The area of the Rugged Mountain showing is underlain by sedimentary rocks, predominantly siltstone of the Upper Triassic Stuhini Group. These have been hornfelsed by a large Early Jurassic syenite intrusion. The hornfels is reported to carry 10 to 40 per cent disseminated pyrite and is responsible for a gossan near the peak of Rugged Mountain. A black medium-grained rock contains 40 to 50 per cent magnetite and a similar amount of biotite occurs at the contact between the syenite and the sediments. The black magnetite-bearing rock is clinopyroxenite. Pyroxenite is often present in the iron-rich border phase of these syenitic intrusions. The characteristics of this rock at this showing are similar to the nearby MH iron/magnetite deposit (see MINFILE 104G 026). This clinopyroxenite unit is cut by numerous pink, porphyritic syenite dikes ranging from 1 centimetre to 2 metres wide and containing widespread malachite staining and rare chalcopyrite. These copper showings are spatially related to calcite stringers. The syenitic dikes are reported to be locally pegmatitic.
The massive magnetite/biotite unit carries widespread copper mineralization with associated gold. One sample assayed 1 per cent copper, 0.7 gram per tonne gold and 6.9 grams per tonne silver (Sample 31019, Assessment Report 19072).
In 2017, one float sample grading 0.37 per cent copper was taken in the vicinity of 1989 sample 31019, and six talus-fine samples were taken in the vicinity of 2005 sample B374725 (Appendix A, Monster Property Rock Geochemistry Maps, Assessment Report 28229). Another 10 talus-fine samples were taken several hundred meters north of 2005 sample B374725.
Work History.
In 1989 and 1990, the Homestake-Equity Silver joint venture undertook work on the Canyon 25 claim and delineated several areas of "significant mineralization" associated with what they referred to as "magnetite-biotite alteration" of mafic volcanic rocks peripheral to the porphyritic syenite of the Rugged Mountain complex. Homestake collected 48 rock, 5 silt and 111 soil samples (Assessment Report 19072 and 20154).
During the 2004 field season a four day program supervised by Greig was carried out on the Rugged Claims within the Rugged Mountain intrusive complex. The program consisted of geological mapping, stream sediment sampling, soil contour sampling and prospecting. Sixty-five soil samples reportedly averaged 425 parts per million copper with 19 of the samples exceeding 500 parts per million. Results from rock samples collected also reportedly yielded up to 1.54 per cent copper, 20.9 grams per tonne silver, 1.71 grams per tonne gold and roughly 2 grams per tonne combined platinum-palladium (reported in Assessment Report 28229).
In 2005, Strategic Metals Ltd collected 15 rock and 56 silt samples during their prospecting program on a claim (509114) which covered the Rugged Mountain showing (104G 150) and the Shake showing (104G 155). Samples collected yielded mixed results with the best obtained from a piece of malachite stained, chalcopyrite bearing clinopyroxene and syenite border phase material which graded 1.97 per cent copper, 3.35 grams per tonne gold, 10.0 grams per tonne silver, 1.13 grams per tonne palladium and 0.227 gram per tonne platinum (Sample B374725, Assessment Report 28229). This sample is about 400 metres southeast of sample 31019 from Assessment Report 19072.
In 2011, Serengeti Resources collected a total of 22 rock samples were collected from their claims which included those around the Rugged Mountain showing (104G 150). They conducted mapping, prospecting traverses. They collected samples from the original showing area and from several an area several hundred metres north. Rock samples of interest range from 0.1 to 0.28 per cent copper with two samples weakly anomalous in gold and two samples weakly anomalous in silver (Assessment Report 33249).
In 2016, J2 Syndicate Holdings Ltd collected a total of 43 rock grab samples from the Monster property within
the newly discovered Titan Trend where the the Goliath occurs at its present northwest end. See Appendix C of Assessment Report 37026 for the 2016 J2 Syndicate field season report.
In 2017, reconnaissance and follow-up prospecting, mapping and rock sampling program. Forty-three (43) samples were taken: 5 chip, 8 rock grab, 2 float (15 rock samples in total) and 28 talus fine.
See Goliath for related information (104G 442).