Exploring New Mexico's Largest Abandoned Mine- The Cavern to Hades and Unexpected Finds! Part 1
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 30 ต.ค. 2022
- Happy Halloween everyone!!!
Today's abandoned mine exploring video features possibly the LARGEST accessible abandoned mine in New Mexico! I've conducted many abandoned mine exploration trips across the desert southwest, but in terms of size, this is the largest I have experienced to date. In many areas, the underground scenery resembles a massive cave system. This is truly one of the most interesting abandoned places near me that I have explored!
History of this mine is rather colorful. It started in the early 1900s as an underground lead, zinc, and silver mine. In its later days it became a test site for experimenting with underground munitions storage and the effects of explosives detonating in that setting. It is part of a massive and elaborate network of an underground ore zone that spans for several miles under the mountain.
This mine is so massive, we have made several trips to it, and still are discovering new areas! This video is the first of many documenting this astonishing man-made cavern with sights resembling scenes from cave exploring videos!
Joining us on this adventure are @Zia Mountain Adventures and @Headframe Hunters Mining & Exploration . Together, we take our underground abandoned mine exploring experiences to another level. We have hiked several miles underground documenting this historic place, each one of us with a different perspective. I hope you enjoy our videos, and I encourage you to check out and subscribe to @ZiaMountainAdventures and @Porty1119 channels as well!
This abandoned mine exploring video is shot and presented in 4K and HDR. I recommend for your viewing experience to watch this video with a TV, monitor, or mobile device with a 4K/HDR compatible display. It really does make a difference!
WARNING: Abandoned Underground's videos are intended for entertainment purposes. No intention of training, education or desire to duplicate actions performed in these videos are suggested, implied, or inferred. Performing actions that expose one to risk without proper training, education, or experience are inherently dangerous and should not be done.
#abandonedmines
#exploringabandonedmines
#mineexploring - บันเทิง
![ไหล่อ่อน (Soft Shoulder) - Atom ชนกันต์ [OFFICIAL MV]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/HUWl53msBQY/mqdefault.jpg)
At the 3 minute mark, those metal cylinders look like they could be belt rollers. Immediately after that, when you find the EMT board, above it you'll notice chain-link fencing on the ceiling. That fencing is the heavier commercial gauge wire and it's put there and has been bolted to the roof because it's a weak spot that is prone to collapse. Be careful walking under that fencing when you see it one the walls or the ceiling. It was bolted in the ceiling right there because it's sketchy af and has probably crumbled before. When you see those, be sure to inspect it before you walk under it or next to it. Those bolts sometimes slip out.
Idk about this specific mine, but the bolts along the rib (walls) are sometimes anchored into the walls to hold power cable, communication cable or ventilation, depending on which tunnel you're exploring. The mine potash mine that I worked in operated on a 3 tunnel system that ran beside each other when we were cutting out an area. One tunnel was for travel and power, the other was for the belt, and the third was for ventilation. They would cut through the walls and connect the first two tunnels every so often and leave pillars. The third would be left alone until the vein ran out and they were retreating. When that happens, you basically work backwards and cut out the pillars that you left going in. This can get dangerous and the engineers tell you which pillars to cut and which to leave. Sometimes it looks sketch af and you can actually see the ceiling lower and almost collapse as you retreat the area.
Great video, as a native New Mexican, I like to see people enjoying the state. When you get to the next level of exploration and feel confident enough to tackle caves, they apparently have plenty of that around NM as well. One more thing I might add is to do a little research on the type of mine you're entering and when it was operational. The type of mine could tell you the stability of the walls and ceiling that you're exploring. For example, gold mines are going to be more solid than potash mines; potash mines are going to be more stable than coal mines, etc. The other thing about the age of the mine could tell you how they were refining the ore of what they were mining. Back in the day, they used to use harsh and extremely toxic chemicals to mine for certain metals and minerals. That could tell you what might be in the water, on the walls, and in the air before you enter, so you guys can make a judgement about whether it's worth it.
Other than that, y'all be safe out there and keep posting cool vids. 👍
Thank you for the info! We had a mining engineer with us exploring. This orebody was unusual due to the dip being near-horizontal, and for this district, the host rock was pretty stable.
I'm glad a fellow New Mexican watched this! There's so much to see that's unknown to the general masses. Caves are on the list, but I find that mines truly show the interesting history of hard work and ingenuity! Thank you for the kind words, comment, and watching!
Awesome men....good work
Thank you very much!
