What an epic start to the season. Woohoo!

I'll have some pics up from the first time out with Joshua Loun, in a few days.

Going out again this weekend

Colin

Look forward to seeing the pics and to this thread being full of great finds in 2015!

Click to view attachment Click to view attachment Jossh working hard in Endless.

Next two are the same inch in diameter termination. Click to view attachment Click to view attachment

Blocky microcline Click to view attachment Click to view attachment

And some misc bits Click to view attachment Click to view attachment Click to view attachment Click to view attachment

I'll have more pics in a couple days.

Gotta love rolling straight out of you tent in to your hole!!

Nice! I like the crystal shapes on the terminated quartz. I like crystals with tweaked terminations, they have more unique diversity.

Nice Microcline too! I cant tell for sure but it seems to have a cool (and different) type of Carlsbad twinning going on. The color under the dark surface tells me that you may be near Amazonite. Keep your eyes out for blue and green in the area.

Sucks this is busted as much as it is - that's endless for ya (quality ain't great, but smokey on smokey, and/or something over nothing) Click to view attachment

Another piece o mircocline Click to view attachment

This, that, and then some Click to view attachment Click to view attachment Click to view attachment

Cool piece, lost the tip Click to view attachment

I'm hopeful this piece fits somehow into my massive smokey Click to view attachment

Interesting and very cool Colin and Joshua, great pics!

Nice finds NRH. That area is known for large pockets that have heavy damage. Even on my claim the larger pockets are mostly crushed or broken which makes the stuff that is intact so rare and valuable.

Stuff Colin and I found a ridge or two over from endless

Found some nice pieces there. Sorry for chiming in late, is that up at Devil's Head vicinity? I'm itching to get out there myself, haven't been out yet this year. Glad to see some good results!

Great finds! I'm really glad things are going well for you so far this season.

After an EPIC five day prospecting/camping trip - I do believe I've found my first topaz! And of equal importance, Endless is still going strong.

The first two pics I'm sharing are from three weeks ago, when I did a weekend trip, scouted some new areas and of course hit Endless.

One of my better fire pits I've built Click to view attachment Endless on a new direction (not what's currently producing) Click to view attachment

ID HELP: Now for show and let Mike S or Dave S tell - I tried to zoom in on the cleavage on my suspected topaz, kinda hard with a crappy camera and/or light source. (The specimen in question is currently taking a sun bath to see if it turns blue-ish) Click to view attachment Click to view attachment Click to view attachment I also have a few other pieces but the pics are of my best piece found.

ID HELP: This next one was found else-where within the area, not Endless (I think it's hematite, it's heavy, tried to compare it to the other hematite pieces I've found, it looks similar but none of my other samples have quartz inclusions) Click to view attachment Click to view attachment

And finally - but never ever ending... (Obviously still in the cleanup phase, I'll post some of the better ones as they get cleaned) Click to view attachment Click to view attachment The direction that is currently producing looks like this (I had to stop, couldn't carry any more... ) Click to view attachment

As always, I'll keep ya's updated,

Colin

Nice stuff! That clear one especially.... my money is on Topaz. Good work Colin.

Now THAT is a fire pit!

Nice haul my friend!!

Great time this weekend Colin. We need to find if that Topaz is float or is from the huge outcropping of quartz above. I am sure it is a factor. We will just have to prospect that area hard. I have 7-10 pieces of Topaz. Who buys them? Who cuts them? I lost my job and am wondering if I can unload them.

Good to see y'all had a good weekend of prospecting.

Looks like it could be Topaz. A specific gravity test will tell for sure. Same for the hematite/goethite.

Nice work! That does indeed look like topaz! Looks like you made some real progress at Endless!

Cool finds! Based on the pics, I would say that the clear one is Topaz, but we will have to get that gravity test done to help be sure. You are probably correct on the hematite as well.

JOSH , sorry to hear about the job.

Finding a buyer for any stone may take time, finding someone to facet(cut) the stone may not be worth it. By the time you pay them for the service, you may not be making very much money. And it also depends a lot, on how big and clean the stone is on the inside. Joe Dorris (from the tv show) has his topaz cut in China to save money. Do not depend on your stones alone to supply money until you have money already flowing. Remember, Mike and I have not been able to quit our day jobs yet either. We are still trying to get to the point where the stones pay the bills.

However E-bay, and Craigslist are ok places to try to sell.

Dont forget our own miners market :)

So unlike most pockets of smokey quartz I've come across - red clay....

At Endless, I deal with this.... Click to view attachment Click to view attachment Hard rock, BS!

Colin

I saved this big block cause it had one face showing, only learned later that it has much, much more than that.

Didn't find at Endless, found in another area I've been prospecting in and around Devil's Head area, Click to view attachment Click to view attachment

Lets go digging man!!! Hopefully early September? Or even end of August?

