Eclectic Arcania: San Simeon Creek Jasper Jamboree

Saturday, October 22, 2011

San Simeon Creek Jasper Jamboree

The Santa Lucia Rockhounds conducted a field trip to San Simeon Creek in northwest San Luis Obispo County on the Central Coast of California this fine morning. Field Trip Coordinator Pete Duckworth set it up with the landowner and the entire morning went well for the club. The weather was perfect as a rather strong katabatic wind event was underway over at the coast and in the coastal valleys (in other words, we were having a Santa Ana Wind/Diablo Wind). This made it strangely and stirringly warm at the immediate coast early in the morning in the second half of October no less. Given how I love such weather phenomenon I could not have been happier rockhounding or no rockhounding. As a club we rendezvoused at 8 AM at the Washburn Overflow Campground parking area at San Simeon State Park just north of Cambria along Highway One. From there were convoyed up San Simeon Creek Road to the usual parking area. Club member Roger Larsen and I parked downstream of the main group in order to hit stretches of the creek less picked over. This was to no avail as the creek needs a thorough cleansing by a strong run of water this Winter in order to refresh the supply of rocks. This same area had already been hit earlier in the year by our club and perhaps others as well. This creek is legendary for its colorful and various, quartz, chalcedony, agate, jasper, chert and combinations thereof. There is also cinnabar, myrickite, marine fossils and arrowheads on occasion as well. NOTE: DO NOT attempt to visit this location without prior approval from the landowner or you will be caught trespassing and arrested.