CENTRAL MINE
Central, Keweenaw Co., MI
August
6, 2003
The
base of the Central Mine dump
View
from the top of the Central Mine dump
The
Central Mine is one of the better-known and more accessible mines in the copper
country. Despite this, there is still good material to be found, because the
dump is huge! Its located on US 41, 18.3 miles north of the stoplight in
Calumet, on the left side of the road. GPS coordinates are lat. 47 deg. 24.353,
lon. 88 deg. 11.777.
On
this trip I collected nice copper crystals, epidote, microcline, var. adularia,
prehnite, both in the typical light green radial groups and as pale pink
discrete crystals, quartz crystals, pumpellyite, and chalcocite. All were
micros. The last time I was here, 20 years ago, I got some analcime; but I saw
none on this trip. Datolite, hematite, sericite, silver, stilbite, thomsonite
and natrolite have also been reported from this locality.
On to the next field trip, the Cliff
Mine