Best Friend Mine

The Best Friend Mine is a silver and lead mine located in Pitkin county, Colorado at an elevation of 10,000 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: Best Friend Mine
Secondary: Claim: Best Friend

Commodity

Primary: Silver
Primary: Lead
Secondary: Zinc
Tertiary: Manganese

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

Not available

Ownership

Not available

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Discovery Year: 1885
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, Tourtellotte Park Uplift, Hallet Fault, Dixon Fault

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Dolomitization

Rocks

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

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

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

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Gangue: Barite

Comments

Comment (Workings): ONE SHAFT (OR INCLINE) WITH SEVERAL LEVELS INTERCONNECTED BY INCLINES (OR WINZES). WORKINGS CONNECT ON EAST WITH BOB INGERSOLL MINE

Comment (Location): IN UPPER ASPEN MTN AREA WEST OF SPAR GULCH APPROX 800 FT SW OF LITTLE PERCY MINE. ELEV AND LAT-LONG APPROXIMATED FROM BRYANT (1972) ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :(1980)

Comment (Deposit): MINE DEVELOPED ON CONTACT FAULT, MARKED BY BRECCIATED ZONE AND STRATIFIED LIME MUD LAYER. FAULT BLOCK BOUNDED ON NORTH BY HALLET FAULT AND ON SOUTH BY DIXON FAULT, BOTH LATE EAST-WEST-TRENDING CROSS-FAULTS. MUD APPARENTLY FILLS SOLUTION FEATURES IN DOLOMITE AND BRECCIA ZONE AND HEAVILY STAINED IN LOWER PART BY MN OXIDE MATERIAL CONTAINING 45.86 % MNO2, 12.83 % FE OXIDES AND SOME AG. FOLLOWING MINERALIZATION AND LATE DOLOMITIZATION, LATER MOVEMENT REOPENED FAULT AND ALLOWED CLAY TO FILL AND BOG MN TO FORM.

References

Reference (Deposit): SPURR, J.E., 1898, GEOLOGY OF THE ASPEN DISTRICT, COLORADO: USGS MON. 31, P. 169-170

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

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 4049

Colorado Mining Photos

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