Golden Wonder Mine

Past Producer in Hinsdale county in Colorado, United States with commodities Silver, Gold, Lead, Copper, Zinc, Antimony

Sections on this page

Identification information
Geographic coordinates
Site location context
Geographic areas
Public Land Survey System information
Commodities
Materials information
Alteration
Host and associated rocks
Nearby scientific data
Geologic structures
Controls for ore emplacement
Economic information about the deposit and operations
Mining district
Land status
Ownership information
Production statistics
Links to other databases
Bibliographic references
General comments
Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID	10101901
MRDS ID	D011560
Record type	Site
Current site name	Golden Wonder Mine
Alternate or previous names	Patented Claims: Golden Wonder, MS 552, Golden Mammoth, MS 553, Gold Carbonate, MS 17651, Unpatented Claims: Windy Point, Pride of the West, Golden Cycle, Lakeview, Golden Age, Lone Jack, Big Jack Nos. 1-3, Lucky Fish, Lucky Fish Nos. 1-3, New York, Blue Bell, Gold Hill, Golden Bell, Gold Hill Nos. 1-2
Related records	10191244

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates:	-107.28035, 38.00473 (WGS84)
Elevation	3127
Relative position	2.5 MILES S 44E FROM LAKE CITY

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Hinsdale(county)

Colorado(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Lake City(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Montrose(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Montrose(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Upper Gunnison(hydrologic unit)

Gunnison(hydrologic accounting unit)

Gunnison(hydrologic subregion)

Upper Colorado(hydrologic region)

Geographic areas

Country	State	County
United States	Colorado	Hinsdale

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian	Township	Range	Section	Fraction	State
New Mexico	043N	004W	10,11		Colorado

Comments on the location information

CLAIMS LIE EAST OF LAKE FORK AT HEAD OF DEADMAN GULCH, POSSIBLY EXTENDING INTO SECTIONS 03 AND 04. ELEV AND LAT-LONG GIVEN ARE FOR TUNNEL OPENING NORTH OF DEADMAN GULCH, IN NE SW NW NW SEC. 11. ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1977

Commodities

Commodity	Importance
Silver	Primary
Gold	Primary
Lead	Tertiary
Copper	Tertiary
Zinc Critical	Tertiary
Antimony Critical	Tertiary

Materials information

Materials	Type of material
Galena	Ore
Sphalerite	Ore
Quartz	Gangue
Stibnite	Gangue

Alteration

(Local) Silicification; Sericitization

Analytical data

Result	TEN ASSAYS OF ORE FROM 35-ST LOT MINED ON 6/3/81 (REPORTED IN MINING RECORD, 6/17/81): 34.74 OZ/TON AU, 13.74 OZ/TON AG
Result	0.38 OZ/TON AU, 1.04 OZ/TON AG
Result	0.64 OZ/TON AU, 0.18 OZ/TON AG
Result	63.38 OZ/TON AU, 28.12 OZ/TON AG
Result	0.22 OZ/TON AU, 0.20 OZ/TON AG
Result	0.96 OZ/TON AU, 1.24 OZ/TON AG
Result	0.29 OZ/TON AU, 0.02 OZ/TON AG
Result	2.63 OZ/TON AU, 14.03 OZ/TON AG
Result	2.00 OZ/TON AU, 2.50 OZ/TON AG
Result	0.04 OZ/TON AU, 0.06 OZ/TON AG

Host and associated rocks

Host or associated

Associated

Rock type

Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Felsic Volcanic Rock > Rhyolite

Rock unit name

Rhyolite Of Volcanics Of Uncompahgre Peak

Rock description

Rhyolite Of Volcanics Of Uncompahgre Peak

Stratigraphic age (youngest)	Oligocene
Stratigraphic age (youngest)	Oligocene
Stratigraphic age (youngest)	Oligocene

Host or associated Host

Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Felsic Volcanic Rock > Rhyolite

Host or associated	Host
Rock type	Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Felsic Volcanic Rock > Rhyolite

Nearby scientific data

(1)	-107.28035, 38.00473	ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure	Regional
Structure description	San Juan Volcanic Field, San Juan Depression
Type of structure	Local
Structure description	San Juan-Uncompahgre Calderas, Lake City Caldera

Controls for ore emplacement

Possible Breccia Pipe Related To Local Intrusive Center

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status	Past Producer
Commodity type	Metallic
Deposit size	Small
Significant	Yes
Discovery year	1880
Year of last production	1981

Mining district

District name	Lake (Lake City) District

Land status

Ownership category	Private

Ownership information

Type Owner

Owner LKA International, Inc.

Interest 100

Year 2010
Type Owner-Operator

Owner Lake City Mines

Home office Colorado Springs, Co.