If Colin had to wait that long between trips to Endless, I'm pretty sure we'd have to evacuate the entire Denver Metro...

Yoda....

Whenever's clever. Squatch.

Looks strange... Like nothing I've come across before in the Endless area... Click to view attachment Click to view attachment Click to view attachment ?!?!?!?!?!?!?

Just by the photo, to me it looks like a mass of Goethite. Cool find!

My best guess from the pics is Hematite or Goethite. An SG test should help with that. It could be one of the many rare earth elements in the area.

My best guess from the pics is Hematite or Goethite. An SG test should help with that. It could be one of the many rare earth minerals in the area. Does it show any translucency? Does it let light through or is it opaque?

You need a specific gravity test on that puppy.

There are a lotta minerals in that area. It could be :

Allanite-(Ce)
Furgesonite-(Y)
Hematite("martite", after magnetite)
Zircon (also "cyrtolite" zircon)
Gadolinite-(Y)
Goethite
or other minerals.

If I bring it with me to Mike's claim, would one of ya be able to do an SG for me?

It doesn't look like any of the other samples of hematite that I've collected before. Nor in my opinion does it look like any of the geothite that Mike n Dave S. have found. It's super lightweight. At least in the hand, no scale for a SG to do myself. The 'top' pic looks almost like slag. But that underside looks like geothite.. I'm truly at a loss. Found in my last pocket when I took my older sister up there (when she was visiting) on the quest for the dang scepter pocket(s) still.

Colin

Heading up midweek, if anyone would like to join me, shoot me a message or hit me up on FB. Not sure if it'll be camping or not, doubtful. But, to say the least... it will be an all day dig-a-thon.

Sadly, I have 3-3.5 ft of over burden (that I put there meself) that I'm currently now removing... in order to dig more or less where I started. (for that hole,... which has now gone up hill, average of 2ft deep, 8ft wide at base, 3ft wide at top... hole, with I might add, originally, 3.5-4.5ft of over burden, as I progressed upwards) But, as they sing "always look on the bright side of life, do do, do do do do," once I/we pass that... hopefully find some of "the claw's," buddies.

"The Claw" Click to view attachment

Headed up today (Wednesday) epic yet again, quality stuff, mostly smokey terminations. I'll have pics in a day er by the weekend Going up again Friday, all day. I camped (tho not really ness.) Tues after work, into Wed. Ended up getting out of camp later than if I had just gone up for the day... lesson learned.

Colin

The nice thing about these newer crystals - hardly any rust stains. What stains are there... only take 3-4 hours in SIO to clean up. Granted I have yet to post any pictures of my recent finds (2 weeks and counting)

Have yet to soak "The Claw," but whence I do, (lol) I'll prob let 'er soak for a few days, just to make sure it cleans up nicely.

SIOtastic!

Colin

P to an S, Since I'm broke till pay day - no better way spent on my day off then cleaning what I got.

Have you filed claim on it yet? If not..... since you are going there frequently it would save you from constantly having to check the Clerk/Recorder to see if anyone has filed Location Notice there. This would give you peace of mind that you are not mineral trespassing and you would always have your "Endless Pocket" legally.
Looks to be a worthwhile area!!!
Time to exercise your rights as a miner if you haven't already!

I'll have more pictures up by this weekend.

Going prospecting somewhere new for the next couple days (22nd-23rd) well.. newish (Mike S.'s neck of the woods, but within wilderness so as not to worry bout claim jumping) ((it's heavy on my mind, for that area, as it should be))

Endless, the past couple weeks hasn't been producing... well... it has been, but small, small!! terminations. Nothing like I found in the 'new' area/hole two/three weeks prior. Is what it is, ain't what it ain't. Did tho, happen to meet a couple hunters/prospectors twice (gave them a card) and ID'd some specimens they had. Hopefully, at the very least they'll join the forums en perhaps join as members at a later date.

Colin

I hope you had a great time Colin! Looking forward to your pics being posted here. Wilderness areas can still have claims though Colin so be mindful when prospecting.

Well.... .............. Endless itself is producing again...

The "Mind Boggler," hole... dried up... so to speak (have yet to find the actual pocket, still)


...Yep, ain't done with this season yet....

Colin

Good news! Can't beat this weather; we'll be prospecting all winter!

If you were up at endless yesterday, I may have driven past your car! Was up at devils head for a bit of rock climbing instead of hounding. Was a great day to be up there for sure. In fact, I didnt make it out until a little after dark. That much sun this time of year makes it hard to leave!

It might just be, yet another piece (that's Endless for ya, not the Mind Boggler) but dammmmmmnnnnnnn is it gemmy! (Found 10/30/15)

Click to view attachment Click to view attachment