Canadian Rockhound: Rare Pineapple Quartz from Cummins Creek, northern British Columbia

The dull grey sky did not look promising as we hiked across the alpine meadows with a howling wind in our faces. My prospecting partner, Bruce Holden and I were headed to a steep canyon on Cummins Creek in northwestern British Columbia. After hiking 3 miles from our base camp Bruce suddenly pointed and said "There's a goat running towards us!" Sure enough a big billy was in full gallop on an open slope headed directly for us. Mountain goats are a common sight in the Whitesail Mountains but being run over by one is not. We watched as his rhythmic hooves scattered gravel and mud while he came full bore at us. Fifty yards away he veered slightly to the right and passed by. We both thought there must be something chasing him and waited for a pack of wolves to come by next. They never did but it was an interesting start to our 3-day prospecting trip.

The Whitesail Mountains are located approximately 90 miles by air south of Houston, BC. They are dominated by Troitsa Peak at 7350 feet and sit on a peninsula with Tahtsa Reach to the north and Whitesail Lake to the south. Both bodies of water were expanded in the mid-1960's as a reservoir for the Kitimat aluminum smelter. To the east starts the flat Cariboo plateau and to the west the rugged peaks of the Coast range march to the Pacific Ocean, some 200 miles away.

The Whitesail Mountains.

These mountains are included in the west-central part of the Intermontaine belt of the B.C. cordillera. The Whitesails expose the southern margin of a major east-northeast trending transverse tectonic belt known as the Skeena Arch. Rock units across the Intermontaine belt include upper Paleozoic to Miocene volcanics, sediments and intrusive rocks. The Hazelton group dominates the lithologies in this area. Volcanics of the upper Cretaceous Kasalka and lower Tertiary Ootsa Lake group were deposited in a series of basins across much of the area. This volcanic-tectonic episode is responsible for the development of many significant mineral deposits in west-central B.C.

Cummins Creek chews on a southern flank of the Whitesail Mountains. Hiking across the alpine, we planned to do assessment work there on a property we had staked the previous year. Numerous quartz veins in a northwest-southeast trending zone are exposed in the creek bed and along the canyons until they disappear into the mountain terrain. The veins are up to 6 feet in thickness, are exposed for lengths up to l00 yards and can be traced for distances up to three hundred yards. The best-developed veins appear to strike in a northern direction and dip vertically or at steep angles to the east.

Our interest in Cummins Creek started by reading old reports of exploration performed in the early 1980's. Swarms of quartz veins with some mineralization had been found and sampled. Initial sampling and assessment had been promising and a few assay samples had returned big numbers but the companies wrote off the area and let their claims lapse. The rush for epithermal deposits had waned and the area was open ground again. As we were doing exploration in an area 10 miles east it was this curiosity that led us to Cummins in the summer of 1998.

On that prospecting trip a set-out by helicopter had landed us on a gravel bar upstream of the steep canyon. We explored downstream and found numerous standing quartz veins crossing the streambed. Camping at the bottom end, we decided to stake and sample the veins for enrichment. We staked 3 units of 500 by 500 meters each covering the main swarm and took grab samples as needed. The hike out of the canyon up through the treeline and across the alpine back to our fly-in base camp took an entire day and all our energy. ICP results were promising and further assessment was needed. We felt the area had something more to show. Our hunch was right but in a very different way.

This time we did not have a set-out by chopper and had to hike in and out of the area. After the run in with the billy we had to choose a safe descent into the ravines and trees. Our luck continued as we found a snow filled ravine that led directly to Cummins Creek and we hiked down to the only level spot on the creek right above our top claimpost. Just as we started to set up camp the sun came out and we dried our gear on the warming rocks and gravel. It was the only sun we saw that trip.

Putting sore feet into the snowmelt creek brought us back to life. After setting up we explored the immediate area and only found minor veins and no mineral staining. Later, under a tarp in the rain, we decided unless conditions improved we would only sample for one full day then hike back to our main camp.

We headed downstream the next morning in the drizzle with light packs, tools and a suitable walking stick. It was necessary to crisscross the creek bed many times and even rubber boots were tricky on the boulders. Working downstream, the occasional snow pack, logjam and many waterfalls made for difficult and slippery conditions.

Looking for minerals below a waterfall.

Covering each side of the canyon we searched for visible signs of minerals and below a big waterfall soon found some. A large standing quartz vein stood beside the creek bed. I poked the soft moss-covered top and from the mud and clay below out popped a 1-inch quartz crystal; quite fat and unusual in shape with a slightly rounded clear point and clear uniform overgrowth crystals cladding most of its length. With another mile of canyon to sample that day, I put it in my pocket and prospected downstream.

Double tourminated quartz
A few of the many doubly terminated quartz specimens
that were found.

When Bruce caught up we agreed the single crystal was unusual. We then proceeded to search for mineralization and enrichment zones. From a very vuggy 2-foot quartz vein Bruce extracted many fine clusters and doubly terminated quartz specimens, some displaying a skirt of fine needle points at their girth. The name hedgehogs came to mind. Further downstream strange botryoidal coated quartz boulders appeared as float from an unknown source. Sampling down to the bottom post was completed in the afternoon. Conditions worsened as we headed back up. Crossing the creek became even more difficult and hazardous with the rising water and tired legs.

On the way up the canyon, Bruce stopped to dig in where he had found the skirted crystals and I headed back to the moss-covered vein. After peeling a piece of moss off the top measuring 2 feet by 6 feet I noticed a back wall of white quartz. The space between had mud on top and as I poked in became sticky grey clay. Soon many single crystals began to appear. Bruce arrived and working with a screwdriver, pick and sledge we started to open the front face of a pocket lined with strange pineapple shaped crystals.

