Ute-Ulay Mine

Site Name

Primary: Ute-Ulay Mine
Secondary: Ute-Ule Mine
Secondary: Patented Claims: Ule, MS 147a
Secondary: Ule Mill Site, MS 147b
Secondary: Ute, MS 148
Secondary: Ule Extension, MS 1220
Secondary: John J. Crooke Placer, MS 1280
Secondary: Equator, MS 1366a
Secondary: Equator Mill Site, MS 1366b
Secondary: Cuter, MS 12265
Secondary: Free Lance, MS 12265
Secondary: Mab, MS 12265
Secondary: Auric, MS 12265
Secondary: Maid of Henson, MS 12265
Secondary: Regulator, MS 12265
Secondary: Yankee Doodle, MS 12265
Secondary: Leadville, MS 12265
Secondary: Mayor of Leadville, MS 12265

---

Commodity

Primary: Silver
Primary: Gold
Primary: Lead
Primary: Zinc
Secondary: Copper
Tertiary: Manganese
Tertiary: Arsenic
Tertiary: Antimony

---

Location

State: Colorado
County: Hinsdale
District: Galena (Henson Creek) District

---

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: Hughes Mining Co., Inc.
Home Office: Grand Junction, Co.
Years: 1980 -

---

Production

Not available

---

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Deposit Type: Vein
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1874
Year Last Production: 1967
Discovery Year: 1871
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: IRREGULAR, PINCH AND SWELL

---

Structure

Type: R
Description: San Juan Volcanic Field, San Juan Depression

Type: L
Description: San Juan-Uncompahgre Calderas, Lake City Caldera

---

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Wallrock Silicification; Sericitization; Pyritization

---

Rocks

Name: Rhyolite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Oligocene

Name: Rhyolite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Oligocene

Name: Rhyolite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Oligocene

---

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: CRUDE ORE MINED IN 1918 CONTAINED 3.7 OZ/TON AG AND 16.9% PB. MILLING ORE MINED IN 1940-1944 CONTAINED 1 TO 1.5 OZ/TON AG, 0.004 TO 0.01 OZ/TON AU, 3 TO 4.5% PB, 1% ZN, 0.8 TO 1.75% CU. STEVEN AND OTHERS' (1977) SEMIQUANTITATIVE SPECTROGRAPHIC ANALYSES: CHIP SAMPLE FROM VEIN AT FACE IN ADIT CONTAINED 5% AL, 0.1% CA, 3% FE, 0.2% MG, GT 7% MN, 0.05% TI, 7.21% BA, 30 PPM CR, 1000 PPM CU, 20 PPM MO, 10000 PPM PB, 50 PPM SN, LT 70 PPM ZR, TRACE AU AND 2.3 OZ/TON AG (FIRE ASSAY), 0.14% CU AND 0.53% PB (ATOMIC ABSORPTION)
Analytical Data: GRAB SAMPLE FROM MUCK AT FACE CONTAINED 3% AL, 0.1% CA, 4% FE, 0.1% MG, GT 7% MN, 0.05 TI, 9.85% BA, 30 PPM CR, 3000 PPM CU, 20000 PPM PB, 0.10% SB, 50 PPM SN, 5000 PPM ZN, LT 70 PPM ZR, 5.4 OZ/TON AG (FIRE ASSAY) 0.24% CU AND 0.95% PB AND 0.52% ZN (ATOMIC ABSORPTION).

---

Materials

Ore: Silver
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Sphalerite
Gangue: Fluorite
Gangue: Calcite
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Chalcedony
Gangue: Sericite
Gangue: Dickite
Gangue: Kaolinite
Gangue: Gypsum
Gangue: Magnetite
Gangue: Ankerite
Gangue: Barite
Gangue: Rhodochrosite

