Difficult Creek District

The Difficult Creek District is a gold and copper mine located in Pitkin county, Colorado at an elevation of 12,362 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: Difficult Creek District
Secondary: See Last Page

Commodity

Primary: Gold
Primary: Copper
Secondary: Silver
Tertiary: Manganese

Location

State: Colorado
County: Pitkin
District: Difficult 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

Not available

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: District
Operation Category: Occurrence
Deposit Type: Vein
Operation Type: Unknown
Discovery Year: 1892
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

Type: L
Description: Castle Creek Fault Zone, Grizzly Caldera

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Fe And Mn Oxides

Rocks

Name: Quartz Monzonite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Neoproterozoic

Name: Quartz Monzonite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Neoproterozoic

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: (SEE LAST PAGE)

Materials

Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Pyrite
Gangue: Malachite

Comments

Comment (Commodity): ANALYSES SHOWED TRACE CONCENTRATIONS OF TI, CO, CR, NI, PB, V, Y, ZN

Comment (Location): CLAIMS LIE ALONG DIFFICULT CREEK AND AROUND GOLD HILL. ELEV AND LAT-LONG GIVEN ARE TOP OF GOLD HILL ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :(1977)

Comment (Development): CLAIMS STAKED BETWEEN 1892 AND 1900, BUT APPARENTLY LITTLE MORE THAN EXPLORATORY SHAFTS AND TUNNELS WERE DRIVEN. DISTRICT WAS SOON ABANDONED

Comment (Deposit): COPPER MINERALIZATION FOUND IN CHALCOPYRITE-QUARTZ-CARBONATE VEINS IN NE-TRENDING, STEEPLY DIPPING SHEAR ZONES CUTTING MUSCOVITE-BIOTITE SCHIST AND GNEISS THAT CONTAIN LENSES AND BODIES OF QUARTZ MONZONITE AND PEGMATITE. HIGHER AU VALUES MAY BE DUE TO NEAR-SURFACE ENRICHMENT. AGE OF DEPOSITS UNKNOWN; VEINS COULD BE MID TERTIARY ON BASIS OF ASSOCIATION WITH INDEPENDENCE DISTRICT AND GRIZZLY PEAK CAULDRON OR WITH WHITE ROCK PLUTON TO WEST.

Comment (Workings): NUMEROUS SURFACE PROSPECTS, SHAFTS, TUNNELS

References

Reference (Deposit): BLM MINERAL SURVEYS MS 7437,7438,8666,8880,9262,9844,9895,12220,12910,12911

Reference (Deposit): BRYANT, BRUCE, 1979, GEOLOGY OF THE ASPEN 15-MINUTE QUADRANGLE, PITKIN AND GUNNISON COUNTIES, COLORADO: USGS PROF. PAPER 1073, P. 120-122

Colorado Mining Photos

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