[Rockhounds] Calcite

[billtompkinscccc at comcast.net]

As for mindat, Coffin Butte has at least 3 different quarries with at least that many names.  The best collecting was at the S2F quarry, now owned (I believe) by the Morse bros. and they operate the Benton County landfill there.  To the east is the old D.O.T. quarry that's now a bird sanctuary.  It was started during WW2 when Camp Adair used it as a place for engineers to practice before being shipped out.  There are still many old drill bits abandoned where they were when the phone rang and it was time to go.  And finally. around to the west, the one Tim mentioned.

-------------- Original message -------------- 
From: Pmodreski at aol.com 

> That's an awesome description of that pocket, Bill. Do you know if anyone 
> has a copy of that picture, posted online or ever published anywhere? 
> 
> I just searched on mindat and, interestingly, no one has posted any calcite 
> or stilbite images there; the only pictures (4) posted there for Coffin Butte 
> are analcime and apophyllite. 
> 
> P.S., I did quite understand what was funny (?) about prismatic calcite; 
> sounds fine to me. High cirrus clouds that show rainbow colors near the sun 
> are 
> commonly called "prismatic clouds" in meteorology. 
> 
> (of course, prismatic referred to a mineral would be confused with meaning a 
> prism-shaped crystal habit; parallel-elongated faces, which is something that 
> calcite can form.) 
> 
> cheers, 
> Pete 
> 
> 
> 
> In a message dated 12/6/2008 11:07:36 P.M. Mountain Standard Time, 
> billtompkinscccc at comcast.net writes: 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> John- 
> 
> I can't help myself. You must be drinking "Light" beer. :) 
> 
> 
> Actually, I was with Jon Gladwell when he broke into a huge pocket at Coffin 
> Butte. How big was it? We stood two people in the pocket for a photo 
> because we felt no one would believe it wasn't just another fishing story. The 
> vug was about 8 feet tall, 4 feet wide, and 3 feet deep, lined with inch long 
> stilbites and 2 inch calcite cubes about every 6 inches. It was blinding in 
> the sunlight. 
> 
> The next weekend, the entire area was gone, crushed into gravel by the owner. 
> 
> They've since filled the entire mountainside with garbage, covered it with 
> thick plastic, and now convert the methane gas to electricity. 
> 
> Too bad they did it so fast, there were areas with 2 inch tall apophyllites, 
> inch long stilbites in plates 6 inches across, half inch analcimes, calcites 
> by the dozens....... ah, yes, I miss that place. 
> 
> Bill Tompkins 
> 
> -------------- Original message -------------- 
> From: "John Siebel" 
> 
> > I've got a handsome calcite on stilbite from Coffin Butte, OR (one of 
> many). 
> > In the proper light it shows a rainbow. How should I label it? I'm 
> thinking 
> > prismatic perhaps? 
> > 
> > John 
> > 
> > 
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