Story and Photos by Mark Leatherman
When I first came to Colorado in May 2015, one important task on my “newbie” list was, of course, to join a mineral club. I did that by joining the Littleton Gem & Mineral Club. Upon looking at the smorgasbord of new collecting opportunities for me, withmy then-limited knowledge of Colorado minerals, I noticed a place that had a chance of finding amethyst. In being ignorant that the state even had amethyst, and being an absolute sucker for them myself, I noted an area northwest of Fort Collins called Red Feather Lakes (RFL) that I had to visit.
I made my first visit in September 2015, withthe Littleton Club being invited by a previous claim owner. Club members met at a place called Forks Mercantile & Saloon in the small town of Livermore and carpooled 24 miles west along Red Feather Lakes Road to the scenic lakes area and the Rainbow Lode Claim. Carpooling to the site is an absolute must since the claim is offa well-trafficked dirt road, and there is no large off-road parking.