Story Photos
 Ron Graichen of Winlock shows off a boulder-sized hunk of petrified wood he found. Brenda Blevins McCorkle / The Daily News
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Winlock rockhound has a nose for nature's hidden treasures
Saturday, September 6, 2008 12:12 AM PDT
By Brenda Blevins McCorkle
Printable version
E-mail this articleWith a passion for minerals and a nose for finding them, Ron Graichen of Winlock spent decades trekking the globe in search of the elusive earthen treasures.
After going into semi-retirement, the 1959 R.A. Long High School graduate is back living in the local area. He works with the Southern Washington Mineralogical Society to find young people who love rocks and hunting for them, just as he did when he was a child.
Ron and his wife of 44 years, Carolyn, came back to Southwest Washington in 2002. Although he graduated from R.A. Long, Ron grew up in the area of Astoria.
“This has always been part of home,” Ron said. “So after a career in the minerals business, I came back.”
A geologist, Ron discovered his interest in rocks and minerals early on while the family lived in Warrenton, Ore.
“My father purchased a used car. I found a piece of petrified wood under the seat,” Ron said. “It was so fascinating to me. I think that triggered an interest in picking up rocks.”
As Ron’s pursuit of the hobby increased, his father encouraged him.
“My dad said, well, gee, don’t do something ordinary, be a geologist,” Ron said. “I paid attention to what my father said.”
After the family relocated to Longview, young Ron joined the Southern Washington Mineralogical Society and took part in the junior version of the group.
“He was the first recipient of the club scholarship,” Carolyn said.
After high school, he went to Lower Columbia College, then Washington State University. He and Carolyn met and married, and they moved back to Longview. Carolyn finished her degree in laboratory medicine at St. John Medical Center and supported the couple while Ron earned his master’s degree from Oregon State University. He took his first job after graduating at a Colorado molybdenum mine located 3,000 feet underground.
“That was an eye-opener. Coming out of college, you have all book learning and no practical experience, so I got my nose rubbed in practical experience pretty early,” Ron said.
He worked there for eight years, then moved in to the exploration business.
At that point, life became a whirlwind of world travel, searching for molybdenum, copper, silver, lead, zinc and gold, among other minerals.
The couple lived in the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific, in Chile and central Africa. Ron found himself traveling to Siberia, Canada, other parts of South America, Australia, New Zealand and Taiwan.
While working in rocks, Ron still enjoyed collecting them. He tried to keep the hobby while traveling, but found it a challenge.
“When you’re working, sometimes you don’t have time to breathe. You work daylight to dark seven days a week,” he said.
In locations like Africa, it was difficult to collect.
“There’s scrutiny in what you have and do there, you have to be really careful,” Ron said. “I would always keep my eye open. I was offered some beautiful malachite when I was in Zambia. But it was illegal for me to buy gemstones. I didn’t want to get caught up in a foreign jail.”
He’s had guns pointed in his face in exotic locales — specifically during an extortion attempt at a roadblock in Sierra Leone — and has seen the beauty in the bleak landscape of Siberia.
“When I was in Russia, we were in a beautiful museum,” Ron said.
There was a kiosk at the museum with pale blue faceted topazes for sale.
“One had a gorgeous cut to it,” Ron said, adding that he asked how much it was and the woman selling it said $40. When he forked over the funds, the vendor was awestruck.
“This woman looked at me and said, ‘You have that much money?’ She was staggered I had $40,” Ron said.
Now a part-time consultant for various companies, Ron spends more time on this continent than others.
That doesn’t mean unusual locations are out of the question, though.
“I worked for Sandia National Laboratories on Area 51,” he said, adding that he never saw any of the supposed UFO relics for which Area 51 is famous.
With his time spent away from home slowing down, Ron finds he has more moments to set aside for his hobby.
“I’m into minerals more than anything, but I also like the lapidary side of things,” he said.
His finest minerals like delicate purple amethyst, zeolite from Rainier and India and weighty gold-toned pyrite from Spain are just a few pieces in his collection.
“These are samples that I’ve picked up over my entire lifetime,” Ron said. “They’re pretty. They’re like the flowers of the Earth.”
Using local agates and other specimens, Ron is planning to cut rocks and incorporate them into furniture.
He also took over the position of scholarship chairman for the rock club and helped the group to form a chapter of the Junior Rockhound Club.
“It’s fun for Ron,” Carolyn said. “It’s always exciting to see someone who is young get excited about your passions.”
“I will never stop being a geologist,” Ron added. “I will never stop looking at rocks until my eyes shut forever, so I want to encourage someone who has an interest or who shows an interest.”
Rock & gem show this month
Members of the Southern Washington Mineralogical Society welcome visitors to their annual rock and gem show from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sept. 20 and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 21 at the Castle Rock Fairgrounds. Admission is free.
The show will feature dealers, demonstrations, displays, junior activities and food. An oral auction will be held at 3 p.m. Sept. 20 with 60 lots and silent auction will be held along with a scholarship raffle, door prizes, a black light display, sand castle display by well-known local sand artist Rocky Courser and other activities.
A scholarship is given each year to a local student who is interested in studying geology.
Club members also invite people interested in rocks and gems to visit their regular meetings, which are held at 7 p.m. the fourth Saturday of each month at the Catlin Grange, 207 Shawnee St., Kelso.
Anyone who would like to become a member can join at the show or at one of the regular meetings.
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