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Post by fernwood on Jan 5, 2019 8:17:11 GMT -5
Put this here a couple years ago. With all the new members, hoping someone can help with a positive ID. Found on remote County Forest land in NW Wisconsin. First photo shows location found. At the time, there was very little water on the falls. Location required walking about 2 miles through unharvested forest. It is about 2 miles from a former Native American Pipestone mining area. I found this in a small crevice behind the falls area. There were other rocks in the crevice that had the same black/rust/white formations, but none with the delicate crystals. I carefully cleaned it a lot. The crystals break easily. Currently cleaning it with soft brushes to remove dust, as I have it displayed in my living room. Past input here said that it was material from smelting operations or something someone just left there. The only mining in the area was at the Pipestone Mine. That ceased over 100 years ago. No history of any smelting operations at all. No old buildings or historical remnants of buildings within 5 miles. The area has been uninhibited since the early 1900’s. Just forest land. Only activity in the area is harvesting of timber. The nearest logging road when I was there was about a mile away. There was a geocache about 1.5 miles away. I walked the creek with a local Forestry Dept. member. 4 miles total. Am very familiar with the area and had been going there for over 40 years prior to finding this. Also was a member of the Historical Society, had many friends who mapped the area and were also familiar with the history. Dunno if this might provide more info, but there is a large outcropping of Feldsesmere (sp?) about 3 miles away. The area was once the largest volcanic mountain range in North America, prior to glacial activity. It is still what would be considered mountain area in Wisconsin. Many beautiful outcroppings (some over 25’ tall) along the many creeks that flow through the area, some which are loaded with world class Trout. Sorry for the long post, but want to provide as much info on the area as I can. Wish I still had the photos of the land at the time and the other rocks I saw there. Here are the photos.
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fuss
spending too much on rocks
Member since October 2018
Posts: 250
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Post by fuss on Jan 5, 2019 10:41:21 GMT -5
Can you re-post a few of the images separately, cant see any surface detail with this image layout.
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Post by fernwood on Jan 5, 2019 11:31:25 GMT -5
Can you re-post a few of the images separately, cant see any surface detail with this image layout. Will take some new ones tomorrow. Need to go to work shortly.
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stonemon
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2017
Posts: 1,024
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Post by stonemon on Jan 5, 2019 13:17:11 GMT -5
It looks like maybe a cinder type rock with zeolite silicate growth to me. We have a lot of that kind of material here in West central Oregon. It occurs in the Cascade range volcanics. Better pictures would help for sure. The zeolites form as meteoric water percolates down through the rock and dissolves and then re-precipitates the silicates in fractures and gas bubbles. The waterfall appears to be dropping through bedrock and if the rock is of volcanic origin this would be a logical thing to find there. My two cents..... Bill
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fuss
spending too much on rocks
Member since October 2018
Posts: 250
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Post by fuss on Jan 5, 2019 16:03:23 GMT -5
Can you re-post a few of the images separately, cant see any surface detail with this image layout. Will take some new ones tomorrow. Need to go to work shortly. new photos aren't necessarily needed, if you upload the ones you already have individually rather than as a collage style layout they may display large enough to see any identifying features.
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Post by fernwood on Jan 5, 2019 20:00:56 GMT -5
Will take some new ones tomorrow. Need to go to work shortly. new photos aren't necessarily needed, if you upload the ones you already have individually rather than as a collage style layout they may display large enough to see any identifying features. Might check them out. I only use a camera phone and it is not great for rocks like this. Appreciate your interest in this.
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Post by pauls on Jan 5, 2019 23:22:46 GMT -5
Zeolites would be my guess too. Zeolite is a family name for a large group of minerals. Look it up. It's hard to tell which particular minerals these are without a close study of the crystals. A quick guess would be Aragonite, but that's just a wild stab in the dark.
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Post by Lapidaryrough / Jack Cole on Jan 6, 2019 9:39:09 GMT -5
How long after the lava cooled did the crystal start forming on the material that is soaking in silicate rich ash bed.
Same is for petrified wood. long soak for to silica to encapsulate the wood, to start agatize the material.
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Post by fernwood on Jan 6, 2019 14:47:35 GMT -5
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Post by fernwood on Jan 7, 2019 8:17:57 GMT -5
Another photo showing what was left on the surface I had put the rock on. Shows some crystals and other material. Will only be holding and cleaning this rock in the future.
