Exploring Another Abandoned Hippie Rock (Fluorite/Fluorspar) Mine Near Las Cruces, NM

Exploring Another Abandoned Hippie Rock (Fluorite/Fluorspar) Mine Near Las Cruces, NM

In this exploration adventure, joined with @ZiaMountainAdventures, we head to an abandoned fluorite mining district just outside of Las Cruces, New Mexico. This mining district featured here was discovered in 1917, mined intermittently from 1918 until 1928, leaving several adits and cuts that exploited several veins of fluorspar interlaced with barite. Much of the minerals here were hand-sorted and attempted to be milled near the site of the mines, adjacent to the nearby railroad. Unfortunately the milling efforts proved unsuccessful, and it was abandoned; leaving several hundred tons of barite near the current railroad- evidence of its past existence.

The abandoned mine we explore underground highlights a 400 foot-long adit that follows along a fluorite vein that is now an open stope, at some points, 20 feet wide. There are many bats currently residing inside, and in some areas, the odor of guano is overwhelming. There are some very interesting pieces of geology on the surface and underground in this one! I hope you enjoy!

On a side note, getting to this abandoned mine and back isn’t terribly difficult hiking (in ideal weather). Perhaps one with an extremely capable, highly modified off-road vehicle could drive up to the mine, as many have done so in the past. I had knowledge that the derelict mining roads leading to this district have been destroyed from erosion over the many decades of rain and being abandoned, and a 4-wheel drive vehicle simply wouldn’t succeed. With that being said, I decided to take along my brother’s ATV to substitute the hiking in the interest of time. Unfortunately, the ATV option did not work out due to severe rock slides in one section ascending out of a canyon, and we reverted back to hiking 2.5 miles up to the mine.

Point being, I was not prepared for the hike and suffered from severe dehydration and possibly on the verge of heat stroke! I had at most- 3 hours of sleep the night before, and didn’t drink enough water that night. I always carry 3 liters of water when I know a hike is not very far. This time it wasn’t enough. The high temperature around 3 pm (when we were returning) was at 95 degrees. Not too bad, right? The anomaly was that the humidity was above normal for the desert ( about 60%), the wind was calm, and there was absolutely no shade. All of those factors in combination led to severe cramping starting from my calves, to my thighs, all of the way up to my jaw. It felt like I was being zapped with a taser at times, a very unpleasant and scary experience. Kenny and Todd didn’t experience such symptoms as I, but those weather conditions did not favor them as well. In the end, I did make it to a local store and drank plenty of electrolyte beverages to get me home.

I learned a valuable lesson on this trip- don’t get complacent because a plan worked before. Always prepare and carry more supplies than you need. It may be an inconvenience due to weight, but as the adage states- “It’s better to have it and not need it, rather than to need it and not have it.”

Don’t do this kind of thing without the proper knowledge, equipment, or experience!

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