The Joker Pit is a gold, thorium, titanium, metal, niobium (columbium), iron, and ree mine located in Moffat county, Colorado at an elevation of 6,982 feet.
About the MRDS Data:
All mine locations were obtained from the USGS Mineral Resources Data System. The locations and other information in this database have not been verified for accuracy. It should be assumed that all mines are on private property.
Mine Info
Elevation: 6,982 Feet (2,128 Meters)
Commodity: Gold, Thorium, Titanium, Metal, Niobium (Columbium), Iron, REE
Lat, Long: 40.75667, -107.72694
Map: View on Google Maps
Satelite View
MRDS mine locations are often very general, and in some cases are incorrect. Some mine remains have been covered or removed by modern industrial activity or by development of things like housing. The satellite view offers a quick glimpse as to whether the MRDS location corresponds to visible mine remains.
Joker Pit MRDS details
Site Name
Primary: Joker Pit
Commodity
Primary: Gold
Primary: Thorium
Primary: Titanium, Metal
Primary: Niobium (Columbium)
Primary: Iron
Primary: REE
Location
State: Colorado
County: Moffat
District: Fourmile (Timberlake Creek) District
Land Status
Land ownership: BLM Administrative Area
Note: the land ownership field only identifies whether the area the mine is in is generally on public lands like Forest Service or BLM land, or if it is in an area that is generally private property. It does not definitively identify property status, nor does it indicate claim status or whether an area is open to prospecting. Always respect private property.
Holdings
Not available
Workings
Not available
Ownership
Owner Name: Marathon Gold Corp. And Centennial Gold Corp.
Home Office: Craig
Years: 1984 -
Owner Name: Marathon Gold Corp.
Home Office: Craig
Years: 1984 -
Production
Not available
Deposit
Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Producer
Deposit Type: Fossil Placer
Operation Type: Unknown
Discovery Method: Ore-Mineral In Place
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S
Physiography
General Physiographic Area: Rocky Mountain System
Physiographic Province: Wyoming Basin
Mineral Deposit Model
Not available
Orebody
Not available
Structure
Type: R
Description: Washakie Basin
Type: L
Description: Washakie Basin
Alterations
Not available
Rocks
Name: Conglomerate
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Eocene
Analytical Data
Analytical Data: ANALYSIS BY WARREN R. WAGNER (AS REPORTED IN PARKER, 1974) GAVE $3.37/YD AU, 11.5 LB/YD COMBINED ILMENITE, EUXENITE, COLUMBITE AND RUTILE, 6.8 LB/YD MONAZITE, 3.6 LB/YD GARNET, 3.4 LB/YD MAGNETITE, 3.4 LB/YD "NON-MAGNETICS" (PRINCIPALLY ZIRCON AND QUARTZ, WITH MINOR FELDSPAR, GARNET, ILMENITE, AND MAGNETITE). TOTAL HM=28.7 LB/YD. MONAZITE REPORTEDLYCONTAINED 9.62% TH02. MORE RECENT TESTS BY MARATHON INDICATED O.044 TO 0.06 OZ/TON AND 0.10 TO 0.104 OZ/TON AU, WITH 28 TO 35 LB/TON BLACK SAND CONCENTRATE.
Materials
Ore: Rutile
Ore: Columbite
Ore: Euxenite
Ore: Ilmenite
Ore: Gold
Ore: Monazite
Ore: Magnetite
Gangue: Zircon
Gangue: Garnet
Gangue: Quartz
Comments
Comment (Location): ON UPPER HOUSEL GULCH ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :(1974)
Comment (Development): MILL.CAP: 4000 ST/DAY ; ECON.YEAR: 1983
Comment (Deposit): DRIFTS MADE AT MINE WERE IN CHANNEL CONGLOMERATE IN BEDROCK (CATHEDRAL BLUFFS MEMBER). SURFACE CUTS MADE IN QUATERNARY TERRACE ALLUVIUM ABOUT 50 FT ABOUT LEVEL OF HOUSEL GULCH. FARNSWORTH'S ORIGINAL DESCRIPTION STATED THAT THE HIGHER PAYING ZONES IN AREA LIE IN SLIGHTLY CONSOLIDATED GRAVELS BENEATH IRON OXIDE-CEMENTED CONGLOMERATE AND ABOVE LAYER OF "BLUE CLAY," (NOW INTERPRETED AS EOCENE BEDROCK). AU CONCENTRATIONS IN TERRACE AND MANTLE DEPOSITS APPEAR LIMITED TO LEVEL BELOW THE PROMINENT CONGLOMERATE OR "CAP ROCK," WHICH WAS INTERPRETED BY PARKER (1974) AND THEOBALD AS A DELTAIC FAN IN EITHER THE TIPTON TONGUE OF GREEN RIVER FM (EOCENE) OR CATHEDRAL BLUFFS MBR OF WASATCH FM (EOCENE). MODERN PLACERS THUS WERE DERIVED FROM EOCENE FOSSIL BEACH AND ALLUVIAL PLACERS AND PROBABLY BEGAN FORMING IN LATE PLIOCENE OR PLEISTOCENE TIME. AGE OF MINERALIZATION CITED FOR DEPOSIT DEPENDS ON UNIT WORKED--EOCENE FOR BEDROCK OPERATIONS OR QUATERNARY FOR TERRACE, STREAM BED, AND MANTLE OPERATIONS.
Comment (Workings): SURFACE CUTS IN TERRACE GRAVEL, DRIFTS IN BEDROCK . NEW AU AND MINERAL RECOVERY PLANT AT MINE.
References
Reference (Deposit): PARKER, B.H., JR., 1974, THE PLACERS OF MOFFAT COUNTY, IN GOLD PLACERS OF COLORADO: COLORADO SCHOOL OF MINES QUART., V. 69, NO. 4, P. 150-168.
Reference (Deposit): TWETO, OGDEN, 1976, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE CRAIG 1X2 QUADRANGLE, NORTHWESTERN COLORADO: USGS MAP I-972
Reference (Deposit): SNOW, E.P., 1895, THE FOURMILE PLACER FIELDS OF (MOFFAT COUNTY), COLORADO AND WYOMING: ENG. MINING JOUR., V. 60, P. 102-105
Reference (Deposit): HOOVER, HERBERT C., 1897, GEOLOGY OF THE FOUR-MILE PLACER MINING DISTRICT (MOFFAT COUNTY), COLORADO: ENG. MINING JOUR., V. 63, P. 510.
Reference (Deposit): 5) MINING RECORD (VARIOUS ARTICLES): 2/16/83, 4/6/83, 4/13/83, 6/8/83, 6/29/83, 9/28/83, 11/30/83.
Reference (Deposit): 6) DENVER POST 6/29/84.
Colorado Mining Photos
Check out this collection of Colorado's best historic mining photos: Incredible Photos of Colorado Mining Scenes.
