Mineral Resources of 

the Mount Baldy 

Primitive Area, Arizona

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 1230-H

\

Mineral Resources of 

the Mount Baldy 

Primitive Area, Arizona

By TOMMY L. FINNELL and C. GILBERT BOWLES, U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, and 

JOHN H. SOULE, U.S. BUREAU OF MINES

STUDIES RELATED TO WILDERNESS

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 1230-H

An evaluation of the mineral potential 

of part of the White Mountains

UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON t 1967
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

STEWART L. UDALL, Secretary

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

William T. Pecora, Director

For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office 

Washington, D.C. 20402 - Price 15 cents (paper cover)
STUDIES BELATED TO 

WILDERNESS

The Wilderness Act (Public Law 88-577, Sept 3, 

1964) and the Conference Report on Senate bill 4, 88th 

Congress, direct the U.S. Geological Survey and the 

U.S. Bureau of Mines to make mineral surveys of 

wilderness and primitive areas. Areas officially designated as "wilderness," "wild," or "canoe," when the 

Act was passed, were incorporated into the National 

Wilderness Preservation System. Areas classed as 

"primitive" were not included in the Wilderness 

System, but the Act provided that each primitive area 

should be studied for its suitability for incorporation 

into the Wilderness System. The mineral surveys 

constitute one aspect of the suitability study. This 

bulletin reports the results of a mineral survey in the 

Mount Baldy primitive area, Arizona. The area discussed in the report corresponds to the area under 

consideration for wilderness status. It is not identical 

with the Mount Baldy Primitive Area as defined because modifications of the boundary have been proposed for the area to be considered for wilderness 

status. The area that was studied is referred to as the 

Mount Baldy primitive area.

This bulletin is one of a series of similar reports on 

primitive areas.

CONTENTS

Page

Summary... _______________________________________________ HI

Geology and mineral resources, by Tommy L. Finnell and C. Gilbert

Bowles----------------_____________________________ 1

Location and geography--________-____________________________ 1

Relation to Fort Apache Indian Primitive Area___________________ 4

Previous studies. _ _________________________________ 4

Present study,________ ______________________________ ____ 5

Descriptive geology.,_______________________ __________ __ 5

Upper Tertiary volcanic rocks___--__--___-_-_-_______-_____- 5

Quaternary rocks_---------------_---_-----_---_----------- 9

Structure--------_--_-_-_________________________ 10

Mineral resources_____ __________________________________ 11

Ore deposits____-----------------_----_-----_---___------_ 11

Construction material___--_________________________________ 11

Other mineral commodities.________________________ 11

Economic appraisal, by John H. Soul6______---____-__________ 12

Mineral appraisal____________________ __________ __ 13

References cited____ _________ _______ ___________ 14

ILLUSTRATIONS

Page 

FIGUBB 1. Index map of Arizona ________________ _ H2

2. Index map of primitive area.____ _______________________ 3

3. Index map showing relation of Fort Apache Indian Primitive

Area to the Mount Baldy primitive area____ _________ 4

4. Reconnaissance geologic map of the Mount Baldy primitive

area_ ______ _ __ _____ 6

TABLE

^_ Page 

TABLE 1. &iemical composition of samples from the Mount Baldy primitive area and vicinity.--_____________ _______ H12
\
STUDIES RELATED TO WILDERNESS

MINERAL RESOURCES OF THE MOUNT BALDY 

PRIMITIVE AREA, ARIZONA

By TOMMY L. FINNELL and C. GILBERT BOWLES, U.S. Geological 

Survey, and JOHN H. SOULE, U.S. Bureau of Mines

SUMMARY

The Mount Baldy primitive area occupies an area of about 7,400 acres in the 

White Mountains of east-central Arizona in the Apache National Forest, The 

area is apparently barren of mineral deposits. No mineral deposits, mining 

claims, or concentrations of trace metals were recognized within the primitive 

area during the investigations of the U.S. Geological Survey and the-U.S. Bureau 

of Mines. No oil test holes have been drilled within the area; holes drilled about 

85 milesr north of the area were not productive.