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Post by stephan on Jan 7, 2019 21:31:26 GMT -5
Looks like some sort of zeolite to me, too. Did you save any of the crystals that fell off for testing? For instance, see if they fizz with acid.
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Post by pauls on Jan 7, 2019 21:47:08 GMT -5
I'm still going with Zeolites of some sort, but another thought is could it be a Gossan with Cerrusite crystals?
Fernwood any history of Lead mining in the area?
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Post by fernwood on Jan 8, 2019 5:18:17 GMT -5
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Post by toiv0 on Jan 8, 2019 8:02:22 GMT -5
Cool photos, I will have to remember there is a rutabaga fest in Cumberland. Nothing like a good rutabaga! Askov MN says its the rutabaga capitol of the world, probably not anymore.
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Post by fernwood on Jan 8, 2019 8:16:10 GMT -5
1dave when you have time check out the above link. This is an area I have gone to since I was 3 years old. Located about 12 miles from my childhood home, which I later moved back to. About 22 miles from the Flambeau Mine (Gold, Silver, Copper). I had posted many of the very unique rock/mineral sepcimens found there. The only development in the area has been snowmobile/ATV trails, rustic campgrounds and logging. Only mining was done by Native Americans for Pipestone, many years ago. To me, a certain 4 mile area containing the Kettle, Gundy's Canyon, Sunken Ship, Devil's Elbow and several trout streams was so spiritual. Almost like I could see activity on the land from thousands of years ago. The creek was almost dry when I gathered the above rock. "Someone" led me to it. I have always considered it a gift from the "Grandfathers". Understand that when I no longer need it, I will be required to pass it on to someone who does. That is how things work the the Grandfathers. I did not have time to copy and past the individual, rock related photos in the linked album. fishnpinball and toiv0 have either of you been there? If not, a must trip. GPS coordinates of the above mentioned areas are available online. The only way I know how to get there is via road to certain places where one can park and then walk about 2 miles in to start. Oh, the area was also loaded with Ginseng and Morel Mushroom when I was last there, plus berries worth harvesting. When/if I can go there again, I would trailer the ATV to a nearby location. Run nearby trails. Then walk about 1/2 mile to each special location. Would need to be pulling a cart for rock gathering, through the woods, buut there is very little undergrowth. This is due to the extreme forest management done in the area.
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Post by fernwood on Jan 8, 2019 8:17:42 GMT -5
Cool photos, I will have to remember there is a rutabaga fest in Cumberland. Nothing like a good rutabaga! Askov MN says its the rutabaga capitol of the world, probably not anymore. As of 6 years ago, there were still some mighty fine baga's grown in that area. Attributed to minerals in the soil.
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fuss
spending too much on rocks
Member since October 2018
Posts: 250
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Post by fuss on Jan 8, 2019 12:02:57 GMT -5
I think an acid test is the way to go for the crystals and the matrix rock. Preferably dilute HCL. If all you have is 5% vinegar warm it up first. If possible try to scratch glass with one of the fallen crystals. Aragonite could be a possibility for the crystals as well.
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Post by fernwood on Jan 8, 2019 13:38:42 GMT -5
Thanks. I was able to hold one of the larger crystals. It is less than 1/4" long and less than 1 mm thick. Broke when applied to glass. Still recovering from the flu. Will try the vinegar test when I get better. What should I bee looking for when applying vinegar to the rock or the debris from it?
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fuss
spending too much on rocks
Member since October 2018
Posts: 250
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Post by fuss on Jan 10, 2019 9:31:25 GMT -5
Thanks. I was able to hold one of the larger crystals. It is less than 1/4" long and less than 1 mm thick. Broke when applied to glass. Still recovering from the flu. Will try the vinegar test when I get better. What should I bee looking for when applying vinegar to the rock or the debris from it? You will be looking for fizzing, but with vinegar it may be subtle bubbling. Drop a piece of the rock and into a warm glass of vinegar if possible otherwise if it is porous it may absorb into it without being able to observe anything. You could also do a streak test with the rock and put a few drops on the powder streak (if any).
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Post by fernwood on Jan 10, 2019 9:45:34 GMT -5
Will try the powder streak. Just been pretty sick lately.
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