I ran equipment in strip mines. It always starts out as a trickle and that's when you need to get out of the way before it's too late. Pretty risky there guys, glad you're all safe.
@@missingremote4388 tailings was my guess.. Unless you are going to add a ton of new lumber to that part of the mine, I think they are playing with fire.
I'm no miner, but if it were me, my first priority would be to excavate the entrance and begin laying tracks so mine carts could be used to remove waste rock.
@@krockpotbroccoli65 That might require permits and funding and hours of hard labor. I'm not sure if they are actually trying to put the mine back into production.
@@outdoorloser4340 Brent could do it all under the auspices of turning it into a tourist attraction similar to what Frank and his wife of the exploringababdonedmines channel are doing with their derelict mine in Canada.
@@krockpotbroccoli65 sure he could have a mini train ride. Be great way for tourists to get around the mine and save on heart attacks at that altitude .
That whole 200 foot level looks to have been dug through a “ Fracture zone “ possibly created or a result of that 1872 Earthquake that rattled that whole area . Or that may be a level of just loose strata throughout that whole mountain from Eons ago due to volcanic / tectonic plate activity during the earths mountain building times. There’s reasons these areas are usually avoided by miners in general due to the serious nature of collapse & injury / deaths. Be wary and stay safe . Better to second guess your decisions than to seriously regret them. 😐. C-ya 🤞
i don't want to sound all doom and gloomy but i won't be surprised when one day brent and maybe some other guests don't come out.. have you seen his adventure down the chimney i think he called it? just endless pits where the main ore deposit was extracted with loose everything hanging, unsupported stope like formations, just plain madness to really hope for the best and rappel down random bottomless holes.. ah well, guess he did some wild stuff while living, not everybody can say that..
@@runs_through_the_forest I doubt Brent's really thought it through. In a big commercial operation you've got equipment and people ready to go if something goes wrong yet it can still be days before folks can get to you. How much of this is at or near Cerro Gordo? Are the local responders any good with mine rescues? It could take 24-36 hours just to get a rescue attempt started up there. I respect his honorable intentions, dreams, and desires, but dirt and rocks don't care about anything except obeying the law of gravity.
Imagine the same situation but with the bottom half of a man trapped in the muck pile, quite a bit more room to work, and 500 tons or broken rock still above. been there, done that, proud of the men I worked with as they were lined up to replace tired or damaged bodies doing the actual work. Turned out well, no serious injuries.
Rule #1. Never work under unsupported ground. If its collapsing, sluffing, or moving its unsupported. Mine rehab is dangerous work. Start from the front and move forward. Or just reopen another portal that has closed, but in better ground.
You probably have a backfilled stope above that. You should check out what Frank's been dealing with opening up his mine. Might give you some idea of what to expect. You're gonna need a backhoe and a mucker, lol.
Brent makes me worried often. Really glad the snow slide of death didn't have any melt holes or things like a crevasse. You are brave, or too trusting. Look out for yourself all ways. I guess all is well that ends well, but not sure the entrance was a safe move for a family man. I am an old woman that worries. Like your channel.
@@CobCeo Yes but Brent had been there many times before, and even Jason had been in there once before. They knew there wasn't a chasm under the snow, they knew it to be safe and level ground under the snow.
@Labas Labas It's not. It's untrained owner occupier adventure for TH-cam entertainment. You might be surprised to know he is usually more responsible than when he started. Two guys of similar temperament reinforcing each other's recklessness tendency. But, if no other responsibilities, why not? The whole region is crumbly material, not solid rock granite
Good thing you guys have a structural engineer and a geologist on hand to advise on your mining excavations. There is a reason they use massive timbers to brace some of the tunnels in a mine.
Those areas where the loose rock is falling, can be quite huge. Frank and Sharon, clearing out the Yankee Boy mine was interesting when Sharon was up on the top and feeding in golf balls. Took a lot of material for Frank down below, to find them.
