These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Mount Antero isnt an easy climb, and most vehicles arent going to cut it to make it up. After the Denver Show, an effort to excavate below the Tree Root Pocket was undertaken. The granite is of a finer grain, containing crystals of quartz, feldspar, and mica less than 0.6 cm. For information about restrictions, contact the nearby Bear Creek Regional Park Nature Center." from 'Colorado Rockhounding' which includes a site photograph and map. Circa 1980. The downside is that considerable quantity of the land was developed into cabin and home areas some years ago. The intrusive lies on the western boundary of the Pikes Peak granite. Though much of the good prospecting in this area is on private property or on current mining claims, the adjacent National Forests can be a spot for rockhounds to find Amazonite and Smoky Quartz. Location 1 Aliquots. For additional reading, Id highly recommend these books you can find on Amazon: Please remember that rock collecting locations are constantly changing. The valleys contain small streams, several of which run year-round. Pikes Peak is another place where topaz can sometimes be found. It was formed by the erosion of sedimentary rocks. The blast pile can be seen to the right of the primary blast area, affectionately called The Dome, at the Topaz Mountain Adventures claim. Line drawing of a microcline crystal. Minerals found in the area include fluorite, quartz, calcite, zeolite, and aquamarine. Though many weekend prospectors have combed hillsides digging with hand tools, few have had the resources to mine these valuable specimens with mechanized equipment. Over 1 billion years ago, magma pushed up into the Front Range of Colorado. The Two Points steep terrain and hard rock kept serious development from occurring until. Get out there and start rockhounding! You can also check online resources like Mindat.org, which is a comprehensive database of minerals from around the world. At rst, the pocket contents did not look good. Here, you can dig for chalcedony, agate, jasper, quartz, and countless other claims. Pit B was also revisited and it too was drilled and shot extensively. Pit C gave up the best prize of the year. Fortunately, the same laws dont ban you from the wide array of simpler fossils that can be found. The dinosaur sites now form the Garden Park Paleontological Resource Area overseen by the Bureau of Land Management. While there seems to be a correlation of pockets being discovered at the intersections of north south fault structures and pegmatites, not all intersections yield pockets. About 2 kilometers to the west lie the Clarence Coil claims on and near Yucca Hill. The thin black dotted lines highlight the pegmatite structures. Rocks are the history books of ancient geologic times. Pegmatite structures are often stacked one on top of the other in layers or swarms, the latter being a colloquialism. The best way to do this is by using a soft brush and water. Rockin . But the fun is still there if you know where there is public access. This bundle of information includes a book, videos, and online tools. Rare aquamarine, smoky quartz, topaz, and fluorite are just a few of the specimens you may encounter on these 12,00014,000 foot talus slopes. Houselog Creek usually offers its diggers great rewards, so be sure to take your digging tools and large buckets for your haul. For the hardy adventurous soul in good physical condition, the are riches to be found high on the exposed slopes of Mt. Several anomalies indicating targets were discovered by the system. Colorado PEAK is the place to apply for and manage your medical, food, cash or other State of Colorado benefits online. Thus, the Two Point Mine sits among some ne company within the amazonite district; its location being center stage to several historic discoveries. The pocket lies sandwiched between them and is mostly collapsed. Top 5 Rockhounding Spots In Colorado Wolf Creek Pass: US 160, also known as Wolf Creek Pass, can be a challenging drive. This, coupled with the high cost of leasing or owning and maintaining expensive excavation equipment, contributes to the overall cost of specimens. It is up to the individual to identify these boundaries and seek permission before attempting to prospect on the claims. The slightly decomposed host-rock did not have the strength to hold up the pocket roof. Youll have to either know someone or find one of the unclaimed areas to get your own specimens. The areas on the east side of County Road two are the public access BLM-owned lands open to specimen collection. In some areas they lie more or less horizontally, like bedding planes, while in others they dip wildly to angles approaching vertical. Early mining focused on the gem potential of topaz and quartz. Local mining prospects, stream beds, pegmatite veins