Past Field Trip Details - Vulcan Aggregate Quarry

Official Field Trip Notice of the Shenandoah Valley Gem and Mineral Society

We have two trips for March 23rd, 2013.

1) Vulcan Materials in Manassas. I will not lead this one. I was just there in December. I need a leader for this trip.

2) Faber Lead Zinc Mine. Limited invite from Roanoke/Lynchburg clubs. We can only take one car load. First to respond will be put on list. UPDATE - all available spots have been spoken for.

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MARCH (ROCK) MADNESS

Northern Virginia Mineral Club

Official Collecting New Style Trip Announcement

Vulcan Manassas Aggregate Quarry, Manassas, VA

and Underwater Dancing! (Weather Permitting)

Now with New Jokes, Jibes and Japes!

March 23rd, 2013, 7:00 am to Noon-esque (Subject to the whim of Lloyd!)

(Our esteemed former contact, Micky, has done gone and retired. He will be missed.)

Here is your basic actual, real, genuine trip announcement from me, your reliable, responsible, safe, secure, solid, steady, sure, tried-and-true, not-ridiculously-unpredictable-at-all trip coordinator, to you, an agog, antsy, anxious, ardent, athirst, avid collector of earthy bits. At 7:00 am sharp(-ish) on March 23rd, 2013 (meeting at the Mine Office) we, the herd, the hoi polloi, the millions, the mob, or, if you prefer, the multitude will meet at the mine office parking lot.

For those of you unfamiliar with said quarry it is a monsterous, nay, gargantuan and gaping empty. Wholly half a mile across, 500 feet deep and essentially right next to the Manassas mall. You could place the Washington Monument in the bottom and only an itty bitty bit of the top would show, unless, of course, you placed it upside and pounded it into place with a super gigantic hammer from outer space like a billion penny nail. Thus, BRING THE BIG HAMMER.

Northern Virginia Mineral Club

Official Collecting and Really, Really Big Hammer Trip Announcement

Vulcan Manassas Aggregate Quarry, Manassas, VA

It may be too cold (or windy, or otherwise meteorlogically violent) for this trip to work out so it may not come off and thus be canceled. Dubious? In doubt? Inexplicitly uncertain? Contact me no later than 9 pm the day before. (If you call after 10 pm and before 9 am you WILL get a lesson in the dark side of the social discourse. I promise.) 703.754.2050 or, by far preferably, jtcarve@msn.com.

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Minerals Available (at Vulcan):

Actinolite, var: Byssolite, Aegirine, Airtight, 'Air Ships', 'Apatite', 'Apophyllite', Aragonite, Babingtonite, Balloons, Blight, 'Blimps', Biotite, Bornite, Calcite, 'Chabazite', Chalcopyrite, Cigar-shaped UFOs, Clinozoisite, Cristobalite, Datolite, Dirigibles, 'Feldspar Group', Galena, Greenockite, Grossular, Gyrolite, Hematite, var: Specularite, 'Heulandite', Ignite, Ilmenite, Inflated Aerial Vehicles, Laumontite, Leafblight, Low Level Flights, Malachite, Muscovite, Natrolite, Opal, Mopal, Dipple Dapple Dopal, Orthoclase, Pectolite, Prehnite, 'Pumpellyite', Quartz, Rutile, Scheelite, Scolecite, Silver, Sphalerite, 'Stilbite', Thaumasite, Titanite, Topaz, 'Tourmaline', Zeppelins, Zircon, Zippity Doo Dah.

Who is Invited:

Any and all members in goodly and decent standing of any eastern federation affiliated club. Roanoke Club members also welcome. Also, any and all Victoria's Secret models. All humans under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a responsible adult (HUMAN adult, please). Non-human higher primates also welcome. But, only if they share my erratic and admittedly bizarre views on the current crop of controversial social issues.

If you are not a member you may go to our website, www. novamineralclub.org

Print off the membership form, fill it out and show up at the trip meeting with that and the appropriate of membership dues. Cheap at thrice the price. (frice?) You'll be good to go and glad you did.

Be reminded that the trip coordinator is mandatorially due the acclamation, accolades, applause, appreciation, approbation and approval usually furnished to washed-up A-list Hollywood stars, think “Tony Curtis”. You may fawn, gush or worship as seems best to you. If not, well, I can't work like this, I'll be in my trailer.

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Directions (to Vulcan):

Contact James Tiberius Kirk and see if you can hitch a ride.

Or:

From Interstate 66 & Virginia 234 (bypass, not business. The bypass is 3 to 4 miles west of the business exits.)

Head west on Exit 44 0. 9 mi

Merge onto Prince William (Billy to his friends) Pkwy/VA-234 S 2. 7 mi

Turn left at (Beef) Wellington Rd 0. 5 mi

Turn left at Vulcan (not the fictitious planet) Ln

The destination will be on the right just passed the gate 0. 1 mi

8537 Vulcan Lane, Manassas, VA 20109

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What you MUST Bring:

Steel-toed Boots – Absolutely and totally required, no exceptions: You must have steel toed shoes or we will act in a wholly inappropriate and abrasive manner toward you. We will break out the rude stick and beat you about the head and shoulders with it, metaphorically speaking.

Safety Helmet – A fashion must have: Without a helmet you will face a great deal of negative peer pressure. I will personally call you savagely insulting names. Like: “Boobyhead”

Safety Gogles – We demand that you have and wear safety goggles at all times: Failure to do so will result in many snide comments, as well as being tossed from the trip.

Heavy Work Gloves – You have got to have safety gloves: It may or may not be a statute of the laws of Virginia but if you do not have gloves we will get snippy. Additionally, none of us like to hear screaming. I'm fairly sure of that.

What you Probably Should, if you think about it, Bring:

Tools - a goodly idea. Rock Chisels, Small Rock Hammers, Large Sledge Hammers, Geologists Picks, Pry Bars and Frankenberry cereal. No “Claw” or “Carpenters” hammers as the often explode on impact, really and actually. Not fun. Tools suitable for the delicate art of rock smashing are normally made of soft steel, not tool grade hardened steel.

Specimen Protection - Heavy Plastic Containers (for iggy-biggy specimens), Egg Cartons (for weensy-teensy specimens). Tissue paper, (always handy).

Other Useful Stuff - First Aid Kits, Snacks, Water, Plastic Sheeting (to protect the interior of your car). This time I don't want to see any antiaircraft rockets. Worse, the TSA, the FBI and the Department of Agriculture; Corn Division, have put us on notice. Believe me when I say that they can be blunt, brutish and brusque. So, none of that.

Clothes – There are laws concerning that sort of thing, you know.

Special Note:

Due to the current economic situation, little blasting has been done at the quarry recently. Therefor, pickins may be slender at best. Or not, don't be so gloomy. Sheesh.

Lastly:

Due to the vagaries of weather, zoology and any odd thing I may dream up, the event may be canceled at any moment completely without warning. (Bwa-ha-ha-ha! The thrill of the unbridled power!) If there is any question as to whether the trip will come off or if you simply want to go on the trip contact me at jtcarve@msn. com or 703. 754. 2050 or 571. 344. 4958 and enjoy my humorous/deeply disturbing answering machine message.

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Thanks,
Dean Hostetter
Field Trip Coordinator

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