Steve Satra's Photo Gallery

577-708Mesolite Na₂Ca₂Si₉Al₆O₃₀·8H₂O , Analcime Na(AlSi₂O₆)·H₂O

Buck Mountain, Springfield, Lane County, Oregon, USA

Three cm in width, collected in 1985

DYD-71EOrthoclase K(AlSi₃O₈)

Crystal Peak Mine, Quartz Knob, Dog Valley Mining District, Sierra County, California, USA

Self collected in 2011.

I passed this around at a meeting of the Bay Area Mineralogists,
the consensus was Orthoclase.
At least two of the members have species named after them,
so I am good with the id.

4.5cm in height, Baveno twin.

Large Quartz In Situ

Crystal Peak Mine, Quartz Knob, Dog Valley Mining District, Sierra County, California, USA

Bill McKnight and I visited this locality in October of 2009.
Bill has an extraordinary talent for finding good material.
He followed a seam of pinkish colored Feldspar until he broke into this pocket.
The pieces were FIRMLY emplaced, and ultimately the poor quality of the crystals
deterred any further effort, but it certainly was fun speculating what they could have been.

Crystal Mine campground

Crystal Peak Mine, Quartz Knob, Dog Valley Mining District, Sierra County, California, USA

This large Quartz knob produced optical grade Quartz during World War II, and was a silica mine later.The US Forest Service converted it to a campground.
This locality is well known among the local mineral clubs, and will still produce small crystal specimens.
A local collector there told me that the quarry would produce clear crystals up to three feet long during it's early days.

3HX-MHUQuartz SiO₂

Crystal Peak Mine, Quartz Knob, Dog Valley Mining District, Sierra County, California, USA

Ex Rudy Tschernich 1980.
Specimen is 17 cm in length.
This photo will be replaced when a better
photo is available, Quartz can be challenging to
photograph, another "much better in person" piece,
as Dr. Lavinsky would say.

N3V-48QQuartz SiO₂ , Mordenite (Na₂,Ca,K₂)₄(Al₈Si₄₀)O₉₆·28H₂O , Stilbite Subgroup M_6-7[Al_8-9Si_27-28O₇₂]·nH₂O

Rickreall Creek Quarry, Dallas, Polk County, Oregon, USA

Quartz on compact fibrous white Mordendite.
7.5cm tall, self collected in 1981.

The Drill Keeps Getting Heavier All Day Long

Condor-Hemlock Mine, Middle Fork of the Snoqualmie River, Snoqualmie Mining District, King County, Washington, USA

At around 30kg with drill steel attached, one could understand that drilling
in a more downwardly direction would be more, um, satisfying.
The rock dust could be thick enough to make photography tricky.
July 1986, Bill McKnight sporting the yellow ear clamps.

Condor Claim 1986

Condor-Hemlock Mine, Middle Fork of the Snoqualmie River, Snoqualmie Mining District, King County, Washington, USA

When the breccia blocks came loose, we would try to "aim" them towards the large tree.
The tree was a mess by the end of the collecting season.
That's Bill McKnight reaching down for something. July 1986

WC5-M72Axinite-(Fe) Ca₂Fe²⁺Al₂BSi₄O₁₅OH , Epidote (CaCa)(AlAlFe³⁺)O[Si₂O₇][SiO₄](OH) , Danburite CaB₂Si₂O₈ , Quartz SiO₂

Green Mountain/Bessemer Ridge, Snoqualmie Mining District, King County, Washington, USA

Brown Axinite, Green Epidote, white patches of Danburite, and a few small Quartz
crystals. This was found 5 meters below the main outcrop.
Self collected 1981, inch/cm scale.

KPE-NQ7Quartz SiO₂ , Mordenite (Na₂,Ca,K₂)₄(Al₈Si₄₀)O₉₆·28H₂O

Rickreall Creek Quarry, Dallas, Polk County, Oregon, USA

This specimen was never chemically treated to remove the Iron coloration.
17cm wide, self collected in 1980