? McRocks - Western North Carolina and Southeastern United States Rock, Gem and Mineral Collecting



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SWAIN COUNTY


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How To &
Rockhound Resources

NANTAHALA TALC AND
LIMESTONE QUARRY


Southwest View from Quarry
of Upper Nantahala Gorge

(click on pictures to enlarge)


Travertine dripstone
Banded marble


Aragonite in Travertine
Travertine slab


Talc
Goethite after Pyrite
in Phyllite


Aragonite on Marble
 
Aragonite on Marble
(close-up)

(Click on pictures to enlarge)


Aragonite on Marble
 
Aragonite on Marble
Close-up


Aragonite & Calcite Speleothems
Aragonite & Calcite
Close-up


Pyrite in Phyllite
 
Pyrite in Phyllite
(close-up)

I made the following cabochons from rock collected at this mine (cab pictures do not enlarge):

Attention: The Nantahala Talc and Limestone Mine is under new ownership and therefore no longer accessible to rockhounds.

Field Trip Report
Summer 2003

I was asked to lead a group from the Association of Engineering Geologists (AEG) on their summer field trip on August 23, 2003. I chose the Nantahala Talc and Limestone Mine because it could accomodate a large group and quarry operations have exposed an excellent cross section displaying the geology of the late Proterozoic/early Paleozoic Murphy Marble belt. It didn't hurt that there were plenty of rock collecting opportunities there as well (banded marble, talc, calcite, dolomite, quartz, graphite). My associates and friends, Joe Enderle, field trip chairman with the Southern Appalachian Mineral Society and Don Hathaway, long-time geologic engineer and member of the AEG, were instrumental in making the day a great success. I'll let the following pictures tell the rest of the story.


Group gathering
before Talk
 


Mike Streeter,
Don Hathaway
& Joe Enderle

(click pictures to enlarge)


Don (center),
Mike & Joe
Don & Joe
talking geology


Cross section showing
anticline & thrust fault
Computer enhanced photo
of Nantahala Gorge
from Quarry