Had a good field day at the Graphic Mine. Splendid weather and views. The tailings were on the picked-over side but plenty of material for micromounts. A little smithsonite, some small malachites, a bit of azurite, lots of specular hematite, some teeny pyrites that may do well under the microscope. A couple of flaky friends were too late for the trip up the mountain so I rode with a very high level collector, which was pretty lucky and educational. He is trying to get in 2 field trips a week. I may never get there, but I do want to get moving now that the weather is moderating, snakes be damned.

On the way home took the back road through Reserve and it was peaceful and scenic.

Today I finally loaded OnX Hunt on a tablet, it offers aerial photos and land-ownership maps, very helpful for staying out of trouble when finding mines in the wild. Regrettably it does not have contours, section lines, or the other good things on USGS topos. So, I'm hand coloring the ownership status on the paper topos I have for my first few expeditions. I've already marked up mine locations (which are not always correct but it's a start).

Now all I need is time and better weather, so maybe next week. There was standing water in my road and drive when I got back, first time ever. I have a few unsuspecting friends who seem willing to go along so I'll not be 4WDing in strange places alone.