Greg Cloud (BS Geology, 1971)

Hi, Greg Cloud here from the vintage class of 1971. Yup, the era of Drs. Farkas, Bentley and Newman. Not many can stick their pin on that one. And frankly, not many of us left. While at Central, (then it was State College) I did the major in Geology, and minors in Music, Botany and Photography. Eclectic for sure. But as I have come to say "what it is...is what it is". It works for everything and feel free to use it at your pleasure if there is no real understanding or "stuff happens". Married, divorced, two kids and single again for now about 14 years. Worked for the Dept. of Natural Resources in the summers, while going to Central (68-71) doing soft rock biostratigraphy on the Washington coast with Dr. Weldon Rau. Mapped the coastal rocks from the Hoh R. south to Pt. Grenville and 5 miles inland. A couple of nice early state DNR publications have my photos in them. I can show you Devils Club that would make your hair stand on end! Also did the "picking" of the rocks after breaking down with kerosene and screening to get the microforams. Kinda cool stuff.

Then, after Central an 8 month winter stint in Central Utah as a "mud logger" for Baroid Corp on a gas well drilling the quartzites in the central Wasatch Range out of Nephi. I left the well at 10,000 feet. No one should ever work 18 hours on and 18 hours off 7 days a week. Bad job, enough said. After that, back here in Olympia with odd jobs and ended up student teaching science at Central Kitsap High School in Silverdale. Then my state job.

I was able to get on with the State of Washington Dept. of Ecology in October of 1972. I spent 33 years with them in various capacities but mostly with water quality, NPDES discharge permits, enforcement and other weird "special" projects that always...somehow...ended on my desk. I was responsible for 12 counties in western Washington for fish hatcheries, shipyards and boatyards. Metals transport via stormwater and treatments was a kind of speciality. I have been retired for about 4 1/2 years and don't miss the work at all - even though I get calls all the time from the agency wanting information.

Fishing is my passion and I try to be on the water more than 150 days during the year. I publish some fishing articles here and there. Staying loose and calm! Maybe Dr. Bentley needs a visit in Mexico!

UPDATE: Heading to Cabo on Jan 12 for a week of fish, sun and fun. Stopping by Todos Santos and will likely spend some time and an overnighter with Bob Bentley. We've been in touch so he knows I'm coming down. I'm sure I will get a refresher lesson in amphibolites and CRB basalts.