One of the biggest benefits of being a member are the monthly guided field trips. Field trips are typically on the third weekend of every month except for March. (March’s trip is either on the second or fourth weekend due to the Treasures of the Earth Show falling on the third weekend.)

Most trips are day trips, gathering about 9:00 am and leaving the site around 2:00 pm so you can be home for dinner. On long trips some travel to the area on Friday camping or staying in hotels, spend all day Saturday in the field, and on Sunday they may visit another location in the area before heading home.

The bulk of the areas we go to are unpublished or access by permission areas not available to most of the public. We do mostly surface collecting or if owners permit, light digging. Most trips are kid friendly unless otherwise noted.

We try not to hike more than a 1/2 mile on field trips, only uphill for half the round trip. Details on the trip as to where and when to meet, what we are looking for, road conditions, and what tools you’ll need are published in the newsletter before the trip.

If you are joining or inviting family and friends to join the AGMC and they are planning on going on a field trip, their dues and membership application MUST be in by the 1st of that month.

If their membership application and dues are not in by the 1st or before, they will not be permitted to attend that month’s trip. Dues WILL NOT be accepted at the field trip.

AGMC Field Trip Safety and Collecting Rules

Questions or concerns about these safety and collecting rules should be directed to Grant Kuck, the club’s 2024 Field Trip Coordinator at vp-field-trips@agmc.info or the AGMC Board of Directors at board@agmc.info.

• Proper footwear is required, such as work boots, hiking boots, and the like. Crocs, flip flops, slippers, or ANY open-toed or soft sole shoes are prohibited. Sneakers with good tread may be permitted at dump collecting areas unless specified, but never underground.
• Full length long pants such as wicking hiking pants, denim jeans, work pants, etc. are required where there is rock breaking, rock climbing, or underground collecting.
• Proper safety eyewear with side shielding is required which has sufficient impact strength to prevent injury from flying rock chips, metal fragments, sand, etc. These may be clear googles or face shields. Plastic or glass eyeglasses are not suitable. Safety eyewear should be worn when breaking rock, or when in proximity of
  someone breaking rock, especially with a sledge hammer.
• Hand protection: suitable gloves such as leather gloves are required to prevent injury from sharp rocks, metal, cactus, blisters etc.
• If you are entering any underground site (cave, adit, tunnel, etc.) you must have a suitable hardhat (bike or sports helmets, soft hats, and the like are not permissible), at least TWO light sources (one on the helmet and one hand held lighting unit) , proper footwear, eye and hand protection, and long pants as described above.
  Extra batteries for light sources is strongly recommended.
• Where venomous snakes are reported or a potential hazard, snake guards or long leather boots / gaiters may be required or strongly suggested.
• Dogs and other pets: effective immediately, dogs/ pets are prohibited from running loose/ freely on any field trip. All dogs/pets must be leashed or kept in a suitable backpack type holder, or similar means. Several re-sponsible pet owners already use such means on field trips. Pets left in vehicles during field trips must be suitably and humanely treated by providing water and ventilation. The field trip leader has final say.
• Collectors utilizing sledge hammers must be aware of nearby collectors to prevent injury. People around the sledge user should be told that sledge hammering is about to begin both to give sufficiently wide berth, and to put on protective eyewear against flying rock chips.
• Members must comply with all requirements and instructions of land owners/claim owners/corporate owners.
• All mandated collecting limits must be followed on collecting sites which are on BLM, National Forest, or State administered lands.
• Anyone refusing to abide by the rules above or instructions related to the above by a field trip or Board official shall be subject to expulsion from the field trip and/or exclusion from all field trips for a period of time as determined by the Board.
• It is the responsibility of each collector, or parent/guardian of each non-adult collector, to know and follow the above rules. Failure to follow these rules may result in loss of collecting privileges at the site. Failure to follow the directions of any field trip committee or board member may result in loss of additional field trip or other privileges, as decided by the Board.