Experience the quartz mining process from beginning to end. Cost of the tour is $15 per adult. The tour is both handicap accessible and pet friendly. Additional activities are also available. You can add ziplining across the mine to get a bird's eye view. You can also add a dig where you excavate and keep the crystals you discover. Open daily 8 AM to 6 PM Central.
EARTHCACHE REQUIREMENTS
Each cacher must send his/her own answers BEFORE logging a find. Enjoy the journey (learning adventure) as well as the destination (smiley earned). Remember to take only pictures and leave only footprints. To get credit for this Earthcache, complete the following tasks:
1. MESSAGE …. VIDEO ... The quartz here is found in the __________ Mountains, and formed on __________ walls.
2. MESSAGE …. GALLERY ... a. Why is quartz cool to the touch? ... b. Describe your favorite quartz specimen displayed here. Explain why you chose it.
3. MESSAGE …. TRUCK ... Descend into the mine and observe the extraction process. ... a. How deep and wide is the mine? ... b. What never touches the crystals during the mining process? ... c. How many gallons per day of water is produced in this mine?
4. MESSAGE …. CLEANING SHED ... a. What must be removed before cleaning the crystals can begin? ... b. What is used to clean the crystals? Explain why this was chosen.
5. MESSAGE …. GRADING ROOM ... Here the cleaned crystals are prepared for distribution world-wide. Explain this process.
6. LOG …. Post a picture of you or your signature item anywhere along your tour. This picture is your log signature.
OPTIONAL - Please respect the time and effort involved in creating this earthcache by adding A and B to your log.
A. JOURNEY OF THE MIND ... Science explains what we observe. Relate (in your own words) something you found interesting in the reading. This adds to your learning adventure and your log.
B. JOURNEY OF THE HEART ... Art shares our personal experience of what we see. Share something special you found on site, and why it is special to you. This is a memorable addition to your log and will make other hearts smile.
Journeys of Heart and Mind ...
Stories to Touch the Heart and Puzzles to Challenge the Mind / Rainbow Tree Story
Another quartz crystal joined my family. ... Clear quartz is highly prized for its ability to clear the mind of negativity and to enhance higher spiritual receptiveness. It is considered the master of all healing crystals due to its ability to magnify or amplify healing vibrations of other crystals. Like humans, each clear quartz crystal is unique, each with its own personality, lessons, and experiences. The crystals attracted into one's life are stones that will in some way help facilitate personal growth and awareness.
THANK YOU Roz for a wonderful tour -and- Joel for permission to share this learning adventure.
MINE TOUR
The tour will take you on a journey from beginning (mining) to end (decorative crystals). The tour begins with a short history of the mine and a view of the Gallery. Next, an army truck ride takes you down through the mine where you see the crystal veins and the extraction process. You will also view the water source. The adventure finishes with the processing area where the crystals are cleaned and sorted.
QUARTZ
Quartz is the most common and varied mineral. It comes in an array of colors due to natural impurities -or- using heat. See Resource for a description of the two dozen plus varieties of quartz. The crystals are hexagonal and come in a variety of shapes and sizes. It is silica based. The many colors/shapes/sizes make quartz crystals highly valued in the gem industry. Large amounts of quartz (silica) sand are used in the manufacture of glass and ceramics.
RESOURCES
http://www.minerals.net/mineral/quartz.aspx
https://colemanquartz.com/
https://www.crystalvaults.com/crystal-encyclopedia/quartz