First year 1984

Type	Owner
Owner	LKA International, Inc.
Interest	100
Year	2010

Type	Owner-Operator
Owner	Lake City Mines
Home office	Colorado Springs, Co.
First year	1984

Production statistics

Year

2010

Period

1998-2010

Material

LKA website accessed on 10/10/2010.\nhttp://www.lkaintl.com/

Accuracy

Accurate

Importance	Item	Commodity	Group	Amount recovered	Grade	Recovery percentage
Primary	recovered	Gold	Gold	4243000g	606g/mt

Comments on the production information

PARTIAL PRODUCTION RECORD. MINE WORKED INTERMITTENTLY SINCE 1880, BUT FIGURES ARE GENERALLY UNAVAILABLE. IRVING AND BANCROFT (1911) REPORTED TWO CARLOADS SHIPPED IN 1906. USGS MINERAL RESOURCES OF U.S. VOLUMES AND USBM MINERAL YEARBOOKS CITE PRODUCTION IN 1913, 1935-1939, AND 1961. FIGURES FOR 1913 AND 1935-1937 NOT REPORTED SEPARATELY BUT COMBINED WITH THOSE OF OTHER LAKE DISTRICT MINES; PRODUCTION CONSIDERED TO BE SMALL. TOTAL PRODUCTION IN LAKE DISTRICT IN 1961 PRESUMABLY ATTRIBUTED TO GOLDEN WONDER, ONLY REPORTED ACTIVE MINE. ESTIMATED PRODUCTION FOR 19,1 REPRESENTS REOPENING OF MINE AND CONSISTS OF 35-ST LOT PRODUCED ON 6/3/81 AND 10- TO 15-ST LOT PRODUCED ON 6/10/81; REPORTED GRADES ARE RANGES OF 10 ASSAYS OF 35-ST LOT.

Comments on the workings information

OPEN CUTS. CDM'S DESCRIPTION OF WORKINGS AS OF 1978: TUNNEL 1 (UPPER) DRIVEN 400 FT GENERALLY NE. TUNNEL 2, LOCATED 130 FT BELOW TUNNEL 1, DRIVEN 600 FT GENERALLY NE, WITH 32-FT WINZE AT 243 FT FROM PORTAL. TUNNEL 3, LOCATED 200 FT BELOW TUNNEL 2, DRIVEN 1000 FT GENERALLY NE. IN TUNNEL 3, AT 425 FT FROM PORTAL, ARE 180-FT WINZE WITH 50-FT DRIFT AND 180-FT SE CROSSCUT WITH 60-FT SW DRIFT, THENCE 40-FT NW CROSSCUT TO 25-FT INCLINED WINZE AND 60-FT RAISE. AT 170 FT FROM PORTAL, NEW 240-FT SE CROSSCUT DRIVEN TO JOIN OLD DRIFTS. WHETHER OR NOT BIGELOW SAFETY TUNNEL (CITED IN MINING RECORD, 3/11/81) CORRESPONDS TO ONE OF THREE DESCRIBED TUNNELS IS UNCERTAIN.

Reference information

Links to other databases

Agency	Database name	Acronym	Record ID	Notes
USGS	Mineral Resources Data System	MRDS	D011560
U.S. Bureau of Mines	Minerals Availability System	MAS	0080530045

Bibliographic references

Deposit

IRVING, J.D., AND BANCROFT, HOWLAND, 1911, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS NEAR LAKE CITY, COLORADO: USGS BULL. 478, P. 101-102
Deposit

LIPMAN, P.W., AND OTHERS, 1976, MULTIPLE AGES OF MID-TERTIARY MINERALIZATION AND ALTERATION IN THE WESTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS, COLORADO: ECON. GEOLOGY, V. 71, NO. 3, P. 571-588.
Deposit

SLACK, J.F., 1980, MULTISTAGE VEIN ORES OF THE LAKE CITY DISTRICT, WESTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS, COLORADO: ECON. GEOLOGY, V. 75, NO. 7, P. 963-991.
Deposit

COLORADO DIV. MINES INF. REPTS. AND ANNUAL OPERATOR REPTS.
Deposit

BLM MINERAL SURVEYS MS 552, 553, 17651
Deposit

MINING RECORD, 1981-82, (VARIOUS ARTICLES): MINING RECORD, 3/11/81, 4/22/81, 6/17/81. 9/16/81, 12/15/82.
Deposit

WILKINSON, BRUCE, 1981, GOLDEN WONDER MINE BEGINS WITH LIMITED ORE PRODUCTION: DENVER POST, 6/14/81.
Deposit

FISHER, F.S., AND LEEDY, W.P., 1973, GEOCHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF MINERALIZED BRECCIA PIPES IN THE RED MOUNTAIN DISTRICT, SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS, COLORADO: USGS BULL. 1381.
Deposit

SLACK, J.F., 1976, HYPOGENE ZONING AND MULTISTAGE VEIN MINERALIZATION IN THE LAKE CITY AREA, WESTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS, COLORADO: STANFORD UNIV. PH.D. THESIS, 327 P.
Production

COLORADO DIV. MINES ANNUAL OPERATOR REPT. (1939); MINERAL RESOURCES OF U.S.; IRVING AND BANCROFT (1911); MINING RECORD, 1981

