If you know We-Ko-Pa Golf Club, you know it’s a bucket-list course for any golfer. But even if you’re a frequent flyer of We-Ko-Pa’s two award-winning courses, you might not know of another adventure you need to immediately add to your bucket list – Sami’s Amethyst Mine.
Sami’s Amethyst Mine sits atop the majestic Mazatzal Mountains – home of the Four Peaks for which We-Ko-Pa is named – and is the only commercially run amethyst mine in the United States. The location is rugged to say the least. There’s no running water for miners who live on-site for two weeks at a time. Nor is there any resemblance of pampering, as the miner’s only luxury after a long-day’s work and 9-mile mile hike to and from work is a small shed and a generator.
The result of this painstaking and tedious amethyst extraction is 4,000 carats per year of some of the most beautiful gemstones in the world. And thanks to the owner and operator of the mine, Kurt Cavano, you now have a chance to walk the halls of the mine yourself surrounded by a treasure trove fit for a pirate king.
There are only two ways to get to the mine. The first is a two-hour drive with an all-terrain vehicle up to a place called “The Saddle,” 5,000 feet above the ground followed by a 4.5-mile hike across all four peaks. No thanks. The second – and much easier – method is to hitch a helicopter ride and simply step out. Helicopter lifts are offered a few times a year and available by reservation only. But once you’re up there, you can meet the miners, try your own hand at amethyst mining and even pick up a few souvenirs yourself. They’re everywhere!
If you think you have what it takes to be one of the world’s finest amethyst miners, call 480-837-8168 to book a once-in-a-lifetime adventure.