The Mount Baldy primitive area is underlain by about 3,500 feet of volcanic 

flows and,as much as 450 feet of glacial drift. The volcanic rocks are mainly 

andesite porphyry, basalt, and basaltic scoria and tuff beds. The glacial drift 

consists mainly of rock fragments derived from the volcanic rocks.

Representative samples of most of the bedrock units and of sediments from the 

main streams draining the area were analyzed by semiquantitative spectrographic 

and chemical methods. The metal content of all the samples is low, and the 

possibility of commercial deposits of metallic ores in the area seems remote.

A small cinder cone in the north part of the area might yield material suitable 

for road metal, but its small size and inaccessibility as compared with many Other 

cinder cones in the region lessen its potential value.

The Coconino Sandstone, a potential reservoir for petroleum and natural gas, 

may be present at depth beneath the White Mountains; but the existence of 

structural traps is highly conjectural.

Rocks of the type that yield bleaching clay are not in the primitive area. If 

coal is beneath the volcanic rocks, it is probably of low grade, thin, and too far 

fcelow the surface for exploitation.

GEOLOGY AND MINERAL RESOURCES

By TOMMY L. FINNEXL and C. GILBEBT BOWLES, U.S. Geological Survey

LOCATION AND GEOGRAPHY

The Mount Baldy primitive area is in the White Mountains of eastcentral Arizona (fig. 1). The area is roughly triangular and consists

HI
H2 STUDIES RELATED TO WILDERNESS

113" 112° 110" nr

1H1

1 0' 109*

50 100 150 MILES

FIGUBE 1. Location of Mount Baldy primitive area.

of about 7,400 acres in south-central Apache County. It is drained 

by northeast-flowing tributaries of the Little Colorado River. The 

south, west, and northwest boundaries of the area roughly follow ridges 

marking the drainage divide with south- and west-flowing tributaries 

of the Salt River. The ridges are rounded, with some sharp crests, and 

are interrupted by steep bluffs, saddles, and knolls. Valleys in the 

primitive area have gently sloping floors and moderately steep waWs 

which in places include cliffs as much as 100 feet high. Altitudes 

within the area range from about 9,200 to 11,550 feet above sea level. 

Baldy Peak, the highest point in the White Mountain, is about a 

quarter of a mile south of the primitive area and has an altitude of 

11,590 feet.

Most of the slopes and ridges are covered by forest; mixed stands 

of fir, pine, and aspen extend up to an altitude of about 10,500 feet,
MINERALS, MOUNT BALDY PRIMITIVE AREA, ARIZONA H3

and spruce extends from there to the summit. Meadows along the 

valley floors merge locally with grassy slopes that in places continue 

several hundred feet up the valley walls. The summit ridge of 

Mount Baldy is nearly devoid of trees, and the windswept west slope 

is sparsely covered with grass.

The area may be reached by automobile at two places along its 

northeastern boundary (fig. 2) by following dirt roads that lead from

109°30r

MB-31 ^ ;' 

APACHE\NATIONAL

FORT APACHE INDIAN 

RESERVATION

EXPLANATION

Line of traverse

Proposed wilderness 

boundary

Primitive-area 

boundary

Apache National 

Forest boundary

Improved road

Unimproved road 

, MB-24 

Sample locality

FIGTJEE 2. Existing primitive area, proposed wilderness boundary, principal 

routes of access, location of geologic traverses, and sample localities.

State Highway 273, a graded road. This road in turn is reached 

from State Highway 73 about 20 miles east from McNary or about 

13 miles south and west from Springerville. Trails from the ends 

of the roads provide access to the primitive area.

The Mount Baldy primitive area is in the Apache National Forest 

and adjoins the Fort Apache Indian Reservation. It is largely in 

T. 6 N., R. 26 and 27 E., and T. 7 N., R. 27 E. The area described 

in this report does not coincide with the Mount Baldy primitive area 

but includes small additional areas to be included in the proposed 

wilderness.

