I spent a few days in Clay County and Franklin checking out some new sites and some old ones. It was cold but I was not there to collect as much as to map and gather information about the sites. It was fun at night as the temps dropped well below freezing. I was using my new -45 degree sleeping bag that Sandy bought me for Christmas. I was the warmest thing on Buck Creek road every night!
Camping on the creek.
Old wood dam at the Herbert Mine.
The first day I visited the Herbert Corundum mine and a couple of other sites near the Herbert.
Critter tracks on the way.
Herbert corundum mine shaft. This is hard to see, especially with all the snow on the ground. Be careful if you venture out there.
On the way to the Herbert.
View from the parking area near the forest service gate.
Back on Buck Creek road heading back to camp.
Back at camp I encountered this tiger dog, probably the owner of the above tracks.
I visited the Zoisite Cut across from the Big Shaft Mine. I had not been there in over three years and almost walked right by it. It is full of debris from the burn the forest service did a few years back.
Zoisite Cut
Zoisite specimens found laying on the ground in the cut. The zoisite here is sometimes mixed with blue/gray corundum. In the past I have found pieces of corundum and zoisite up to fifteen pounds.
Creek log ice stalactites on Buck Creek.
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