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LocalitiesKeweenaw County, Michigan, USA

25th Jan 2012 11:15 UTCDan Fountain

A page for discussing all the wonders of the Keweenaw. Created for Bill Boehm.

25th Jan 2012 15:14 UTCAnonymous User

DAN....THANK YOU ! THANK YOU ! THANK YOU ! I logged in, went to the bottom of the page, used the locality search at the bottom of the xfinity advertisment, and the locality search from the mindat.org toolbar and both came up the same. Under add/edit data - search pages - mineral chatroom at the top of the page. It says...Locality name search - names containing 'Keweenaw Co., Mighigan USA' ...then under that it ssays...search returned 253 items.. then under that Did you mean Keweenaw Co., Michigan USA? I then went to the search bar at the top just to see what it says and it still tells me I do not have permission. BUT..............thanks to you.........I can now post here. Right now I have to go out to my workshop and replace a motor from one John Deere gator to another gator for my wife. You can bet cher bippy I will be on this website later tonight. I owe you Dan. Bill

25th Jan 2012 17:25 UTCPaul Brandes 🌟 Manager

Bill Boehm Wrote:

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

> You can bet cher bippy I will be on this website

> later tonight.

Hmmmm; even if I had a "bippy" in my possession, I wouldn't take that bet!! :-D

26th Jan 2012 03:39 UTCAnonymous User

(tu):-D Here I am with bells ringing and bippy in tow...Have a great desire to talk to all of you people that love the Keweenaw peninsula. My wife and I live in northeastern Indiana and go there every fall around the end of September up into October. One of these years we want to go there in early spring just after the ice has gone fron the lake Superior shorelines. We started going there in 2007 to hunt for agates. We first stayed at Fitzgeralds at Eagle River. That year I don't believe we found any agates at all. We did however bring back a couple hundred pounds of 'pretty rocks' that we use for tumbling and larger rocks for landscaping. We had no idea what an agate looked like. We bought a couple touristy agate I D pamphlets and took them home, studied them and had dreams of finding the 'big ones' next year. We started staying at the White House motel in Mohawk. We love the owners, Bob and Cherri Hughes. We eat breakfast at Slim's cafe and are usually on our way to some location by 8 or 9:00. We take two ATV's with us and love the mobility it gives us for finding out of the way spots. We are total beginners. We now know how to find agates. We still do not know how to classify them according to structure or mineral. Last year we decided to buy a metal detector and hunt some mine tailing dumps. We spent half our vacation time doing that and came up with what 'we' thought were great finds. After getting on this website and seeing the pictures of what member's special - -favourite- -specimens look like I can see that we have a long, long way to go. I can see now what Paul, Rock, Bart, and a few others meant when they said some finds are better off left natural without being subjected to acid baths and such. My own experiences with soaking in acid too long and 'burning' the native copper and etching the calcite crystals have drastically disfigured the pieces. There is such a thing as trial and error but there is also such a thing as look before you leap.....meaning research and listen to knowledgeable people first. My wife and I have only gotten started with the hunting mine dumps. Only three or four out of ???????how many. This spring we are going to take our metal detector to Arizona and see if we can find anything. Have no idea yet where we'll go. We usually hunt for chalcedony and fire agate and agatized petrified wood. Have any of you heard that they are going to open back up the Centennial mine. Last fall when we were there we talked with some workers that were re-wiring the buildings and getting ready to set up equipment to neutralize the toxic chemicals in the water so they could pump it out. With the price of copper and more efficient technology available I would think there would be a lot more openings. I have Charcot Marie Tooth , (peripheral neuropathy) in my legs. It causes the muscles in my legs to deteriorate and affects my balance. My wife and I ride our ATV's out to high rock point and walk down the shore towards Keweenaw point. It is rough walking for me, even with a walking stick and ankle braces. I have yet to make it all the way to the point, but I am bound and determined to make it one day. I always wonder how many big agates or chunks of copper I step on. We are thinking about trying to carry a tent, sleeping bags, some food out there and camp on the shoreline for a night or two. When we were younger we used to go backpacking with our daughters (7) in Colorado. Even then we loved rocks. When we found out that all the rocks we had collected wouldn't fit in the vehicle, we shipped them home via the USPS. No wonder all our friends tell us we have rocks in our heads. Well, it's time to get my chores done before hitting the sack. Maybe I'll be able to reach out to some of you that want to kibitz about the Keweenaw. I hope so. Bill

27th Jan 2012 23:18 UTCPaul Brandes 🌟 Manager

Gosh, I guess you did have a lot to say, and no doubt have much more!! Where do I even start???

All of the places you mention Bill I have been to. The Keweenaw is an incredible place to explore, drive around, and grow up in. You have no idea how agonising it is for someone who grew up there to now live in a city with over 7 million people in it. I try to get back UP there as often as possible just to escape. I can imagine it must be nice to have ATVs to cruise around the back woods; I always just used my two good feet, but I see that is not an option for you. There are a lot of places in the Keweenaw mining has touched at one time or another. Many of the really old (150+ years ago) areas are so overgrown it makes it tough to locate them, but those can also be the most fun to explore.

So do you know what mines you have already visited??