If I recall it was over 100 cart loads spanning multiple weeks of work, and they still have material pouring out of that hole. I was thinking the same thing.
Good thing you hadn't gotten through and it started collapsing behind you. That could be a fracture zone and will take quite some effort to get past. A large boring machine drilling a tunnel in the Alps ran into one. The machine was stuck for months while they cemented the fracture then drilled through the cement.
If you have an overhead shaft or stope backfilled with waste rock by the miners, you have to put in one overhead beam every 6 inches and work your way in.
Honestly, that was really sketchy. Maybe more than you realize. To open up that addit you are going to have to completely level clear it out, starting with 20 feet of snow removal at the front. Once you restablish that incline at the portal, your going to need to go slow, and carefully, retimbering each section. In a lot of ways a completely new mine is safer...to open that thing up properly, you are looking at moving thousands of cubic yards of material. Once you get through that fracture zone it will be easier. Stay safe, Guys!
Thanks to Jason, Brent and Scott for the Educational videos that remain free to watch to this day. You have inspired me a lot and have to appreciate been hard on you'r tools. That short spade is normally used for vertical digging using you'r forearm to support the whole handle. My bulldog has a slight fracture and was basically unavoidable. Hope you guys find some gargoyles. I have worked with Zinc for 16 years now and believe you could be onto some amazing
I can smell that fresh snow! I could x-ski for miles there wow! I love these videos, many of my mum’s side of the family along with my husband are/were miners.
Pretty sure you will have to crib and timber as you go even if you redirect over the top . Hard to say how many yards of gravel and rock are just waiting to slump into any void you create . You are not going to make fast progress there and do it with any safety margin otherwise . It may be safer and faster to go around that spot , even if it means redirecting the tunnel around the area of collapse . Worst case scenario would be if that zone extends to the surface , in which case you would probably have to start a new adit just in from that rotten area . OR , you could wait until next winter and pump water into the area , assuming it is below freezing at that depth . The ice may stabilize it long enough to clear a route , timber it , and , stabilize the tunnel . Alternately a grout slurry could do the same thing , but will not be cheap . The old mine really wants its privacy it seems .
Terrible suggestions. Widening the tunnel weakens the structural support around the area. Especially since it's unknown how large and in what direction the fracture is. And ice would introduce more cracks, too, destabilizing it further, instead of stabilizing it.
I was terrified but could not stop watching. I would have called it quits faced with having to slide down a snow face of unknown stability…great video..
The best shovel I've ever used has been a steel handled Fiskars brand. I've had it for at least 10 years now and it's received nothing but compliments from others who have used it. It's about the same weight as a wood handled shovel, I think it's because the handle shape isn't round, it's more like an egg 🥚 which adds rigidity while keeping the weight down. I would strongly recommend this shovel to anyone who has to move earth, it will change your perception of how holes can be dug.
For tight spaces a M43 or M51 entrenching tool locked in the 90 degree position would be good. It’s like the pelican tool mentioned below, but it folds up and is less expensive.
Cyclone Pelican Pick, standard piece of equipment in every Australian underground mine, and above ground too. You'll move more coarse material and works far better in confined spaces than a shovel.
I think you should put safety first and maybe do some timber in the entrance and improvement on tunnel. It's not worth someone getting injured or losing their life.
You boys just love to saw the limb you're standing on, you're either very brave or lacking in respect for the mine. I love what you do and respect it to a great degree, please stay safe.
Good that you got out safe, better if you stayed out I guess. I mean you move a softball sized rock and that happens. So what about those smaller collapses you climbed over on your way in. What if your climbing over them loosens a softball sized rock and that happens? You need a way to support those spots before you go on and make them passable again. That way there is at least a chance that people move in with rescue equipment if anything happens. I think there has been a reason why they didn't open it up back in the days. Probably they considered it to difficult and to dangerous. Usually old mines are closed up because people die doing what you do there.