238-798 67 2
H4 STUDIES RELATED TO WILDERNESS

RELATION TO FORT APACHE INDIAN PRIMITIVE AREA

An area of 7,400 acres adjoining the Mount Baldy primitive area 

(fig. 3) on the west and including the summit of Mount Baldy is at 

present a primitive area of the White Mountain Apache Tribe of

// V FOREST \f^«

f\ * T ' - J \ \\ 5

FIGUBE 3. Relation of Fort Apache Indian Primitive Area to the Mount Baldy 

primitive area. Approximate boundary of Mount Baldy primitive area, dashed 

line; proposed boundary of Mount Baldy Wilderness Area, hachured line.

the Fort Apache Indian Reservation. By resolution 66-20 of the 

Tribal Council of this tribe dated January 13, 1966, this area was 

declared a primitive area for a 5-year period ending December 31,1970, 

with provision that before 1970 "the Tribal Council will review the 

land use requirements of the Fort Apache Indian Reservation and 

make a final determination on a permanent primitive area."

The Fort Apache Indian Primitive Area is not treated in this report 

but is believed to be generally similar in its geology and mineral 

resources to the Mount Baldy primitive area.

PREVIOUS STUDIES

Prior to the present study, the geology of the Mount Baldy primitive 

area was not well known. The general structure and lithology of 

the White Mountains were described by Gilbert (1875), and brief
MINERALS, MOUNT BALDY PRIMITIVE AREA, ARIZONA H5

reconnaissance trips into the mountains were made by Reagan (1903) 

and Darton (1925). Gross geologic features of the primitive area 

are shown on the geologic map of Navajo and Apache Counties, Ariz. 

(Wilson and others, 1960). The scanty reconnaissance data and 

knowledge of nearby areas suggested that volcanic cinders and scoria 

suitable for construction materials were the only economic mineral 

resources that might be expected within the area.

PRESENT STUDY

The field investigation of the Mount Baldy primitive area was made 

in May 1966. A reconnaissance geologic map (fig. 4) was made as a 

basis for evaluating the mineral potential of the area from traverse observations and aerial photographs. Visibility on the ground is limited 

by dense forest, and at the time of study snow concealed most of the 

ground above 10,000 feet on the north- and east-facing slopes.

Samples were collected from the principal bedrock units and from 

sediments of the main streams draining the area and were analyzed 

spectrographically.

DESCRIPTIVE GEOLOGY

The Mount Baldy primitive area is underlain by a thick sequence 

of upper Tertiary and Quaternary volcanic rocks (fig. 4). These 

rocks consist of three main units an older basaltic sequence, a middle 

andesitic sequence, and younger basalt flows. The rocks are mainly 

volcanic flows but include some basaltic scoria and agglomerate and 

two connected andesite dikes. The only sedimentary rocks in the area 

are thin conglomerate beds in the older basaltic sequence and poorly 

consolidated glacial drift. The older basalt flows dip steeply northeastward ; the andesite flows dip gently northeast to east; the younger 

basalt flows are nearly horizontal.

UPPER TERTIARY VOLCANIC ROCKS

The oldest rocks exposed in the Mount Baldy primitive area are a 

sequence of basalt flows and scoria and interbedded f ragmental basaltic 

tuff and conglomerate. These rocks probably are correlative with the 

lower part of a basaltic unit about 16 miles to the east, which Wrucke 

(1961) considered to be at least partly Tertiary in age, because they 

intertongue with a sedimentary formation that is similar to the Chuska 

Sandstone of Pliocene (?) age.

The basalts crop out in the upper valley of the West Fork of the 

Little Colorado River, but they presumably underlie much of the area 

at depth. They are generally poorly exposed but are well exposed at
H6 STUDIES RELATED TO WILDERNESS

the West Fork in the vicinity of section A-A' (fig. 4). Distribution 

and dip of the flows indicate a thickness of more than 2,000 feet.

Phelps 

Cabin

BALDY* 

PEAK

(SUMMIT)

Base map and primitive-area boundary from 

U.S. Forest Service planimetric maps

Geology by T. L. Fmnell 

and C. G. Bowles, 1966

2 MILES

FIGURE 4. Reconnaissance geologic map of the Mount Baldy primitive area,

Arizona.
MINERALS, MOUNT BALDY PRIMITIVE AREA, ARIZONA H7

The basalts are dark gray and dense to vesicular. The vesicular parts 

generally are weathered reddish brown. The dense variety locally 

has numerous closely spaced partings that impart a sheeted appearance to the rock. Olivine phenocrysts as much as an eighth of an inch 

long are common in the dense basalt. Much of the olivine is altered 

to a conspicuous redish-brown mineral.

