Weird rocks!

[Bosterson]

Found in Eagle Cap: first rock appears to have broken into pieces, but is some kind of green crystalline thing (the perpendicular crystal bit was reminiscent of what you'd find inside a geode), and was the only rock of its kind anywhere, so it seemed special; second rock appears to have some kind of metal embedded in it - felt like lead?? Never seen anything like either of these in the Wallowas before.

[Brian95]

Strange indeed, and this is coming from somebody who has taken multiple geology courses! Certainly not Columbia River Basalt, or any other extrusive formation. From a geologic map of Oregon (https://gis.dogami.oregon.gov/maps/geologicmap/), there appear to be two other groups in the area: the Wallowa Batholith (granite/granodiorite/tonalite intrusion) and the Hurwal Formation (part of the Wallowa Terrane). Take all I say past this point with a grain of salt, because without hand samples identification becomes very difficult .

Regarding the first rock, it does not appear quartz-rich, so is almost certainly part of the Hurwal formation. Being part of a terrane, the composition is quite heterogeneous. In the area of Eagle Cap, contains abundant greenstone, which I would probably consider the most likely identification of the first rock. To determine the exact nature of the green mineral itself, I would need the hand sample.

The second rock, I'm much less sure about. Purely from looks, it seems that it might contain significant quartz, but I can't say this for certain, so can't even definitively say which of the groups it is from, much less what type of rock it is.

[Lurch]

My non-geologist mind would say Peridot?


https://geogallery.si.edu/10002796/peridot-in-basalt

[Don Nelsen]

The green one is obviously Kryptonite. Be careful with that one or you could lose some of your super powers. The other must be Unobtainium. Careful with that one too or you could just float away.

[BurnsideBob]

Hi Bosterson!

Great finds. Your green rocks may be serpentine--Google 'Serpentine-images' and you'll get images very similar to what you found.

No clue on the last rock, which in addition to the metallic nodules appears to be partly quartz.

There are a number of mining claims in the Eagle Cap including the one Mark Hemstreet (Shiloh Inns' owner) got control of and, after threatening to develop a hotel on it (inside the wilderness area), tried to exchange for other public property. Not sure how that gambit turned out.

[Webfoot]

There are a number of mining claims in the Eagle Cap including the one Mark Hemstreet (Shiloh Inns' owner) got control of and, after threatening to develop a hotel on it (inside the wilderness area), tried to exchange for other public property. Not sure how that gambit turned out.

It sounds like there's a story here, and I searched for it but found only allusions. Got a link for that? My first thought is that if it's his property he should be able to build a hotel on it, but I suppose there is more to the story.

[retired jerry]

it's a frickin Wilderness, Hemstreet should not be allowed to buy a mining claim, to circumvent Wilderness laws, and build a hotel

okay, maybe the mining claim should be grandfather, they should be able to continue mining in the way they were before Wilderness, although I think the idea people can go to government land, start mining, and then make a claim is out dated. Maybe that was okay a long time ago when the land was being "settled" (taken from native Americans )

[Webfoot]

So this claim came after the establishment of a Wilderness area? I didn't think that was possible. If it somehow is possible that seems totally wrong.

If this was family property before the Wilderness was created around it however it seems like a case of eminent domain with all the complexity and "gray area" that entails.

[retired jerry]

I assume the claim was made before Wilderness designation

[Water]

It's at hawkins pass. Here's a link to an article and an image of the area he owns.

http://djcoregon.com/news/2001/08/29/ho ... his-ranch/

The Hawkins Pass land was first filed as a mining claim in 1916, according to court records.
In the 1980s, the Forest Service tried to buy the Hawkins Pass property but found that a web of owners with fractional interests in the property made a sale difficult.
Then in 1991, Hostetter bought the claims for about $12,000 from three different sets of owners, according to records on file with Wallowa and Union counties. Those owners included a Florida couple who had to be forced to sell in a lawsuit filed by Hostetter against the couple.
Three years after Hostetter bought the Hawkins Pass property, he sold it to Hemstreet for $107,200.
“I had no idea it would turn into a $100,000 property,” said David Baum, a La Grande attorney who turned his share in the claims over to a law partner for free, and who in turn sold to Hostetter.
The Forest Service had appraised the property at $23,000 in 1993, according to Linda Vore, a realty specialist with the Wallowa Whitman National Forest.
Building on the property would increase its value and benefit Hemstreet because a higher value means he could get more in trade for land around Shilo Ranch. Prices for the grasslands and ponderosa pine forests near his ranch range from about $100 per acre to $300, plus the timber values on the land.
Most recently, in March, Hostetter wrote Hanley Jenkins, Union County’s planner, telling him Hemstreet wanted to proceed with building a storage shed at Hawkins Pass.

on a side note this website not remembering me is a real hassle. it's like another nail in the coffin if whoever runs it wants people to keep using it and posting content.