Snowflake Mine

The Snowflake Mine is a feldspar mine located in Teller county, Colorado at an elevation of 8,609 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

Name: Snowflake Mine  

State:  Colorado

County:  Teller

Elevation: 8,609 Feet (2,624 Meters)

Commodity: Feldspar

Lat, Long: 39.06306, -105.13833

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.


Satelite image of the Snowflake Mine

Snowflake Mine MRDS details

Site Name

Primary: Snowflake Mine


Commodity

Primary: Feldspar
Tertiary: Fluorine-Fluorite
Tertiary: REE
Tertiary: Niobium (Columbium)
Tertiary: Molybdenum
Tertiary: Tantalum


Location

State: Colorado
County: Teller
District: Woodland Park Area


Land Status

Land ownership: Private
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: Western Feldspar Co.
Home Office: Denver, Co.
Years: 1952 -


Production

Not available


Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Year Last Production: 1952
Discovery Method: Ore-Mineral In Place
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S


Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Rocky Mountain System
Physiographic Province: Southern Rocky Mountains


Mineral Deposit Model

Not available


Orebody

Form: CIRCULAR


Structure

Type: R
Description: Front Range Uplift, Pikes Peak Batholith

Type: L
Description: Oil Creek Fault, Ute Pass Fault Zone, Manitou Park Half Graben


Alterations

Not available


Rocks

Name: Pegmatite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Neoproterozoic

Name: Pegmatite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Neoproterozoic


Analytical Data

Analytical Data: QUANTITATIVE SPECTROGRAPHIC ANALYSIS OF THALENITE YIELDED 32.6% Y, 4.4% YB, 4.3% DY, 3.8% ER, 2.8% GD, 2.0% ND, 1.6% SM, 1.2% CE, 1.1% HO, 0.83% LU, 0.59% TM, 0.72% TB, 0.42% PR, 0.31% LA, LT 0.01% EU. SEMIQUANTITATIVE SPECTROGRAPHIC ANALYSIS OF THALENITE YIELDED GT 10% SI, 2.0% CA, 0.15% FE, 0.07% AL, 0.015% BA, 0.01% MG AND MN, 0.002% B, 0.0007% BE.


Materials

Ore: Microcline
Gangue: Xenotime
Gangue: Molybdenite
Gangue: Bastnaesite
Gangue: Fergusonite
Gangue: Monazite
Gangue: Doverite
Gangue: Allanite
Gangue: Zircon
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Fluorite
Gangue: Biotite
Gangue: Thalenite


Comments

Comment (Deposit): ROUGHLY CIRCULAR PEGMATITE CONSISTS OF WIDE WALLZONE OF QUARTZ-MICROCLINE-BIOTITE, INTERMEDIATE ZONE OF MICROCLINE-QUARTZ AND QUARTZ CORE. FLUORITE GENERALLY REPLACED BY RAE-RICH COMPONENTS IN LATE-STAGE SILICIC FLUIDS. RAE- (MAINLY Y) RICH FLUORITE FURTHER ALTERED TO OTHER RAE MINERALS, INCLUDING PHOSPHATES, FLUOROCARBONATES, AND RARE SILICATES SUCH AS THALENITE. THALENITE HERE CHARACTERIZED BY DY AND ND MAXIMA. DEFICIENCY IN BE MAY HAVE PERMITTED Y TO BE CONSUMED IN FLUORITE AND XENOTIME RATHER THAN FORMATION OF GADOLINITE. THALENITE HERE IS SECOND NORTH AMERICAN OCCURRENCE.

Comment (Workings): OPEN CUT INTO QUARTZ CORE AND PART OF INTERMEDIATE ZONE

Comment (Location): ALONG UNNAMED TRIBUTARY OF RYAN GULCH. DEPOSIT IS DESCRIBED WITH SOUTH PLATTE DISTRICT BUT IS REMOTELY LOCATED FROM IT. ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :(1975)


References

Reference (Deposit): SIMMONS, W.B., AND HEINRICH, E.W., 1980, RARE-EARTH PEGMATITES OF THE SOUTH PLATTE DISTRICT, COLORADO: CGS RESOURCE SER. 11, 131 P.

Reference (Deposit): ADAMS, J.W., AND OTHERS, 1962, THALENITE FROM TELLER COUNTY, COLORADO: USGS PROF. PAPER 450-D, P. D6-D8.


Colorado Mining Photos

Placer mines at Cripple Creek, Colorado ca. 1892

Check out this collection of Colorado's best historic mining photos: Incredible Photos of Colorado Mining Scenes.