EXPLANATION

01

< 

z. 

01 

u

<

D 

O

I

Qb, scoria flows and agglomerate

Basalt

Lava flows, tuff, agglomerate, 

atid conglomerate

01

01 

LU 

H

Contact

Dashed where approximately 

located

Strike and dip of flows

FIGUEE 4. Continued.
H8 STUDIES BELATED TO WILDERNESS

The vesicular basalts grade along the strike into scoria beds and reddish brown basaltic tuff. Conglomerate beds consisting of rounded 

basalt pebbles and cobbles in a matrix of volcanic debris poorly cemented with chalcedony are interbedded both with the basalt flows and 

the tuffs. They are 1 to 6 feet thick and are sparsely scattered through 

the sequence.

All these rocks were tilted as much as 40° from the horizontal, and 

their upturned edges were beveled by erosion before they were buried 

under thick flows of andesite.

Andesite flows that overlie the older basalts are the most widespread rocks in the Mount Baldy area. They are divided into three 

groups consisting (in ascending order) of the lojver gray andesite, the 

grayish-red andesite, and the upper gray andesite. Distribution of 

these groups outlines part of a simple dome that may be of structural 

origin. The andesites have a total thickness of about 1,350 feet.

Flows of the lower gray andesite unit are predominantly light gray 

to medium gray, weathering to a slightly lighter gray, although some 

flows in Lee Valley are pale reddish brown. Most of the flows are 

porphyritic, containing as much as 30 percent plagioclase feldspar 

phenocrysts as much as three-eighths of an inch long and a few hornblende crystals about a quarter of an inch long. The matrix is fine 

grained and peppered with tiny biotite flakes. Locally, a few quartz 

phenocrysts are present.

Vesicular zones a few feet thick characterize the tops of some flows 

and are the chief basis for distinguishing the separate flows. Individual flows range from 50 to 150 feet in thickness, and the unit as a 

whole ranges from 400 to 675 feet in thickness.

The contact of the unit with the overlying grayish-red andesite is 

generally covered by soil and rubble but seems to be conformable where 

it can be observed.

The grayish-red andesite unit forms bold outcrops and cliffs that 

weather reddish brown to dark brown and to rounded but rough surfaces. The rock is porphyritic, containing 25 to 40 percent of plagioclase phenocrysts as much as half an inch long and biotite crystals 

as much as a quarter of an inch across. The matrix is fine grained 

and pale grayish red, grading locally to reddish brown. Joints in the 

unit are partly coated with brown limonite and residual magnetite. 

Individual flows in the unit are poorly defined and can be distinguished 

only by thin and discontinuous zones of vesicles at their tops. The 

unit is as much as 450 feet thick. It forms the summit of Mount 

Baldy.

The contact with the upper gray andesite is concealed by surficial 

deposits but is near the edge of a bench below the slopes formed by
MINERALS, MOUNT BALDY PRIMITIVE AREA, ARIZONA H9

the upper gray andesite. A vesicular zone on the north side of the 

valley of the East Fork of the Little Colorado Kiver probably lies near 

the top of the grayish-red andesite, but there it is overlain unconformably by Quaternary basalt.

Andesite in a branching dike northwest of the West Fork of The 

Little Colorado Riber is classed as grayish-red andesite. The dike 

cuts both the lower gray andesite and the older basalts and contains 

inclusions of the lower gray andesite.

The upper gray andesite unit is poorly exposed and forms moderately steep slopes alternating with sloping benches on the tops of flows. 

The unit is characterized by a light-gray to medium-gray color. The 

rock is porphyritic, containing 15 to 25 percent of plagioclase phenocrysts and some hornblende crystals. The vesicular parts contain few 

phenocrysts. The matrix is very fine grained, almost glassy in appearance. Individual flows are 50 to 75 feet thick and have vesicular 

tops, and the unit as a whole is at least 230 feet thick. It is overlain 

unconformably by Quaternary basalt.

