This is a NO FEE/NO FACILITIES dig so prepare accordingly. 

Minerals found: On top of Chunky Gal Mountain at Corundum Knob we will try dry screening or busting the green smaragdite rocks for ruby crystals.  You will also be able to collect chromite (corundum is colored red by the chromium oxide) and edenite - a dark green hornblende. 

We will go down to Buck Creek for (red,pink,gray) corundum, olivine*, anorthite*, picrolite*, spinel*, zoisite*, augite*, smaragdite*, red almandine garnets, actinolite, epidote, and rutile.  You can try your luck at panning for crystal clear fine red garnets.  You may also use a fine mesh screen(1/8") in place of the gold pan.  The smaller garnet fragments can be used for grit when tumbling softer materials and the larger fragments make great gem tree stones.  You will also be able to collect red, blue and colorless to gray corundum fragments and associated minerals in this creek.  There is a mine dump(Big Shaft prospect) nearby where you can find picrolite and we will also try to locate the old Herbert mine processing plant and search it's tailings piles. 

(* "Corundum here is associated with", NC Dept. of Conservation and Development, Information Circular #16 - 1958)

BRING:  You will need to bring a pick, shovel, large hammer or sledge(optional), chisels, ZiplockT bags, dry screens of ½", ¼" and a 1/8" fine metal washing screen or gold pan, a scratching tool to work the dumps.  As always, bring your lunch, plenty of fluids, some bug spray, sun screen, a hat, gloves, sturdy shoes and some 5 gal. buckets.  TALL rubber knee boots or River sandals (Teva kind) will be nice to have for this VERY COLD creek.  Bring a change of clothes if you plan to get wet!

Children are welcome on this trip but they should be supervised.

Click here for pictures of the Chunky Gal Mountain/Buck Creek, NC.