---

Comments

Comment (Deposit): LATERAL ZONING ON UTE NO. 5 LEVEL: (1) QUARTZ, SPHALERITE, ARGENTIFEROUS GALENA, MINOR CHALCOPYRITE, TRACE PYRITE AND BARITE (AT SW END NEAREST LAKE CITY RING FAULT), (2) INCREASED GALENA, DECREASED SPHALERITE, PLUS SMALL AMOUNTS OF RHODOCHROSITE AND HEMATITE (CENTER), (3) MASSIVE RHODOCHROSITE, MINOR SERICITE, AND TETRAHEDRITE (NE END). IN GENERAL, ZONATION SHOWS THAT PARAGENETICALLY YOUNGER PERIODS OF QUARTZ/BASE-METAL MINERALIZATION FORMED PROGRESSIVELY OUTWARD (TO NE) ALONG VEIN. BARITE/PRECIOUS-METALS OVERPRINT ALSO SHOWS VERTICAL ZONATION: (1) QUARTZ, SPHALERITE, MINOR BARITE AND GALENA, AND TRACE MAGNETITE, TETRAHEDRITE, AND OTHER SULFOSALTS (UTE NO. 5 LEVEL), TO (2) ABUNDANT COARSE BARITE, TETRAHEDRITE, AND ACCESSORY QUARTZ AND SULFIDES (SURFACE EXPOSURE). ADJACENT TO VEIN SYSTEM, ALTERED ROCK COMPOSED OF DENSE MIXTURE OF FINE-GRAINED QUARTZ, PYRITE, AND MINOR SERICITE. IN INNER ZONE, MINOR SPHALERITE, GALENA, CHALCOPYRITE, AND ARSENOPYRITE FILL THIN FRACTURES AND ARE INTERGROWN WITH DISSEMINATED PYRITE. OUTWARD FROM VEIN, LESS ALTERED ROCK COMPOSED OF QUARTZ, SERICITE, PYRITE, CLAYS (KAOLINITE AND POSSIBLY DICKITE), RELICT FELDSPAR AND APATITE, PRIMARY MAGNETITE/HEMATITE SELECTIVELY REPLACED BY PYRITE AND RARE ACCESSORY BASE-METAL SULFIDES. NE TREND OF VEIN CONSIDERED TRANSVERSE TO TREND OF NORTH LAKE CITY RING FAULT; HOWEVER, SUCH NE TRENDS NORTH OF LAKE CITY CALDERA AND NE TRENDS OF "CONCENTRIC" VEINS NW OF LAKE CITY RING FAULT ARE PARALLEL TO NE TREND OF PRE-LAKE CITY EUREKA GRABEN FAULTS/FRACTURES AND INDICATE PRE-LAKE CITY AGE. BARITE/PRECIOUS-METALS OVERPRINT AT UTE-ULAY/HIDDEN TREASURE MINES SUGGESTS YOUNGER MINERALIZATION PHASE RELATED TO INTRUSIONS (SUCH AS RED MTN) ALONG EAST RING FAULT OF LAKE CITY CALDERA. MINIMUM AGE SUGGESTED BY K-AR DATE OF 20.3+/-0.4 MY FROM SERICITE STRINGER IN HIDDEN TREASURE VEIN. FRACTURES HOSTING QUARTZ/BASE-METALS ASSEMBLAGE MAY HAVE OPENED INITIALLY DURING UNCOMPAHGRE-SAN JUAN CALDERA RESURGENT DOMING, AND REACTIVATED AND MINERALIZED CONTEMPORANEOUSLY WITH EMPLACEMENT OF MIOCENE PERIPHERAL PORPHYRIES.

