Ruth Carraher
Ruth Carraher
Biographical Info When I was asked to be the March “Face” of GSN I appreciated the recognition this request represented. I have been involved with GSN for many years, including helping with the field trips for the symposiums starting with the first one in 1987 and a couple of terms as an officer. This organization has always offered some of the best opportunities to network with colleagues and keep abreast of the Nevada mining industry. While I could review the various places (Bolivia, Argentina, Chile, Mexico, China, Africa and exotic ports of call such as Kansas and Tennessee) and projects I have worked on around the planet I really want to throw some questions out there to see if anyone has answers to them. Questions such as; Is there really a black cow out there waiting to jump in front of us as we drive around Nevada in the dark? Do those fighter pilots from Fallon, Nellis and elsewhere target us as we drive along the “Loneliest Highway”? What does “rabido” mean? That was the first word out of the geologist’s mouth down in Mexico after I was bitten by a dog wandering through the property. The geologist, drilling crew and geophysics crew all thought it was very interesting that the dog picked the only woman and the only American on the property to taste. Five weeks and 11 injections later close friends and relatives would shove me out in front when dogs came after us figuring I was protected from rabies! And what did those cowboys think as they drove down Antelope Valley past 2 naked ladies (by the way, there were a lot less wrinkles and cellulite at that time!) throwing water from the hot springs at each other? It still seems like a good decision; either take a bath in a stream running with snow melt, or take a bath at the hot springs. Since no vehicles had been down the road for days why would we expect to see anyone driving by? Any thoughts on why a man would be standing next to his parked truck on the highway (Highway 50 near Mt. Hamilton) naked except for a cowboy hat and boots? He did take his hat off to cover his _______, but what was he thinking? As you can see all of these are questions which can cause a person to lose sleep. Growing up in northeastern Ohio one would never expect to end up traveling around the planet looking at rocks, spending time with drillers and becoming a connoisseur of diner menus. Speaking of food we all know the best places to eat in Nevada but ordering in China can really bring variety to your meals. Things like turtle (they bring it to the table then smash the shell), snake (which they bring live to the table prior to cooking so you can see how fresh it is), and maybe a sheep’s head or horse head. However, some of the best meals I have ever had were in China, and some of the worst meals were also there. Back to Ohio I received my Bachelor’s degree from Bowling Green State University (way after Dieter Krewedl) and then married fellow student Paul Muto (he is also a geologist), working our way from Kansas and Tennessee (looking for Pb-Zn) to Nevada. We both received our Master’s degrees from Mackay School of Mines (when it was a college on its own) then ended up working for Amselco for 5 years in Ely, Nevada. Since then I have worked in Nevada, China and Argentina, with briefer periods of project work in Bolivia, Chile and Mexico. I have also had the opportunity to help promote the modern mining industry through the Women’s Mining Coalition which has been “tutoring” our legislators on the importance of domestic mining since 1993. This organization (not restricted to women) has been able to bring the face of modern mining to legislators and policy makers hopefully helping them to make better decisions on issues of importance to the industry. I have enjoyed all of the opportunities accorded to me through the years to delve into the geology mineralizing systems and to meet dedicated and knowledgeable people. Life is and has been good!
Email Address racarraher@gmail.com
Company C&M Consultants
Position Geologist
Phone 775-240-6623
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