These guys worked hard today. Never forger though the men who built these mines did so with HUGE effort and risk. No power equipment, trucks, electricity, communications, etc. Everything was hauled in and out with mules and wagons. Food was sparse, it was hot, cold, dirty and simple injury or illness could mean death.
I'm certainly not an expert and don't know what is above the collapse. It seems the correct way to safely get in the omega is to rebuild it starting from the portal. After watching this...I'm wondering if it would be possible to dig down from ground level to the collapse and build square set framing and lagging to provide a safe way down to the omega? I'm not sure those are correct terms. Basically, build a ladder down from ground level. My thought is that so much has collapsed that there has to be a large hole already void going up toward ground level. If not sure Brent has big enough equipment to pull that off or the wood to build it.
I sincerely doubt they have the budget to make that tunnel section even remotely safe. I'm not an expert either, but I suspect the vertical option would be even more expensive. Heck, just the timber cost these days would be astronomical let alone the equipment and expertise to install it. I suppose the adoption of, ahem, "period appropriate" mining techniques could reduce the monetary costs if only Cerro Gordo was in some third world country, but here in the US you are stuck with contracting using techniques with a low probability of killing anyone. Despite it's siren song, I would forget about the Omega entrance until you get the money to make it safe.
@@steveanderson9290 Brent has plenty of money I just think he wants to explore if it even connects to the main mine before putting any substantial work into the tunnel. I do agree its risky to work there but its gotta be done.
@@JtagSheep Not to mention that Jason also has his own timberland and a sawmill where he makes his own timbers. While they dont live right next door it would be possible for Jason to make timbers and either have them shipped or move them himself.
Man you are living the life, love how you stick it out with Brent... Brent, you need like 20 guys to go back in & then make some better headway with better manpower.
@14:40 It would have been worse, if you´d have crossed that part and then afterwards the collapse took place. No option of return. That is creepy down there in the mines !
it seems to me, that ti may be time to invest in some timber (ouch right?) and do a full timbering of that tunnel, and get some electric digger scoops in there to dig out a quarter yard at a time. be the only way i feel to really get access is just to get to it with machinery. granted, going at it by hand has a certain pleasure in its own way. sorting stone by hand for my own project the last 12 years has been pretty fun haha. i sort by size, and classify out the smallest dirt and gravels, and have made nice piles of Stack-ready stone for my crew and I. its a labor of love and Art, as i feel getting to working that Tunnel is for Brent.
As cavers we used to treat digs like that as a long term project. 8 people. Buckets, crow bars, shovels, hoes, a red wagon to move the buckets. Just did, dig, dig. Trip after trip. We always made it fun. Most of the time we would get in after hard work. Does it move any air?
Long term dig projects always suffer from recruitment challenges , and this is often the biggest impediment to forward progress . That rumbling noise like you heard in the video will reduce your recruitment strategy to blackmail and bribery , I don't care HOW much depth potential you have or possible miles of virgin borehole you predict . I recall one project that had 20+ regular participants , until , a deep distant rumble was heard . Suddenly the workforce was down to half that number and half of the remainder was just waiting on the first wave to exit . We learned to stop scheduling trips when the nearby quarry was blasting ...
Hey Jason, BIG thumbs up! Should only take a week or 2 to muck all that loose dirt & rock out to the portal! Start digging! Brent needs a couple of the small, folding Army shovels to dig with - made for cramped spaces. Hopefully Brent will do more work in there! Glad everyone is safe! Take Care, Jim
There's two sounds you never want to hear in a hard rock mine: sudden cracking and the falling of rocks, and a low growl or high pitched yowl that tells you someone has made it their home and doesn't want you there. I guess that if they wanted to actually reopen that section of the mine they'd probably want to put up expanded steel caging and shotcrete it to support it safely right? Timbering probably would be more expensive and less safe right? Brent definitely needs some of those muckers like they use in opal mines in Australia to clean that place out.
