Crystal Mountain Pegmatite District

The Crystal Mountain Pegmatite District is a feldspar, mica, beryllium, and uranium mine located in Larimer county, Colorado at an elevation of 8,199 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: Crystal Mountain Pegmatite District
Secondary: Storm Mountain District

Commodity

Primary: Feldspar
Primary: Mica
Primary: Beryllium
Primary: Uranium
Secondary: Niobium (Columbium)
Secondary: Tantalum
Secondary: Gemstone
Secondary: Manganese
Tertiary: Lithium
Tertiary: REE
Tertiary: Bismuth

Location

State: Colorado
County: Larimer
District: Crystal Mountain (Storm Mountain) 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

Not available

Ownership

Not available

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: District
Operation Category: Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1884
Year Last Production: 1971
Discovery Year: 1884
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: LENTICULAR, TABULAR, IRREGULAR

Structure

Type: R
Description: Front Range Uplift

Type: L
Description: Thompson Canyon Fault, Mt Olympus Batholith, Ne-Trending Folds

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Albite And Sericite Replacement Of Spodumene; Tourmalinization Of Schistose Wallrock; Silicification Of Tonalite Wallrock; Fe Oxidation

Rocks

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

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

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Uraninite
Ore: Tourmaline
Ore: Microcline
Ore: Chrysoberyl
Ore: Beryl
Ore: Muscovite
Gangue: Purpurite
Gangue: Magnetite
Gangue: Apatite
Gangue: Bertrandite
Gangue: Hematite
Gangue: Sericite
Gangue: Albite
Gangue: Limonite
Gangue: Torbernite
Gangue: Bismutite
Gangue: Triphylite
Gangue: Spodumene
Gangue: Cleavelandite
Gangue: Fluorite
Gangue: Sillimanite
Gangue: Amblygonite
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Monazite

Comments

Comment (Deposit): DETAILED RECORDS PREPARED FOR MINES THAT PRODUCED BE AND FOR PRINCIPAL BE PROSPECTS (WHERE LOCATABLE): BERYL DIKE, BERYL NO. 3, BERYL NO. 5, BIG BOULDER, BUCKHORN MICA, CALYPSO BERYL, CORRAL POLE, CRYSTAL SILICA, CRYSTAL SNOW, DEBBIE DOLL, DOUBLE OPENING, GIANT CRYSTAL, GREEN CRYSTAL, HANKS HOLE, H G & S NO. 3, HIDE ABOVE, HILLTOP NO. 23, HUCKLEBERRY, HUMPHREY BERYL, HYATT RANCH, JAY DEE DEE, KINGS CANYON, LEWIS BERYL, LODGE POLE, MICA-BERYL, MICA DIKE, MT ETHEL, PAN, PRIMROSE BERYL, RITA BERYL, SILICA BERYL, TANTALUM, WISDOM RANCH. RECORD ALSO PREPARED FOR PRINCIPAL U PROPERTY, EUREKA GROUP. OTHER PROPERTIES CONTAINING AND/OR PRODUCING BE BUT UNLOCATABLE INCLUDE DONNELL, LOOKOUT BERYL, NEW HOPE, LIVINGSTON, RADIAL BERYL, PLAINS VIEW, WHITE ROCK, IBEX, AND SHEEP CREEK. OTHER RECORDED PRODUCING PROPERTY FOR WHICH LOCATION IS HIGHLY INDEFINITE IS LANGSTON MINE. ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT; 2 UNPUB REPT

Comment (Deposit): MAJORITY OF PEGMATITES IN DISTRICT ARE CLASSIFIED HOMOGENEOUS, CONSISTING MOSTLY OF PERTHITE, PLAGIOCLASE, QUARTZ, AND MUSCOVITE OF RELATIVE UNIFORM TEXTURE AND DISSEMINATION; OTHERS SHOW SOME INCREASE IN GRAIN SIZE AND FORMATION OF CLOTS OR PODS TOWARD CENTER. THIS IS OTHER END MEMBER OF CONTINUOUS SERIES FROM WELL-ZONED PEGMATITES. ZONED PEGMATITES CONSIST OF 1) BORDER ZONE OF FINE-GRAINED QUARTZ AND MUSCOVITE WITH SOME PLAGIOCLASE, ONLY SEVERAL INCHES THICK; SHARP, DISTINCT CONTACT WITH SCHIST WALLROCK, IRREGULAR GRADATIONAL CONTACT WITH TONALITE WALLROCK; PREFERRED ORIENTATION OF MUSCOVITE AND QUARTZ NORMAL TO WALL; 2) WALL ZONE OF FELDSPAR WITH SUBORDINATE QUARTZ, MINOR MUSCOVITE, ACCESSORY BERYL, GARNET, AND TOURMALINE; MEDIUM- TO FINE-GRAINED, RANDOMLY ORIENTED CRYSTALS, WITH SOME ORIENTATION OF ELONGATE MINERALS NORMAL TO WALLS; 3) INTERMEDIATE ZONE OF PERTHITE OR PERTHITE-QUARTZ PEGMATITE, OCCASIONALLY SUBDIVISIBLE, OCCASIONALLY DISCONTINUOUS, WITH PROMINENT SEGREGATIONS OF

