DMC Field Trip
GMS is the founding member of the
DMC field trip program of the SFMS

DMC Field Trip
McKinney Mine, NC
Saturday, July 15, 2017

Hosted by the Southern Appalachian Mineral Society (Asheville, NC)

Field Trip Report
by Casey Sosebee

After meeting at the Visitor Center, our group of about 25 rockhounds toured the Bon Ami feldspar mine and museum. After the tour we were given a small piece of mica with dendrite inclusions.

On to the mine dump. It was a cloudy day until mid-afternoon, then the sun came out bright and hot. After about 45 minutes a thunderstorm started to blow in.

While on the mine dump I collected mica, mica with garnets, feldspar with garnets, feldspar with samarskite, massive smokey quartz, smokey quartz with chalcopyrite, pyrite and samarskite, torbernite, hyalite opal, malachite, chrysocolla, covellite, and thulite. I may also have collected some columbite as it often occurs with samarskite. And not to forget to mention dendrites on feldspar, plus some why the heck did I put that in my bucket!

Most of the mineral specimens that I found were small and in small amounts. The more familiar I became with the dump and the minerals I found the easier it was to recognize them. The price is $20 for a day on the mine dump and it is well worth it.

[Webmaster -- Casey also collected some sand for the GMS Sand Section. Thanks, Casey!]