Tag Archives: Linda

Bales Seep Expedition – 05/18/2015

Introduction

A collection of brachiopods and crinoid sections from Bales Seep.

Catching up on some old hikes/expditions: this an expedition to Bales Seep with Lanny and Linda.  We went looking for fossils on a shallow hillside above a nice meadow fed by a spring “seep”.  We easily found numerous brachiopods and crinoid sections.

 

 

 

The Walkabout

Bales Seep Expedition.PatLannyLinda.2015-05-18

 Statistics

Total Distance:  0.5 miles
Elevation: start 7,997 ft, maximum 8,068 ft,  minimum 7,997 ft
Gross gain: 71 ft.  Aggregate ups & downs:  ascending 134 ft, descending 131 ft
Maximum slope: 34% ascending, 35% descending, 9% average
Duration: 1:46

GPS Track Files for Download
140 Downloads
72 Downloads
I urge you to explore our hiking tracks with Google Earth. With the virtual 3-dimensional presentation, achieved by panning and tilting the view, you can get a much better idea of the hikes and terrain than you can get from the 2-dimensional screenshot above. For assistance: Using Google Earth Track Files.

References

Supervolcano: A Geologic History of the Jemez Area: Chapter 3: The Paleozoic

Bonita Canyon & Flourite Mine Expedition – 6/13/2016

The objective of this expedition was to drive through this northeastern part of the Zuni mountains, destination a mine from many years ago that produced flourite.  These mountains are quite different from the Sandia, Manzano, and Jemez ranges – they consist of many ridges and valleys, and an open forest of pinon and juniper with some ponderosa.  (I was pleasantly surprised as we approached NM 53 to recognize the south end of Bonita Canyon, were I came to gather firewood 30+ years ago – this is a beautiful canyon.)

The Drive In

Rock Hunting, Flourite Mine drive in from Grants, via Bonita Canyon;  Pat, Linda, & Lanny, 06/13/2016.  Also showing other possible mine sites.

Turn of NM 53 onto a dirt road (high clearance advised); 1.2 miles ahead will be an area to park.  Then head east about .4 miles where the small mine sits just over a rise.  It was easy to find scraps of rock with flourite embedded.

The Hunt

Rock Hunting, Flourite Mine; Pat, Linda, & Lanny, 06/13/2016.

I found through further online research that there are close to 20 mines or prospects in this section of the Zuni Mountains – see the Interactive Map in the References below.

Statistics

Total Distance: 0.93 miles
Elevation: 7,681 start, 7,681 maximum, 7,511 minimum
Gross gain: 170 ft.  Aggregate ascending 349 ft, descending: 349 ft
Maximum slope: 38% ascending, 43% descending, 13% average
Duration: 1:36

GPS Track Files for Download
125 Downloads
167 Downloads
133 Downloads
211 Downloads