Comment (Deposit): OTHERMINERALS; SOME TENDENCY FOR CONCENTRATION IN UPPER PART AS DOME OR HOOD, AND NOTICEABLE VERTICAL AND LATERAL TELESCOPING; 4) CORE OF COARSE-GRAINED QUARTZ, PERTHITE, OR QUARTZ-PERTHITE AS ELONGATE OR OVOID LENSES OR SERIES OF DISCONNECTED SEGMENTS. BERYL, GARNET, TOURMALINE, AND RARE MINERALS USUALLY CONCENTRATED IN IRREGULAR, COARSE-GRAINED, SEGREGATIONS OR MASSES (KNOWN AS SHOOTS, STREAKS, OR POCKETS) SEPARATED BY RELATIVELY BARREN ROCK. BASIC MINERALOGIC TYPES OF PEGMATITES INCLUDE 1) FELDSPAR-RICH PEGMATITE, SUBDIVIDED INTO PLAGIOCLASE-PERTHITE-QUARTZ TYPE AND PERTHITE-PLAGIOCLASE-QUARTZ TYPE (FURTHER SUBDIVIDED INTO THREE TYPES ON BASIS OF PERTHITE-PLAGIOCLASE RATIO); 2) QUARTZ-RICH PEGMATITE; AND 3) TOURMALINE-RICH PEGMATITE (GT 5 %).

Comment (Location): IN CRYSTAL MOUNTAIN AND STORM MOUNTAIN AREAS ALONG UPPER REACHES OF BUCKHORN CREEK AND ITS TRIBUTARIES (CASCADE CREEK, LAKEY CANYON, STOVE PRAIRIE CREEK, SHEEP CREEK, FISH CREEK, BEAR GULCH). OUTLYING DEPOSITS LIE ALONG CACHE LA POUDRE RIVER DRAINAGE (YOUNG GULCH) AND IN BIG THOMPSON RIVER DRAINAGE (BOBCAT GULCH, NORTH FORK). DISTRICT ACCESSIBLE FROM COLORADO 14 UP CACHE LA POUDRE RIVER AND ON CRYSTAL MOUNTAIN ROAD, OLD BALLARD ROAD, POLE HILL ROAD, STOVE PRAIRIE ROAD, RIST CANYON ROAD, AND VIA U.S. 34 UP BIG THOMPSON RIVER THRU DRAKE AND ON STORM MOUNTAIN TRAIL. DISTRICT EXTENDS ONTO POUDRE PARK, BUCKHORN MOUNTAIN, GLEN HAVEN, AND DRAKE QUADS. OUTLYING MINE LIES IN SEC. 08, T5N, R71W. ELEV GIVEN IS FOR DISTRICT'S OLDEST MINE, BUCKHORN; LAT-LONG GIVEN IS FOR CRYSTAL MOUNTAIN (S2 SEC. 26, T7N, R72W). ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :(1980)

Comment (Development): FIRST DISCOVERY WAS AT BUCKHORN MINE IN 1884. CRYSTAL SILICA MINE ALSO PROBABLY OPENED BEFORE 1900. OTHER MAJOR MINES OPENED IN 1930S FOLLOWING DISCOVERY OF BERYL IN PEGMATITES IN 1934. FROM 1942 TO 1950, USGS INVESTIGATED BE, TA, MIC, AND LI IN NUMEROUS PEGMATITE DISTRICTS, INCLUDING CRYSTAL MOUNTAIN AT HYATT RANCH, BUCKHORN, AND OTHERS (HANLEY AND OTHERS, 1950). USBM DID ADDITIONAL DRILLING FOR BE RESERVES AT HYATT RANCH IN 1950. OTHER SMALL BE AND MIC PROPERTIES OPENED AND PRODUCED IN 1950S TO 1963. LAST REPORTED PRODUCTION WAS 1971 AT CORRAL POLE. PROBABLY SOME SPORADIC MINERAL AND SPECIMEN COLLECTING CONTINUES.

Comment (Workings): MOST WORKINGS ARE S ALL OPEN PITS, TRENCHES, AND HILLSIDE CUTS. MINOR UNDERGROUND WORKINGS CONSIST OF SHORT SHAFTS (UP TO 50 FT DEEP) AND DRIFTS.

References

Reference (Deposit): THURSTON, W.R., 1955, PEGMATITES OF THE CRYSTAL MOUNTAIN DISTRICT, LARIMER COUNTY, COLORADO: USGS BULL. 1011, 185 P., 13 PLS.

Reference (Deposit): HANLEY, J.B., AND OTHERS, 1950, PEGMATITE INVESTIGATIONS IN COLORADO, WYOMING, AND UTAH, 1942-1944: USGS PROF. PAPER 227, P. 87-104.

Reference (Deposit): MEEVES, H.C., AND OTHERS, 1966, RECONNAISSANCE OF BERYLLIUM-BEARING PEGMATITE DEPOSITS IN SIX WESTERN STATES: USBM IC-8298, P. 13, 29-31.

Reference (Deposit): BRADDOCK, W.A., AND OTHERS, 1970, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE DRAKE QUADRANGLE, LARIMER COUNTY, COLORADO: USGS MAP GQ-829. & &

Reference (Deposit): GILKEY, M.M., 1960, HYATT RANCH PEGMATITE, LARIMER COUNTY, COLO.: USBM RI-5643, 18 P. & &

Reference (Deposit): NELSON-MOORE, J.L., AND OTHERS, 1978, RADIOACTIVE MINERAL OCCURRENCES OF COLORADO AND BIBLIOGRAPHY: CGS BULL. 40, P. 208-211. & &

Reference (Deposit): STERRETT, D.B., 1923, MICA DEPOSITS OF THE UNITED STATES: USGS BULL. 740, P. 59-61. & &

Reference (Deposit): COLORADO DIV. MINES INSPECTORS REPTS. AND ANNUAL OPERATORS REPTS.

Colorado Mining Photos

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