Either one of those walk-behind skid-steers or a half-yard LHD. I'd be most comfortable with a remote-control machine considering the proximity to what is essentially an uncontrolled drawpoint. That collapse is more dangerous than it looks.
Y'all need a dedicated snow plow blade for your little Kubota there. One of those that splits in the middle to push to both sides equally and makes a track wider than the machine say by a foot on each side.
One more comment from me here , don’t be discouraged. Up at the Main mine in Bodie California ( Brent did a video from there I think last year or year before) there were a couple of miners who leased access and one day while out of the mine on a lunch or rest break heard a huge rumble from the portal . Once the dust cleared and they were able to regain access back in they were amazed to see the collapse had exposed a huge vein of very rich ore chock full of gold. The leaser’s of the mine made an agreement to sell it back to the main owners for a very tidy sum at the time & it made headlines around the world once that vein proved its worth . Only problem here is Brent is the one working it & he already owns all the rights .😆👍😉. Good luck guys in your endeavors.
@@showgirlsaroundtheworldada4484 Since Brent bought the entire town over 3 years ago now I just naturally figured he owned the mineral rights underground as well . Since he mined & made silver produced from the ore already I’m pretty sure he has the right to do so. I could be wrong however…..
@@stephenmiller5023 he has a previous vlog stating that the people that owned the mineral rights were going to lease out to a commercial company. So no he did not buy the minerals rights to the land to start with. Most people will never sell the mineral rights when they sell a property anyway. They make far too much revenue. You as the landowner can go thru tons of crap with them tearing your land up too.
I think a steel rake would work better. You should also have a small cart of some kind to take away the gravels and rocks. Y'all should be pulling out that that keeps falling and then brace it.
Love seeing these videos of you and Brent Def a fun side of youtube im not used to. Hope you guys stay safe. Id probably try steel ibeams woth wood to support, time to remake the supports
That is my question too. They need to look at the rocks with a geologist to determine if they were broken naturally or from mining. It might be a tailings pile shoved off in another section of the mine. If that’s so then there’s a whole lot of old activity on the other side that needs exploring!
@mbmmllc Could you process whatever keeps falling down to see if there is anything useful in that? I mean, if you can find something in there, then this isn't a complete loss.
Jason 😂, 13:00 at this point I expected to to start the dialogue of: I love my family, friends, if we don’t make it ….. 😂😂😂. Soooo much fun underground brother man 🤙🤙
Jason - the collapse almost looks like muck, but that wouldn't make sense - is it the country rock and if so, why is it so broken up? All that stuff coming down reminds me of failed stopes you see.
Absolutely brilliant, the best underground video I've seen in ages! It would be good if it's possible to sure up the entrance portal not just to ease but I don't like the look of them rocks and if assistance was required the portal would be much easier to find, keep up the good work lads.
Quite the gamble you are all taking disturbing the mine. You need to shore that tunnel back up to where the collapse is. Those timbers are holding on but for how long?
Yea like it’s so fractured it looks like pre excavated material that’s been dumped there no? The shoring above them where they were digging looked good, but there is only one way to know for sure and that’s build your own spring with good solid backfill prior to continuing on. I wouldn’t be crawling over stuff like they did but I would use that nice material from the cave in to run back and support the tunnels anywhere I could behind me
12:20, you can clearly see the "spider webs" (for the lack of better term), where Brent removed the board, fluttering in the breeze, that means the tunnel it's not completely pinched off!
I have an idea….. what if you made some kind of device that works similar to the way that a corn silo rescue tool works. Slide in some sort of panels that would hold back the falling rocks/ gravel. Like crawling through a Calvert pipe that has been taken apart and made in to small parts.
You have to remember the easier it is the harder it is to get out. I learned that many tears ago in a salt mine in Hutchison, Kansas when we were driving a hew deain tunnel.
