Thirty-seven members from the Lynchburg and Roanoke Clubs arrived at the mine about 9:30 AM and joined the large crowd of other interested collectors already there. The mine is open to the general public and this being Memorial Day Weekend; it was a good place to spend the holiday. We lined up to pay the $10 general surface-collecting fee and those interested in the underground tour paid the additional $20. We were able to fill all the spots on the 1PM and all but two spots on the 3PM tour. This was a wonderful experience and one that we will always remember. Thank you Sam for sharing your mine with the public and us.
There were at least 6 loader bucket dumps of mine material that were quickly devoured by all the children and adults. The "feeding of the rockhounds" was an awesome sight to behold. In less than one minute anything colorful or of any significances was picked up.
Many beautiful minerals were found. My favorite specimens were a 5/8" beryl crystal embedded in clevelandite, and many nice mica crystals that I could add to my collection.
If you missed the trip I hope that you will plan to visit on your own before the mine closes on July 1st for the summer. Call Sam or Sharon Dunaway at 1-804-561-3399 for details
|
|
