In preparing for our trip, I had contacted Bill Gardner to obtain permission to access the Purple Passion Mine. It was then that I learned that he was planning to be at the Purple Passion on Saturday, April 15th with a backhoe. How is that for fortunate timing? Several Arizona rockhounding clubs had arranged with him to be there while he dug into and turned over some of the old spoil piles. Bill graciously gave us permission to tag along with the group. The only requirement was that each rockhound would have to pay a modest fee to help defray the cost of running the machine.
Saturday morning, we met up with about 50 eager rockhounds who had assembled behind the Wickenburg Mickey D's. Since our RV park was right next door, we drove all of about 200 yards to meet the group. The major plan for the day was to collect at the Monarch and Purple Passion, with stops along the way for some roadside geodes and at another location called Amethyst Hill. Bill had originally planned to use the backhoe at Amethyst Hill, where banded massive amethyst with some crystals can be found, but he discovered when he drove out there that morning that a local woman had very recently staked a claim on the prospect. However, he got hold of her and she nicely agreed to allow the group to come out and collect, but with restricted access to the main digging area.
On our way out to Amethyst Hill, we stopped at an area next to Constellation Road that Bill had recently graded in preparation for the trip. Scattered amidst the fresh material were relatively small thundereggs and geodes. Chrissy and I collected a couple hatfulls of the little dudes.
Click on each specimen picture to enlarge
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Amethyst Hill is located approximately 6 miles north of Wickenburg. Bill's son, Billy, led the caravan out to the parking area at the base of the hill. We gathered our collecting gear and buckets and walked about 1/4-mile through the desert brush and surface collecting as we climbed to the top of the ridge. The woman who owned the claim was there and was generously handing out barite and other small specimens that she had collected from the prospect.
Looking east toward Amethyst Hill (note backhoe on top).
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Southwestern view through blooming Ocotillo
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Considering that the main prospect was off limits to the group, we didn't have a whole lot of success finding amethyst, but we did find a few interesting specimens of calcite and barite by busting rocks in the spoil piles.
Click on each specimen picture to enlarge
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After about 1-1/2 hours at Amethyst Hill, we left to go to the Monarch Mine. It was Bill's plan go ahead of the group to the Purple Passion to turn over a portion of the spoil piles while everyone spent time collecting at the Monarch. Since Chrissy and I knew our way around having already been to both locations, he asked me if I would pick him up at the Purple Passion and take him up to the Monarch to join the group. Bill needed a ride since Billy was taking their truck to lead the group to the Monarch. Taking a backhoe up the treacherous road to the Monarch would have been extremely dangerous, if at all possible.
I met up with Bill at the Purple Passion and showed him the portion of the spoil piles that Chrissy and I had dug the day before. He was duly impressed with what we had accomplished and decided that it wouldn't be necessary after all to turn over that area with the backhoe. Since there was plenty of our tailings and low grades to sort through, he could use the backhoe to dig another spot or two.
Bill and I drove over and up to the Monarch. While he showed the group where and what to collect, Chrissy and I wandered off to a location that was purported by him to contain some decent octahedral fluorite specimens. He was right, although the rock was still in place and required some major busting and prying to remove. Chrissy recovered the following a few nice specimen, including the striking one shown below. I have yet to discover a way to remove the unknown white coating to best show off the hidden green fluorite.
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Chrissy had already made her way back to the truck when I looked up to see a caravan of cars heading down the hill. I waved at the group as they passed by about 50 yards from where I was digging. Obviously it was time to stop digging, climb the steep hill back to where we had parked and catch up with the group.
We joined the group at the Purple Passion and spent the remainder of the day mostly talking to the nice group of rockhounds. I helped some eager kids dig into the spoil piles where I had left off the day before. Since Chrissy and I were more than satisfied with our previous day's take, I gave away just about everything that I found to the kids and some other adults who were scratching nearby. However, I did manage to find the following specimen that I couldn't bring myself to give away.
Many thanks to Bill Gardner for his advice and everyone else involved, including Billy, for making us feel welcome and a part of the group.
Report continued . . . . . . .
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