Prospecting Minerals of Wigwam, CO | Part 2: Mapping a Mineral Zone

This marks the second stage of a mineral zone mapping project in Wigwam and Lost Creek Wilderness of Jefferson County, Colorado. Three days are spent backpacking through Kenosha mountain terrain to define the relationship between late stage plutons and the formation of pocketing pegmatites.

The first two-thirds of the video documents field prospecting over great distances throughout the area. Of principal interest here, is locating mineral deposits with unique, well-formed crystals. Recording the locations of all pegmatites forms a data set and noting inactive regions helps define the perimeter of the zone.

In the last third of the video, field data is interpreted to broadly define the pocketing zone using a geologic map. Here, we unpack the structural and geochemical controls that generated the large mineral zone of the Wigwam area. At its heart, the primary mechanism at play is volatile enrichment through fractional crystallization. This complex phenomenon is broken down during this video and its relevance revealed.

My hope with sharing this project is providing a few exploration geology tools to help you fulfill your own crystal visions. This is an ongoing project and I welcome any comments or criticisms that may help drive the geologic needle forward.

Video Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
1:03 Field Exploration (Day 1)
3:00 Field Exploration (Day 2)
12:25 Field Exploration (Day 3)
21:02 Minerals Post-Cleanup
23:14 Interpreting Data with Geologic Maps


Note: there are active mineral claims in the Wigwam area. It is your responsibility as a prospector to know where claims are and respect the mineral rights of claim-owners.