Big Creek Apex Mine

The Big Creek Apex Mine is a silver mine located in Shoshone county, Idaho at an elevation of 2,648 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

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Site Name

Primary: Big Creek Apex Mine
Secondary: Big Creek Mine
Secondary: Crane

Commodity

Primary: Silver
Secondary: Lead
Secondary: Antimony
Secondary: Copper

Location

State: Idaho
County: Shoshone
District: Coeur D'Alene District (Yreka)

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: Big Creek Apex Mining Co.; Sunshine Con. Inc. ( 70 % )

Owner Name: Sunshine Mining Co.

Production

Year: 1968
Material type: ORE
Description: Ap_Grade: ^30.21 Oz Ag/Ton

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Producer
Deposit Type: Vein
Operation Type: Unknown
Discovery Method: Unknown
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S

Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Rocky Mountain System
Physiographic Province: Northern Rocky Mountains
Physiographic Detail: Coeur D'Alene Mountains

Mineral Deposit Model

Not available

Orebody

Form: BUNCHES

Structure

Type: R
Description: Silver Syndicate Fault On Length Of Property

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Name: Quartzite
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Neoproterozoic

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: 30 - 32 % CU AND FROM 1200 - 1400 OZ. AG IN SOME ASSAYS (1923)

Materials

Ore: Galena
Ore: Tetrahedrite
Ore: Chalcocite
Ore: Argentite
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Siderite

Comments

Comment (Reserve-Resource): H1 INCLUDES SNOWSTORM AND APEX AREAS OF BIG CREEK APEX MIN. CO. IN 1971 . H2 RESERVES AT END OF 1969 OF WHICH BIG CREEK'S SHARE WAS 8145 TONS, AND THIS WAS ABOVE THE 4000 FT LEVEL. H3 REFERS TO RESERVES WITHIN THE FIRST 100 FT BELOW THE 4000 FT LEVEL. RESERVES AT THE END OF 1968 . WERE 22000 TONS ABOVE THE 4000 FT LEVEL OF WHICH BIG CREEK'S PORTION WAS 9250 TONS. H4 REFERS TO 1967 RESERVES IN APEX AREA. H5 REFERS TO 1966 RESERVES IN APEX AREA. H6 REFERS TO BIG CREEK'S SHARE OF 1974 RESERVES, FROM A TOTAL OF 68770 TONS, AS COMPARED TO A SHARE OF 12665 TONS FROM 30880 TONS IN THE SNOWSTORM AND APEX AREAS AT END OF 1973. AT END OF 1974 , RESERVES IN APEX - SNOWSTORM AREA WERE 69,750 TONS.

Comment (Commodity): ASSAY FROM 1 CORE: 171 OZ AG / TON OVER 2 FT AND ANOTHER 83 OZ AG / TON OVER 1.5 FT.

Comment (Location): W OF BIG CREEK. ADJOINS SUNSHINE MIN. PROPERTY ON THE E, AND CRESCENT ON N AND W

Comment (Production): PRODUCTION FROM SNOWSTORM AND APEX AREAS IN D1 , D2 , D4 . 1968 PRODUCTION ( D5 ) GAVE 93 % OF THE INCOME WITH SOME CU, PB, AND SB. 1973 ORE ( D2 ) GAVE 36,503 OZ AG, 13,222 LBS. CU, AND 8,731 LBS SB. { 950 TONS ORE FROM SNOWSTORM AREA AVERAGED $ 102 / TON IN AG GAVE APEX $ 47000 RETURN IN LAST HALF OF 1973 . { 1972 PRODUCTION GAVE 25,754 OZ AG, 7,886 LBS CU, AND 1896 LBS. SB. { APEX'S SHARE OF 1970 PRODUCTION (FROM SUNSHINE?) GAVE 89,500 OZ. AG, 22700 LBS CU, AND 14000 LBS SB, AVERAGING 54 OZ AG / TON.

Comment (Development): 7 PATENTED CLAIMS. PROPERTY IS 675 FT. WIDE AND 2950 FT. LONG. DIAMOND DRILLING TO 4600 FT.

Comment (Deposit): BIG CREEK APEX RECEIVES 50 % INCOME FROM APEX AREA AND 37.5 % OF INCOME FROM SNOWSTORM AREA. SUNSHINE CONSOLIDATED OWNS 70 % OF BIG CREEK APEX MIN. CO. THE EASTERN 250 FT OF BIG CREEK APEX PROPERTY IS THE "SNOWSTORM AREA" AND THE REMAINING 2700 FT IS KNOWN AS THE "APEX AREA".

References

Reference (Deposit): FRYKLUND, V. C., JR., 1964 , ORE DEPOSITS OF THE COEUR D'ALENE DISTRICT, SHOSHONE COUNTY, IDAHO: USGS PROF. PAPER 445 , 103 P.

Reference (Deposit): SPOKANE CHRONICLE, MAY 14 , 1974; APR 5 , 1974 ; MAR. 21 , 1973 ; MAR. 21 , 1972 ; MAR. 5 , 1975 .

Reference (Deposit): WESTERN MINING NEWS, 1974 , DIRECTORY OF MINES, IDAHO (COEUR D'ALENES) AND WASHINGTON, 1974 - 1975 : SPOKANE, WESTERN MINING NEWS, 163 P.

Reference (Deposit): UMPLEBY, J. B., AND JONES, E. L., JR., 1923 , GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF SHOSHONE COUNTY, ID.: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULL. 732 , 156 P.

Reference (Deposit): 5) SPOKESMAN REVIEW, APRIL 9 , 1967 .

Reference (Deposit): 6) HOBBS, S. W., AND OTHERS, 1965 , GEOLOGY OF THE COEUR D'ALENE DISTRICT, SHOSHONE COUNTY, IDAHO: USGS PROF. PAPER 478 , 139 P.

Reference (Deposit): 1923 GEOLMAP UMPLEBY AND JONES, BULL. 732

Reference (Deposit): 1964 OTHER V. C. FRYKLUND, PROF. PAPER 445

Reference (Deposit): 1965 GEOLMAP S. W. HOBBS AND OTHERS, PROF. PAPER 478

Reference (Production): WESTERN MIN. NEWS, 1974 - 1975 DIRECTORY OF MINES. { SPOKANE CHRONICLE, MAR. 19 , 1970 ; MAR. 21 , 1969 , FEB. 1 , 1968 ; SPOKANE CHRONICLE, MAR. 14 , 1967 , MAR. 31 , 1967 ; APR 21 , 1975

Idaho Gold

"Where to Find Gold in Idaho" 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 Idaho. Read more: Where to Find Gold in Idaho.