28th Jan 2012 04:34 UTCAnonymous User

Capt. Paul: I'll tell you the names of the ones that I know we have been to. The Mandan mine, the Cliff mine, Central mine, Phoenix mine, Centennial Mine, the mountain of tailings behind the White House Motel in Mohawk and any other pile of rocks we came across. We are just not learning how to use a metal detector. When we stayed at the Fitzgeralds Inn in Eagle River we got to know a guy that worked there as a host/waiter. We started talking to him about hunting agates and then he told us that he hunted with a metal detector for Indian artifacts made out of copper. He apparently did quite well. He said he had sold one thing to a museum for $5,000 and had offers to sell some others. I kind of had my doubts that he had really done that well. Then one day while driving thru Mohawk, we saw a sign that a person had a garage sale. He had a lot of different kinds of rocks and lots of copper. We bought a pair of copper book ends and struck up a conversation with him. We mentioned the waiter named Mike and him doing so good with a detector. This guy (Randy) said yeah, I hunt with Mike all the time and he's telling the truth about finding all those artifacts, and lots of flow copper too. Mike had told us that he has all kinds of geological survey maps that he uses to tell him the different elevations of the shore lines. He said that back when the Indians were there the water level of the lake was perhaps as much as 100 - 300 feet higher. That's what he goes by in deciding where to hunt. The higher ridges were where they probably camped and traveled. I know how to hunt native american artifacts here in the flatlands, but it's a little different in Da UP. If I ever found a copper arrowhead or spear point I'd probably have the big one. I have scrolled thru the pictures under the special favourite section and it never ceases to amaze me at how intricately beautiful the self collected finds are. After I run out of things to tell about my wife's and my experiences in the Keweenaw, I will be dead in the water unless someone replies to my post with questions or other additional things to talk about. I say that because I know when I am out of my league. It would be cause for laughter and snickering if I ever posted photos again of favorites of mine. I can read and remember certain mineral names but if I have a specimen in my hand I couldn't tell you what it was unless it was an agate or chalcedony or obsidian or petrified wood or native copper or turquoise. I see all these posts and everyone throwing all these big names around and I'm thinking that I am so privileged to be able to view photos and posts by all these Doctors and scientists and engineers. Thank you. Bill

28th Jan 2012 18:00 UTCScott Sadlocha

Bill,

Exploring with ATVs is a great idea, especially in getting to some of the really out of the way places and be able to carry everything back easily. I have always thought it would be a great idea to try doing this, as long as concerns for safety are followed, and the there is minimal disturbance to the environment. I do like the tranquility of walking the old sites in silence, but I can definitely understand that it can be difficult to make it for some folks. You and your wife sound like some great outdoors loving people, and I can feel your appreciation for the beautiful country and history of northern Michigan.

I think that sometimes my family thinks I am crazy for how much I love it up there, but I point out that I am not the only one! My dream is to retire up there one day, but right now that is only a dream. Getting away from the city, the crowds, the traffic, and everything else would be great. All the talk of opening mines back up is very interesting, and makes me wonder where it will lead. Through the years, there has been talk that with new mining techniques and technology, old mines could possibly be productive once again, both in Keweenaw and further east toward Marquette.

By the way, though it is a topic for a different board, there is also much to see in Michigan's Iron Country, between Marquette and the Keweenaw. I am not sure how familiar you are with that area, but there is a great history of iron mining as well as some gold mining (for a great book on that subject, see Dan's book Michigan Gold: Mining in the Upper Peninsula) and there is some incredible country to experience. Just thought I would mention it.

29th Jan 2012 00:12 UTCPaul Brandes 🌟 Manager

The iron countries (there are three of them) in and around Marquette, Iron Mountain, and Ironwood are fascinating to explore as well, I just have never spent a lot of time around them, at least not to collect minerals. I have been around all three to do geologic work in, especially around Marquette.

The mines you mention Bill are all good ones to poke around. I would say out of those listed, the Cliff has the most variety although all of them have their own interesting things. It sounds like you have barely even scratched the surface of mine sites in the area; you have a lot of sites still to find, let alone explore. I know of the beach ridges around the Keweenaw that were formed during the several high water stands (Algonquin, Nipissing, etc...). One of the best places to see those are on the east side of the Peninsula near McLain State Park. I'm always a little suspect of the people who say they have found all these great and wonderful things, especially when you're a tourist or they think you're a tourist. Everytime I go back up there the first thing some of the more colourful folks do is check my license plate and when they see Texas, they automatically think I'm a "rich" tourist until I start telling them about the geology of the Keweenaw and mines that they have never even heard of; that usually backs them off!! :-D

I doubt mining for copper like the old days will ever return to the Keweenaw. It's not because there's no copper, but the native copper is so deep now and most of the mines are full of water so it is just not cost-effective compared to the openpits in Arizona and Utah.

29th Jan 2012 06:21 UTCAnonymous User

Hi Scott: Dan's book....Dan? Michigan Gold: Mining for gold in the Upper Peninsula. Riding the ATV's is a great way of covering a lot of terrain a lot faster and easier. We don't go any place other than the established trails or the logging roads. And yes, it surely does help in getting all the .....rocks.....back to the car or the motel. Do take note that I said ROCKS Scott. Just about everytime we go home from the U.P. we probably have at least 300 lbs of rocks (for a 3-4 week stay) of which 75% are just pretty rocks for landscaping around the house. CAPTAIN PAUL; Perhaps if I learn how to do proper research I will at some point in time come up with some names and GPS co-ordinates to aid in finding some of those overgrown, hard to find 150+ year old mine sites. The harder to find the better. As long as I don't have to be a Mountain sheep to do it. When we used to go to Idaho and Colorado backpacking in the 70's and 80's I always went to the library (before computers) and did research on ghost towns. The ones that said accessible only by horseback or hiking were the ones we went for. We even found an old mine that had a large metal box with a lid that was full of dynamite. I did know that dynamite in that unstable condition was not something I wanted to mess with. I just closed the lid and left it. There were shovels, picks, prybars, an ore cart, small rails. The wooden handles were all gone, just the metal parts. When we got back to town, I mentioned it to the local sherriff we had befriended and he had me draw him a map so he and a deputy could go back up there and dispose of it. He was not aware the mine existed and he had grown up in the area and hiked the mountains every year. You just never know what you'll find. Even found an old dogsled under the collapsed roof of a cabin in Idaho one year. I am a little bit familiar with the area around Crystall Falls, Michigan. In the late 1960's I owned 80 acres between Crystall Falls, and Sagola. It was close to the Michigamme Reservoir, a good body of water for Walleye. Is it true that 30 percent of the time you're probably walking directly over a tunnel or shaft when you're in the Keweenaw? Is it true that some of these tunnels are as wide as two city blocks? We were told that some of the horses/mules that worked underground in the mines never again saw the light of day once they were taken down. That's sad. We were also told that sometimes when walking in the brush or hills that when we saw a pronounced trench, to explore it to see if it was one made by a mule dragging ore from a pit. Well, I've said my piece for tonight. I think I'll take my leave. Bill

1st Feb 2012 01:15 UTCPaul Brandes 🌟 Manager

Bill Boehm Wrote:

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

> Is it true that 30 percent of the time you're

> probably walking directly over a tunnel or shaft

> when you're in the Keweenaw?

