dwellaz
Newbie
New to prospecting, but I'm an avid hiker, so I geared up to make the hikes more interesting. I've been scouting Superior AZ and surrounding vicinity to spot good places for metal detecting, rock hounding and gold panning. I bought the Garrett ACE 350 and it should be in before Thanksgiving (2013). I'm pretty sure these old mining towns have been scanned pretty well, but that won't stop me.
Hoping folks on these forums also rockhound in AZ. I've found boatloads of Apache Tears (Obsidian) off Perlite rd in Superior. You'll need high clearance 4x4 to get to the parking site, or you can park at the campsite area and hike in. Also rose chalcedony in the same area. I've been eye-ing the Magma Mine tailings, but if anyone has been out to Oak Flats, they will know that getting to the tailings will probably take 2 hours to get one-quarter mile. The terrain is super rugged and challenging - in fact, this is the site for some international rock climbers competitions if that tells you how rugged. I just want to be sure there is something to find if I hike to those tailings. I'm hoping for minerals associated with Copper - bornite, azurite, malachite, etc. Just kicking around the trails there, I've found crystals and distressed copper.
As for Gold Panning. I read that Picket Post Mountain had gold placer evidence from 1930s til the war. Yesterday, I scouted it out and it looks promising since it was raining and I could follow how the rain came off the mountain. There is tons of quartz at this site. I've never seen so many large chunks of it - so much so that the landscape looked white in places.
Also very interested in abandoned mines around the Phoenix area for rock hounding and mineral picking. If anyone has any locations they want to share, that would be awesome. I have a 4x4 toyota and can get to some pretty back country places.
Hoping folks on these forums also rockhound in AZ. I've found boatloads of Apache Tears (Obsidian) off Perlite rd in Superior. You'll need high clearance 4x4 to get to the parking site, or you can park at the campsite area and hike in. Also rose chalcedony in the same area. I've been eye-ing the Magma Mine tailings, but if anyone has been out to Oak Flats, they will know that getting to the tailings will probably take 2 hours to get one-quarter mile. The terrain is super rugged and challenging - in fact, this is the site for some international rock climbers competitions if that tells you how rugged. I just want to be sure there is something to find if I hike to those tailings. I'm hoping for minerals associated with Copper - bornite, azurite, malachite, etc. Just kicking around the trails there, I've found crystals and distressed copper.
As for Gold Panning. I read that Picket Post Mountain had gold placer evidence from 1930s til the war. Yesterday, I scouted it out and it looks promising since it was raining and I could follow how the rain came off the mountain. There is tons of quartz at this site. I've never seen so many large chunks of it - so much so that the landscape looked white in places.
Also very interested in abandoned mines around the Phoenix area for rock hounding and mineral picking. If anyone has any locations they want to share, that would be awesome. I have a 4x4 toyota and can get to some pretty back country places.
