Mining New Mexico: Mica Mines and the Pottery that Glitters Like Gold, Part One

Alas, our time in the Land of Enchantment amounted to little more than an extended vacation; a month in Corrales and two more in Santa Fe before the lure of better work prospects drew us further west to Oakland, California. There is so much to see and do in New Mexico; we managed to get in several little adventures during our stay, but the possibilities for further exploration seem truly limitless there, if one's time allows. One brisk morning we headed north out of Santa Fe, Taos bound, to see what the day might bring.

We passed under a few highway overpasses embellished with images that reflect aspects of the local Pueblo culture:







and spied a monumental lithic dromedary (Camel rock!) gazing out over the expansive landscape:



We spent a few hours poking around Taos before heading north on U.S. 64 out of town towards the Rio Grande Gorge. Now that was a sight for which I had been totally unprepared. Having never visited the Grand Canyon, I can't compare the two, but as we approached the bridge that spans that gorge I could hardly believe my eyes. We parked and walked halfway across the bridge, where the view over that vast gorge was positively breathtaking! I had never heard anything about this place before, but I felt certain that what I was seeing must surely have been every bit as awe-inspiring as the Grand Canyon!



Eventually we made our way back to the car and, consulting our guide book, found that we were a reasonable distance from the town of Ojo Caliente, home of the famous hot mineral springs! Reckoning that a goodly hot soaking might be a fine way to conclude the day, we adjusted our course towards Ojo, and were there well before sundown.



The hot springs themselves were not quite the rustic, backcountry pools I had envisioned; a rather posh resort-like environment now envelopes the 4 original mineral pools, and an admission fee must be surrendered to gain access. As it turns out, admission is slightly discounted after 6 pm, so we decided to explore the area a bit until that time. A map available in the lobby indicates that hiking trails extend for several miles out behind the resort, leading to the ruins of a Tewa Indian pueblo on the mesa above the resort, and also to a few abandoned mica mines further out. The main path leading up to the lobby entrance continues out towards the trails:



The ruins above Ojo Caliente, called Posi Ouinge, are the remains of a thriving community inhabited by the Tewa people between around 1300 to early 1500 a.d.



People have been attracted to the healing waters of the hot springs for thousands of years; while the Tewa are believed to have relocated to other areas after a period of illness reduced their population, the Spanish took up residence in the area shortly thereafter.

To the untrained eye, there is little left to indicate that a city once stood here; time and erosion have erased most traces of walls and plazas. Look down, however, and the signs of human habitation are scattered everywhere in the form of broken bits of pottery.



Some pieces are colored, some bear remnants of vivid geometric designs, some are inscribed with neat rows of lines, and others are dull black, but glisten curiously in the sunlight. One of these latter pieces glistened so brightly I thought surely I had spotted a nugget of gold! Closer inspection revealed that tiny flecks of what appeared to be mica embedded in the fire-blackened clay of a pottery sherd were responsible for that golden flash.



Knowing that some old mica mines lay further out, I wondered if mica from the area had been worked into the clay for either decorative or utilitarian purposes. I took a few photos of the potsherds and then we hiked our way out towards the mica mines.

The mines weren't difficult to spot. We knew well in advance that we were on the right track, as the ground became increasingly sparkly with flakes of mica as we approached the shallow caves.









As we were walking towards the caves, eyes trained on the ground, my heart would skip a beat every time I spotted a chunk of mica larger than a quarter. Little did I know that the mines would yield massive sheets of mica the size of which I had never before seen.

Yes, I am putting those in my backpack; while collecting pottery sherds is strictly forbidden, I believe it is ok to collect some samples of the mica.

Thin, transparent sheets can be peeled off of the "books" of mica. Once, on a tour of Acoma Pueblo, I recall learning that the adobe-walled pueblos were fitted with windows created using sheets of mica; I had a hard time picturing it, since I had only ever seen little flakes of mica. The sheets we found could easily be trimmed into neat squares and secured in wooded frames, making perfectly serviceable windows!