I would say that's a good estimate. Much of the town of Calumet is hollowed out underneath from mining activities, as is the stretch between Mohawk and Painesdale.

> Is it true that some of these tunnels are as wide as

>two city blocks?

Not necessarily the tunnels into the mines, but the stoped out areas can be very large covering hundreds of thousands of square feet!!

> We were told that some of the horses/mules that

> worked underground in the mines never again saw

> the light of day once they were taken down.

> That's sad.

Sad, but true. Many of the larger mines did use horses/mules underground, some even had stables where the animals were kept to rest between shifts. On a side note; Quincy Mine never used animals underground.

> We were also told that sometimes when

> walking in the brush or hills that when we saw a

> pronounced trench, to explore it to see if it was

> one made by a mule dragging ore from a pit.

I have never heard of mules making trenches in the Keweenaw for mining purposes. Any of the trenches and pits you will come across up there were likely made by prehistoric miners some 4,000 years ago when they mined copper to make tools and ornaments for trade.

1st Feb 2012 03:01 UTCScott Sadlocha

Interesting facts indeed. A day or two ago, I came across the website listed below. The person running this site has some great photos of a lot of the old sites. I am not sure how factual all of the information is, but I have staring at the pictures a lot since I found it. I really do enjoy the mining history as well as the minerals. The history of it all is utterly fascinating to me. Let me know what you think of the website.

Copper Country Explorer

On another note, I had a question regarding some of the sites up there, and Paul, you are the perfect person to ask. If a person was going up to the area, do you have recommendations as to which sites would be the best to visit? Something like a prioritization list, with your top five sites.

Or, if you even have time, maybe a short list from a collecting standpoint, and perhaps a list from a historical/mining site perspective. That is, if you have a moment and it isn't too much to ask. :-)

4th Feb 2012 00:52 UTCPaul Brandes 🌟 Manager

That is a very hard question to answer, as it really depends on what you're after. If you're simply after copper, every mine has that, but it's hard to beat the fissure mines (Cliff, Central, Phoenix, etc...) for good crystals. Same for prehnite and silver; visit the fissures. For datolite, the Delaware has been a good producer for years, as have the mines around Mass City and Greenland. If you're wanting one of the copper included agates, the Wolverine #2 and C&H #21 have produced excellent specimens. Lakers can be found at any beach with a little patience, although try to find someplace where people don't frequent too much.

As far as historical significance, Quincy is hard to beat because of the preservation activities there; plus it offers underground and surface tours which I would say no one visiting the Keweenaw should leave off their itinerary. The Cliff is also very significant as it was the first successful mine on the Keweenaw, and one can still find copper chisel chips in the piles from when it was done by hand underground.

If I were to list a top 5, it would go:

1. Cliff

2. Phoenix

3. Iroquois

4. Minesota

5. Central

It's almost impossible to pick just 5 though, as each place has its own unique characteristics which make them interesting.

11th Feb 2012 00:22 UTCAnonymous User

Thanks Capt. Paul: As Scott said, "interesting facts indeed." It is always interesting to converse with someone in the know. My wife and I are both so antsy to get back up there this fall. I hope I am able to to learn the ropes about doing quality researching so I can post information worthy of this site and interesting to all the good people already posting on this site. My wife and I are going to a local rock club's meeting next Thursday evening for the first time. We are excited about meeting people with similar interests and perhaps learning more about minerals, etc.. Have a good one. Bill

11th Feb 2012 00:33 UTCScott Sadlocha

Thanks much for the info Paul. I was just looking for your opinion, which I value highly, so that I can prepare for any future trips, in the event I don't get much time to explore. Hopefully this year will go better than last year, and I am so antsy to get up there (same as Bill), that I find myself planning way ahead of time.

11th Feb 2012 02:53 UTCPaul Brandes 🌟 Manager

I unfortunately won't be able to make it up to the Keweenaw this year as I'm taking an overseas trip this summer to Norway/Sweden. However, next year is already in the plans, but not so much for collecting as much as documenting and photographing mining locations and points of geologic interest around the state.

11th Feb 2012 03:07 UTCScott Sadlocha

Paul,

Your plans to document sites of mining and geologic interest sounds fantastic. As I mentioned in a post somewhere previously, at times that can be just as exciting to me as collecting. I love walking around the old reclaimed sites taking in the history in the oftentimes silent woods.

Of course, Norway and Sweden sounds pretty good too!

11th Feb 2012 03:15 UTCPaul Brandes 🌟 Manager

It's been a pet project of mine for several years now. I want to make sure the sites are noted and documented in their present day form before nature reclaims them and all identity of them, except for what is written down in historical records, is lost. It has been interesting to note the local geology around each individual mining location as well, and what the first miners may have saw that made them punch shafts where they did.

11th Feb 2012 03:30 UTCScott Sadlocha

Sounds like a great project Paul. If you need some company next year when you are up there, let me know. :-)

I would be happy to tag along and learn a bit, if the timing worked out.

11th Feb 2012 06:29 UTCJim Gawura

Scott,

Thanks for posting the Copper Country Explorer website. I hadn't seen that one before. The Copper Country Rock and Mineral Club published a 44 page book that probably has a lot of the information you are looking for. It's titled "Red Gold & Tarnished Silver", Mines and Minerals of the Lake Superior Copper District 2nd Edition. Steve and Sandi Whelan list 120 mines they have collected at for over 30 years. A chart provides the mine name and what minerals were present. There is also a set of hand drawn maps that will get you close to the mine. There are also some good articles by people from MTU on area mineralogy, copper crystal structure, & datolite. You can contact Steve through his website.dealer website. I think they were available from the club for $10 plus shipping, Steve can verify.

Cheers,

Jim

11th Feb 2012 09:38 UTCBart Cannon

I recommend reading "Old Reliable" by Lankton and Hyde. The story of the Quincy Mining Company and environs. Many maps and old photos.