General comments

Subject category	Comment text
Deposit	MINE LOCATED IN FAR NE PART OF UNCOMPAHGRE CALDERA MOAT FILL IN THICK RHYOLITE FLOWS AND DOMES THAT INCLUDE LOCAL FLOW BRECCIAS AND BEDDED TUFFS, ESPECIALLY SUSCEPTIBLE TO ACID-SULFATE ALTERATION. LIPMEN (1976) SHOWED HYDROTHERMAL ALTERATION IN RHYOLITE AND ADJACENT ANDESITE OVER SUBSTANTIAL AREA AROUND MINE. IRVING AND BANCROFT (1911) DESCRIBED COUNTRY ROCK AS CONSIDERABLY SILICIFIED, LOCALLY SERICITIZED, AND PYRITIZED FOR GREAT DISTANCE AROUND MINE. THEY CONSIDERED DEPOSIT TO BE REPLACEMENT. QUARTZ VEINS SCARCE. ACCORDING TO MINING RECORD (6/17/81) AND WILKINSON (1981), NEWER INTERPRETATION OF DEPOSIT IS BRECCIA PIPE, POSSIBLY RELATED TO LOCAL INTRUSIVE CENTER ON UNCOMPAHGRE VOLCANICS EMPLACED LATE IN DEVELOPMENT OF UNCOMPAHGRE CALDERA. SEE FISHER AND LEEDY (1973) FOR DESCRIPTION OF BRECCIA PIPES IN SILVERTON CALDERA, AND SLACK (1976) FOR DESCRIPTION OF GOLDEN WONDER BRECCIA PIPE (THIS PH.D. THESIS WAS NOT CHECKED FOR THIS RECORD.
Deposit	ADDITIONAL REFERENCE: (11) BILLINGS, PATTY, 1983, UNDERGROUND GEOLOGIC MAPS OF THE GOLDEN WONDER MINE, LAKE CITY, HINSDALE COUNTY, COLORADO: USGS OPEN-FILE REPT. 83-907. ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT; 2 UNPUB REPT

Subject category

Comment text

Deposit

MINE LOCATED IN FAR NE PART OF UNCOMPAHGRE CALDERA MOAT FILL IN THICK RHYOLITE FLOWS AND DOMES THAT INCLUDE LOCAL FLOW BRECCIAS AND BEDDED TUFFS, ESPECIALLY SUSCEPTIBLE TO ACID-SULFATE ALTERATION. LIPMEN (1976) SHOWED HYDROTHERMAL ALTERATION IN RHYOLITE AND ADJACENT ANDESITE OVER SUBSTANTIAL AREA AROUND MINE. IRVING AND BANCROFT (1911) DESCRIBED COUNTRY ROCK AS CONSIDERABLY SILICIFIED, LOCALLY SERICITIZED, AND PYRITIZED FOR GREAT DISTANCE AROUND MINE. THEY CONSIDERED DEPOSIT TO BE REPLACEMENT. QUARTZ VEINS SCARCE. ACCORDING TO MINING RECORD (6/17/81) AND WILKINSON (1981), NEWER INTERPRETATION OF DEPOSIT IS BRECCIA PIPE, POSSIBLY RELATED TO LOCAL INTRUSIVE CENTER ON UNCOMPAHGRE VOLCANICS EMPLACED LATE IN DEVELOPMENT OF UNCOMPAHGRE CALDERA. SEE FISHER AND LEEDY (1973) FOR DESCRIPTION OF BRECCIA PIPES IN SILVERTON CALDERA, AND SLACK (1976) FOR DESCRIPTION OF GOLDEN WONDER BRECCIA PIPE (THIS PH.D. THESIS WAS NOT CHECKED FOR THIS RECORD.

Deposit

ADDITIONAL REFERENCE: (11) BILLINGS, PATTY, 1983, UNDERGROUND GEOLOGIC MAPS OF THE GOLDEN WONDER MINE, LAKE CITY, HINSDALE COUNTY, COLORADO: USGS OPEN-FILE REPT. 83-907. ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT; 2 UNPUB REPT

Reporter information

Type	Date	Name	Affiliation	Comment
Reporter	01-MAR-1984	Schwochow, Stephen D.	Colorado Geological Survey

Beyond USGS

Supplemental information added by qvyshift.com. Not part of the original USGS MRDS record.

Current status (per MSHA)

Status	Abandoned since 10/01/2019
MSHA mine ID	0501506
Mine name (MSHA)	Golden Wonder
Current operator	Coal Creek Construction
Current controller (parent)	Michael Ray Schell
Mine type	Underground (Metal / non-metal)

Inferred by coordinate + name similarity (263 m, 1.00 match). Confirm against MSHA if precision matters — non-USGS-curated cross-references may occasionally point at a neighbouring mine.

Open MSHA's Mine Data Retrieval System for inspections, accidents, and violations for this mine.

External references

Wikidata: Q49415561 (Golden Wonder Mine)

Maps centered on this site

Authoritative Colorado resources

These are landing pages for further research — the state agencies don't currently expose per-mine deep links.