QUATERNARY ROCKS

Glacial drift rests on eroded grayish-red andesite north of the West 

Fork. The drift is weakly consolidated and forms rounded slopes covered by soil and studded with boulders as much as 15 feet in diameter. 

The boulders are a heterogeneous collection of rocks derived mainly 

from the older basalts and andesites, but boulders or perlite porphyry 

(feldspar phenocrysts in a matrix of light-gray devitrified glass) and 

vitrophyre (feldspar phenocrysts in a matrix of black glass) are present locally. Boulders of the vitrophyre near the summit of Mount 

Baldy indicate that glassy porphyry once lay above the andesites. 

The drift may be as much as 450 feet thick.

The glacial drift is poorly exposed in the area, but the outwash deposits exposed in railroad cuts at Sheep Crossing and in the highway 

cut at sample locality MB-31 (fig. 2) clearly show the poor sorting, indistinct bedding, and striated stones that are typical of glacial deposits. 

In places the glacial drift is overlain by flows of Quaternary basalt.

Bouldery gravel deposits on valley walls, valley floors, and on some 

ridge saddles were probably deposited there by glaciers. Melton 

(1961) considered the older glacial drift to be of early or middle 

Pleistocene age (pre-Wisconsin) and the moraines on the valley floors 

to be of late Pleistocene age (Wisconsin).

Quaternary basalt occurs in patches along the northeast side of the 

Mount Baldy primitive area, where it lies on irregular surfaces cut 

over glacial drift and earlier volcanic rocks. The unit is as much as
H10 STUDIES RELATED TO WILDERNESS

250 feet thick and includes basalt flows, scoria beds, agglomerate, a 

dike, and a small plug.

The basalt flows are dark gray and dense to vesicular and contain 

olivine phenocrysts as much as an eighth of an inch long. Some of 

the olivine is altered to a reddish-brown mineral. The matrix is fine 

grained and contains tiny laths of feldspar. The basalt forms gentle 

to moderately steep slopes and some cliffs,as much as 50 feet high. 

Some of the flows exhibit columnar jointing locally, and the basalt 

has numerous closely spaced partings that give the rock a sheeted appearance. The vesicular tops of flows form benches that merge upward into gentle slopes underlain, by scoria beds.

The scoria beds and agglomerate are aggregates of vesicular basalt 

bombs that range from % mch to 12 inches in diameter and that 

weather reddish brown. They probably were extruded from local 

vents and deposited in thin sheets on a surface of low relief and then 

were reworked slightly by running water.

A conical hill about 150 feet high, about three-quarters of a mile 

south-southwest of the north corner of the area, is composed of scoria 

fragments and may be an eroded cinder cone.

Kecent alluvial deposits of silt, sand, and gravel are in channels and 

on flood plains of all the main streams in the primitive area.

STRUCTURE

The rocks of the primitive area are only slightly deformed. The 

basalts of Tertiary age were tilted and partly eroded before they were 

covered by andesite flows. The basalt flows strike northwest; and 

although they locally dip as much as 55° NE., their average dip is 

39° NE.

The only faults observed in the area are small and are not shown 

on the map. These are a series of closely spaced vertical faults that 

trend northwest. They displace conglomerate of the Tertiary basalt 

sequence about 10 feet downward on the southwest side of the fault 

zone.

The andesite flows form a segment of a broad dome that crests near 

the summit of Mount Baldy. The dip to the northeast averages 

about 4°, but locally it steepens to 15°. Apparent dips indicated in 

section A-A' (fig. 4) are about 8° NW. at the northwest end of the 

section and about 8° SE. at the southeast end. The dips in the andesites 

may be entirely initial dips that reflect the attitude of the slope that 

was buried by the lavas. The Quaternary rocks show no signs of 

structural deformation.
MINERALS, MOUNT BALDY PRIMITIVE AREA, ARIZONA Hll 

MINERAL RESOURCES 

ORE DEPOSITS

The Mount Baldy primitive area is underlain by more than 3,500 

feet of upper Tertiary and Quaternary volcanic rocks, mainly flows 

and associated pyroclastic rocks which apparently contain no metallic 

ore deposits. The nearest ore deposits that have been mined are goldsilver veins at Mogollon, N. Mex., about 53 miles southeast of the area. 