And, in my quest to obtain a native gold specimen from as many states as possible, can someone get a Michigan gold?

Even placer. It's fun to see patterns in Au:Ag ratios to speculate on provenance of origin.

Bart

14th Feb 2012 04:35 UTCAnonymous User

Scott: If you are going to be a part of Capt Paul's scientific exploration team next year in the Keweenaw, I'm offering my services as water-boy and gopher........can't think of anything more enjoyable to do. Bill

18th Feb 2012 03:08 UTCPaul Brandes 🌟 Manager

LOL, I have groupies!!!! :-D

18th Feb 2012 17:29 UTCDon Windeler

Bart:

You may have received a response to your question on this already, but it is possible to get a gold from Michigan (if not Keweenaw):
Ropes Gold Mine, Ishpeming

Display at the 2010 Detroit show on Ropes.

I think there was also a thread about trying to collect there a year or two back, actually, but haven't found it.

I have run across gold specimens from Ropes for sale on occasion; Dana Slaughter had a few at one point, but that was about four years ago. (Picked one up for my Michigan collection, but I unfortunately have only the one...) I'll keep an eye open.

Cheers,

D.

18th Feb 2012 20:04 UTCPaul Brandes 🌟 Manager

MIchigan has, as Dan would likely agree, a fair amount of gold actually. The most abundant area is around Ishpeming where a number of small gold mines were located. The largest of these is the Ropes Gold Mine near Deer Lake, but several smaller mines also dot the hills. Also, many of the streams in the Upper and Lower Peninsulas have placer gold in them. I'm lucky enough to have gold from three different mines around the Ishpeming area. One of these days I should get all of them photographed; the only one I have so far is from the Michigan Mine.

19th Feb 2012 23:07 UTCScott Sadlocha

The book in that photo is Dan Fountain's book that I mentioned a few posts back. The display was his as well, and he gave an excellent presentation at that show. If you are interested in the history of gold in Michigan, that book is a must read. I never realized how many gold mines and prospects were in Michigan until I read the book.

That photo is actually from my report on the show. I am still trying to get a Michigan gold specimen, and I intend to someday, hopefully from one of the mines rather than placer gold.

26th Feb 2012 00:51 UTCPaul Brandes 🌟 Manager

There are Michigan gold specimens out there, they are just hard to find and once one is located, they tend to be pricey because of the rarity.

26th Feb 2012 10:52 UTCBart Cannon

Dan,

Mike Basal of Marquette, Michiigan has supplied me with some Michigan golds. Thank you very much for the connection.

Turns out he and I have a lot in common.

Some of the specimens have gray and brassy metallics which I will try to identify.

The visible golds are from the Gold Bluff Mine, and the Michigan Gold Mine #6.

He is still searching for a Ropes Mine gold that he can bear to part with.

Bart

6th Mar 2012 01:14 UTCPaul Brandes 🌟 Manager

Oh gosh, Mike Basal; now there's a character if I've ever met one!!! Known him for years.

More than likely, the gray mineral is tetrahedrite and the brassy colour pyrite.

You might be waiting a while for a Ropes gold Mike can part with.... :-D

6th Mar 2012 12:07 UTCDan Fountain

I agree that the brassy yellow is probably pyrite, but there are a number of possibilities for the gray stuff. The Gold Bluff is host to a number of tellurides ± silver ± bismuth, including volynskite, tsumoite, kochkarite, hessite and tellurobismuthite. The Michigan also has tellurobismuthite as well as bismuthinite and galena. I believe both have some unidentified / unnamed tellurides also.

Have fun with them, Bart.

19th Mar 2012 02:02 UTCPaul Brandes 🌟 Manager

Enough minerals in the Ishpeming area to keep a man busy for years.

And then there is the Keweenaw..........

28th Mar 2012 03:13 UTCJeffrey de Fourestier Expert

I was at the Beryl Pit in Quadeville over the weekend and found a beautiful specimen cover in "flowers" under my scope of stilbite crystals (probably -Ca). This is new for this locality, as it has not been previously reported.

28th Mar 2012 03:15 UTCJeffrey de Fourestier Expert

Sorry about the typo!

12th Apr 2012 00:12 UTCPaul Brandes 🌟 Manager

Not quite sure what stilbite from Ontario has to do with the Keweenaw Peninsula of Michigan, but ok........ :-S

23rd Aug 2012 19:01 UTCScott Sadlocha

Haven't been to this thread in a while, but figured I would check back since I will be in the area soon, and I had another question for Paul.

I am going to be in the UP for an extended weekend, staying around the Negaunee area, but I am planning some of the time to be in Copper Country as well, at least for a day or two. As such, I won't have much time, but I want to see all that I can and will be going from dawn till dusk to do so.

What I was curious about Paul, is accessibility to some of the sites you mentioned several posts back when I asked for your opinion on areas to visit. I have the Red Gold and Tarnished Silver book detailing many collecting sites in CC, and it mentions that many of the sites are private. However, I recall a chat I had with you on Mindat a long while ago where you said that quite a few sites are open to collecting. Also, hearing from many others that collected the area seems to corroborate that fact. Can you shed any light on that with regard to the sites you mentioned (or anyone else do so, for that matter), or any other useful information that might be good for me to have? I seem to recall the mention of stopping by a store somewhere to ask permission to collect, but for the life of me can't remember where that is at.

Thanks!

23rd Aug 2012 20:41 UTCDavid Von Bargen Manager

" I seem to recall the mention of stopping by a store somewhere to ask permission to collect, but for the life of me can't remember where that is at. " - Phoenix

There used to be a visitor center in Calumet on US 41.

You might want to check out the website of the recently completed Copper Country Mineral Retreat

http://www.museum.mtu.edu/copper_country_mineral/index.html

Central Exploration "As of July, 2012, this pile was crushed to create logging roads in the area and no longer exists. "

23rd Aug 2012 23:38 UTCJim Gawura

Scott,

The Phoenix store is on the south side of m41 just west of the m26 turn to Eagle River. There are a couple of gas pumps and the store. The family that runs the store also owns about half of the Phoenix pile. If you ask for permission to collect on the pile from whoever is in the store it has always been given in the past. If you stand in front of the store and look at the pile, they own the left half. The right half is owned by another person who did not take kindly to anyone collecting on his property. He died recently and I'm not aware of his sons policy to collectors. If you email me I will go over the mine lists in the book with you and give you the info I have as of last year.

