Last Chance Mine

The Last Chance Mine is a copper, vanadium, gold, and silver mine located in Skamania county, Washington at an elevation of 1,601 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: Last Chance Mine

Commodity

Primary: Copper
Primary: Vanadium
Primary: Gold
Primary: Silver
Tertiary: Lead
Tertiary: Zinc

Location

State: Washington
County: Skamania
District: Washougal 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

Owner Name: Leon Montchalin, Washougal, Wash.
Years: 1956 -

Owner Name: Washougal Consolidated Copper Mining Co.

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Occurrence
Operation Type: Unknown
Discovery Year: 1900
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S

Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Pacific Mountain System
Physiographic Province: Cascade-Sierra Mountains
Physiographic Section: Northern Cascade Mountains

Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Polymetallic veins

Orebody

Form: VEIN

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Locally Extensive Silicification And Argillization In Vein But Wall Rocks Only Weakly Propylitized

Rocks

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

Name: Diorite
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Miocene

Name: Diorite
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Miocene

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: CU=TR-6%, OVER VEIN WIDTH OF 1-5 FT. 8-10% CU REPORTED OVER VEIN WIDTH UP TO 1 FT IN EAST ADIT. VEIN AS A WHOLE ESTIMATED TO CARRY 1.5% CU OVER WIDTH OF 1-3 FT. USBM SAMPLES SHOWED 2.75% CU, 0.71 OZ/TON AG IN EAST ADIT (936 FT) OVER AVERAGE VEIN WIDTH OF 4 FT. COMPOSITE SAMPLES SHOW 1-2% V2O5, AND 0.25-0.50% V2O5. OTHER ASSAYS AVERAGE 0.13 OZ/TON AU, 7.2 OZ/TON AG, 7.5% CU. SPECTOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS OF DESCLOIZITE AT FACE OF ADIT SHOWED 1-10% V, 1-10% PB, 8% CU, 8% ZN. SEE MOEN (1977) FOR MORE ASSAYS

Materials

Ore: Descloizite
Ore: Bornite
Ore: Chrysocolla
Ore: Chalcocite
Ore: Malachite
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Pyrite

Comments

Comment (Deposit): QUARTZ-FILLED FISSURE VEIN IN QUARTZ DIORITE PHASE OF SILVER STAR PLUTON. VEIN IS 1-10 FT THICK, MUCH OF WHICH CONSISTS OF 1-4 FT OF MASSIVE QUARTZ. THICKER PARTS OF VEIN CONSIST OF SEVERAL NARROW QUARTZ VEINS ALTERNATING WITH HIGHLY BRECCIATED AND SILICIFIED QUARTZ DIORITE. BORNITE, CHALCOCITE, AND CHALOCPYRITE OCCUR AS DISSEMINATIONS AND BLEBS IN THE VEIN QUARTZ; CHRYSOCOLLA, MALACHITE, AND AZURITE COAT FRACTURE SURFACES. IN A FEW PLACES, CHRYSOLCOLLA FORMS 1-6 IN. THICK VEINS. DESCLOIZITE (LEAD VANADATE) LOCALLY FORMS THIN GREENISH-YELLOW COATINGS ON VEIN SURFACES.

Comment (Workings): 936 FT EAST ADIT, 267 FT WEST ADIT, 540 FT VERTICAL SHAFT WITH 5 LEVELS OF DRIFTS RANGING FROM 30-209 FT LONG, 9 CROSSCUTS 10-40 FT LONG

Comment (Deposit): MAPS OF MINE WORKINGS AND LOCATION MAP AVAILABLE IN MOEN (1977) ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT

Comment (Location): LAST CHANCE IS APPARENTLY THE MINE LABELED "SKAMANIA" ON THE TOPO MAP. ON WEST FORK WASHOUGAL RIVER. ON DEEDED LAND

Comment (Development): ALTHOUGH CONSIDERABLE DEVELOPEMNT WORK WAS UNDERTAKEN IN THE EARLY 1900'S, NO SHIPMENTS OF ORE WERE MADE. MINE IDLE IN 1977

References

Reference (Analytical Data): QUARTZ DIORITE

Reference (Deposit): HUNTTING, M.T., 1956, INVENTORY OF WASHINGTON MINERAL - PART II, METALLIC MINERALS: WASHINGTON DIVISION OF MINES AND GEOLOGY BULLETIN 37, V. 1, P. 77.

Reference (Deposit): MOEN, W.S., 1977, ST. HELENS AND WASHOUGAL MINING DISTRICTS OF THE SOUTHERN CASCADES OF WASHINGTON: WASHINGTON DIVISION OF GEOLOGY AND EARTH RESOURCES INFORMATION CIRCULAR 60, P. 43, 53-55.

Reference (Deposit): PHILLIPS, W.M., 1987, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE VANCOUVER QUADRANGLE, WASHINGTON AND OREGON: WASHINGTON DIVISION OF GEOLOGY AND EARTH RESOURCES OPEN-FILE REPORT 87-10, SCALE 1:100,000.

Washington Gold

"Where to Find Gold in Washington" looks at the density of modern placer mining claims along with historical gold mining locations and mining district descriptions to determine areas of high gold discovery potential in Arizona. Read more: Where to Find Gold in Washington.