Ok, why so much loose gravel material in bedrock? What's that loose falling gravel made of? Did you take a sample of it out with you for a geologist to look at and determine what it is. I'd also look on top of the mountain above this location to see what this loose gravel is all about. Also I've seen sandstone in California appear to like liquidfy from the vibration of an Earthquake and move massive amounts of land. Something in the composition of the sandstone it happens. If that's the gravel, that would be very unstable. Just my thoughts.
I ran equipment in strip mines. It always starts out as a trickle and that's when you need to get out of the way before it's too late. Pretty risky there guys, glad you're all safe.
Could be natural gravel flowing down in there.
Could be tailings from 100 years ago
@@missingremote4388 tailings was my guess.. Unless you are going to add a ton of new lumber to that part of the mine, I think they are playing with fire.
I'm no miner, but if it were me, my first priority would be to excavate the entrance and begin laying tracks so mine carts could be used to remove waste rock.
That would be a fun mission 👌i think the snow at the entrance will melt in summer and leave a nice entrance but not sure ✌️
@@krockpotbroccoli65 That might require permits and funding and hours of hard labor. I'm not sure if they are actually trying to put the mine back into production.
@@outdoorloser4340 Brent could do it all under the auspices of turning it into a tourist attraction similar to what Frank and his wife of the exploringababdonedmines channel are doing with their derelict mine in Canada.
@@krockpotbroccoli65 sure he could have a mini train ride. Be great way for tourists to get around the mine and save on heart attacks at that altitude .
Yep, that is what has to be done.
That whole 200 foot level looks to have been dug through a “ Fracture zone “ possibly created or a result of that 1872 Earthquake that rattled that whole area . Or that may be a level of just loose strata throughout that whole mountain from Eons ago due to volcanic / tectonic plate activity during the earths mountain building times. There’s reasons these areas are usually avoided by miners in general due to the serious nature of collapse & injury / deaths. Be wary and stay safe . Better to second guess your decisions than to seriously regret them. 😐. C-ya 🤞
i don't want to sound all doom and gloomy but i won't be surprised when one day brent and maybe some other guests don't come out.. have you seen his adventure down the chimney i think he called it? just endless pits where the main ore deposit was extracted with loose everything hanging, unsupported stope like formations, just plain madness to really hope for the best and rappel down random bottomless holes.. ah well, guess he did some wild stuff while living, not everybody can say that..
Might not be the worst idea to launch a major infastucture campaign spice the place up a bit for future mining modernized your hole in the ground.
Stope or cross ore drop shaft debris. To save lift time, miners often backfilled unused tunnels of waste rock. Only the high graded ore was sent up.
@@runs_through_the_forest I doubt Brent's really thought it through. In a big commercial operation you've got equipment and people ready to go if something goes wrong yet it can still be days before folks can get to you. How much of this is at or near Cerro Gordo? Are the local responders any good with mine rescues? It could take 24-36 hours just to get a rescue attempt started up there. I respect his honorable intentions, dreams, and desires, but dirt and rocks don't care about anything except obeying the law of gravity.
@@P_RO_There are plenty of good things that can be said about Brent, but he's not a miner.
You guys are so grounded. What you just did is DANGEROUS.
Digging a collapsed tunnel, I hope you have to maintain the safety of friends. Greetings from Indonesian agate hunters.
Imagine the same situation but with the bottom half of a man trapped in the muck pile, quite a bit more room to work, and 500 tons or broken rock still above. been there, done that, proud of the men I worked with as they were lined up to replace tired or damaged bodies doing the actual work. Turned out well, no serious injuries.
Rule #1. Never work under unsupported ground. If its collapsing, sluffing, or moving its unsupported. Mine rehab is dangerous work. Start from the front and move forward. Or just reopen another portal that has closed, but in better ground.
There has to be a keen respect for the rock, its structure when excavating rock undergound! