Road Trip to V-Town

Google Maps Mt Cheminis

We played tourist yesterday and drove to visit Mount Cheminis, or Mont Chaudron. It is a landscape formation of geological interest, and it sits at the Ontario/Quebec border, just east of Virginiatown. Reiner used to work at the Kerr Addison Mine in “V-town” 30-some years ago. Even though the monadnock or inselberg  dominates the landscape to the east as you leave town, Reiner was unfamiliar with the sight. Or site. So, it pleased me that I, the geology newbie, could be the one with the fascinating details for a change!

Of course, before we reached the mountain, we made a few detours on the way. No rockhound worth their salt will pass by a new roadcut without stopping to check for mineralization!

New road under construction – according to our guide, it will bypass the town. Apparently, underground mine workings near the existing highway are threatening to collapse.

Reiner got out to inspect the newly exposed rock for signs of goodies – this is gold mining territory, after all. I followed along with the camera, thinking of you guys and how I’d caption my shots.

Danger! Most apt for what follows.

Blasting mats. Old rubber tires repurposed to absorb the blast and contain fly-rock.

Even I could tell that this is an accident waiting to happen. After a winter or two, that wedge of rock will slide off the slope of the outcrop.

Well, hey there, little guy. I strongly urge you to relocate. Blasting mats might make for a waterproof home, but …

Just as we were preparing to leave the site, an ATV drove up. We bade the driver good morning.

“Are you a geologist? You look like a geologist.” Reiner for scale against calcite filling fractures in rock.

Do you want to see some gold?” he asked.

We followed him up to the far end of the work site. He stopped and said, “The operators found VG here the other day. Used to be a gold mine just over the top of that outcrop.”

“V” in this case stands for “visible.” VG is a VBD, in gold mining terms. (Look at me, all trendy and slinging the lingo like I know what I’m doing.) I found VP, or VFG. VP = visible pyrite. Bonus points if you can figure out VFG.

Onward to Mont Chaudron. Unfortunately, we were unable to take the road into the site proper. Only those with ATV’s can make the trek until the washout is repaired. Instead, we took the closest road parallel to the mountain, and I posed for the obligatory “Maggie for Scale” Shot. I cringe every time Reiner asks me to stand in for scale. First of all, I’m in my grubby rockhound clothing. Second of all, and more importantly, I prefer nature images that are free of human content. But in this case, I agreed that a “for scale” was probably a good idea.

Mont Chaudron/Mount Cheminis as you leave Virginiatown

Maggie for scale – the bump on the dump road.

Finished with our geology lesson for the day, off we drove, taking the long route home through Quebec. On the way, we stopped for lunch at a roadside rest area. I dread using these facilities in Ontario. I am happy to report that the stop in Quebec was two-thumbs up and a I enjoyed a VGP!

• Don’t Put Anything Near The 2 Windows
• Changing Seasons – June 2017

Categories: Mineral Collecting, Photography

Tags: Kerr Addsion Mine, mineral collecting, Mont Chaudron, Mount Cheminis, Virginiatown, visible gold