Comment (Workings): MINE DEVELOPED BY CROSSCUT TUNNELS AND INCLINED SHAFT. ON ULAY VEIN, TWO SHORT TUNNELS DRIVEN GENERALLY NE ON VEIN NORTH OF HENSON CREEK. MAIN OPENING IS 700-FT SHAFT INCLINED TO NW DOWN VEIN AND FROM WHICH NINE LEVELS DRIVEN. UPPER THREE LEVELS, CALLED "THIRD," "FOURTH," AND "FIFTH," ARE NOT EXTENSIVE. "SIXTH" LEVEL DRIVEN 850 FT NE. "SEVENTH" LEVEL DRIVEN AT LEAST 170 FT SW OF AND 830 FT NE OF SHAFT. "EIGHTH" LEVEL DRIVEN AT LEAST 410 FT SW OF SHAFT AND BENEATH HENSON CREEK, AND 385 FT NE OF SHAFT. "NINTH" LEVEL DRIVEN 300 FT SW AND AT LEAST 250 FT NE OF SHAFT. "TENTH" LEVEL DRIVEN 880 FT SW OF SHAFT AND BENEATH HENSON CREEK, AND AT LEAST 200 FT NE OF SHAFT. EXTENT OF "ELEVENTH" LEVEL UNKNOWN. RAISES OR WINZES CONNECT SIXTH AND SEVENTH LEVELS, AND EIGHTH LEVELS. UTE VEIN OPENED BY UTE NO. 1 (UPPER) CROSSCUT TUNNEL, LOCATED ON EAST SIDE OF UTE CREEK 1500 FT NNE OF ULAY SHAFT, DRIVEN ESE FOR 220 FT, THENCE NE ON VEIN FOR AT LEAST 1170 FT, CONNECTING TO HIDDEN TREASURE LEVEL 1 AT HIDDEN TREASURE SHAFT. UTE NO, 2 LEVEL CROSSCUT TUNNEL, LOCATED ON EAST SIDE OF UTE CREEK 1470 FT NNE OF ULAY SHAFT, DRIVEN 430 FT NE TO VEIN, THENCE AT LEAST 375 FT SW ALONG VEIN AND AT LEAST 1100 FT NE ALONG VEIN, CONNECTING TO HIDDEN TREASURE LEVEL 2 AT HIDDEN TREASURE SHAFT. UTE NO. 3 LEVEL OPENED BY TUNNEL, LOCATED 650 FT NNE OF ULAY SHAFT, DRIVEN GENERALLY NE FOR 850 FT, THENCE 1500 FT ALONG VEIN, CONNECTING TO HIDDEN TREASURE LEVEL 5 AT HIDDEN TREASURE DHAFT. UTE NO. 4 LEVEL DEVELOPED OFF WINZE FROM SW END OF UTE NO. 3 LEVEL DRIFT, AND EXTENDING 100 FT SW OF WINZE AND 1700 FT NE ALONG VEIN, CONNECTING TO HIDDEN TREASURE LEVEL 1 AT HIDDEN TRESURE SHAFT. UTE NO. 5 (MAIN OPERATING) LEVEL OPENED BY CROSSCUT TUNNEL, LOCATED 70 FT NE OF ULAY SHAFT, DRIVEN NE FOR 1320 FT, THENCE AT LEAST 1100 FT NE ALONG VEIN. NEWER SHAFT LOCATED 715 FT NW OF ULAY SHAFT ON WEST SIDE OF UTE CREEK; FROM BOTTOM, CROSSCUT DRIVEN 180 FT EAST, THENCE (PRESUMABLY) NE ALONG VEIN FOR 1230 FT. WIRE-ROPE TRAM CONNECTED MINE TO 90- TO 100-TPD-CAPACITY CONCENTRATING MILL ON HENSON CREEK AT HENSON. MOLL CONTAINED BLAKE 9X15-INCH ROCK BREAKER, THREE SETS OF ALLIS CHALMERS 16X30-INCH ROLLS, FOUR 36-INCH-DIAM, 7-FT-LONG TROMMELS; SIZERS, JIGS, BUDDLES, AND SETTLING TANKS.