In that area deposits occur in veins along faults in Tertiary volcanic 

rocks.

No faults of significant extent or displacement were found in the 

primitive area; nor were any claims, prospect pits, or other signs of 

mining activity found. Concentrations of visible ore minerals were 

not found; but to check for possible disseminated ore minerals, representative samples of most of the bedrock units were collected for semiquantitative spectrographic analysis; the results of these analyses are 

shown in table 1.

Sediments from the four main streams draining the primitive area 

were also analyzed spectrographically. All samples also were analyzed by chemical methods for their gold content, and the results are 

shown in the table. The metal content of all the samples is very low 

and indicates that the possibility of commercial ore deposits in the 

area is remote.

CONSTRUCTION MATERIAL

Volcanic cinders are quarried nearby for local use as road metal. 

The small cinder cone (?) in the north part of the area may be suitable 

for road metal, but many cinder cones east and north of the primitive 

area are much larger and more easily accessible.

OTHER MINERAL COMMODITIES

Sedimentary rocks that yield commodities such as oil, gas, coal, and 

uranium elsewhere in eastern Arizona either are absent in the Mount 

Baldy area or are present only at great depth.

No test holes for oil or gas have been drilled in the primitive area, 

probably because of its volcanic character. Test wells have been 

drilled about 35 miles north of the area, but none have been productive. 

Wells about 70 miles north of the area found significant quantities of 

helium-bearing natural gas in the Coconino Sandstone (Permian) 

(Heindl, 1952). Thin coal beds of poor quality have been mined for 

local use about 22 miles west-northwest of the area. The coal beds 

occur in sedimentary rocks of Late Cretaceous age that may be present 

at a depth of 2,000 feet or more beneath the surface of the primitive
H12 STUDIES BELATED TO WILDERNESS

area. Exploration for coal at such depths is considered to be 

uneconomical.

Small deposits of uranium are in the Chinle Formation (Triassic) 

about 40 miles north-northwest of the area, but regional geologic relations indicate that the Chinle Formation is not beneath the Mount 

Baldy primitive area. Similarly, other uranium-bearing formations 

of the Colorado Plateau probably are not beneath the area.

ECONOMIC APPRAISAL

By JOHN H. SOULE, U.S. Bureau of Mines

This report describes the mineral-occurrence investigations made by 

the U.S. Bureau of Mines in the Mount Baldy primitive area, Arizona, 

and on the adjacent part of the Fort Apache Indian Eeservation that 

was set aside by resolution of the Tribal Council of the White Mountain 

Apache Tribe. This study was limited to a determination of the 

existence of any mining claims, the status of the mining industry in the 

area, the mineral production from the area, and a very cursory examination along the northeastern edge of the area. All available records 

of private or U.S. Government exploration activities in the area were 

searched for data on mining claims, oil and gas leases, or mineral 

production. The records and personnel of the U.S. Forest Service, 

Apache National Forest, Springerville; the U.S. Bureau of Land 

Management, Phoenix; and the County Eecorder of Apache County, 

St. Johns, were consulted, as were various local residents. Acknowledgment is made of the assistance given by all of these.

TABLE 1. Chemical composition of samples from

Sample

Seraiquaotitative spectrographic analyses 

(parts per million)

No.

