_Gold Panning_
There are several locations immediately adjacent to the Calvin Coolidge
State Forest Park where some gold can still be obtained from stream
sands and gravels. The abandoned town of Five Corners offers the park
visitor ample chance to “try his luck.” In fact, several local people
still obtain small gold nuggets and a good deal of gold dust from the
streams in the vicinity of Five Corners (See geologic map for geographic
location). Other possible “panning” locations would include Reading Pond
Brook, Buffalo Brook and Kingdom Brook. The gold which is found is
probably derived from nearby gold-bearing quartz veins.
The equipment needed for an afternoon of panning is relatively simple to
obtain. A wide, rather shallow pan with gently sloping sides is really
all that is needed. Gravel and sand, which you find concentrated on the
upstream side of natural rock riffles in the stream bed should be placed
together with water in your pan. Then the pan should be rotated and the
lighter rock materials decanted. The heavy gold will be concentrated in
the bottom of the pan.
_Asbestos and Talc_
For you who might be interested in mineral collecting it is suggested
that a trip to an old pit near Five Corners might prove rewarding. Walk
down Broad Brook from the bridge at Five Corners until you locate the
first small tributary entering on your left. Turn left up this tributary
and continue to walk for approximately one hundred yards. On your left
you will see the remains of a pit dug into the side of the stream bank
which, at this location, is lined with rocks of the Ottauquechee
formation. You will quickly note the fibrous asbestos in the walls of
this pit; however, if you wish to collect specimens of this mineral be
extremely careful and avoid standing beneath any overhanging rock
material. Talc, which feels “soapy” to the touch, is also abundant in
this immediate area. This asbestos and talc occur in a lenticular-shaped
body which is perhaps eight hundred feet wide and of an undetermined
length. It is not certain when these minerals formed; however, it was
probably in the early history of the region.
_Garnet_
Good specimens of garnet can be found in the rocks of the Bethel
formation. These garnets are not of gem quality but still offer good
collecting for the amateur mineralogist. Good collecting localities
exist along State Highway 100A and at several different spots within the
Park itself. A hike along the northern boundary of the Park would
intersect several excellent collecting spots.
_Vermont Marble Company Exhibit, Proctor, Vermont_
If time permits, or a rainy day arrives, a visit to the Vermont Marble
Company Exhibit in Proctor, Vermont, is highly recommended. Marble is a
metamorphic rock which was originally sedimentary in nature. Lime muds
hardened into limestones and then, converted by metamorphism, became
marble. The marble exhibit at Proctor, termed “The largest Marble
Exhibit in the World,” displays over 100 varieties of marble and igneous
rock, granite. Fossils can be seen in some of the varieties of marble,
which demonstrates that under certain conditions recognizable fossils do
occur in metamorphic rocks. Most of the marble seen in this exhibit is
quarried nearby; however, for safety reasons visitors are not allowed to
enter the quarries. It is interesting to note that these marbles are
about the same age as the rocks seen in Coolidge State Forest Park.