Comment (Deposit): MINE LOCATED NORTH OF LAKE CITY CALDERA RING FAULT IN UNCOMPAHGRE CALDERA INFILL SEQUENCE CONSISTING OF EUREKA MEMBER RHYOLITE OVERLYING PICAYUNE MEGABRECCIA, COMPOSED OF CHAOTIC MASSES OF PRECALDERA INTERMEDIATE-COMPOSITION ROCKS INTERPRETED TO BE RESULT OF SLUMPING FROM OVERSTEEPENED CALDERA WALLS DURING INITIAL SUBSIDENCE OF UNCOMPAHGRE CALDERA. AT SUGARLOAF ROCK (ONE MILE EAST OF HIDDEN TREASURE SHAFT) AND APPROX ALONG TREND OF UTE-ULAY/HIDDEN TREASURE VEIN NE OF HIDDEN TREASURE SHAFT ARE PORPHYRO-APHANITIC, ANDESITIC TO RHYOLITIC PLUG AND DIKE, RESPECTIVELY, BOTH INTRUDING EUREKA RHYOLITE. ACCORDING TO IRVING AND BANCROFT (1911), VEIN LIES ENTIRELY WITHIN MEGABRECCIA, ALTHOUGH NE END OF HIDDEN TREASURE VEIN EXTENDS CLOSE TO OVERLYING EUREKA RHYOLITE. VEIN SYSTEM IS GENERALLY CONCAVE TO NW AND TRENDS N 46 E AT SW END, N 37 E IN CENTER, AND N 19 E AT NE END. DIP AND STRIKE BOTH SHOW MANY DEFLECTIONS IN TREND; AVERAGE DIP IS 56 TO 60 NW. VEIN WIDTH VARIES FROM 20 FT TO FRACTURES OR SERIES OF FRACTURES AND AVERAGES 4 FT, BUT WITH PINCHES AND SWELLS. IN UTE MINE, VEIN IS WELL DEFINED BETWEEN SIMPLE WALLS. IN HIDDEN TREASURE MINE, VEIN SPLITS INTO STRINGERS, MOST NOTABLE OF WHICH WAS RICHLY MINERALIZED AND OCCURRED ON FIFTH LEVEL WHERE 10-FT- AND 4-FT-WIDE BRANCHES SPLIT FROM 20-FT-WIDE VEIN, WITH JUNCTION PITCHING NE IN PLANE OF VEIN. ON UTE NO. 5 LEVEL, VEIN SPLITS INTO MANY SMALL PARALLEL STRINGERS SEPARATED FROM MAIN VEIN BY BARREN SILICIFIED ROCK. VEIN SYSTEM LIES IN SLACK'S (1980) QUARTZ/BASE-METAL ASSEMBLAGE AND SHOWS LATERAL ZONING FROM INNER QUARTZ-CHALCOPYRITE ZONE IN SW (CLOSEST TO LAKE CITY RING FAULT), INTO MIDDLE HYBRID (TRANSITION) ZONE, TO OUTER CARBONATE-TETRAHEDRITE ZONE ON NE. MINERALOGY IS COMPLICATED BY BARITE AND SPHALERITE OVERPRINT FROM YOUNGER BARITE/PRECIOUS-METALS ASSEMBLAGE MORE PROMINENT JUST TO EAST AROUND NE RIM OF LAKE CITY CALDERA IN LAKE DISTRICT (SEE LAKE DISTRICT RECORD FOR MINERALOGY AND PARAGENESIS OF BARITE/PRECIOUS-METALS ASSEMBLAGE).

Comment (Production): PARTIAL PRODUCTION RECORD. FIGURES UNAVAILABLE FOR PRIOR YEARS. MINE DID PRODUCE AS EARLY AS 1887 AND 1888, BUT ONLY DOLLAR VALUES WERE GIVEN FOR THOSE YEARS (IRVING AND BANCROFT, 1911, P. 92). MINERAL RESOURCES OF U.S. VOLUMES AND USBM MINERAL YEARBOOKS ALSO CITE PRODUCTION FOR 1920, 1921, 1937, 1938, AND 1950, BUT NO FIGURES WERE GIVEN. FIGURES FOR 1918, 1922, 1927, 1939, 1940, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1952, 1966, AND 1967, ARE FROM CDM REPORTS. BECAUSE CDM RECORDS LISTED TWO SETS OF PRODUCTION FIGURES FOR 1967, IT IS UNCERTAIN WHETHER SECOND SET REPRESENTS REVISION OF FIRST SET OR SEPARATE AMOUNT OF PRODUCTION IN SAME YEAR.

