Gem Trackers EarthCache
Hidden : 6/2/2008
Difficulty:
3.5 out of 5
Terrain:
3 out of 5

Size: Size: not chosen (not chosen)

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Geocache Description:

Mt. Apatite is a fun place (and kid-friendly) to mine for gems. The most common minerals found in the area are feldspar, quartz and mica but we've also found trace amounts of garnet and tourmaline as well.

Here is some history about Mount Apatite from the Maine Geological Survey:

“The Mt. Apatite quarries were important producers of commercial feldspar in the early 1900's. They played a prominent part in Maine's mining history. During the course of this mining activity, rare minerals and colorful crystals of green and pink tourmaline were found in both the Greenlaw and Maine Feldspar Quarries.

These quarries are among a small number of mineral collecting sites in Maine that offer a combination of good public access and the possibility of finding many different minerals. The ledges and boulders surrounding the quarry pits show interesting geological features, including basalt dikes cutting granite pegmatite, and inter-layering of pegmatite with metamorphic rock. The coarse pegmatite shows large, easily visible examples of several common rock-forming mineral groups such as quartz, feldspar, and mica. Various features around the quarries illustrate former mining techniques and the linkages between Maine's geologic and human history.”

Many different minerals can be found at the Greenlaw and Maine Feldspar quarries and both are open to the public for mining. The park rules say that within the quarry and dump areas, "it is permitted to use hand tools to explore for mineral and gem specimens to a depth of two feet."

There is a lot of granite pegmatite at Mount Apatite. The minerals you can find in this area include:

Quartz: smoky and white
Feldspar
Tourmaline: pink, green and black
Apatite (it’s purple)
Mica (muscovite)
Beryl
Garnet

To learn more about Mt. Apatite, visit the Maine Geological Survey website: (visit link)

You can find a map of the trail to the quarries at Mt. Apatite here: (visit link)

The coordinates to this EarthCache take you to the Maine Feldspar Quarry dump site. The coordinates to the Greenlaw Quarry are:
N 44 05.279 W070 17.465

In order to log this EarthCache you need to find and identify three (3) minerals at Mt. Apatite and post a photo of them. Include a description with your photo to identify what minerals you found.

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