Perhaps the pueblo people used sticky Piñon resin to seal up their mica windows? I couldn't help but stop to scoop up the fragrant resin that oozed from the many dead Piñon pine trees in the area, victims of the 2002- 2003 drought and heat wave that took quite a toll on New Mexico's Piñon population.





As the sun sank below the horizon, we realized that 6pm was nearly upon us; we hastily loaded up my mica and Piñon resin and made our way back down the trail towards the hot springs. The evening was cold and clear by the time we arrived; steam rolled off of the surface of the various mineral-rich springs as burning Piñon fires perfumed the air. My muscles ached from carrying back the heavy burden of mica samples I had collected, and it felt just grand to lay back in the hot water and look up at the steep wall of the mesa upon which the old Tewa village once stood; stars twinkling above. I felt privileged to have the opportunity to soak away my aches and pains as countless generations before me had done; I hope you have the opportunity to explore Ojo Caliente someday too!

A few days after visiting Ojo Caliente, a curious coincidence revealed all sorts exciting information about the glittery, mica-enriched pottery pieces I had noticed at the Posi Ouinge ruins. It turns out that "micaceous pottery" is well-known to archaeologists and aficionados of indigenous pottery, and soon I would find myself back on the road towards Ojo to meet up with a fellow who is well-known for transforming the local mica-rich clay into beautiful (and useable!) pieces of pottery! I hope you will check back soon for part two of the "Mica Mines and the Pottery that Glitters Like Gold" story!!!

FinderMaker West Coast Edition, Volume One!

Happy end of the year tidings! I still have one more "Mining New Mexico" post in the works, but thought I might just do a brief post to let folks know that FinderMaker & Co. are now relocated to the West Coast and very much looking forward to a prosperous and fulfilling new year in the San Francisco Bay area! It has been a rather trying voyage, and it actually isn't quite over yet; on Wednesday I'll be traveling back to New Mexico to rent a truck and load up all of our stuff that is in storage in Santa Fe and drive it all out here.

I was recently looking at some photographs I took during some of my beach walks in Bristol, Rhode Island and started to feel nostalgic, wondering if my beachcombing days were mostly behind me. What a silly thing of me to fret over! A vigorous beach ramble may be enjoyed at a moments notice here!



Yesterday, feeling a little over-nourished from holiday treats, we set out in search of some activity that might get our blood pumping and, within an hour, found ourselves on a remote portion of Point Reyes National Seashore scrambling and sliding down muddy cliffs to the rocky beach below.



I immediately spotted a huge abalone shell awash in the surf and brought it ashore. There were lovely, smooth pieces of broken abalone shell all over, and although my back and bulging pockets eventually protested, one could hardly help but bend over to pick up those enchanting rainbow-hued sherds!



The day was misty and drizzly; plenty of water to keep this waterfall rushing!



The recent rough weather had washed all sorts of goodies ashore! I didn't find a whale vertebra (yet!) but I did find a couple of the biggest sea urchins I've ever come across...





I was also delighted to come across a little piece of "beach turquoise"... a Chiton shell.



Who would think this drab, armored mollusk would have such a colorful interior?



Thanks for joining me on the first of many future West Coast beach rambles! I hope you all enjoy a terrific New Year!!!

A Temple of Turquoise in Kingman, Arizona: Colbaugh Processing!

I have a new Mining New Mexico post in the works, but in the meantime I have one final turquoise-related discovery to add to my "Turquoise Trilogy"!

When I relocated to Santa Fe from Providence, I had hoped that the numerous museums and galleries in Santa Fe would provide ample work opportunities in my field of museum art handling and exhibit installation. Alas, the economy has not been kind to the arts in Santa Fe, and after three months in the city and no likely prospects for work, the difficult decision to move on west to the San Francisco Bay area was made. While I was sad to be leaving the "Land of Enchantment," I looked forward to making a few stops along the trip west, one of which, in Kingman, Arizona, was Colbaugh Processing Inc., the processing facility and retail shop for a renowned Arizona turquoise mining operation.

After a restful night in the sleepy Route 66 town of Seligman, AZ, we headed out early, bound for Kingman, about an hour west. The facility wasn't difficult to spot; the cheery little building was painted in hues that left no question as to the nature of their business: Turquoise!