Comment (Development): HISTORY OF DISTRICT BEGAN WITH DISCOVERY OF UTE AND ULAY VEINS ON AUGUST 27, 1871, BY HARRY HENSON, JORL K. MULLIN, ALBERT MEAD, AND CHARLES GODWIN. DISCOVERY STARTED FIRST BOOM PERIOD IN LAKE CITY AREA. MINING DID NOT BEGIN ON VEINS UNTIL AFTER TREATY WAS SIGNED WITH UTE INDIANS IN 1874. REAL RUSH DID NOT BEGIN UNTIL MINE WAS SOLD FOR $135,000 TO CROOKE BROTHERS IN 1876. CROOKE SMELTER WAS COMPLETED AT LAKE CITY IN 1878, AND PRODUCTION FROM UTE-ULAY AND POLAR STAR MINE (UNCOMPAHGRE DISTRICT, SAN JUAN CO.) SUPPLIED SMELTER TO ITS FULL CAPACITY. CONCENTRATING WORKS BUILT AT HENSON IN 1881. SMELTER CLOSED BY EARLY 1884. MINE PRODUCED AGAIN IN LATE 1880S TO ABOUT 1900, THEN INTERMITTENTLY FROM LATE 1910S THROUGH EARLY 1950S BY VARIOUS OPERATORS, INCLUDING AMERICAN SMELTING AND REFINING, BURKE MINING AND INVESTING, BASE METALS CORP., IDARADO MINING CO., ROCKY MOUNTAIN VENTURES, AND HUGHES MINING CO. SOME DEVELOPMENT WORK DONE IN LATE 1960S, AND MOST RECENTLY SOME CLEAN-UP IN 1980.

Comment (Location): ULAY (OR ULE) MINE LOCATED AT HENSON AND ON HILLSIDE JUST NE OF HENSON AND EAST OF UTE CREEK. PRINCIPAL UTE OPENINGS LIE ON EAST SIDE OF UTE CREEK NNE OF HENSON AND ULAY MINE. ELEV AND LAT-LONG GIVEN ARE FOR ULAY SHAFT, ALONG ROAD AT HENSON, IN W2 NW NW SW SEC. 31. ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1977

---

References

Reference (Deposit): LIPMAN, P.W., 1976, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE LAKE CITY CALDERA AREA, WESTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS, SOUTHWESTERN COLORADO: USGS MAP I-962.

Reference (Deposit): BROWN, W.H., 1926, THE MINERAL ZONES OF THE WHITE CROSS DISTRICT AND NEIGHBORING DEPOSITS IN HINSDALE COUNTY, COLORADO: MINES MAG., V. 15, NO. 11, P. 5-15.

Reference (Deposit): IRVING, J.D., 1905, ORE DEPOSITS IN THE VICINITY OF LAKE CITY, COLORADO: USGS BULL. 260, P. 78-84.

Reference (Deposit): LIPMAN, P.W., AND OTHERS, 1976, MULTIPLE AGES OF MID-TERTIARY MONERALIZATION AND ALTERATION IN THE WESTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS, COLORADO: ECON. GEOLOGY, V. 71, NO. 3, P. 571-588.

Reference (Deposit): STEVEN, T.A. AND OTHERS, 1977, MINERAL RESOURCES OF STUDY AREAS CONTIGUOUS TO THE UNCOMPAHGRE PRIMITIVE AREA, SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS, SOUTHWESTERN COLORADO: USGS BULL. 1391-E, P. 82, 108-109.

Reference (Deposit): COLORADO DIV. MINES INF. REPTS. AND ANNUAL OPERATOR REPTS.

Reference (Deposit): BLM MINERAL SURVEYS MS 147A&B, 148, 1220, 1280, 1366A&B, 12265

Reference (Production): COLORADO DIV. MINES ANNUAL OPERATOR REPTS.

Reference (Deposit): IRVING, J.D., AND BANCROFT, HOWLAND, 1911, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS NEAR LAKE CITY, COLORADO: USGS BULL. 478, P. 87-95.

Reference (Deposit): SLACK, J.F., 1980, MULTISTAGE VEIN ORES OF THE LAKE CITY DISTRICT, WESTERN SAN MOUNTAINS, COLORADO: ECON. GEOLOGY, V. 75, NO. 7, P. 963-991.

---

Colorado Mining Photos

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