Cheers,

Jim jimgawura@hotmail.com

24th Aug 2012 01:05 UTCAnonymous User

I don't want to be the "wet blanket " regarding everyone's enthusiasm about the Keweenaw. This summer, more of the mine waste piles or rock piles were crushed. The Osceola numbers 3 & 4 are gone, the Central Exploration has been flattened, and a significant section of the Ojibway was crushed. Some rock was taken away from the Central mine's piles and some of the Tamarack no. 6 (?) was also crushed. I just want to make collectors aware of what recent activity has taken place up here, so they are not shocked when they travel to this area to find that some of their favorite sites are either gone or off limits. The Drexel mine piles are also depleted.

24th Aug 2012 01:10 UTCAnonymous User

I don't want to be the spoiler, but I thought I'd make collectors aware of what has been happening to many of the poor rock or mine waste piles in the Keweenaw. This summer saw an increase in the crushing of some of them, and here is a list of those mine piles that have either disappeared or been partially crushed.

The Osceola numbers 3 & 4 are gone.

The Central Exploration pile, which was huge has been flattened.

The Ojibway pile was partially crushed (about 5500 cubic yards gone).

The Drexel mine is depleted of specimens.

The Tamarack and Central had rock hauled away, but the piles are not totally gone. The Central mine pile is still significant.

I hope this information is helpful,

Susan Robinson

24th Aug 2012 03:00 UTCScott Sadlocha

Thanks for the very helpful information everyone, I really appreciate it. Finding out that some of the sites are now gone saddens me, especially Osceola and Central. Hearing that the piles are turned over makes one hopeful that it will open up new material, but when they are taken away completely, there is not much that can be done.

Still, there is something remaining, and I am not afraid to get off the beaten track or beat the bush, so to speak, in my search. I have found that this opens up quite a bit more opportunities. Hopefully there should be enough to keep us occupied. I plan to visit the Seaman museum, Quincy Mine, and possibly Delaware for the tour there, along with many of the old sites and dumps. I am just as much interested in the mining history as I am the collecting.

I am going to put together an itinerary of sorts for the time I have there, and I will post it up here when I get it together, possibly this weekend (I am spending much of my time in Iron Country and I am getting together an itinerary for there as well, but that is for another forum).

Jim,

Once I have it together, I will send an email your way.That way, I can have my plans somewhat finalized and won't take up too much of your time.

Thanks again!

24th Aug 2012 09:34 UTCBart Cannon

Hot off the press, 1963.

That's the last time I was in the Keeweenaw. One of my favorite places. I will return someday.

My parents were very indulgent of my love of minerals, and took most anywhere I whined enough to go to.

I remember visiting some of the important copper country mines, but not finding much. Not surprising since I didn't know how to collect a waste rock pile.

We visited a diner in the area and asked where we could find native copper. The waitress said to go into the woods near Eagle Harbor. There are many small workings in the woods. We found as much native copper as we could carry to the car.

I am highly interested in the human distribution and toolmaking of Michigan copper. I think that there was pre-Columbian trade between North America and Europe associated with Michigan Copper. I thought that WDS electron probe analysis would define Michigan coppers which could be associated with copper artifacts in Europe. Turns out that even low ppm trace elements would not do the job. Coppers from the same mine had much higher trace elemental variation than any "fingerprinting" would support.

I was left with only silicate inclusions as the fingerprinter. I gave up.

It is of interest that Michigan coppers didn't find their way to the Northwest tribes. Even copper from Copper River, Alaska can not be proven to have been part of their trade. But Russian copper sheet from the 1700s and later were highly prized by the tribes and used for tools and trinkets.

I have an interesting book entitled "Discussion as to Copper From the Mounds" published in1903 by the American Anthropologist. It is a debate between six researchers about whether the early copper artifacts from the American colonies were made from European copper or Michigan copper. No conclusion was reached.

Bart

24th Aug 2012 14:39 UTCKeith A. Peregrine

Scott,

I would highly recommend getting a copy of Mineralogy of Michigan by E.W. Heinrich updated and revised by George W. Robinson. This is a fascinating book from a mineral perspective and highly informative. Rather listing minerals by site, the author lists sites by mineral. A highly useful tool in understanding Michigan Minerals and their locations, you will find it a must go-to reference.

25th Aug 2012 01:45 UTCPaul Brandes 🌟 Manager

Sad to say Susan is correct; the waste rock piles of the Keweenaw are disappearing fast these days. I had said several years ago that it was inevitable that most of the piles would be removed for one purpose or another, with only the privately held piles remaining. Unfortunately, my predictions are coming true.

Two books that are invaluable to collectors in the Keweenaw are the ones already mentioned; Red Gold and Tarnished Silver from the CCRMC, and the updated Mineralogy of Michigan by Dr. George Robinson (with help from yours truely). These books will help and guide you along the way. For all practical purposes, all the mine piles on the Keweenaw are privately held by either the counties, individuals, or the major timber company that owns a lot of land as CFR. With all of the bad news happening, I don't want to discourage anyone from visiting the area however, as there is still plenty to do. A visit to the new Seaman Mineral Museum is a must, as is the full tour of the Quincy Mine. Another great tour is the Adventure Mine in Greenland to the south.

Good luck Scott; let us know how you fair UP there......

27th Aug 2012 03:49 UTCScott Sadlocha

Mineralogy of Michigan is my go-to book for collecting in Michigan. I don't take a trip anywhere in this state without it. And I also have Red Gold now as well. I am going to use the both of them, along with the information I have here, and I should be good. I also have my own personal binder of maps and satellite shots that I have made numerous annotations to, and a handful of resources I was able to get on eBay. These include some topo maps, old USGS documents and publications, some older books from the areas (some of the Monette series, and a few others), as well as a land ownership plat book of Keweenaw county that is very nicely detailed and in a spiral bound format.