I might have been content to poke around all morning in the parking lot, which was liberally peppered with colorful leftovers from mining and processing operations:



That's alot of turquoise!

Eventually I diverted my attention from the mineral-rich parking lot towards the door marked "Office," behind which a small world of wonder awaited:



Tables were crowded with bins of turquoise from Kingman as well as several other mines. Much like pearls and opals, turquoise, in its raw natural state, is susceptible to damage and discoloration by exposure to detergents, excessive sunlight, cosmetics, perfumes, and our skin's natural oils. Recognizing that many folks would like to maintain the color and integrity of their stones without, for instance, removing turquoise rings and bracelets every time they wash their hands, Colbaugh specializes in stones that have been stabilized, a process by which the turquoise is saturated with an epoxy resin that renders it nearly impervious to harm by the various factors mentioned above. Colbaugh stabilizes their turquoise on-site, and the retail shop offers everything from colorful chips literally swept off the workshop floor at the end of the day and sold by the pound, to massive, weighty hunks of turquoise, the size of which I had only ever seen in museums.



For the purist, bins of completely natural, unstabilized stones of every size are offered as well:



Below the tables are buckets brimming with even more turquoise:



The walls are laden with lush swags of turquoise beads in every shape and size imaginable:



In fact, every surface in the shop is crowded with colorful mineral wonders!



Need an exceptionally fine specimen to brighten up your curio cabinet? Done!



Inside the glass counter are samples of turquoise from around the world (I didn't notice any Cerrillos turquoise, but I might have just overlooked it!):



The friendly gal behind the counter went out of her way to answer my many questions and patiently weighed and priced each of the "prize specimens" I excavated from the bins of rough, natural turquoise. Priced at between $100 and $250 a pound, I expected that my generous selections might have been very expensive, but I picked out three nicely sized pieces for only $15.00 and treated myself to an additional 1/2 pound of the "floor sweepings" for only $7.50.



Colbaugh Processing leases the right to collect turquoise from an active local copper mining operation; copper is the element that imparts the blue hue to turquoise, and the two minerals are often found in tandem. I was giddy from my visit to Colbaugh Processing as we headed north out of Kingman towards the Hoover Dam and Las Vegas. My turquoise fever now very much reignited, my heart skipped a beat as I spied the mine site in the hills a few miles north of the shop:



There was no time to stop and explore, but opening up my brown paper bag of floor sweepings that evening at the hotel in Bakersfield was tantamount to the suspense and excitement of Christmas morning: I spent a blissful hour excitedly picking through my little pile of sweepings, marveling at the color and variety of tiny treasures therein. If ever you find yourself near Kingman, I promise you'll find a little chunk of heaven (or a bucket full, depending on your needs) at Colbaugh Processing!


My "floor sweepings." Not bad, eh?

Mining New Mexico: A Turquoise Trilogy in Old Cerrillos Part 3, Casa Grande Trading Post!

So, after having read my harrowing tale of a backcountry turquoise trek through the hardscrabble hills of Cerrillos, you've opted instead to undertake a relatively safe day-hike through the handsome and nicely maintained Cerrillos Hills State Park. Completing your ramble, you find that your legs ache pleasantly from the exertion and, listening intently, you can almost hear the sound of a phantom pickaxe ringing against stone, a distant echo from the days when the hills were bustling with hardworking miners, each one eager to find his fortune. Your heart pounded as you peered down into those seemingly endless vertical mineshafts from the safety of the sturdy observation deck but you realize, while making your way back to the car, that your medicine bag is still lacking a little piece of turquoise to remind you of your time in the Land of Enchantment; that your pocket isn't yet heavy with the blue-green stones you thought you might pick up along the trail. Your turquoise fever is still burning and it seems likely that a prompt ice-bath may be the only cure!!! The very cure, in truth, is well-marked on your drive out of the park; simply follow the prominent signs indicating the way towards the Casa Grande Trading Post!




