North Douglass Prospect, Tourmaline Queen Mountain (Pala; Queen), Pala District, San Diego Co., California, USA

Located in the N2NE4NW4 Sec. 23 T9S R2W, about 1.75 miles north-northeast of Pala, the workings are situated at the base of the eastern slope of Tourmaline Queen Mountain, along the extreme northern end of the Douglass pegmatite dike, adjacent to the Trujillo Canyon road (Salmons Canyon) near the now wild eucalyptus grove, originally planted along the sides of the roadway beginning at the entrance to Salmons City.

The North Douglass prospect was described in 1947 by Edward R. Swoboda as pegmatite between 4 to 7 feet thick that had been exposed in an open cut measuring 10 x 6 x 4 feet, heading south along the slope of the mountain. The pegmatite here was described as mainly graphic granite and sprays of muscovite mica, with local masses of quartz and quartz with blocky orthoclase/microcline showing as segments of core zone. Garnet and schorl were reported in the quartz. A good amount of adjacent float fragments including fine to coarse grained lepidolite with quartz and cleavelandite, together with crystals of gem-quality pink, blue and green tourmaline, suggests the presence of pockets within the dike.

The claim was considered abandoned by 1958, and the land is now managed for the benefit of the Pala Band of Mission Indians by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA).

References:

Jahns, R. H. and Wright, L. A. 1951. Gem and Lithium-bearing pegmatites of the Pala District, San Diego County, California. California Division of Mines special report 7A: p. 14, 72 pp.

Swoboda, E. R. 2001. Pala district 1946-48: Unpublished field notes and personal interviews. Swoboda Inc., Beverly Hills, Los Angeles County, CA; 5/2; 8 p.

Weber, F. H. 1963. Geology and mineral resources of San Diego County, California. California Division of Mines and Geology, County Report 3: p. 108.