, Greensboro, NC 27410

DRIVING DIRECTIONS: from APEX area to Martin Marietta Quarry indicated above

See attached pdf file

Martin Marietta Aggregates - (336) 299-2211
825 Marietta Rd, Greensboro, NC27409

Total Travel Estimate : 76.63 miles - about 1 hour 28 minutes

MAP COURTESY OF MAPQUEST

Tom Todaro, Tar Heel Gem & Mineral Club chair (919-349-9143, Mobile)

PRINT THIS AND BRING WITH YOU

PAST FIELD TRIPS

Stories and photos from 2007 & 2008 coming soon.

July 2005

Tarheel Gem & Mineral Club visited the Martin Marietta quarry located near the RDU airport on Highway 70 in Raleigh. There were nine people on this trip and we all had a great time even with the high temperatures. During the trip, we found pyrite, feldspar, epidote, calcite, quartz, and dogtooth calcite crystals.

Lee Fleming

January 2005 Trip Report

The morning started out with a beautiful sun rise but the temperature was in the low 20s. Six Members showed up for the event. By 8:00 AM, it was getting cloudy but no bad weather was showing at that time. Scott and I proceeded to the quartz hill at the very start but after not finding any crystals, we moved on to the lower sections of the quarry. By about 10:30 we had collected some nice orange calcite in layers, some calcite crystals, and some nice "pink" rock. We also enjoyed looking at the nice ice streams off of the quarry walls. About that time we noticed that our club members had gathered around Bob Crocker - you know what that meant. Bob had found large rocks with stilbite crystals on them in layers and small vugs. Also, about that time, we noticed sleet hitting our hard hats. After working these rocks for a while, we again noticed that Bob was yelling at us to come up to a higher level in the quarry. When we arrived, we found that Bob had found a whole quarry wall face covered in stilbite clusters. Boy did we have fun collecting all the stilbite we wanted. Finally, about 12:15 it really started to snow and we decided to leave the quarry. From the quarry to almost Greensboro it snowed hard but the roads were clear. All members present had a wonderful time.

Lee Fleming

December 2004 Trip

We had a great trip on Saturday! We started the day by chipping stilbite out of a vug in the quarry wall. That material was honey yellow and quite crystallized. Next, we moved to a lower and older portion of the quarry and found large pieces of rock covered in stilbite crystals. This material was older and thus a little washed out in color. Finally, we ended the day in the newer portions of the quarry and I found two large pieces of rock with green fluorite. We also found garnets, mica, pyrite, and calcite. It was a great trip and one we will remember for a long time. Wish you could have been with us.