provide a vast array of minerals for collectors including lapis lazuli, garnets, marble, tourmaline, and even some gold and copper. Colorado is well known for its unique combination of amazonite and smoky quartz crystals. Using a backhoe, Jerry would open up potential holes in the pegmatites on their property and allow folks to dig in them. Photo by G. Herman. The Pikes Peak batholith consists of Pikes Peak granite and hosts all of the important Colorado Front Range pegmatites. Amazonite, Fluorite (purple), Quartz crystals (clear, smoky), Fluorite, Gold, Silver, Chalcocite, Sphalerite, Willemite, Apophyllite, Aragonite, Calcite, Halloysite, Zeolite crystals, Stilbite, Zeolites, Aquamarine, Bertrandite, Beryl, Smoky Quartz crystals. Pikes Peak is one of the prime areas for rock collecting in Colorado, and one of the few thats also famous outside of the state. Graphic by Bill Tanaka. In the past, because most amazonite pockets are collapsed and the crystal groups disassembled, few amazonite and smoky quartz groups survived. About 3 meters down, the unconsolidated granite gave way to hard rock and the digging was discontinued. Chaffee County is home to many old mining prospects, making it a prime destination for rockhounds. Now featuring over 90 locations (with 27 new sites) where collectors can explore, the beautifully assembled guide is hard to beat for a state as diverse and treasure-filled as Colorado. Options. In Colorado, its distribution is far-flung for the most part. Crystal Park Dillon, MT Phone: 406-683-3900 Additional Information: Activities Amenities Crystal Park is a unique recreation area at an elevation of 7,800 feet in the Pioneer Mountains in southwest Montana. The luster is also good, but not perfect. Its also found on the slopes of mountain gem fields, such as those on Mount Antero. Smoky Quartz even occurs right alongside Amazonite in some places, leading to dramatic specimens that bear the full colors of both. It is common to have three or four pegmatite structures in one area. Golden, Colo. Photo by Ron Wolf. amzn_assoc_title = "Some of my favorite rockhounding gear from Amazon:"; The pocket is compressed and broken up. Found some Amazonite near Crystal Peak. Petrified wood comes in the usual varieties of amorphous silica, usually forming as a jasper or agate material. The Fort Collins area has some very interesting rockhounding locations, particularly the areas of the aptly named Specimen and Crystal mountains. Youll be seeing topaz, amazonite, and smoky quartz in the majority of hunting spots in the area. The pegmatite bending made following pegmatites a difficult job and care had to be taken not to dig. It was here, in Pit C, that the first correlation between north-south trending fault systems and their intersection with pegmatite dikes was observed. The collecting site, which is just below the mountain's 14,269-foot-high summit, is the continent's highest gemstone locale. In this area, the best bet is to simply walk around and look for surface-exposed pieces of petrified wood on chalky sandy soils. Smoky Quartz is often found alongside Amazonite in Colorado. Amazonite during this time was still an oddity and was often discarded on the dumps. Two thick biconvex graphic granite layers cover the pocket, one above the opening and one below. Albite, Ankerite, Chlorite, Diopside, Epidote, Garnet, Lazurite, Magnetite, Stilbite, Talc, etc. Sometimes it can be hard to remove limb casts from the ground by hand, even when theyre partially exposed. Crystal Peak is a USGS named summit in middle of the northern Sierra Nevada Diamond Mountains, on the border of Lassen and Plumas Counties, roughly between Reno and Susanville as the crow flies. White caps are an unusual white albite coating on the terminations and/or sides of amazonite crystals. The site has received an overall rating of eight out of 10 from collectors. The specimens were. Overview Silica. Pikes Peak is a bucket list location for many rockhounds. Rockhounding Colorado: A Guide to the States Best Rockhounding Sites (Rockhounding Series). Each day, 4 or 5 superb specimens were removed from the pocket, now named the Tree Root Pocket. Sometimes occurring alongside white albite, these gemstones are highly sought after by mineral collectors. But then, a few groups of amazonite and quartz came out. Services. In the eld, every piece removed from the pocket was carefully grouped and marked according to pocket location. It contains more hematite and the amazonite is of a lighter non-commercial color. But, hey, you dont know whats going to turn up when youre out in the woods. The upper is composed mainly of red mudstone, with lesser amounts of yellowish, often tabular sandstone. These pockets all lay within a horizontally oriented pegmatite dike which is intersected by a narrow vertically oriented north-south fault (the fault is the