MB-2

MB-4

MB- 6

MB- 7

MB-9

MB- 14

MB-16

MB-10

MB- 12

MB- 19

MB-20

MB-38

MB-21

MB-24

MB-30

MB-31

MB-36

MB-37

MB-32

MB-33

MB- 34

MB-35

Na K

30,000 30,000

30,000 30,000

30,000 30,000

30,000 50,000

30,000 50,000

50,000 50,000

30,000 30,000

30,000 70,000

20,000 30,000

30,000 20,000

15,000 7,000

20,000 7,000

20,000 15,000

20,000 15,000

30,000 50,000

30,000 50,000

7,000 10,000

30,000 30,000

30,000 30,000

30,000 30,000

30,000 30,000

30,000 30,000

Tt

2,000

2,000

5,000

2,000

5,000

1,500

5,000

2,000

5,000

7,000

7,000

7,000

10,000

10,000

3,000

5,000

7,000

3,000

5,000

5,000

5,000

7,000

Mo

500

700

700

700

1,000

2,000

700

2,000

700

700

1,000

700

700

700

500

500

700

500

500

700

700

500

Ba

500

500

1,000

70

1,500

30

700

70

1,000

500

300

300

200

1,000

1,000

1,000

500

1,000

1,000

1,500

700

1,000

Be Ce Co

300

500

205

3 100 0

2 100 5

3 200 0

2 100 5

3 200 0

0 0 20

0 0 15

0 0 15

0 0 15

0 0 30

0 0 20

3 100 5

3 100 7

1,5 0 20

3 100 5

3 100 7

1.5 0 7

3 100 5

3 100 10

Or Cu Ga La

0 7 30 70

0 5 30 70

0 10 20 70

0 10 30 100

0 7 30 100

0 7 30 150

0 7 30 70

2 5 30 150

150 50 20 30

10 20 15 50

30 30 20 30

15 20 15 30

150 70 20 20

7 70 30 70

0 7 30 100

15 7 30 100

50 50 30 70

15 10 30 100

20 15 30 70

'0 7 30 70

20 10 30 70

30 10 30 100

MP

5

0

5

7

0

0

5

5

0

0

0

0

0

0

10

0

0

0

0

5

0

5

Nb Ml Pb Se

70 5 10 5

100 0 20 5

50 0 10 7

50 0 15 0

70 0 10 10

100 0 20 10

50 0 15 7

70 0 10 15

0 50 0 20 I

20 15 15 10

20 15 0 15

20 5 0 10

15 30 0 20

20 15 10 20

70 0 10 5

50 5 10 7

50 20 0 20

70 5 10 10

30 5 15 7

50 0 10 10

50 5 10 10

70 10 10 10

Sr

200

200

300

200

500

20

300

70

,000

700

700

500

700

700

500

300

150

200

300

500

500

300

V v Yb Zr

15 50 3 300

10 50 5 200

50 30 3 300

15 20 3 200

30 30 3 300

0 70 5 300

20 20 Z 100

10 70 7 300

150 20 3 150

70 20 2 100

100 20 2 150

70 15 2 150

200 20 <3 150

200 30 <3 150

50 30 3 150

70 30 3 200

100 20 3 150

30 30 3 200

50 30 5 200

50 30 3 200

30 30 3 150

100 30 3 200

Nd

0

0

0

0

100

50

0

100

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

[Semlquantitative spectrographlc analyses by Harriet G. Nelman; chemical analyses,
MINERALS, MOUNT BALDY PRIMITIVE AREA, ARIZONA Hl(3

MINERAL APPRAISAL

According to the records of the Bureau of Land Management, there 

are no patented mining claims within the Mount Baldy primitive area. 

Apache County records were consulted for evidence of unpatented 

mining claims; but without prior knowledge of claim names and claimants, it is virtually impossible to obtain useful information in this way. 

There are no established mining districts, and the system of claim filing 

does not permit compilation of recorded claims by area. However, 

discussions with personnel of the U.S. Forest Service and the Apache 

County Recorder's Office indicate that there are no unpatented claims 

in the primitive area. Local residents who were interviewed had no 

knowledge of mining operations, past or present, in the area; and 

neither Arizona nor Federal records show any production. Thus, although it is remotely possible that claims not identified in the records 

as to actual location could exist within the primitive area, the lack of 

any awareness locally of such activities or any other corroborating 

evidence makes the possibility unlikely. No attempt was made to 

check the possible existence of any private land holdings of nonmineral 

character in the area.

