Trip Leader(s):  CCGMS Members Rocky Collins and Wayne Dodd

This was a new site that Rocky Collins found for us! The day started out a little chilly, but after we started collecting, it warmed up and it as was a beautiful day.

We found marble in pink, white, green, and black often with many colors in stripes. Occasional veins cut through the marble containing massive milky quartz (often with a light lavender coloration), siderite, pyrite, some eyes of iridescence chalco-pyrite, and cleavable calcite and dolomite. The site consisted of more than 200 dump-truck piles, each about 7-feet tall, spread across a long flat area waiting to go to the crusher. Each pile consisted of loose fragments from boulders (nice yard rocks) down to 1”-2” pieces ready to cab.

This area is a working mine therefore you we were required to wear a hard hat, long pants, steel toed boots or heavy boots and have eye protection. The marble piles were loose and some slid a bit, so gloves were highly recommended. All participants had to follow the strict safety rules and stay on the flat with the group. We had special permission to be on the site and all participants had to sign a release at the meeting site. Much of the beautiful marble was found in large boulders so you needed a rock or sledgehammer and chisel to break pieces off. Another good tool to have was a hand rake, spray bottle of water to clean specimens, and a bucket to hold your finds.

Just a beautiful day! Thanks Rocky and Wayne.