I also have quite a bit of similar material for Iron Country. Slowly but surely, I am getting together a decent amount of resources for northerly trips, so that eventually, it will be a bit easier.

Thanks for the help everyone.

3rd Jun 2013 01:37 UTCPaul Brandes 🌟 Manager

Been a while since the last activity on this thread.

Anyone heading up to the Keweenaw this summer??

3rd Jun 2013 03:05 UTCTravis Olds Expert

I am! Sometime in late July, and again September 13-17th.

Also, for anyone who hasn't seen it, the museum has posted an update to the Mineralogy of Michigan on their website. The .pdf is available free of charge. Has some cool new pics, new minerals, etc.

http://www.museum.mtu.edu/news/Mineralogy%20of%20Michigan%20Update%20April%202013.pdf

Travis

3rd Jun 2013 05:30 UTCD Mike Reinke

Travis, thanks for that info. My only connection to Michigan so far is Lake Michigan, but I appreciate the material, much of it being relevant to lots of locations.

3rd Jun 2013 16:02 UTCKeith A. Peregrine

Copper country is the prime ground in my collecting endeavors. Plan to be up for the Copper Country Retreat in early August (sounds like the last one organized by the museum, others will take over next year). Aside from the minerals and scenery, there is of course the geology.

Keith

3rd Jun 2013 22:48 UTCPaul Brandes 🌟 Manager

We'll be there through the Ishpeming shindig and the Retreat from about mid/late July through mid August. My plan is to also research and visit some more of the lesser known sites to photograph and document them before they meet the fate of other sites in the area.

3rd Jun 2013 23:05 UTCScott Sadlocha

I just started a new job last week and I am still not sure about my time off. Once I get that figured out I will try to plan something. I originally wanted to go up twice, but that is when I had a bunch of days off at my previous job. by year two I should have more days, and even better after that. Still, I would like to get in even a long weekend this year. I was going through some of my material this weekend from my last trip up there in Sept and it got me thinking about it.

Thanks for the link Travis.

What kind of changes are happening to the ccmr? It is not stopping, is it? I have yet to make it up for that, but would hate the idea of never having the chance.

I will try to post up more details when I find out and when I get my PC fixed (waiting on a power supply delivery and trying to post on my phone - aargh!)

4th Jun 2013 02:02 UTCDan Fountain

Paul Brandes Wrote:

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

> Been a while since the last activity on this

> thread.

> Anyone heading up to the Keweenaw this summer??

Yeah, Cliff mine on Saturday...

4th Jun 2013 04:29 UTCKeith A. Peregrine

The A.E. Seaman Museum has on its website that this is their last year of sponsoring the Copper Country Retreat (I assume this involves the organization aspect of the Retreat). For the past couple of years Red Metals Minerals has sponsored events in the southwestern range while the second half of the week the Retreat would go further northeast.

Next year, the museum, Keweenaw Gem and Gift, and Red Metal Minerals will sponsor the Retreat. Will need to wait for to see how the Retreat is run. Little seems to stay the same, but in the meantime, the Copper Country Retreat goes on! Lots to see and do.

Like Paul, I intend to explore, photograph though I doubt if I find many remote spots. Above all collect and increase my understanding of the Keweenaw geology.

Keith

5th Jun 2013 01:39 UTCPaul Brandes 🌟 Manager

Nothing wrong with that, Keith! (tu)

5th Jun 2013 03:19 UTCScott Sadlocha

Nothing at all. While I did do some collecting while I was up, I did just as much, if not more, exploring.

8th Jun 2013 02:31 UTCPaul Brandes 🌟 Manager

We'll more than likely do a little collecting at any of the "old" sites we visit, but the main goal is to document the sites as they sit today, and of course to be out in the middle of the northwoods where the most traffic we'll see is a herd of squirrels frantically looking for nuts!! :-D

8th Jun 2013 07:03 UTCJim Gawura

If your going bushwhacking a good starting point for info is the USGS bedrock geology maps. They were a series of 24000:1 maps that were in color. They show the different bedrocks in different colors. It's still a topo map, but the added bonus is the mining information. Mine names, shaft names, fissure names, adits, trenches, diamond drill holes, underground stoping area, outcrops, faults, and the back usually has a good article about the geology and mining of the quadrangle. A lot of these maps are no longer in print. However the age of the computer comes to the rescue! Google "National Geologic Map Database ". On the home page click, map catalog, this will take you to the catalog search page, under themes, go to the drop down for geology and check, bedrock, fill in the state or also a county and hit search. All online for your enjoyment. There are hi res downloads available for no charge. These bedrock geology maps do not cover all quadrangles, but most of the mining areas in Michigan, copper and iron, are pretty well covered. Works for the rest of the country also. If you need any more info PM me.

Cheers

Jim

18th Jun 2013 02:52 UTCPaul Brandes 🌟 Manager

Good info Jim! (tu)

1st Oct 2013 02:59 UTCScott Sadlocha

I'll be visiting Copper Country next week for a fall color collecting and exploring tour. Unfortunately, I will have to miss the Detroit Mineral Show to make the trip, but to me, it is much better to get out in the country and explore, and this is really the only weekend that works out with family obligations. In looking over some information in preparation for my trip, I came across a map that instantly raised a question for me, and I figured this would be the best place to ask about it.

The map I came across was the Michigan Department of Transportation 2013 Road Repair Map and it had a project that caught my eye. That project is the first one on the list:

M-26: May-Oct

Reconstruct from S Calumet St to

Calumet St in Laurium with historic

streetscape. Detour and flag control.

As I will be staying in Calumet, this one is very interesting to me. I am aware that, for many road projects, MDOT has a tendency to use old mining sites for fill material. So my question is that--does anyone know if this project involves turning over the material at one of the nearby sites? Obviously, it would be a benefit to visit the site if that is the case to look through the newly exposed material. If anyone has any information on this, I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks!

8th Oct 2013 23:22 UTCScott Sadlocha

Anyone have a chance to check this out yet? Any comments?