A cursory field examination of the Mount Baldy primitive area indicates that the entire terrain consists largely of fairly recent volcanic 

rocks. The absence of past or present mining or claim-locating activity and of mineral production indicates that the mineral potential of 

the area is negligible. Nothing was observed in the field to alter this 

conclusion.

the Mount Baldy primitive area and vicinity

Semiquantitative spectrogra 

analyses--Continued. 

Sample (percent) 

No. Si Al Fe Mz

MB-2 >10 >10

MB-4 >10 >10

MB-6 >10 >10

MB-7 >10 >10

MB-9 >10 >10

MB-14 >10 >10

MB-16 >10 >10

MB-10 >10 >10

MB-12 >10 >10

MB-19 >10 7

MB-20 >10 >10

MB-38 >10 7

MB-21 >10 >10

MB-24 >10 >10

MB-30 >10 >10

MB-3I >10 >10

MB-36 >10 7

MB-37 >10 >10

MB- 32 >10 >10

MB-33 >10 >10

MB-34 >10 >10

MB-35 >10 >10

3

3

5

2

3

2

3

2

7

7

7

7

^10

^10

3

5

7

3

3

3

2

S

.5

.5

.7

.5

.3

,15

.5

1

3

1.5

3

2

5

3

.5

.5

1.5

.5

.5

.7

.5

.7

>hic 

Chemical analyses 

(carts per million)

Ca Au

1 .1

.7

1

1

1

 2

1.5

.5

5

3

5

3

7

5

1

,7

.7

a7

.7

1.5

1

1

.1

.1

.1

.1

.1

.1

.1

.1

.1

.1

.1

.1

.1

.1

tl

.1

.1

.1

 I

<]L

.1

Sample description.

Andesite.

Do.

Do.

Do.

Do.

Do.

Do.

Conglomerate, volcanic stones.

Do.

Basaltic sandstone*

Do.

Do.

Vesicular basalt*

Do.

Andesite.

Outwash sandstone*

Do.

Outwash clay.

Stream sediment.

Do.

Do.

Do.

all <0.1 ppm, by Kara W. Leong, Harry Nakagawa, Ted Romer, and Art Hubert]
H14 STUDIES RELATED TO WILDERNESS

The Mount Baldy area is the center of an extensive late volcanic field 

extending many miles in all directions. Because of this, the mineral 

potential of the adjoining areas is assumed to be similar to that of the 

primitive area.

The area is remote from established mining districts. The Pinedale 

mining district (coal) is about 50 miles to the northwest. The Granville district (silver) is about 50 miles south of Mount Baldy; and this 

district is a few miles north of the Copper King Mountain (Metcalf) 

and the Copper Mountain (Morenci) districts, large districts with copper as the major economic metal. The Mogollon mining district (silver) in New Mexico is about 50 miles to the southeast.

REFERENCES CITED

Barton, N. H., 1925, A resume1 of Arizona geology: Arizona Univ., Arizona Bur.

Mines Bull. 119, geol. ser. 3, 298 p. 

Gilbert, G. K., 1875, Geology of portions of New Mexico and Arizona, explored

and surveyed in 1873: U.S. Geog. and Geol. Surveys west of the 100th

Meridian (Wheeler), v. 3, p. 505-572. 

Heindl, L. A., 1952, Occurrence of helium in northeastern Arizona [abs.]: Geol.

Soc. America Bull., v. 63, no. 12, p. 1331. 

Melton, M. A., 1961, Multiple Pleistocene glaciation of the White Mountains,

Apache County, Arizona: Geol. Soc. America Bull., v. 72, no. 8, p. 1279-1281. 

Reagan, A. B., 1903, Geology of the Fort Apache region in Arizona: Am. Geologist, v. 32, no. 5, p. 265-308. 

Wilson, E. D., Moore, R. T., and O'Haire, R. T., 1960, Geologic map of Navajo and

Apache Counties, Arizona: Tucson, Arizona Bur. Mines, scale 1:375,000

(about 1 in. to 6 mi.). 

Wrucke, C. T., 1961, Paleozoic and Cenozoic rocks in the Alpine-Nutrioso area,

Apache County, Arizona: U.S. Geol. Survey Bull. 1121-H, p. H1-H26.

U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1967