Lone Pine Gem & Mineral Society's

14th annual day-trip to

Cerro Gordo Mine

June - 8:00 am

While the following is not an officially CFMS sponsored trip, it is nonetheless a special trip well worth making the effort to attend.

Meet: 8:00 am at the Lone Pine Chevron station south of town.

Everyone attending will sign in and pay a $10 fee that will go toward the mine owners' restoration of Cerro Gordo ghost town. The mine is open to collecting only one day each year, so this is a special opportunity for all CFMS members and their guests. Cerro Gordo was primarily a silver mine in the 1870s and a zinc mine around 1911. The mine is at an elevation of 8,000 feet, so plan accordingly. The site has a small museum to explore. The old American Hotel is under restoration, and the town has many other small buildings and mill site to look at though they won't be open. Collecting will be in old tailings and we will look primarily for smithsonite and associated copper and lead minerals. Cerro Gordo is noted for over 49 minerals.

High-clearance vehicles are recommended, with low gearing for the last 15 miles of the trip, which takes about 45 minutes from Lone Pine. This road is steep but well graded. (Car pooling can be arranged at Chevron station).

What to Collect: Cerro Gordo offers more diverse mineral specimens than any other mine in California. Most of us will be looking for Smithsonite, a zinc carbonate, usually with some iron, magnesium, and calcium, occasionally with some cadmium, copper, and cobalt. Combinations of all these elements do not exist; only particular combinations can exist. Blue Smithsonite on the left and "Turkey Fat" Smithsonite on the right. Notice the botryoidal texture in which the mineral has a globular external form resembling a bunch of grapes. Smithsonite is normally found in the massive form and rarely found as crystals. 

Tools to bring: small hand rake (three prong garden tool) for scraping through the tailings, spray bottle, small shovel, rock pick or hammer, collecting bag or bucket, sturdy boots, sunscreen, hat, and plenty of drinking water.

Bring water and lunch. Cerro Gordo is at an elevation of 8,300ft. It'll be several degrees cooler than the valley floor. The temperature can either be hot or cold so plan accordingly.

Contact: Ray Ramirez via e-mail (raymon50@gmail.com) or phone (760-872-0624) for any questions. There are a few campgrounds in and around Lone Pine as well as many hotels and motels.