Aspen Mine

The Aspen Mine is a silver, zinc, and lead mine located in Pitkin county, Colorado at an elevation of 8,881 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

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.

Site Name

Primary: Aspen Mine
Secondary: Claim: Aspen

Commodity

Primary: Silver
Primary: Zinc
Primary: Lead

Location

State: Colorado
County: Pitkin
District: Aspen (Roaring Fork) 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

Type: Underground

Ownership

Not available

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Discovery Year: 1884
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

Not available

Structure

Type: R
Description: Sawatch Uplift, Central Colorado Trough, Piceance Basin, White River Uplift, Elk Uplift

Type: L
Description: Silver Fault, Contact Fault, Aspen Mountain Syncline, Aspen Fault, Tourtelotte Park Uplift

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Name: Granite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Mississippian

Name: Granite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Paleocene

Name: Granite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age Young: Paleocene

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Sphalerite
Ore: Argentite
Gangue: Barite

Comments

Comment (Deposit): CHARACTERISTIC OCCURRENCE FOR DISTRICT. SOME ORE ALONG CONTACT FAULT COULD REPRESENT REPLACEMENT IN PALEOKARST ZONE.

Comment (Workings): EXTENSIVE DRIFTING ALONG CONTACT, ASPEN, AND SUBORDINATE FAULTS, CONNECTING WITH DURANT MINE AND OTHER OPERATIONS. LOWER DURANT TUNNEL (2700 FT LONG AND DRIVEN S 45 W) DRIVEN TO PROVIDE DRAINAGE AND ORE TRANSPORT FOR DEEP MINES, CONNECTS WITH DURANT-ASPEN WORKINGS ABOUT 250 FT WEST OF ASPEN SHAFT. TWELVE LEVELS DEVELOPED AT 50-AND 100-FT INTERVALS FROM DEPTHS OF 400 TO 1200 FT. "ELECTRIC WINZE" DRIVEN NW THRU CONTACT AND ASPEN FAULTS FROM DEPTHS OF 500 TO 1200 FT.

Comment (Location): IN ASPEN MTN AREA ALONG VALLEJO GULCH. ELEV AND LAT-LONG FROM BRYANT (1972) ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :(1980)

Comment (Commodity): UNSPECIFIED CARBONATES AND OXIDES IN OXIDIZED PARTS OF ORE

Comment (Deposit): DOLOMITE AND LIMESTONE BEDS ON EAST LIMB OF ASPEN MTN SYNCLINE STEEPEN TO HIGH-ANGLE WESTWARD DIP TO OVERTURNED (TO EAST), THENCE INTO GENTLE DIPS ON SYNCLINAL AXIS. ALONG PORTION OF STEEPEST DIP, NEAR-VERTICAL ASPEN FAULT TRUNCATES CONTACT AND SILVER FAULTS, WITH SILVER FAULT DISAPPEARING MUCH HIGHER ON THE FAULT PLANE. ORE FOUND MOSTLY IN CONTACT FAULT AND IN 70-TO 200-FT-WIDE ZONE BETWEEN CONTACT AND ASPEN FAULTS. ZONE IS COMPLICATED BY NUMEROUS SMALLER FAULTS AND FRACTURES AND MAJOR FAULT ABOVE AND SUBPARALLEL TO CONTACT FAULT. SPURR NOTED THAT ORE OCCURS IN FAULTS OF BOTH LARGE AND SMALL DISPLACEMENT AND AT INTERSECTIONS OF FAULTS. VERTICAL ORIENTATION OF BEDS, FAULTS, AND ORE BODIES ENABLED CONTINUOUS STOPING DOWN TO DEPTHS OF ABOUT 1500 FT. OXIDIZED ORES (CARBONATES AND OXIDES) OCCUR IN UPPER MINE LEVELS. ON THIRD LEVEL NEAR ASPEN SHAFT, AG SULFIDE REPORTEDLY RUNNING ABOUT 200 OZ/TON OCCURRED IN UNALTERED BLUE LIMESTONE WITH NO DOLOMITE, QUITE DIFFERENT THAN

References

Reference (Deposit): BRYANT, BRUCE, 1972, MAP SHOWING MINES, PROSPECTS, AND AREAS OF SIGNIFICANT SILVER, LEAD, AND ZINC PRODUCTION IN THE ASPEN QUADRANGLE, PITKIN COUNTY, COLORADO: USGS MAP I-785-D

Reference (Deposit): BLM MINERAL SURVEY MS 3641

Reference (Deposit): SPURR, J.E., 1898, GEOLOGY OF THE ASPEN DISTRICT, COLORADO: USGS MON. 31, P. 155-157, PL. 40

Reference (Deposit): BRYANT, BRUCE, 1971, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE ASPEN QUADRANGLE, PITKIN COUNTY, COLORADO: USGS MAP GQ-933.

Colorado Mining Photos

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