This is a great video. I’d love some info on this location if you’re willing to share. Thanks!!
Can’t believe you kidnapped Miner49er’s dog named Bear! LOL Jeremy and I found a mine full of flies. The Jupiter Mine in AZ. There was a flooded shaft nearby in the mine which probably attracted them. It was gross, though. We could hear them humming, too, like you heard yours do. You found your first ore cart! Finally! They almost always seem to be missing the wheels. That leaching, dripping clay stuff was interesting. Superb editing with the music added in here and there. 👍
LOL! I mentioned that his dog and my dog are the same breed in a comment on one of his videos. Bear looks younger than Tango. My poor dog was limping for days after this trip because he was sore. It seems like the flies in this area seem to congregate inside mine portals when the weather changes to cooler temps because it's warmer. Our first trip up here, there weren't any flies at all! Yes! Finally, my first ore car underground! Actually found 3 inside this one! When it rains, it pours, lol. Thank you for the compliment, Frank! I am actually proud of this one. I hope the upcoming parts of this mine will exceed expectations!
@@ABANDONED_UNDERGROUND Our secondary portal is always full of flies. It makes firing up the fans fun...
@Headframe Hunters Mining & Exploration lol! Nothing more satisfying than sucking up flies in midair!
You have been where I have mentioned in the previous post and saw the big orange arrow or marking on the wall. We did get lost in this mine the first time we were exploring this mine the very first time. One of our dogs for us our of this mine. We went back the second time with orange spray paint to help guide us out of this huge mine.
@@stephaniesheldon6228 this is possibly the largest accessible abandoned mine in New Mexico, as there are most likely larger uranium and potash mines that Headframe Hunters described in their video. So, it's understandable to get turned around. We explored we believe to be most of this mine. There is a historic drift that we need to finish out and I believe that there may be ventilation coming from a higher area that may need further exploration. We're planning on returning VERY soon. Maybe our paths will cross!
Probable best to avoid monsoon season when exploring mines. BTW, do you know if there are any books about the history of this mine? You say accessible, do you mean on BLM or USFS land? And I'm curious about how many miles of tunnels/workings it has?
I love monsoon season! This mine has an obscured history. I did introduce some of it into the intro of the video, but much of it isn't published in a report (that I have seen). When I say "accessible," I mean that one can access it with little effort other than hiking (and possessing the proper equipment, knowledge, safety plan, etc.). There are likely larger mines like potash mines that have a 2,000-foot-deep shaft that have cavernous voids underground that aren't accessible, or caved. The vein here runs nearly horizontal, with a slight pitch. We haven't completed this mine yet, but a report we did come across describes "irregular drifting and stoping." These are some of the largest stopes I've experienced, and many of them interconnect! We don't have an exact figure on the length of the workings other than a 1,200-foot haulage crosscut and working over 3,000 feet of the vein.
@@ABANDONED_UNDERGROUND I've managed to piece together bits of its latter history based on recovered documents, eyewitnesses, and cast-off equipment, but it's all sort of fuzzy. Best I can figure is after USACE wrapped up, the company started purchasing equipment to support an underground core drilling program and possible restart in 2002, never went through with it, and the equipment was sold in bits and pieces through 2019. One of the compressors is up at our rubber-tire mine now, the other is at the conventional mine, and the battery trammer is on display in town.
Those crosshair markings on the south rib in the middle of the mine were likely planned core holes. This one isn't mined out.
Awesome. One day we need to collaborate
Thank you! That would be a cool idea! Shoot me an email sometime! I'll check out your channel as well!
@@ABANDONED_UNDERGROUND will do brother and thank you
Hey man my friends and I are looking for mines in southern New Mexico, any recommendations??
What area of southern New Mexico?
@@ABANDONED_UNDERGROUND Deming
I've been in Luna County many times! Unfortunately, in the Deming area the land management agencies have gated off much of the mines in that area. The manganese mines, fluorite mines, and silver mines by there are all barred-off. It's not the end of the world exploring that area, as some mines are gated where it's easily accessed, but not where it's harder to get to... Shoot me an email (you can find under the "About" tab) and we can discuss some areas around there. Some of my earliest (and crappiest) videos document that area!
Hey man, it's a bit of a drive, but there's some in Orogrande. I'm in Las Cruces and like looking for caves and mines too.
We've been out there a few times and got to explore some of them. Now they are all barricaded shut, and you can no longer enter...
How can I join Ziad mountain adventures
Zia
Check out his TH-cam channel for starters!