May 2001

Flemingsburg Field Trip – George Heaton

About 12 people showed up for our field trip to the Hanson Aggregates Quarry near Flemingsburg Kentucky. Six were from the Lansing Club and six were Friends of Mineralogy members. Except for being slightly damp from all the recent rain and an occasional light sprinkle the weather was nearly perfect for collecting. The rocks had been washed clean by rain, it was cool enough so we could work hard without becoming too hot, and there was no need to use sunscreen to prevent sunburn.

We began by working in the newer part of the quarry, but soon the quarry manager came and told us we would need to move from that part of the quarry because the creek we had to cross to get there was beginning to rise and we might not be able to cross of we waited too long. He took us to the old pits which were now flooded and somewhat overgrown, but there were still plenty of rocks areound the perimeter of the old workings with some nice calcited filled vugs. The collecting here was actually better than what we were having in the new part of the quarry.

Ed Edington collected the best calcite specimen I saw. Roger Heaton and Neal Snepp also collected some decent calcites. Some of the others may also have had some nice stuff, but I may have missed seeing it. George Heaton found stuff good enough for the Children’s Table and possibly a yard rock.

(Connie Snepp reports that while George had perfect weather, in her portion of the quarry it was raining; and, thunder and lightening forced her from the quarry a half hour early. She is not complaining, and said it was still an excellent field trip.)