Pine Tree Claim

The Pine Tree Claim is a thorium mine located in Custer county, Colorado at an elevation of 8,848 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

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Site Name

Primary: Pine Tree Claim
Secondary: Greenwood Property

Commodity

Primary: Thorium
Secondary: Barium-Barite

Location

State: Colorado
County: Custer
District: Wet Mountains 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

Type: Surface/Underground

Ownership

Owner Name: Klein, William And Jones, Fred
Years: 1953 -

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Underground
Discovery Year: 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

Model Name: Thorium-rare-earth veins

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Type: R
Description: Wet Mountains

Type: L
Description: Nw-Trending Shear Zones

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Name: Gneiss
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Paleoproterozoic

Name: Gneiss
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Paleoproterozoic

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: .008 TO .058% EQUIV. U, .001 TO .002% U, .03 TO .32% EQUIV. TH02

Materials

Ore: Thorite
Ore: Barite
Gangue: Specularite
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Galena
Gangue: Fluorite
Gangue: Limonite
Gangue: Pyrite

Comments

Comment (Workings): FIVE SHAFTS, TWO PROSPECT PITS; UNDERGROUND WORKINGS MOSTLY CAVED OR FILLED WITH WATER

Comment (Location): ON GREENWOOD PROPERTY, THREE MILES NORTH OF THE HAPUTA RANCH; NORTH OF BEAR GULCH AND NW OF DRY LAKE ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1976

Comment (Commodity): PURE THORITE G.T. 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER FOUND IN BARITE MASSES

Comment (Production): 400 LBS OF HAND-SORTED THORITE REPORTEDLY PRODUCED

Comment (Geology): THORIUM OCCURS AS COATINGS OR DISSEMINATED THROUGH DIKES

Comment (Deposit): Discovery Year: EARLY 1950'S

References

Reference (Deposit): CHRISTMAN, R.A., HEYMAN, A.M., DELLWIG, L.F, AND GOTT, G.B., 1953, THORIUM INVESTIGATIONS 1950-52, WET MOUNTAINS, COLORADO: USGS CIRCULAR 290, P. 17-19.

Reference (Deposit): CHRISTMAN, R.A., BROCK, M.R., PEARSON, R.C., AND SINGEWALD, Q.D., 1959, GEOLOGY AND THORIUM DEPOSITS OF THE WET MOUNTAINS, COLORADO, A PROGRESS REPORT: USGS BULLETIN 1072-H, P. 525-526

Reference (Deposit): BROCK, M.R. AND SINGEWALD, Q.D., 1968, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE MOUNT TYNDALL QUADRANGLE, CUSTER COUNTY, COLORADO: USGS MAP GQ-596, 1:24,000

Colorado Mining Photos

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