Finch Mine

Hayden, Gila Co., AZ

Once more, Hayden is in Pinal County, but the Finch Mine is in Gila County.

After we got back on the paved road we went further south on 177 to Haines Road. This is a gravel/dirt road, unmarked, that goes up the south side of a canyon just north of Hayden Junction. The road is fairly good, but steep in places- four wheel drive would be desirable.

I had visited this mine in 2002 with my son-in-law and grandson, but we didn’t enter the mine then, since we didn’t have lights with us. This time both Phil and I had brought headlamps, and Phil also had an led light on a tripod and a flashlight, so we went in. the adit goes in about 100 feet, makes a right angle turn to follow the vein, goes another 100 feet or so, makes another right angle turn, and comes back out in a different portal. It was getting toward dusk when we arrived, so I didn’t take any pictures outside, and when we came out it was completely dark.

We found quite a bit of descloizite and some wulfenite pseudomorphs on the working face.

This concluded our collecting in Arizona for this trip. We’re already making plans for more collecting next year.

On to the next field trip, the Southeast Micromounters Winter Gathering.

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