Mt. Hope Mine

The Mt. Hope Mine is a gold, silver, and copper mine located in Pitkin county, Colorado at an elevation of 11,529 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: Mt. Hope Mine
Secondary: Claims:Mount Hope, MS 1881a
Secondary: Mount Hope Mill Site, MS 1881b
Secondary: Golden Champion, MS 1882a
Secondary: Golden Champion Mill Site, MS 1882b

Commodity

Primary: Gold
Primary: Silver
Primary: Copper

Location

State: Colorado
County: Pitkin
District: Independence 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
Deposit Type: Vein
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1879
Discovery Year: 1879
Discovery Method: Ore-Mineral Not 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

Not available

Structure

Type: R
Description: Sawatch Uplift, Central Colorado Trough, Arkansas Valley Graben, Twin Lakes Batholith

Type: L
Description: Grizzly Peak Cauldron, Mt Elbert Volcanotectonic Depression, Lincoln Gulch Stock

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

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

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

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

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: LUDINGTON AND ELLIS'ANALYSES OF 23 SAMPLES ALONG 285 FT OF VEIN TREND CONTAINED 0 TO 1.57 OZ/TON AU AND 0 TO 3.12 OZ/TON AG, WITH WEIGHTED AVERAGE OF 0.214 OZ/TON AU AND 0.592 OZ/TON AG.

Materials

Ore: Pyrite
Ore: Gold
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Silver
Gangue: Quartz

Comments

Comment (Commodity): CRUSON'S ANALYSES OF DUMP SAMPLES SHOWED ANOMALOUS W, BI, B, CO, AND NB

Comment (Reserve-Resource): LUDINGTON AND ELLIS, 1981

Comment (Location): SOUTH OF ROARING FORK RIVER 1.3 MILES NW OF INDEPENDENCE TOWNSITE. LOWER MINE PROPERTY ALSO EXTENDS ONTO INDEPENDENCE PASS QUAD. PROPERTY MAY EVENTUALLY HAVE INCLUDED OTHER ADJACENT CLAIMS. ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :(1977)

Comment (Development): AS VEIN WAS COMPLETELY MASKED BY SLOPE WASH, DISCOVERY WAS SAID TO HAVE BEEN DUE TO ORE FRAGMENTS FOUND ENTANGLED IN ROOTS OF OVERTURNED PINE TREE.

Comment (Deposit): ACCORDING TO ROHLFING, VEIN TRENDS N 80 W, 35 TO 40 SW AND VARIES FROM 1 TO 6 FT WIDE, AVERAGING 2.5 FT. HANGING WALL AND FOOTWALL ARE SMOOTH AND WELL MARKED, SIMILAR TO INDEPENDENCE VEIN. CRUSON'S MAP SHOWS LINEAMENTS NORTH OF MINE TRENDING APPROX N 55 E, WHICH CLOSER APPROXIMATES TREND OF NW CAULDRON MARGIN. HOWEVER, SMALL BRANCH FAULT INSIDE CAULDRON RIM JUST SOUTH OF MINE TRENDS N 80 TO 85 W.

Comment (Workings): THREE TUNNELS; SHAFT; INCLINE. DEEPEST DEVELOPMENT ON ORE IS NO. 2 TUNNEL.

References

Reference (Deposit): HOWELL, J.V., 1919, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF THE TWIN LAKES DISTRICT OF COLORADO: CGS BULL. 17, 106 P.

Reference (Deposit): LUDINGTON, STEVE, AND ELLIS, C.E., 1981, MINERAL RESOURCE POTENTIAL OF THE HUNTER-FRYINGPAN WILDERNESS AND THE PORPHYRY MOUNTAIN WILDERNESS STUDY AREA, PITKIN COUNTY, COLORADO: USGS MAP MF-1236-D. &&

Reference (Deposit): LUDINGTON, STEVE, AND YEOMAN, R.A., 1980, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE HUNTER-FRYINGPAN WILDERNESS AREA AND THE PORPHYRY MOUNTAIN WILDERNESS STUDY AREA, PITKIN COUNTY, COLORADO: USGS MAP MF-1236-A.

Reference (Deposit): CRUSON, M.G., 1973, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF THE GRIZZLY PEAK CAULDRON COMPLEX, SAWATCH RANGE, COLORADO: COLORADO SCHOOL MINES PH.D. THESIS T-1538.

Reference (Deposit): ROHLFING, D.P., 193? REPORT ON THE INDEPENDENCE GOLD PROPERTY, PITKIN COUNTY, COLORADO: COLORADO STATE PLANNING COMM. UNPUB. REPT., 7 P.

Colorado Mining Photos

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