So I found an area that I will be able to slowly but surely dig at in Raleigh. I should be able to dig here for quite some time and plan to document the process through the summer. I found a nice looking smokey quartz vein and have decided to start concentrating there.

Below is a picture of the vein at this point I had barely touched the dirt. I had only rubbed away a little clay to inspect the wall.
After digging a little into the wall I found that the vein had opened up the deeper I went. There was also an increasing amount of Mica that was found to be in flakes and tiny fragments that look glittery. I did not find too much as the vein is still relatively small. I will continue digging into it through the summer.

I did find many faces that were very small an example is shown below. My photography skills are pretty limited but I will try to get the lighting right. I was having a hard time getting faces to show but this little specimen (approx. 1/2'' wide) was peppered with them.
That is all for now, but more is on the way.

Sweet! Hope it keeps on going for you!
Thanks for the pics!

Excellent prospecting skills and follow through sir! Yes, that mica and smoky quartz are exactly what we look for. Well done. I really hope it opens up for you into a very nice pocket. Good luck!   

Awesome to see that nice smoky vein popping out, dig deeper look for more faces. 

Good enough, JMB. Thanks for the new pictures!
I'm glad you have "before" pictures because it will be nice to have them to show what the bank looked like before you dug your summer cave!
First of all I think it's interesting that your veins look like they are protruding right up and into the old alluvial layer. We have noticed this at many locations around town. The rock you have circled in red may be part of this alluvial action as the top of your vein becomes disseminated.
I'm guessing the blue and purple veins in your picture are segregated quartz and have been pushed in line with the overall foliation of the ground around there. They should run roughly northeast to southwest. Your green arrows of mica veins would be the direction the crystallizing fissures would run. Where these mica veins intersect the segregated quartz would be where you might find little pockets of crystallization. Ideally, you want there to be quartz running in those mica veins as well. And they could 2 or 3 feet further into the bank or down the bank.
Usually you don't find more than faces in the segregated quartz, but there's always exceptions and you could find a pocket. Mostly you are looking for veins cross-cutting the segregated. But when you get segregated running side-by-side like that, anything can happen.
And if I am looking at this wrong then just ignore everything I just said!
Glad you have the summer to work on this!

Great work documenting your progress.  This is allowing us all to dig with you vicariously.  I also agree with Joe, the top layer just where the roots are dangling seems to be entirely alluvial accumulation.  You should easily be able to tell if it's alluvial if you are finding rounded and weathered rocks in that layer.  There shouldn't be any defined "veins" running through that layer. Well done and keep it up!   

We do appreciate you keeping us posted, JMB. Sorry to hear about the finger but that's pretty common when digging quartz. Quartz is sharp! The Dollar Store is a good place to stock up on gloves. You aren't out much when they get ruined in a day.
Looks like a hard spot to get to and dig, but from what you've shown us so far I feel like there ought to be some crystals around there somewhere. Hopefully they will be a few inches from where you left off!
But no rush, the place isn't going anywhere, and come July and August the water levels drop and a shady creek bank isn't such a bad place to be.
Thanks for the report and have a good weekend!
Joe