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FIELD TRIP FOR AUGUST 2005  |
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An Official Field Trip of The GEORGIA MINERAL SOCIETY (HOST) 9:00 AM, Saturday, August 20, 2005
Ladd's Mountain, Cartersville, GA.
Weinman Mineral Museum, Cartersville, GA. This mountain is "THE PLACE" in the
state of Georgia and the southeast to collect Cave Onyx (flow
stone). In the process of mining this mountain for limestone,
caves were exposed that contained beautifully banded calcite ranging in
colors of orange-red to creamy white and yellow. This type of
calcite formation is called "Cave Onyx." The material is very
beautiful and can be cut and polished with ease. It also brightly
fluoresces white in short-wave ultraviolet light and phosphoresces blue
when you turn off your UV light.
At the mountain we will all need to sign a
release form at the Bartow County Maintenance shop before being allowed
to enter. We are also required to sign-out before we
leave so that they will not lock the gate until everyone is accounted
for.
Dogs are allowed if necessary, but must stay
on a leash. Children are welcome under adult supervision.
COLLECTING: Cave Onyx, black flint
nodules, Dendrites, Calcite crystals (botryoidal and stalactic),
Aragonite, and Dolomite. Cave
formations and onyx can be found loose in the dirt as well as in
pockets in the rock. The flint has been washed up in a large graded
area next to the pit and is easily collected on the surface. There is
also onyx in this area but most of it appeared to be weathered.
SPECIAL CONDITIONS: The high walls are dangerous and covered with poison ivy. Please do not enter the caves in the walls due to bat inhabitation and the diseases they carry. The pit is being used as an inert landfill and had about 15 feet of water in it when I checked it out so I would appreciate everyone staying out of the pit. Access to most of the better collecting area is very overgrown so come prepared to knock down some weeds. BRING:
You will need to bring a rock hammer and chisel, Ziploc bags, and
a scratching tool to work the dumps. If you want to work a little
harder, bring a sledge hammer and a smaller crack hammer for the larger
boulders. You may also want to bring a pick and shovel to try and
dig out any buried Onyx slabs that have come off the face of the
cliffs. As always, bring, sunscreen, a hat, gloves, sturdy shoes,
newspaper, 5 gallon buckets, bug spray and plenty of water, both
to drink and to wash down any skin areas exposed to poison ivy. This
being stated, I would recommend saving the shorts to wear later in
the day at the museum.
SPECIAL
TRIP: When it gets too hot to collect at the
quarry, we will travel back through town to the Weinman Mineral Museum
for the air-conditioning and some great minerals/fossils! The
museum has a new exhibit on Georgia
Gold! We will be able to view
the largest discovery of Georgia gold in recent times - over 300
nuggets plus the largest gold matrix specimen on public display! Our
group will receive a special reduced entrance fee to the museum.
"Field trips are open to all members of associated clubs of the DMC program of the SFMS Field Trip Committee and to all members of SFMS member clubs who have provided their membership with SFMS liability insurance. Because of insurance requirements, members of the GENERAL PUBLIC are NOT invited on this or any DMC program field trips!" |