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Morefield Mine
Amelia County, Virginia
May 30, 2009
The weather was perfect and even though mine owner Sam was again plagued with pesky water pump problems over the past several days, he was ready for our group and the many others that attended.
The Lynchburg and Roanoke Clubs had 40 members that I recognized plus several of our new members that I have not met, may have also been there. Other Gem and Mineral Clubs were well represented, such as the Richmond Club, Northern Virginia Club and the club from Chesapeake, VA. There was also many youth from a local Scout Troop. All in all there were way to many people for any chance of productive collecting from the various "dumps" Sam made throughout the day. All the pretty green amazonite was quickly gobbled up, but some really interesting and collectable material was overlooked during the mass feeding frenzy. I was able to collect some nice really large chunks of pegmatite rejected by the masses in the initial grab fest. Those that have been there before know what I mean.
The Morefield Mine is a great place to take the family. Kids, both young and old really enjoy the hunt and the cool water in the sluice line. Some really interesting finds are possible if you take the time to search, dig and wash off the dirt. The really nice material is usually small, covered with clay and overlooked by the masses. Washing is the only way to expose what you have found.
Hopefully the mine will continue to operate on a limited basis until a suitable buyer is found. If you missed this trip, there may be another opportunity in the fall. Watch the mine website on October 1, 2009 for the latest information.
www.toteshows.com/morefield.html

Field Trip Report submitted by Dave Callahan, field trip chairman.


Images submitted by Dave Callahan & Bernard Rivera