Mining and Mineral Collecting Over the Years

Bancroft, Ontario, Canada 1992

My first visit to Bancroft, the Mineral
Capital of Canada!

Pointing out some nice fluorescent minerals
 along a roadcut near Bancroft.

The trip was a success, as Dr. Carnein helps
me with all the heavy crates!

Dr. Bob Carnein and I attend a field trip near
Bancroft to collect fluorescent minerals. 
Dr. Carnein was a professor of mine at Waynesburg College, and is my good friend and geology mentor.

Hull Mine, Yuma County, Arizona 1993

Ready to drive my truck down the
main shaft to the 100-foot level.

My good friend Corby Waste collecting willemite, calcite and fluorite at the 100-foot level.

Climbing up to investigate a pocket which
contained a white fluorescing calcite.

Collecting willemite, calcite and
fluorite at the 100-foot level.

Purple Cow Ledge, Near Quartzsite, Arizona 1993

That’s me on the left with my good friend AJ Lombard, a fellow geologist. Here we’re mining zunyite using an electric jack hammer.

Me and AJ again. Hey AJ, where’s your hard
 hat and steel toed boots?

Ontario, Canada 1993

My first stop on this collecting
 trip was a fluoborite locality. I’m
smiling, so I must have found some!

That’s me starting the long hike through
 the woods to the Davis Quarry. The Davis
Quarry is known for its fluorescent hackmanite.

At last, I made it to the Davis Quarry!

Here is my friend Corby Waste at the Davis Quarry. Corby accompanied me on this collecting trip and provided a much needed helping hand. 

“3-Color Mine”, Pima County, Arizona 1993

This is the entrance to the “3-Color Mine”,
containing willemite, calcite and fluorite.

Me and my good friend Brad Bingham, a fellow geologist, helping to collect some great specimens.

Working hard to remove nice specimens!

My good friend Dr. Pete Pinto, helping
 me and Brad get the job done!

This is one of my favorite pictures.
 It shows a rare hail storm outside the
entrance of the “3-Color” Mine.

Rowley Mine, Maricopa County, Arizona 1993

Heading down a vertical shaft
to collect wulfenite. What am I crazy?

Working on a nice wulfenite pocket.

After a full day of collecting,
I’m heading up the main shaft.

Almost at the top!

Midnight Owl Mine, Yavapai County, Arizona 1995

A view of the Midnight Owl Mine as I
am heading up the hillside to it.

The entrance to the Midnight Owl
Mine open cut.

Getting ready to light the fuse
and collect some eucryptite!

Copper Queen Mine, Bisbee, Arizona 2001

Debbie and I ready to take a tour of the world
 famous Copper Queen Mine in Bisbee. This
 is a really fun tour and I recommend it to everyone.

Red Cloud Mine, La Paz County, Arizona 1996-2002

Our good friends AJ and Sharon Lombard in the
Red Cloud Mine open pit in 1996. The pit
eventually reached a total depth of 103 feet.

That’s me after another successful day of
 collecting at the Red Cloud Mine in 1996!

Taking a rest on a pile of mine tailings in 1998.

Loaded up and ready for the long drive
 back to Phoenix.

On my right, I had found a very nice zone of fluorescent fluorite within the mine wall in 2002.

After scratching the wall with the trackhoe,
all that is left is to load up the specimens!

Pure Potential Mine, La Paz County, Arizona 1999/2002

The old headframe at the Pure Potential Mine in 1999.

Exploring a drift at the bottom of the mine.

That’s Debbie, taking a rest after
a long day of mining!

Potter-Cramer Mine, Arizona 2002/2003/2004

Drilling a small area of mineralization at the
surface, right after I claimed the mine in 2002.

Here is a picture of the surface outcropping,
 right next to the 50-foot vertical shaft in 2003.

Next to the 50-foot vertical shaft in 2003.

This is the drift leading to the main open stope.

A long hot day of mining!

Never ending fence maintenance.

A great picture of the mine taken by my good friend Al Liebetrau in 2004. The “ants” you see are me,
 Debbie and Sue Liebetrau!

A nice picture of me and Debbie
taken by our good friend Sue Liebetrau in 2004.

Sweet Home Mine, Park County, Colorado 2004

The entrance to the world famous Sweet Home
Mine. I visited the mine just before it closed
on October 18, 2004.

In the mine, next to a vein of nice rhodochrosite.

Mendips Area, United Kingdom 2005

A cold rainy morning at the Halecombe Quarry.

A nice chunk of Terlingua type calcite!

Here is a look at Colemans South Quarry. I collected some very unique fluorescent specimens here.

This is Colemans Main (north) Quarry.

While in Colemans Main Quarry, I spotted a vein
 on the far wall of the quarry. I knew this
would be worth investigating!

After a long hike up the quarry wall, I found the vein to contain solid white calcite that fluoresced red.

My good friends Gavin Malcolm (left) and
Dr. Michael Doel (center), with me after a
great day fluorescent mineral collecting in the UK!