Historic Mount Massive Gold Mine and Camp
20 Acre Lode Claim – Lackawanna Gulch District
Lake County, ColoradoContact Gold Rush Expeditions
Use code JRM1003 for a 10% discount.
www.goldrushexpeditions.com
Ph: 385-218-2138
Email: goldrush@goldrushexpeditions.com

 

Gold Rush Expeditions, Inc. is proud to present the Historic Mount Massive Gold Mining Claim for Sale. This is a 20 acre Lode Mining claim for sale exclusively through Gold Rush Expeditions, Inc. The claim is located not far out of Leadville, Colorado. The Mount Massive has been properly staked and marked at all corners. All Gold Rush Expeditions, Inc. claims have been meticulously surveyed, mapped and researched. Field work is completed by our own experienced, well versed Mine Survey Team.

The Mount Massive mines are a stones throw from the Historic Champion Mill. The previously abandoned mines are now part of a single claim written to capture the trending of the lodes based on geological mapping. The mines are cut on a series of lodes and veins, similar in structure to that of the Champion mine less than 1 mile east on the same general trend. The claim is a full 20 acres and covers a running, year round water source. There are roads to the upper mines but they are very overgrown and will need some clearing and dragging work.

 

An old miners cabin sits below the lowermost adit entrance and is built up on the old waste dump from the mine. The main mine camp is hidden farther up in the trees and is a conglomeration of a few old cabins, a camper and an outhouse spread among a small clearing. There are two primary adits on the claim that are open and large enough to be worked. They show good gold ore bodies and would be a simple effort to work.

There are two factors that have kept these mines off the general radar and unworked. the first factor is weather. At 11,800' the mines are covered in snow for 5 months out of the year at least. When the heat comes and melts off the snow, the second factor arises, that of the river crossing lower on the trail. There is no other way up to the basin than through the river. This river in mid-low run off is 24-36 inches deep and nearly 25 feet across as you need to navigate slightly up the river to access the other bank. In heavy run off the water is an estimated 5' deep and roughly 30' across. Its also very fast moving. Experienced off road drivers will have no trouble crossing in full size vehicles equipped with 4WD and a high mounted snorkel.. UTVs, ATVs and Motorcycles will need to exercise caution at this crossing and only do so when they feel the conditions are safe. As a result of this river crossing, the only traffic the site sees is mostly hikers and historians hoping to see the Champion Mill before it collapses.

There are two main adits on the claim that show gold ores in pockets. These are high grade veins that have been worked in some instances and only identified and staged in others. There is a small adit near the main road with an old cabin below it. The waste dump that the cabin is built on shows pyrites and some bits of gold. This old adit entrance will need to be dug out to be examined.

 

The mines here were worked for gold. High grade mines such as this were an excellent value and often held as assets or part of larger claim blocks. From 1920s claim maps, these mines were owned by Champion Mining and Milling. This likely explains why they have been sampled and opened. The larger Champion mine up the gulch was in full production turning and average of 3.2 ounces of gold per ton. This was shipped to the mill via a 6100' tram system. Mines that were closer to the mill likely had no such journey in getting ore to the mill for processing. The Champion reported 26,500 ounces of gold prior to 1925. There was likely much more that was not reported.

These previously abandoned mines are very valuable for their gold deposits and for their historical context as some of the original workings of the district and some of the very last left that can still be worked for their high grade gold deposits.

 

History of the Mines

This mine resides in the vicinity of Lackawanna Gulch, and is less than a mile east of the famous Mount Champion mine, There are no other abandoned mines in the valley or general vicinity. The area is highly desirable because of the gold content of the veins in the area. The Champion Mining company reported over 26,500 ounces of gold recovered at an average rate of 3.23 ounces per ton. Some pockets of the ore ran as high as 51 ounces to the ton.Within the general Lackawanna Gulch area, Howell (1919) reported an additional five veins. These are respectively; the Eureka, Independence, Mauser No. 1 and No. 2, and D.M. Elder veins. Typically, these are quartz, pyrite, gold, plus or minus galena veins of limited strike length and thickness (typical vein widths of 0.5 to 1.5 ft).

Asking Price: $22,000

Contact: Gold Rush Expeditions
Use code JRM1003 for a 10% discount.
www.goldrushexpeditions.com
Ph: 385-218-2138
Email: goldrush@goldrushexpeditions.com