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Field CollectingManganese Mine, Keweenaw, Michigan

4th Sep 2018 05:18 UTCRobert Darabos

Can any one provide a more precise location for the Manganese Mine in the Keweenaw Peninsula in Michigan.

Mindat has a pretty looking loose location for it. Is its location precise?

One place I found states it is just North of the Clark Mine. More precisely on Mindat, it shows it is off of Golf Course Road just North of Red Trail. Will there be any signs near the locality? Or am I just looking for material that looks piled up?

Thanks in advance!

4th Sep 2018 15:34 UTCLarry Maltby Expert

Robert,

Go to the satellite view of the Clark Mine on Mindat. Start by clicking on the coordinates on the location page. Click the minus sign until you can see Manganese Lake, the Clark Mine and the connecting roads all in the same view. At Manganese Lake the road to the Clark Mine turns abruptly to the south. In that curve a two track forks to the left and proceeds uphill heading east. That is the road that you want. As you follow that an outcrop of conglomerate will appear on the left. At that point start looking to the right. There is no big rock pile, just some rubble about 50 yards into the woods that is difficult to see. The small mine opening was bulldozed shut a couple of years ago and I have not been there since that happened. It may be easier to see now in the thick foliage. If you get to the north /south road to the Clark Mine that intersects on the right, you have gone too far.

4th Sep 2018 15:57 UTCAlfredo Petrov Manager

I heard a bear hibernated inside that mine opening, so now it's habitat has been destroyed ;((

4th Sep 2018 17:49 UTCLarry Maltby Expert

Yes, Alfredo,

I have also heard that story. Below is a photo of the old mine opening and my son Ken. He and I made many trips to collect in May each year while the foliage was sparse. In June the black flies here will drive you crazy. There are a lot of black bears in Keweenaw County but good or bad depending how you look at it, they are hunted in season and have some fear of man. My son encountered a large black while collecting alone in the traps. H waved his arms and shouted and the bear bolted. In the summer we have sometimes seen what appears to be a jar of Smuckers berry preserves spilled in the trail. The bears do love their thimble berries.

4th Sep 2018 18:56 UTCRobert Darabos

Like this?

4th Sep 2018 20:17 UTCLarry Maltby Expert

Yes,

At this time of year you will have to look closely because of the foliage.

4th Sep 2018 20:19 UTCThomas Rosemeyer

When yo drive down the dirt road that Larry described you have to watch closely on the right side for what is left of the mine dump that is partially obscured by the vegetation. I was there a couple of weeks ago collecting and material is still available.

The last time I was underground at the mine (just before the land company bulldozed the opening shut) was the winter hibernation home for at least 2 bears and the mine had quite a "bear smell" to it.

I have also written a full length article on the locality that was in the Nov/Dec 2014 issue of Rocks & Minerals.

4th Sep 2018 20:26 UTCAllan Blaske

Robert, yes that is the correct road.

There was an article in Rocks and Minerals (Volume 89, No. 6, 2014) "History and Mineralogy of the Manganese Mine, Keweenaw County, Michigan" by Tom Rosemeyer. I may be the source of the bear story. I responded to Tom's article in R&M with a letter (volume 90, No.2, 2015) about my bear story. Long story short, way back in 1990 there was an opening at the bottom of the trench at location. I jumped down into the trench and looked into the opening into the old mine, to see a fuzzy black face looking back at me! It wasn't more than 10 feet to the bear! Luckily, I didn't toss a rock into the hole beforehand (like I generally to, to see how far the hole was open). If I had, it would have hit the bear and alerted him to my presence. I got out of there as fast as I could.

From the Rosemeyer article, it sounds like anything left of the pile was dozed and spread around for logging road fill. Probably not much there anymore.

If you can get a copy of Tom's article, it has some maps which show the location. It also includes a map which I included in a senior research project at MTU. (see the references at the bottom of the Mindat page for the reference). If you would like a copy of my paper, I can send you one. Just PM me.

The Macfallite from there is pretty cool. If you can still find some. Good luck.

4th Sep 2018 20:27 UTCAllan Blaske

Tom, you beat me to it! You are quick!

5th Sep 2018 04:04 UTCJim Gawura

A cool place. Underground was just inside the opening. Shaft was flooded. Big seam of calcite. These are from 08/11/2005.

5th Sep 2018 15:52 UTCLarry Maltby Expert

Jim,

Thanks for posting the photos. You mentioned the calcite. Here are some clusters of Macfallite crystals emerging from the calcite during leaching. Specimens like this can still be found in the rubble. FOV 5.0 mm

5th Sep 2018 16:25 UTCRobert Darabos

Thanks for the messages. I definitely won't be going underground :)

MacFallite is the main thing I am after. Does it usually appear on Calcite?

5th Sep 2018 17:44 UTCLarry Maltby Expert

It is found in various rock types but it is easier to see in calcite. It is in the calcite as inclusions and when you break the calcite along cleavage planes you may see the clusters around the edges. Sometimes there are clusters suspended in the calcite.

5th Sep 2018 20:48 UTCPaul Brandes 🌟 Manager

I would say the MacFallite is associated with the calcite, but not necessarily in it as Larry mentioned. In other words, check any pieces with calcite as there is a chance you'll see some MacFallite.

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