The appearance of heavy antique mining equipment and majestic view of the Devil's Throne Cliff indicate your arrival at Todd and Patricia Brown's crown jewel of my Turquoise Trilogy, and the bona-fide treatment center for every known symptom of the turquoise fever!

photo courtesy Casa Grande Trading Post

Originally from Long Island, NY, Todd Brown has been rambling the hills of Cerrillos for decades now, inspired by the beauty and history of the area. In the early days I think a touch of turquoise fever must have kept him on the lookout for any hint of color among the long-abandoned mine sites, and as he describes it, one day he found what he was looking for:

Thirty-five years ago, I was walking in a New Mexico snowstorm and was taking the long way home around Grand Central Mountain in the Cerrillos Mining District. I came across a vein of brilliant green stone and decided to stop and work off some of the vein. I worked for 15 minutes and got about 2 lbs of rough turquoise, then covered it up and headed for home. 35 years later still dreaming of the green turquoise I had found that day, I decided to file for a mining claim with the Bureau of Land Management on that same spot.

Today, his mine, officially registered as the "Little Chalchihuitl", is perhaps the most actively worked mine in the area. With the help of family and friends, Todd continues to coax brilliant chunks of genuine Cerrillos turquoise, prized for its unique greenish hue (imparted by the iron content of the surrounding soil), from the rock walls of his claim.

Todd and Patricia at the "Little Chalchihuitl" photo courtesy Casa Grande Trading Post

Back at the Trading Post, Todd and Patricia choose the finest pieces to cut, polish and set in sterling silver; a wide range of their handiwork is available, from earrings and pendants to money clips and keychains, all set with that coveted natural Cerrillos turquoise!


photo courtesy Casa Grande Trading Post


If an uncut, unpolished pocket piece is more your style, you can dig for your treasure in one of several small boxes brimming with rough turquoise direct from the Little Chalchihuitl; prices are reasonable, ranging from six dollars for quarter-sized chunks, on up. I picked up two nice six dollar pieces, and a fine silver-dollar sized specimen from the eight dollar box, all richly colored and guaranteed to be completely natural: unstabilized with no color enhancements, just the way nature made it!

My purchases and signed certificate of authenticity.

Just as you finish picking out your turquoise pieces, either rough or set into finely-crafted jewelry, you take in a wider view of the shop and realize that your shopping adventure is far from over!



All around you are artifacts from the days of old, skulls and antlers, colorful mineral specimens (not just turquoise!) and all manner of handmade creations; of the latter category I noted lovely walking sticks crafted from lengths of Cholla cactus skeleton, decoratively painted hubcaps, locally produced pueblo pottery, plaques mounted with samples of old barbed wire, little pouches sewn from swatches of old pendleton blankets, turquoise-covered skulls, and so much more.



If artifacts are your thing, perhaps you'll be interested in Civil War-era bullets, antique bottles, old ceramic crucibles left over from ore-refining and smelting operations in the area, railroad tie date nails (to indicate when the track was laid) or actual old documents and checks pertaining to the daily transactions common to turn-of-the-century New Mexico businesses. Oh, and I know you'll love (carefully!) picking through the labeled boxes containing segments of authentic antique barbed-wire!





In addition to the Cerrillos turquoise, Todd has rounded out his offerings with abundant samples of turquoise from other mines as well, including the well-known clear blue turquoise from the Sleeping Beauty mine in Arizona:


(I want to go back for a bag of that turquoise powder!)

Sleeping Beauty is a large-scale commercial mine that does things a little differently from Todd. Where Todd may spend days or weeks carefully teasing a precious vein of color by hand out from the drab matrix stone around it, the folks at Sleeping Beauty literally blast away huge portions of mountainside and later sift through the rubble for pieces of turquoise. The following video is pretty interesting; a good example of turquoise mining on a large scale where the mineral is relatively abundant in the surrounding rock.




An abundance of other mineral specimens are offered in the Trading Post as well. Perhaps your collection is lacking a fine, colorful specimen of Peacock Chalcopyrite, New Mexico Garnet, or a jumbo, clear sheet of Mica? Can't make it down south to White Sands on this trip to New Mexico? Don't worry, Todd's got you covered!






