Beginner's Luck Claim

The Beginner's Luck Claim is a uranium and vanadium mine located in Saguache county, Colorado at an elevation of 8,799 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: Beginner's Luck Claim

Commodity

Primary: Uranium
Primary: Vanadium

Location

State: Colorado
County: Saguache

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
Deposit Type: fracture filling
Operation Type: Surface
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 Arch, Sangre De Cristo Range, Rio Grande Rift

Type: L
Structure: localllized in thrust fault along east flank of Sangre de Cristo Range
Description: Sangre De Cristo Fault, Gibson Peak Syncline

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Name: Quartzite
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Late Ordovician

Name: Quartzite
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Late Ordovician

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: BACKGROUND RADIATION 0.04 MR/HR, RANGE TO 1.3 MR/HR, ORE GRADE 0.15% U308, 0.09% V205

Materials

Ore: Coffinite
Ore: Autunite
Ore: Uraninite

Comments

Comment (Location): ALONG WILD CHERRY CREEK ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1976

Comment (Production): IN 1955, NINE TONS ORE MINED AT 0.15% U308, 0.09% V205, YIELDING 26 LB U308 AND 16 LB V205

Comment (Deposit): ORE IN DISCONTINUOUS FRACTURES 1 TO 5 FT LONG, SEVERAL INCHES THICK, TRENDING N 41 W, 56 SW.

References

Reference (Deposit): NELSON-MOORE, J.L., COLLINS, D.B., AND HORNBAKER, A.L., 1978, RAIOACTIVE MINERAL OCCURRENCES OF COLORADO AND BIBLIOGRAPHY: CGS BULL, 40, P. 388

Colorado Mining Photos

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