Quarry Trips to the Dunite (olivine) Quarry

Photo Essay by Pat Barton

At Camp Brotherhood in 2010 Karl Huffbauer proposed a trip to the olivine quarry located on the northeast corner of the Twin Sisters range located above the middle fork of the Nooksack River.  This trip was an auction item in the benefit auction and was open to ten lucky bidders. Karl had been to the quarry on another trip, and had met the owner Corky Smith, who had agreed to lead a trip for NWSSA.  Sharon Feeney and myself were providing the food for our lunch at the quarry. After Karl’s passing, I have continued to sponsor this event. All of the attendees were allowed to take olivine material that they wanted and could carry.

Since that beginning trip, we have had this auction item in our annual benefit auction. Corky continues to invite us back. We may have missed a few years, not many, but have continued to go up there and bring back, and carve this beautiful material.

A big thank you to those that have made this a special event for the NWSSA members; Corky Smith the one who takes us there, Karl Huffbauer for starting this event, Sharon Feeney for our great lunches, Carl Nelson for the crane truck, Michael Yeaman for the lecture on geolog,.  Renee Roberts for the invitations, emails,  and paperwork. Thank you to all of our members that have given money to the scholarship fund for attending the quarry trip.

Pat Barton is a Washington-based sculptor and craftsman with over 15 years of experience in hard stone carving. His artistic practice focuses on the contrast between raw, organic forms and highly polished interiors, utilizing regional materials such as dunite, olivine, jade, and basalt. His work is deeply informed by the mineral composition and geological history of the Pacific Northwest. Pat’s sculptures and functional stone pieces have been exhibited across the region, including at the Northwest Flower and Garden Show, Bastyr University, and numerous NWSSA group exhibitions. His work is held in private collections and is often on display at the Marenakos Stone Center in Preston, Washington. To view his latest portfolio of abstract forms and core-drilled stone vases, visit BartonStonework.com.