ColoradoProspector   CP Club Membership Info.

Welcome Guest ( Log In | Register )

 
Reply to this topicStart new topic
Old Quartz Quarry
jimmyrig
post Dec 4 2017, 09:57 PM
Post #1


Shovel Buster!
***

Group: Members
Posts: 52
Joined: 28-June 17
From: Ken Caryl
Member No.: 132,619



Came across this hiking this summer in the Tarryall mountains. Looked like someone blasted the side of a mountain out. Evidence of early 1900s equipment. I'm guessing they were looking for gold. I saw zero evidence of anything but white quartz (enough to build a set of furniture or even a small house out of). Anyone think there could be some topaz or something else hiding in with all that? Is it worth chipping away some?
Attached image(s)
Attached Image
 


--------------------
James
Member Since 06/2017
Referral JB748
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
johnnybravo300
post Dec 5 2017, 12:08 AM
Post #2


Rock Bar!
****

Group: Members
Posts: 563
Joined: 13-June 15
From: South of Gunnison in Gold Basin, Saguache County
Member No.: 120,659



We lived in teller county for a few years and I found a few of those up there too. Definitely old prospects of some kind but I only found quartz as well. It was pretty stuff but nothing else was around.


--------------------
Level 2 member -12/25/16
Referral code JL697
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
Clay Diggins
post Dec 6 2017, 10:53 AM
Post #3


Shovel Buster!
***

Group: Members
Posts: 107
Joined: 23-September 14
Member No.: 118,169



Why do you think it was quarried? I don't see any signs of rockwork in your picture.

It looks like the typical quartz blowout. When these blowouts occur in granite the natural swelling of the granite tends to break up the quartz it surrounds and cause the collapse.

The quartz could have been carried off by humans for building stone or silica sand but more likely the quartz is buried under the resulting eluvial mass from the collapse of the intrusion.
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
johnnybravo300
post Dec 6 2017, 11:23 AM
Post #4


Rock Bar!
****

Group: Members
Posts: 563
Joined: 13-June 15
From: South of Gunnison in Gold Basin, Saguache County
Member No.: 120,659



The ones I found were blowouts I think. I've never seen quartz veins that big before but pretty cool.


--------------------
Level 2 member -12/25/16
Referral code JL697
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
jimmyrig
post Dec 16 2017, 01:28 AM
Post #5


Shovel Buster!
***

Group: Members
Posts: 52
Joined: 28-June 17
From: Ken Caryl
Member No.: 132,619



I had assumed it was quarried because of the large steel cables and equipment evidence I saw but your right, cout be a blow out that just got carried away for building materials.


--------------------
James
Member Since 06/2017
Referral JB748
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
MikeS
post Dec 16 2017, 12:20 PM
Post #6


Rock Bar!
****

Group: Members
Posts: 898
Joined: 9-January 14
From: Denver, CO
Member No.: 116,265



Most of the quarries I have seen in the area like this one are older (80's or before) and I have concluded that most of them were chasing certain types of the feldspar minerals for industrial use or ore for other minerals. They often threw the quartz to the side.


--------------------

Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post

Reply to this topicStart new topic
1 User(s) are reading this topic (1 Guests and 0 Anonymous Users)
0 Members:

 



Lo-Fi Version Time is now: 28th March 2024 - 04:35 PM