I'm quite certain at this point you will have settled into the cheerful and charming atmosphere of Casa Grande sufficiently that you'll begin to think "Wow! I could just live in this place!" In fact, Todd and his wife do; they built the 28 room adobe casa by hand and raised their six kids there as well, one of whom very kindly tolerated my awe-struck bumbling around the shop photographing everything in sight on the afternoon of my visit! Once you've taken in all there is to see (is that even possible?) in the shop portion of the Casa Grande, be sure to request admission to the mining museum; at two dollars a person, you are virtually guaranteed at least another hour or two of visual and educational delights!

Your host, Todd Brown, welcomes you! photo courtesy Casa Grande Trading Post.

Step through the gate and walk back in time!

photo courtesy Casa Grande Trading Post


See photos of a younger, bearded, ponytailed Todd scouring the hills for what would eventually be known as Little Chalchihuitl! Pore over maps indicating the locations of mine sites and peruse articles on the history of the area! See a real vein of Cerrillos turquoise just as it is found in the rock!



A long glass display case houses collections of pottery and artifacts dating from the time when indigenous people worked Mt Chalchihuitl for the precious blue stone:





Another case is full of colorful mineral specimens and samples of turquoise from many different mines:



Cross the room and learn about the connection between Tiffany's department store and a Cerrillos turquoise mine!

This display features a cloth bag and tins of genuine old nuggets from the American Turquoise Company mine, which sold almost all of its robins egg blue stones to the world-famous Tiffany department store in NY after their chief gemologist, George F. Kunz, declared certain shades of turquoise (not coincidentally, the specific and well-known shade of blue unique to Tiffany gift boxes, aka "Tiffany Blue") to be gem-quality stones worthy of inclusion in the finest jewelry.

The Mine's chief operator, James P. McNulty, who mined much of the turquoise himself, shipped cigar boxes packed with the precious stones back east where they were worked into chic pieces of Tiffany jewelry.

Afternoon sunlight streams through the colorful glass insulators that line the windows, administering a healthy dose of light and color therapy quite certain to boost your spirits even further in this bright, happy place!





Old artifacts from mining operations around Cerrillos abound:



Many pieces of equipment are labeled and explained, though Todd welcomes further inquiries if you'd like to know more. He has crafted some wonderful displays depicting the earliest Native miners in the hills:


Note the notched logs that were dropped into the shafts and used as stairways between the levels.

This old timer seems to have had his fill of turquoise and is trying his luck with gold!



An old ore cart piled high with antlers shed in the hills by the resident mule deer population:



Don't forget to look up! An old, exquisitely beaded glove is among the many treasures hanging from the rafters!



I was delighted to see this old shelf mushroom with images of Mount Rainier painted on it (not exactly local, but thats ok!). I should probably post this picture on my Mushroom Shelf Tutorial page!



Now, lest you fear I've herein revealed all of the most remarkable points of interest throughout the trading post and museum, fear not! The wonders that await you at Todd and Patricia Brown's Casa Grande Trading Post and Mining Museum are sufficient to fill volumes; my photographs and brief descriptions barely scratch the surface of what you will find there in old Cerrillos! Oh, and did I mention that the Browns also run a petting zoo?



When you bring your treasures up to the cash register, be sure to ask for a two dollar bag of food for the petting zoo... your Casa Grande adventure continues just outside the shop, where goats, a llama, turkey, fancy chickens, and pigeons come right up at the sight of the feed bag!

A day in the Cerrillos Hills State Park is certainly a worthwhile adventure, but get an early start and make sure to plan on spending a few hours at the Casa Grande Trading Post; I sure did, and I probably could have spent a few hours more! In editing the photos for this post, I kept noticing things I hadn't noticed in person; thats the beauty of of the Casa Grande, and indeed of the Cerrillos hills as well: there is so much to see that you'll surely need a second visit to take it all in! Thanks so much for joining me on this Turquoise Trilogy! Before long, I will be embarking on a mining adventure of a different sort, and will introduce you to another local FinderMaker... I'll see you then!