By David Krogh
Have you ever wondered about the variety and colors of rocks you see at the beach or along a river? Have you ever wondered what you have to do to pan for gold? Have you ever wondered about where to look for fossils or where you can get more information about them? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then this book will be a very helpful guide for you.
Modern Rockhounding & Prospecting Handbook (Third Edition) by local author Garret Romaine is newly published by Falcon Guides and is an introductory but thorough guidebook covering geology basics, rock and mineral identification tips, information on mining and gold panning, preserving your found gems and many other aspects of rockhounding. Romaine is a well-known author of many geology-related books, including such titles as Gem Trails of Oregon and Gem Trails of Washington (published by Gem Guides) and Gold Panning the Pacific Northwest (published by Falcon Guides).
Romaine, age 69, has always been an avid rockhound, fossil collector and gold prospector. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in geology from the University of Oregon and a Master’s degree in geography from the University of Washington. However, his working career started in journalism, writing for such papers as the Valley Times in Forest Grove, the Newberg Times and Willamette Week back in 1983. “Then I saw ads for technical writing that would double my salary and technology was exploding out here in Washington County. I knew from my journalism that I could string words together, hit deadlines and interview experts, so I jumped at an entry-level tech writing job and did that for 35 years.”
While technical writing, he started contributing to Gold Prospectors magazine, the official publication of the Gold Prospectors Association of America. From there, he noticed a lack of up to date geology-related books for the Pacific NW and queried first Gem Guides, then Falcon Guides. This led to writing several geology-related books for these publishers, while at the same time teaching in the technical communication department at Portland State (until retiring in 2022).
The author has served on the Board and still volunteers at the Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks and Minerals in Hillsboro and highly recommends it. “Yes, I love that museum and am a member, visit often, volunteer frequently. I would definitely encourage anyone interested in rockhounding to visit them and check out the Northwest Gallery, the Murphy Gallery of petrified wood, etc.” The Rice Museum (ricenorthwestmuseum.org) also sells several of the author’s books in its shop.
Modern Rockhounding & Prospecting reads like a Geology 101 text, is easy and interesting to follow and generous in its provision of photos, tables and maps. It’s as if the author wished to cover as many aspects as possible without getting too detailed. “That is it, exactly; it’s my technical writing side showing through,” said Romaine. “The twist is, I added lots of references in the Modern guide to metal detecting, 3D printing, etc. There are so many niches and segments to the whole geology spectrum. All I could do was get people started.” The broad expertise of the author is readily apparent once you begin to explore sections of this book.
When asked about good locations for a beginner to look for things such as agates or fossils, the author replied, “For your readers, I suggest Clackamette Park where the Clackamas meets the Willamette. When the water is low, there are good gravel beds with agate, jasper and petrified wood. In my book, Gem Trails of Oregon, I also list some beaches at the coast–Road’s End by Lincoln City is a favorite.”
Romaine indicated he was not aware of any classes in the area that teach rockhounding. However, there are several informational postings on You Tube. “Your best bet is to join a local group, such as Oregon Agate and Mineral Society (OAMS), the Mt. Hood Rock Club, Clackamette Rock Club, and/or Tualatin Valley Rock and Gem. Your readers will likely be drawn to Clackamette or OAMS. There is also an active amateur fossil club called North American Research Group that meets monthly down in Tualatin. For those wanting to stretch their geology knowledge, the premier local club is GSOC – Geological Society of the Oregon Country.”
More information about the book, the author and his other books is available at falconguides.com/author/garret-romaine. This and his other books are available online and at many local booksellers, including Powell’s Books on SE Hawthorne Blvd.
Author Garret Romaine. Photo by Falcon Guides.