The clay-coated pieces were placed in the creek and scrubbed rather quickly in the finger numbing water. Many larger single and double pineapples appeared. When a large front plate of approximately 300 pounds came free we stopped in amazement. Covering most of the inside face of this 2 foot by 3 foot by 1 foot plate were many pineapples with one up to 3 inches long by 2 inches wide. Right in the center however was a barren spot. Looking at the grey modeling clay-like impression left on the pocket confirmed this. The clay filling showed perfect indentations where the pineapples had been and a smooth spot where the plate was bare.

Pineapple plate
A plate of Pineapple quartz crystals.

After poking around gently with the screwdriver, the missing crystals were soon recovered and getting the toothbrush treatment in the creek. The small sharp overgrowths quickly eroded the plastic brush and bristles. Larger plates we set on the mossy bank nearby and in 45 minutes we had collected over 400 pounds of specimens. Our enthusiasm was tempered by the failing light and taking a few choice pieces we headed back up to our camp. In front of the fire we talked about what we could possibly do with this find. We formulated a plan that would allow us to recover the bulk of the specimens but it would have to wait. During the night the voices in the creek told us that our packs would be fully loaded the next day.

Falling rain woke us but after hot drinks we quickly agreed to head downstream and continue working on the pocket for a minimal time then pack up gear and samples and head out. We packed newspapers down with us then trimmed and wrapped up the nicest specimens. Choices were difficult as we had no ambition to hike back up thousands of feet to the alpine and miles back to our main camp with anything less than the best. The snow expressway down proved to be the Chilkoot Trail up and we just reached our main camp as darkness fell and our legs gave out.

Pulling our hard earned prizes from our backpacks our camp chief Hoopy snorted "You guys gone loco ... what's wrong with your coconut ... where's the gold? Quartz crystals are a dime a dozen ... leaverite!". After a hot meal and a well-deserved mug of our Whitesail Ale we scrubbed the pieces in warm water. Spreading them all over the table to admire we decided they looked pretty good in the propane light. Just to cause trouble, we weren't going to move them for a few days. We thought we'd make it difficult for Hoopy to do his daily chores after the drumming we had received.

Two days later Hoopy surprised us by commenting that the pineapples were very special. It seemed every morning at 5 am when he got up to get the helltooter (woodstove) and the coffee going, they were sparkling at him with no inside lights on. The many uniform small clear overgrowth crystals capture and reflect available light making them flash and sparkle vividly in low light conditions.

The main crystals show clear tips and a generally milky center. Examination shows that secondary fluid flows have eroded the main crystal termination to a slightly curved shape and deposited the overgrowths across most of the rest of the crystal. The well-terminated overgrowths appear clear and exhibit the effect of gravity and/or the fluid flow path, as one side will have a noticeably flattened appearance. Their effect is pleasing and resembles pineapples in their proportion and spiky exterior.

Doubly tourminated quartz crystals.

Our main camp requires helicopter support and unfortunately the weather window in the summer of 1999 was very short. Breaking down our main camp was delayed one day due to poor visibility and cloud cover over the entire northwest. The next day the ceiling lifted enough and we confirmed pick up by radio. When the chopper arrived we informed Carl the pilot that we had left 300 pounds of beautiful pineapples beside a creek nearby. He looked at us puzzled until we explained our plan. After several net loads were slung out from our main camp, Bruce and I climbed aboard for a return trip to Cummins Creek.

As we directed Carl towards the canyon, the wind and rain blew harder. We flew down below the waterfall and after hovering he stated the wind conditions and clearance were OK to pick up a sling load. He then landed us on the gravel bar upstream where we grabbed pre-packaged gunnysacks, dirty clothes, foamies, a wire sling, shackles and an ore bag.

Large pinapple quartz
A beautiful large pineapple quartz crystal protrudes
from a plate.

We scrambled down to where the pieces lay on the moss and proceeded to trim and wrap the best and put them in the ore bag. We then shackled the wire sling to the ore bag. Twenty minutes later we heard the sound of rotors and standing on a large rock, snapped the sling into the belly hook of the Bell 206. He lifted the ore bag neatly up the canyon and set it down gently on the gravel bar above. We quickly hiked up then loaded the wrapped pieces into the back seat and cargo area. As we had 2 passengers and gear on board already, our load limit for specimens had been reached. We had left many pieces by the creek below. Sitting in the chopper heading back to the reach where we had parked our vehicles we let out a sigh of relief. Our final hour on Cummins Creek in the Whitesails had been incredibly hard but the sight of what we had recovered made the effort worth it.

Since this trip we have cleaned most of the specimens. People are amazed with their sparkly and flashing appearance. A choice plate is slated to be donated to the new Pacific Mineral Museum in Vancouver, BC, and collectors are showing a keen interest. The extreme effort and follow up required to obtain these specimens only adds to their beauty. As this remote property is staked and very hazardous, visitors are not encouraged or authorized. The owners welcome enquiries as to specimen availability and may consider further collecting at this site in the future. We realize that alongside a snowmelt creek in a canyon below a waterfall there still remains the back face and bottom of an incredible pineapple vug to explore.

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You may also contact the author using the address below. Please do not send unsolicited mail.

Randy Lord,
Whitesail Opal
7512 - 18th Ave.,
Burnaby, BC,
Canada V3N 1H9