Tom talking to group about alluvial deposits with the melting of the ice sheet
– D. Bedry

Barbara passing around a piece of granitic rock for people to see mineral deposits and crystals
– D. Bedry

Tom bringing down a piece of rock to examine
– D. Bedry

Examining a rock with a 10x loop
– D. Bedry

Pieces of rock with example of crystals and mineral deposits
– D. Bedry

Tom in his element
– J. May

One of the participants pointing out quartz veining in a dyke
– D. Bedry

A swarm of dykes
– N. Pezel

David getting the campfire going
– N. Pezel

Barbara pointing out and explaining a diyke n a roadside fault line
– D. Bedry

Just the obligatory “gang’s all here” group shot
– D. Bedry

Another angle….and a better view!
– R. Muffley

Geology of the Dodd Lake – Horseshoe Lake area
by Nancy Pezel, 21 April 2018.

Tom Koleszar and Barbara Sherriff led an enthusiastic group of 26 members on a trip to learn about the geology of the local area.

Along with some great views at our first stop, Tom gave us a brief history of glaciation in the area.  We learned that a kilometre of ice covered the area some 12-13,000 years ago.  As the ice receded glacial streams flowed down the lower slopes and valleys, layering the rounded sediments.  These sediments are exposed nicely at the gravel pit at 12 Mile on the Goat Main.

On Beaver Main we stopped at an exposed rock cut and Barbara explained the processes of mineralization.  Who knew that rotten rock is a good thing?  Donning hard hats, we were left for a bit to prospect for pyrite, chalcopyrite, Molybdenum, and other minerals.  Unfortunately no one found any gold!

We then drove further up the road to Little Horseshoe campsite where we enjoyed our lunches and warmed up around David Bedry’s campfire and the sunny dock.  Barbara told us about physically staking mineral claims the old-fashioned way, as well as the new digital “click of a mouse” method on the BC government website.

After a short walk down the road, Barbara explained about plutons and fractures and we saw swarms of hydrothermal dykes of varying colours (and more rotten rock!) before we headed back home with our treasures.