Walking the wonderland trail a few years ago I was remarking to my friend that in some of the most remote meadows at the top (7-8k feet) (https://www.google.com/maps/@46.9181125,-121.7649511,731m/da...) of the trail there were long stretches of very nice chat trails. He was saying what a pain it would be to bring the chat up and was trying to decide if it was ATVs or mules or whatever. I guessed helicopter.
We asked a ranger at the bottom. Answer: Helicopter. "They just dangle a huge bag of chat and we cut a hole and walk it along the path letting it pour out. Those mountain meadows are easier to do than the steep stuff at the bottom"
I figured "chat" was gravel or something from the context, but had never heard the term before. Maybe I'm the lone idiot, but in case anyone else is confused:
"Chat is a term for fragments of siliceous rock, limestone, and dolomite waste rejected in the lead-zinc milling operations that accompanied lead-zinc mining in the first half of the 20th century. [...] Although poisonous, chat can be used to improve traction on snow-covered roads; as gravel; and as construction aggregate, principally for railroad ballast, highway construction, and concrete production."
In general it just means small crushed gravel. It's usually white or tan. Not sure if it's always a remnant from mining or not. Does a good job on the trail though.
Comments
Walking the wonderland trail a few years ago I was remarking to my friend that in some of the most remote meadows at the top (7-8k feet) (https://www.google.com/maps/@46.9181125,-121.7649511,731m/da...) of the trail there were long stretches of very nice chat trails. He was saying what a pain it would be to bring the chat up and was trying to decide if it was ATVs or mules or whatever. I guessed helicopter.
We asked a ranger at the bottom. Answer: Helicopter. "They just dangle a huge bag of chat and we cut a hole and walk it along the path letting it pour out. Those mountain meadows are easier to do than the steep stuff at the bottom"
I figured "chat" was gravel or something from the context, but had never heard the term before. Maybe I'm the lone idiot, but in case anyone else is confused:
"Chat is a term for fragments of siliceous rock, limestone, and dolomite waste rejected in the lead-zinc milling operations that accompanied lead-zinc mining in the first half of the 20th century. [...] Although poisonous, chat can be used to improve traction on snow-covered roads; as gravel; and as construction aggregate, principally for railroad ballast, highway construction, and concrete production."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chat_%28mining%29
In general it just means small crushed gravel. It's usually white or tan. Not sure if it's always a remnant from mining or not. Does a good job on the trail though.
Also egads is everything just mining leftovers?