www.cochisecountyrock.org
“Finding and Grinding Rocks in Cochise County, Arizona since 1962”
September 2007
This issue edited by Paul McKnight
_______________________________________________________________
September 10 Meeting Will Feature Natural Scientist
Summer is over. Our September meeting will be Monday, September 10 at 7 pm at the Sunsites Community Center. Our speaker will be Robert Mortimer. He spoke to us in previous years about tsunamis and plate tectonics. He is an educated observer of all sorts of natural phenomenon and will talk to us about some of his observations on the geological dynamics of western North America.
Tombstone Mine Tour Report
Our mid-summer field trip was a tour of the Good Enough Mine in Tombstone. Twelve of us met at 9:45 in downtown Tombstone on a bright June Sunday for the 10 am tour.
We spent about an hour underground in the cool air of the mine. The Good Enough was a Silver mine and 99.9% of the black Silver ore was hauled out by the miners after being blasted and loaded onto ore cars. There were several large underground vugs visible containing Calcite or Quartz crystals.
Most of the Tombstone mines were connected with each other at the intersections of the tunnels under the ground. This mine employed about 90 miners working two 12-hour shifts.
We saw a two hole toilet car, two different types of rails for the ore cars, and various pieces of equipment that had been left underground.
September Field Trip
Saturday, September 22 we will be going out for multiple colors of Marble plus whatever bonus minerals we can find at the north end of the Dragoons. We will meet at 9 am at the intersection of Lizard Lane and Dragoon Road. (We will ferry in those with the wrong type of car.)
This is NOT the white marble mine that was at the center of the recent controversy about the resumption of mining. This is in the next canyon east of the controversial mine. There is a good supply of green, brown red, gray, and other colors of marble at two sites in this canyon - from small, beautiful pieces to large multi-colored yard rocks. High clearance, short wheelbase vehicles are preferred, but club members will be doing some engineering work at one gully in the days prior to the trip to improve our path into the canyon. (Anyone interested in helping on September 8 or 9 please call or email Paul McKnight)
Early October Field Trip
Flash! We will participate in the Phelps Dodge Annual Turquoise Hunt, held in conjunction with the Bisbee Mining and History Museum on Sunday, Oct 7. Details at September meeting, on our web site thereafter, or call the Museum at 520-432-7071.
Reference Questions received by Cochise County Libraries
Lapidary and Silversmithing
Interested in lapidary? Irvin Pontious is our lapidary coordinator. Call him at 824-0110.
Agate 2007 Report
Beth and Paul McKnight traveled in the wee hours of Saturday morning, August 25 to reach the campground at Apache Creek, NM in time for the start of the first field trip. We went to Red Hill for Jasper, Petrified Wood, and Bloodstone. The rest of the group then went to find Halite crystals while the McKnights took a nap to catch up on their sleep before the Saturday evening potluck.
The following morning we drove up to Luna NM and then about 14 miles north into the mountains to gather Luna Gold. This yellowish Agate was plentiful in a large Alpine meadow. The area is heavily populated with Elk. Paul saw about 40 of them grazing in a field right after sundown on Saturday night.
Since we had to be back for work Monday morning we left for home after the Luna Gold, but the rest of the group was heading further into the mountains for a different sort of Agate. There were seven more days of field trips left and we were disappointed to have to miss them.
10 Regular Meeting – Host Ilse-Rose Edgett
22 Field Trip Dragoon Road and Lizard Lane 9 am
27 Board Meeting
7 Phelps Dodge Annual Turquoise Hunt, Bisbee Mining and History Museum.
8 Regular Meeting
14 Field Trip
1 Board Meeting
12 Regular Meeting
17 Field Trip
29 Board Meeting
17 Christmas Party
Upcoming Regional Events
October 6-7, 2007 Phelps Dodge Annual Turquoise Hunt, Bisbee Mining and History Museum. 520-432-7071
October 11-13, 2007 21st Annual Quartz Crystal Dig, Mount Ida, Arkansas. 800-867-2723 www.mtidachamber.com
October 13-14, 2007 Huachuca Gem & Mineral Show, Elks Lodge, Sierra Vista.
President Paul McKnight 520 824-4054
Vice-President Jack Weller 520-826-0625
Secretary Carol Pontious 520 824-0110
Treasurer Walt Sigel 520-826-1009
Delegate at Large Jack Light 520-384-4774
Hospitality Coordinator Hanni Sigel 520-826-1009