Big Bear No. 2 Mine

The Big Bear No. 2 Mine is a ree and feldspar mine located in Jefferson county, Colorado at an elevation of 7,251 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: Big Bear No. 2 Mine
Secondary: Big Bear
Secondary: Little Bear

Commodity

Primary: REE
Primary: Feldspar

Location

State: Colorado
County: Jefferson
District: South Platte Pegmatite District

Land Status

Land ownership: National Forest
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: Unknown

Ownership

Not available

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
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

Not available

Orebody

Form: ELLIPSOIDAL

Structure

Type: R
Description: Front Range Uplift, Pikes Peak Batholith

Type: L
Description: Kennedy Gulch Fault Zone

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Rae Replacement Of Fluorite

Rocks

Name: Pegmatite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Neoproterozoic

Name: Pegmatite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Neoproterozoic

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: 0 TO 1% HO, LA, TB, PR.
Analytical Data: HAND-PICKED FLUORITIC ORE FROM BIG BEAR AND OTHER PEGMATITES ASSAYED 1 TO 7.5% Y. RAE CONCENTRATES CONTAINED 47.9% Y, 2.8% GD, 2.3% DY, 3.7% ND, 1 TO 2% ER, SM, AND CE

Materials

Ore: Microcline
Gangue: Doverite
Gangue: Fluorite
Gangue: Xenotime
Gangue: Amethyst
Gangue: Monazite
Gangue: Gadolinite
Gangue: Allanite

Comments

Comment (Deposit): LARGER ELLIPSOIDAL PEGMATITE CONTAINS RELATIVELY THICK WALL ZONE OF QUARTZ-MICROCLINE-BIOTITE AND MICROCLINE-QUARTZ CORE THAT IS TRANSECTED BY LARGE REPLACEMENT UNIT OF FLUORITE AND YTTROFLUORITE AND OTHER RAE. TWO QUARTZ SUBCORES MAPPED IN EXTENSION OF BODY TO NW. OTHER SMALL QUARTZ CORES ISOLATED IN GRANITE BETWEEN MAIN DEPOSITS. SMALLER PEGMATITE TO SE CONTAINS SIMILAR REPLACEMENT UNIT AND REPLACEMENT(?) AMETHYST.

Comment (Workings): TWO OPEN CUTS

Comment (Location): NEAR HEAD OF UNNAMED TRIBUTARY OF SPRING CREEK 1.9 MILES NNW OF LONG SCRAGGY PEAK ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :(1975)

References

Reference (Deposit): SIMMONS, W.B., AND HEINRICH, E.W., 1980, RARE-EARTH PEGMATITES OF THE SOUTH PLATTE DISTRICT, COLORADO: CGS RESOURCE SER. 11, 131 P.

Reference (Deposit): PETERSON, W.L., 1964, GEOLOGY OF THE PLATTE CANYON QUADRANGLE, COLORADO: USGS BULL. 1181-C, 23 P., 1 PL.

Colorado Mining Photos

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