smooth feature in the center near the pry bar). The opening uncovered the previous day was originally created when the graphic granite roof plates separated from their ner-grained granite host-rock. Crystal Park is located 2 miles south of Manitou Springs and 6 miles from the Pikes Peak summit. Some of the groups and families that own these allow rockhound clubs onto the property, but there are no guarantees. If so, how much iron out per gallon of water ratio? NOTE: All the locations listed in these tables are clickable, and will take you to the location on Google Maps. The Two Point Mine lies in the northeastern portion of the Lake George intrusive center, which in turn lies on the western ank of the Pikes Peak Batholith. Garnet Hill Nearly 1,000 feet of the Tunnel Spring Tuff is visible many miles away as its startling white color varies from that of the surrounding landscape. Most of the terminations took a beating inside the pocket from natural events; the collecting procedure did not damage them. Collectors Edge Minerals, Inc. had the opportunity in 1996-1997 to mine in Teller County, under a lease agreement, using mechanized equipment. For the adventurous, hiking the mountains of Colorado with a gold pan can incite a nostalgia of the old days and maybe turn up some specimens. ). Photo by Bernie Kowalski. It is along the edges of these intrusions where some of the better specimens can be found. The pocket was mostly collapsed, the roof having fallen in, perhaps, millions of years earlier. After six weeks of careful, mind-numbing effort, the pieces worthy of repair from the Tree Root Pocket were nally complete. Both are part of the Lake George intrusive center. Many old prospectors search for pockets by following tree roots. CM Adventures 33 subscribers Subscribe 37 Share 4.6K views 3 years ago Join me in the search for Quartz and unique. Add in the short summer season where you can reach the gem fields it may not be worth it for the average rockhound. The formation of Crystal Peak. The area is remarkable for those searching for rocks. Dinosaur fossils discovered in Colorado represent a diversity of dinosaur groups from all three periods of the Mesozoic Era. For my next free day. Be safe, never go underground, and make sure to get permission from the landowner to search for and collect specimens. This is the most common microcline form found at the Two Point Mine. Its formed by the displacement of a wood buried under sediment. The pegmatite plunged into the hill at a dip of 25 degrees to a depth of 2 meters below surface. The Crystal Peak Mine is a surface and underground mining operation. Geologically, Crystal Peak is a massive quartz knob that contains both thick veins of noncrystalline white quartz and prolific pockets of crystalline quartz. Amazonite is a blue-green formation of microcline, with some of the higher-quality samples being used in jewelry. The beauty of rock hounding is its simplicity. The best rockhounding locations in Colorado are: Mt. In the tight connes of the pocket, the roots created extensive damage to the amazonite groups; the quartz terminations received the worst. Following cleaning and repair, each group was again photographed and then cataloged. Its found primarily in a few mountain ranges in central Colorado. Again, no material was found. Bryan Lees poses to show its total size: over 2 meters long. They can provide you with maps of the area as well as tips on where to find interesting specimens. As always, take care never to go underground when searching. Rock hounding and Quartz hunting at Crystal Peak Mountain in Northern Ca. Careful pocket documentation and repair work will yield higher percentages of ne specimens than ever before. The graphic granite and pocket compose the pegmatite while the finer grained granite above and below (the graphic granite) comprise the granite host-rock. Thus, the Two Point Mine sits among some ne company within the amazonite district; its location being center stage to several historic discoveries. Still, upon casual inspection of most specimens, the damage was usually minimal or unnoticeable. It does not store any personal data. Some rarer specimens are replaced with opal due to higher moisture levels. The crystal groups exhibited great aesthetics but at this point one could not determine if the amazonite color was very good. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. The pocket lay only 2 meters below the surface next to a large tree. The Pikes Peak granite is a 1.03 billion year old Precambrian granite which extends for over 120 km along the front range of Colorado near Colorado Springs. Antero and neighboring peaks are the worlds third-highest elevation gem field. Carol Watson stands near a pocket discovery in Pit A. It was Mr. Whitmore who brought worldwide prominence to amazonite by debuting some of his fabulous nds at the Chicago Worlds Fair in the 1890s. It is also your responsibility to verify and gain permission to visit each collection site that is mentioned on this website. The following project review provides historical and geologic information concerning the amazonite/smoky quartz occurrence at the Two Point Mine and the efforts of Collectors Edge Minerals, Inc. (CEMI) to conduct specimen mining and recovery during the 1996-1997 season. The specimens were discovered 2 meters beneath the surface, inside a collapsed pocket, eventually named the Tree Root Pocket. Poppi, Luciano, Foord, Eugene E., Kile, Daniel E. (2000) Crystal chemical variations in Li- and Fe-rich micas from Pikes Peak batholith (central Colorado). Specimens of calcite, agate, quartz, topaz, diamond, gold, and more can be found in the mountains and mining prospects surrounding Fort Collins. The discovery came after three summers of exploration, test trenching, and open pit mining. In some areas, the faults are no more than thin planer features cutting through the surrounding granite. However, because of the terrain and vegetation, these marked claim boundaries are sometimes difficult to see. Here you can find rocks such as Fluorite, Topaz, Hematite, Amazonite, and Smoky Quartz. Photo by Jared Heiden . Every piece was stained with limonite. It is one of the few locations where true botryoidal fluorite specimens can be found. And rocks are the preservers of fossils that once lived when Colorado was a vast sea. Next, get the most recently published guide to rock hounding in Colorado that describes the sites and includes directions and maps. One of these is sure to spark your interest and sense of adventure. The thicker the lens, the larger the pocket opening. Get to know this 12.1-mile loop trail near Breckenridge, Colorado. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. So, be sure to check where in the area you can go rockhounding. amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon"; Rockhounding In Colorado Starting with the rich gold and silver deposits which were the starting point of so many Colorado towns, the Centennial State. Colorado is also host to a dizzying array of rocks and minerals. Also, most pieces had only one repair. At least two major north-south trending fault systems run the length of the Two Point Mine. The mine dump is visible one-quarter mile south of the highway on a low hill across Trout Creek. In some areas, the fault systems bound course-grained granite intrusions up to 2 meters wide. Graphic by Bill Tanaka. Head for the Black Rock-High Rock County and scout for agates, fire opals, geodes, obsidian, topaz, malachite, or malachite. To this day, enthusiasts can still collect gold specimens themselves around the state, just dont expect to strike it rich. One of the most common questions rockhounds have is whether or not they are allowed to collect at a certain location. Petrified wood can be found in many scattered locations across the western U.S. Jasper "A Fruitful Field for the Specimen. The opening only reached 20 cm high. Between the tree root, the roof collapse and its proximity to the surface, much of the Tree Root Pocket was either destroyed, damaged or disassembled. It took two months to find all of the fits. Just leave your rock pick in the vehicle, since you wont be digging here. Almost anywhere you turn in Colorado there will be something worth finding because collectible rocks and minerals are well distributed throughout the entire state. Well, and the other minerals scattered about! A close-up of the Tree Root Pocket, about 16 cm high. To get started, you can check out my recommended gear page which contains my full reviews for every Geologists favorite rock hammer and the best hiking backpack Ive ever owned. And as an Amazon Associate, we earn a commission on qualifying purchases after clicking on those links, at no additional cost to you. Thelma Hurianek was instrumental in discovering the Museum Pocket that was reconstructed and is now on display at the Denver Museum of Natural History. Plus, its a lot of fun! These east-west structures are also vertical and during the mining process are exposed as perfectly at vertical walls. As a narrow pegmatite structure approached the fault it would sometimes bend vertically into the plane of the fault and produce a small vertically-oriented pocket. Now that you have the supplies you need, its time to start looking for rocks and minerals. In Colorado, for over a century, the word Crystal Peak has evoked the vision of amazonite (green microcline feldspar) and smoky quartz combinations that have drawn prospectors to the area. Search in the southern areas near this mine, and you will find plenty of geodes of all sizes. The 10th highest peak in the US boasts an incredible amount of minerals, high above where normal hikers tend to spend their time.