9th Oct 2013 00:27 UTCChris Stefano Expert

Scott,

I'll ask around, but it doesn't look like they are doing any road-cutting, so odds are there won't be anything interesting.

When you arrive, stop by the museum and visit :)

9th Oct 2013 01:41 UTCPaul Brandes 🌟 Manager

Save yourself the trouble Scott; that particular improvement project is just digging up the old pavement and replacement with new pavement. That I am aware of, there was no removal from any nearby piles for this project, at least back in August anyway. That is not to say that material isn't being removed for other autumn projects in the area however.

Good luck!! :)-D

9th Oct 2013 03:08 UTCJim Gawura

Chis,

Welcome to your new job! Positively sure you'll do a terrific job. Hope you bought a snow shovel and plenty of bug spray.

Happy trails,

Jim

9th Oct 2013 17:37 UTCScott Sadlocha

Thanks for the updates everyone. With this trip, I am planning to visit some of the fissure mines as well as a general trip north. Going to also try to head south and explore a bit, maybe as far as Painesdale or so.

And Chris, I am planning to stop by. Will you be at the museum Saturday or Sunday as well, or just Friday?

9th Oct 2013 20:25 UTCDavid K. Joyce Expert

Hi All,,

I have a very happy collecting memory from the Keweenaw. I'd been there a couple of times and found lots of sheet and massive copper. No crystals. The second time I was there, at the end of the visit, I purchased a metal detector ( A White) from a resort that rented them out to tourists. They would sell them off at half price at the end of each season and then buy new detectors at the beginning of the next tourist season. Anyway, I bought it at the end of my trip and did not have a chance to actually use it in the Keweenaw.

The next summer my wife Carol and I were heading back to Ontario from South Dakota where she is originally from and made a one-day detour to Houghton to visit with the Robinsons and try out my new detector, somewhere. We made our way to the Central Mine dump only to find an excavator busy loading a dump truck. Every half hour or so, the Excavator operator would load the truck, jump off the excavator, jump into the truck and drive away to dump the rock somewhere and then return to complete the cycle again. This repeated every half hour or so. There were a couple of other collectors there that would pounce on the pile, looking for copper specimens. One fellow showed me a large pile of copper, much of it well crystalized, in the back of his SUV. My heart started pumping faster!

We joined him and, every time the excavator operator jumped into his truck and drove away, we jumped on the fresh rock in the pile and easily found native copper, some well crystallized! Carol even had a ball picking up copper and she rarely collects with me. The other people inexplicably left and Carol and I spent the rest of the afternoon, alone, scrounging after the excavator in dump material that I expect hadn't seen the light of day for 100 years or so. We didn't find any "museum specimens" but did find some very good crystallized pieces and one "chisel chip", several of which ended up in my collection. I didn't really even need the metal detector. Many of the rocks had boring sheet and stringer copper (which the detector picked up constantly) in them. The really good pieces just sort of fell out of the pile as elongated green things to be easily seen, scooped up and inspected later. Unfortunately, we could only spend the one afternoon there. It also occurred to me that it would have been a good idea to find out WHERE the truck was dumping the material. No time.

A VERY enjoyable half day of collecting! We didn't even mind that it was pouring rain much of the time!

I'm looking forward to returning to see the new Museum which I understand is fantastic. I loved the old one at M.T.U. and I'm sure that I will love the new Museum even more!

I doubt that I'll have another such "perfect" collecting opportunity, though!

David K. Joyce

17th Jul 2016 03:42 UTCYalmer F Primeau Expert

Well, it's been three years. Any talk about the Keweenaw anyone would like to share?

17th Jul 2016 03:57 UTCDavid K. Joyce Expert

Three Year! Hard to believe! I DID return to Houghton to visit the "new" museum, lastyear, and it was fantastic. Such a great collection and they've done a wonderful job of exhibiting it. I highly recommend a trip to the U.P. For that alone.

David K. Joyce

17th Jul 2016 11:04 UTCSusan Robinson

Don't forget a visit to the Seaman Mineral Museum to see the some of the finest minerals on display from the Keweenaw and worldwide localities, too!

Susan Robinson

17th Jul 2016 11:56 UTCJ.Davis

Susan, . I grew up in a home in Redford Township, Michigan in the 1940's-1960's. Right behind our home was an area I discovered early on that held many pieces of obsidion and chunks of another "rock" that I loved. How I wish that when my family moved to Chicago after high school I would have taken some of both the obsidion chunks and the other stone or rock that I treasured with me! The other "rocks" were opaque, porous, and layered with a brilliant almost turquoise blue and beautiful green. I've never known what the latter was and it is something that I remember to this day. .Since they were found with obsidion, I've always suspected that the latter was some kind of lava, but have never known the name of the substance. It's been a lifetime since then, but I still wish that I had kept some and knew what the name of the chunks were. I'm hoping that since you are from Michigan there is a possibility that you would know what it was. If so, it would be an answer to a question that has plagued me my whole life on and off. I'm not familiar with this website, and happening onto it this morning I'm not really sure what the protocol is, but hoping I can check back and find the answer.

17th Jul 2016 12:04 UTCJ.Davis

Please see my message on the board I sent to you. As I mention in my note, I'm not familiar with the protocols of this website, so posted as a message rather than a reply first. Thanks

17th Jul 2016 16:58 UTCKeith A. Peregrine

In terms of recent events in the Keweenaw, last fall the Medora, Delaware, and Connecticut piles were crushed. The Drexel is slated to go in the near future too.

One of the persistent problems in recent years has been digging with heavy equipment without landowner permission. As a consequence, some dumps in the Keweenaw are now closed to collecting. Specifically, the Mohawk #1 & #2 and the Ojibway. Recently, someone did some illegal digging at the Phoenix dump resulting in this favorite spot to being closed by the landowner. Other dumps are now accessible only through the Copper Country Club. A large land representative was kind enough to permit organized Copper Country digs due to good communication between the club and the representative. This will only continue if people respect landowner's rights.

