Jim in Idaho
Silver Member
- Joined
- Jul 21, 2012
- Messages
- 3,445
- Reaction score
- 4,908
- Golden Thread
- 0
- Location
- Blackfoot, Idaho
- Detector(s) used
- White's GM2, GM3, DFX, Coinmaster, TDI-SL, GM24K, Deeptech Gold gain, Vista X, and Warrior, also Tesoro Outlaw, Falcon MD20, old Garrett Masterhunter BFO
'Way Too Cool' dual 18 Watt UV light
- Primary Interest:
- Prospecting
Started out at the old Great Western Mine. I parked at the base of the old smelter. Here's an old pic of when it was operating....probably in the 20's.
And here's a recent Google Earth image:
So, I parked at the old foundations, and headed up the canyon. At one point, I noticed a color change in the rock, and soon saw the tailings from a prospect hole. PH2.
The extrusion ran from PH1 to PH4, where the odd circular cistern is located. The only reason I found it was I was looking for the spot where the extrusion met the canyon bottom, or close to it.
I had first hiked up to examine the hole the tailings came out of, and take a few pics.
The mineralized extrusion actually starts at the tip of the pine tree against the outcrop. It popped out at two locations in the form of iron oxides. The last outcrop was some quartzite. Next pic is the climb to the prospect hole.
Next pic is a better shot of extrusioon where it first shows...right at the base of an outcrop of the country rock.
Wore Heidi out, too. you can see the darker, crumbly rock. thousands of years ago, there was probably steam rising out of this spot. No copper hued rock, however.
The next pics is the round structure I found at PH4 on the GE image. I was hoping to find an outcrop others had missed, where the extrusion met the canyon bottom. But the old guys were thorough, and didn't miss much. The quartzite used for the walls is an anomaly at that location. Part of the extrusion I assume. They must have dug down to check for metals, and built the walls so the hillside wouldn't cave down on them. There is an old piece of RR track they used as a door header over a small opening at the bottom, on the low side. Probably pushed material out through it as they dug, rather than hoist it up. It amazes me that you can actually see the "cistern" on the Google Earth image taken from 22,000 miles.
Before we headed back down, Heidi took a minute to cool off. Also a shot across the valley looking down the canyon.
A great day, but wore my 70 year-old butt out....LOL
Jim
And here's a recent Google Earth image:
So, I parked at the old foundations, and headed up the canyon. At one point, I noticed a color change in the rock, and soon saw the tailings from a prospect hole. PH2.
The extrusion ran from PH1 to PH4, where the odd circular cistern is located. The only reason I found it was I was looking for the spot where the extrusion met the canyon bottom, or close to it.
I had first hiked up to examine the hole the tailings came out of, and take a few pics.
The mineralized extrusion actually starts at the tip of the pine tree against the outcrop. It popped out at two locations in the form of iron oxides. The last outcrop was some quartzite. Next pic is the climb to the prospect hole.
Next pic is a better shot of extrusioon where it first shows...right at the base of an outcrop of the country rock.
Wore Heidi out, too. you can see the darker, crumbly rock. thousands of years ago, there was probably steam rising out of this spot. No copper hued rock, however.
The next pics is the round structure I found at PH4 on the GE image. I was hoping to find an outcrop others had missed, where the extrusion met the canyon bottom. But the old guys were thorough, and didn't miss much. The quartzite used for the walls is an anomaly at that location. Part of the extrusion I assume. They must have dug down to check for metals, and built the walls so the hillside wouldn't cave down on them. There is an old piece of RR track they used as a door header over a small opening at the bottom, on the low side. Probably pushed material out through it as they dug, rather than hoist it up. It amazes me that you can actually see the "cistern" on the Google Earth image taken from 22,000 miles.
Before we headed back down, Heidi took a minute to cool off. Also a shot across the valley looking down the canyon.
A great day, but wore my 70 year-old butt out....LOL
Jim
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