Before the snow

[rginn]

Supposed to be more snow comin in this week, so I took off for another campin trip. I intended to camp in South Park but the open campfire ban is in effect and I didn't bring along the stove. Went on over Trout Creek Pass and camped north of Buena Vista east of the Arkansas. Examined an old mine pit. They appeared to be interested in a bluish-green type rock that occurs only where they dug. No idea what it is. I scanned the whole pit and never got any indication from my detector. Apparently the mine wasn't worth much or I wouldn't be allowed to walk around on it pickin up pieces of ore to look at. Nice views from above the Arkansas and the summer crowds aren't here yet.

 

[worldtalker]

After this winter it would please me to NEVER see snow again!


GOD Bless

Chris

 

[tamrock]

The storm is due tomorrow they say. I take it you didn't find that stick?... I've been to that poke hole in your picture I think. It's weird how they dug it out and deposited the tailing like a big ant hole. Clearly some greenhorns who may of gave up because all their tails kept fall'n back in the hole... Ever seen the movie THEM?

 

[rginn]

There's a few of these prospect holes scattered around in this area tamrock, as you know. I was tryin to figure out what they believed to be in this one. This type of rock is only in that one place. They blasted it out, as I found pieces of black powder cans scattered around, and pieces of the ore up to a hundred feet away from the hole. Just west of it cutting across the bottom of the wash is an interesting quartz vein but nobody's messed with it. Directly below this site in the river bottom is an active placer claim, and as far as I know that's all you can say about that. 'An active placer claim'...haha!

 

[BosnMate]

Just a guess, not even a scientific guess, just a plain old guess. Looks like it was a volcanic vent, and that is a low grade copper -- actually very low grade copper. Is there any sheen anywhere on the sample. Up on the north Umpqua I found an old prospect hole, and they were looking at peacock ore, but very low grade, and I understand that's copper. Your rock looks a lot like what I found.

 

[tamrock]

Just a guess, not even a scientific guess, just a plain old guess. Looks like it was a volcanic vent, and that is a low grade copper -- actually very low grade copper. Is there any sheen anywhere on the sample. Up on the north Umpqua I found an old prospect hole, and they were looking at peacock ore, but very low grade, and I understand that's copper. Your rock looks a lot like what I found.

It does look like prospect hole. Low grade copper does sound good imo. I know the area and history says a little gold load mining was know to exist in the area, but offers little detail on how much was ever done. That old arrastra mill is not all that far away from this area I think??. As I think I know were RGINN's at.

 

[rginn]

No sheen to it, but the presence of some miniscule pyrite flakes and maybe mica schist. Copper is what came to mind when I first walked up on it. This is just north of Turtle Rock so that arrastra is maybe a mile or two SSE. I came upon another prospecting adventure farther up the road and in the woods once, where a quartz outcropping came to the surface and they blasted that out. Big chunks and lots of iron stains present but probably didn't assay out much. Sad thing, not a lot of written history about Chaffee County mining that I can find since they didn't hit it big.

 

[tamrock]

I woke up this morn, with a thought that began bouncing back around in my head. When I lived up in this area I hiked around much of these places in your pictures. In some of the dry washes coming down from behind the Marmot Peak area I'd find small Peridot Crystals. Peridot Gemstones & Geology I'd wondered back then if higher up there'd maybe be a source of Peridot crystals someplace? Some of the specimens I'd find were maybe 3mm or so and I'd find rocks colored, just like the one in your photograph here and there that would have small geode cavities in them with green crystals inside, so this hole could be a mineral specimen collector site. All of what I found was very small, but you never know there could a source around this region for some gem quality stones? Back in the day the Coyote Cantina Restaurant in Johnsons Village was called the Dinner Bell. I ate there a lot and there was this fella who'd come in and tell me he was a full time gem miner and I'd see his jeep up in the area, but never looked him up when he was in the hills prospecting. This pic is one I found online pointing to Marmot Peak, but I'm sure you know the place I'm talking about.