This year there are two large dig events in the Keweenaw. The first is sponsored by the Seaman Mineral museum and called Keweenaw Mineral Days. It will be held July 25 - 30. The Copper Country Club decided to continue the joint Ishpeming - Copper Country Show week beginning with the Ishpeming Show Events Aug. 5 - 8, then the Copper Country Event called Keweenaw Week Aug. 9 - 12, and ending with the Copper Country Show Aug. 12 - 14.

There is still a lot to do in the Keweenaw, but we must respect land owner rights if we are to continue accessing the old copper piles.

17th Jul 2016 18:20 UTCYalmer F Primeau Expert

Yes that is a shame. I had a favorite datolite digging at the Connecticut Mine last year that was completely destroyed by crushing. One half of the dig was hauled off while the other half was covered in fallen trees knocked over by heavy equipment. :-(

Recently, I was hiking back to Monteal Falls (tip of the Keweenaw) and noticed many narrow fissures near the lake shore. Didn't appear to be too much of interest except for one fissure located on the weathered cliff side where I found a group of bright orange crystals. Could be a zeolite or adularia, but I will certainly be back there again before winter to document and collect.

18th Jul 2016 00:33 UTCPaul Brandes 🌟 Manager

Sadly, what Keith speaks of will be the fate of all Keweenaw localities in the very near future. I'm sorry to hear that Phoenix has now been closed off. I know the owners quite well and have never had an issue, but I can also respect their wishes if the foolish have went in there and plundered the place. Lucky for me, I've been able to photograph and document many of the localities in the Keweenaw before they are either closed off, or completely gone. I'm hoping to get more done this year and next summer.

On a happier note; who is going UP to attend the mineral festivities this year? Nat and I will be in the area for the Ishpeming Show, attending some of the Keweenaw Week events, and the Houghton Show.

18th Jul 2016 01:28 UTCChris Stefano Expert

Stop by and say Hi Paul :)

18th Jul 2016 16:14 UTCScott Sadlocha

Very sad to hear about the closings, especially Phoenix! That is still an excellent collecting site. Last time I was up, I found some interesting specimens there. I was also surprised by what I was able to find at Medora, so that is another interesting one gone. I just don't understand that mindset of taking heavy equipment in and trying to extract as much as possible from a site. I like to go in with my bag and hand equipment, explore a bit, feel the history of the site, and come away with a great experience and maybe a few interesting specimens.

Over the past couple years, I have had to focus on some career changes and a new job, as well as a few other obligations and responsibilities. As such, my collecting and exploring opportunities have been minimal. I am hoping to remedy that this Fall with a trip to the UP. Hopefully all goes well and I will be able to go.

18th Jul 2016 19:20 UTCKeith A. Peregrine

Same old story, $$$. When copper prices topped $4/lbs, specimen prices seemed to leap skyward. The result, $$$ could be had by bringing in heavy equipment to dig down and turn over the piles. Just one or two great specimens would easily pay for the effort, anything else, money in their pocket.

At the Ojibway, someone cut a deep trench with very steep sides which could be unstable if anyone were climbing or digging into them. Remember, it is the landowner who faces liability issues when something happens, not the interlopers. To minimize liability, the landowner crushed much of the Ojibway pile and does not want anyone on this property. A year or so later, the same thing happened at the Central Exploration. Little is left there and anyone found on the property is chased off. It is checked on a regular basis.

Problems arose at Mohawk #1 when a group broke into the mine cap, necessitating the construction of a new cap, an expensive effort by the way. The next winter, the same thing happened.

Step by step good will which land owners had toward collectors has been chipped away. Sometimes I think it is a wonder that collecting is still possible. The Copper Country Club goes out of their way to keep good relations with land owners. The Seaman Museum is in the same boat. To provide collecting opportunities, we need to have good communication with land owners and above all, listen to and do what they say.

This story is no different that what is happening across the country. Land owners are fed up with trespassers who trash their land or worse. In most cases, all it takes is a bit of courtesy to speak with them to gain permission to access their land.

18th Jul 2016 19:56 UTCDavid Von Bargen Manager

The waste piles are used for gravel, not looking for mineral specimens. They actually don't like the copper, as it can ruin the crushers. There really isn't much gravel for construction in the UP.

18th Jul 2016 20:55 UTCYalmer F Primeau Expert

I'm surprised that the Phoenix is closed to collecting... I went there (with permission) last October and encountered no problems! In the words of another collector I met...

"It can be amazing what simple honesty can do for you when asking for permission from land owners."

19th Jul 2016 01:11 UTCPaul Brandes 🌟 Manager

Chris Stefano Wrote:

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

> Stop by and say Hi Paul :)

If that's an invite, I'd be happy to. :)-D

19th Jul 2016 03:46 UTCYalmer F Primeau Expert

Don't get discouraged though! There are still plenty of places to collect! The Cliff and St Clair are fine as well as the Mohawk #4 and #5.

The Clark Mine, Star Mine, Mandan Mine, Pensylvania Mine, Waterbury, Drexel, Northwestern, Lake Superior, Meadow, Copper Falls Fissure, Arnold, North American, Hill Fissure, New Allouez, Wolverine #2 and #3, C&H #21 and #20, St Louis, Oceola #1 and #2, Rhode Island #2, Pontiac, Portage, and Isle Royale #1 are (I believe) open to collecting.

I have visited all of these sites in the past year and never encountered any problems with land owners. I assume that the landowners simply don't mind. Of course, this could all change tomorrow, and it might not be right to just assume, but as long as your not dodging NO TRESPASSING signs, I think it's okay.

28th Jul 2016 03:28 UTCKeith A. Peregrine

I spoke with the Phoenix landowner this past weekend. Turns out that the site was closed due to a collapsing shaft. Because of safety concerns, they felt it was better to keep people out than risk someone being injured falling into the shaft.

By the way, if you are heading up this summer, take your swimming trunks. it's been quite warm in the UP. The lake should be quite refreshing rather than freezing!

20th May 2022 12:44 UTCDave Harmon

Ok so i will bring this thread back to life with some not so good news...It always saddens me to see the poor rock piles get crushed in the Keweenaw Peninsula. I got word that they were doing a pretty good job of crushing the Wolverine #4 and Central piles late last fall. Any reports from up there?

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