Old Radio Tech
Jr. Member
Mica Peak. Access is from the south. Take hwy 24 to Freeman, left on Elder Rd, Left on Starr Rd. After turning onto Starr rd, stop and look for a Ponderosa on the left side of the mountain about ¼ way up, that stands much taller than the rest of the tree’s (it was there in 1977-1979). That’s your first stop. Using Google Earth, my best guess to this location is lat 47deg 32’ 9.51” long 117deg 04’ 52.64”, or lat 47deg 32’ 33.92” long 117deg 05’ 8.49”. To the left of the tree as you face up the mountain is an old logging road. Follow it uphill looking at the road cut on your right. Decomposed golden granite with 6=12” long darker green crystals, ½-3/4” wide. Crystals are stand alone, not in clumps, space a few inches apart. Octagonal? , like squashed stop signs. The crystals were easily removed from the granite but crumbled as they were removed. Not sure how far you’ll need to dig before you get to some hard rock.
Next stop top of the mountain. As you round the last corner bearing right look for a logging road to your left that hugs the ridge. Look for Schist outcrops with large garnets in it. Continue west for good Huckleberries in season. Also reported on top of the mountain is smoky quartz, but I never found any. If you go past the main building of the Radar site, past the radio building (look for the tower), and continue east along the top ridge to an open area as the slope begins to drop, I found a nice 3” arrowhead on the ground there. Off the northwest side of the mountain in an area that had been logged and was just clear or small brush, maybe 200’ down from the top, I found an unusual piece of float. Maybe 16”, no sign of wear, very rough. Mostly white (looked like grainy quartz, no fractures) with many cavities, filled with brown and rusty colored powdery material, small clear and brownish crystals. I think this mountain has many rock/gem finds for the serious hunter.
Lastly, on one of my wanderings I found a dead stand that had lost all of it’s branches, just the trunk remained. About 15’ up from the ground were gouges in the trunk at 10pm and 2 am if 12 is where I’m facing. The gouges were 16-18” long and 10-12” wide. I did some research and I think they were Grizzly bear markings. Grizzlies haven’t been in this area for many years. An old sign of the past.
Next stop top of the mountain. As you round the last corner bearing right look for a logging road to your left that hugs the ridge. Look for Schist outcrops with large garnets in it. Continue west for good Huckleberries in season. Also reported on top of the mountain is smoky quartz, but I never found any. If you go past the main building of the Radar site, past the radio building (look for the tower), and continue east along the top ridge to an open area as the slope begins to drop, I found a nice 3” arrowhead on the ground there. Off the northwest side of the mountain in an area that had been logged and was just clear or small brush, maybe 200’ down from the top, I found an unusual piece of float. Maybe 16”, no sign of wear, very rough. Mostly white (looked like grainy quartz, no fractures) with many cavities, filled with brown and rusty colored powdery material, small clear and brownish crystals. I think this mountain has many rock/gem finds for the serious hunter.
Lastly, on one of my wanderings I found a dead stand that had lost all of it’s branches, just the trunk remained. About 15’ up from the ground were gouges in the trunk at 10pm and 2 am if 12 is where I’m facing. The gouges were 16-18” long and 10-12” wide. I did some research and I think they were Grizzly bear markings. Grizzlies haven’t been in this area for many years. An old sign of the past.
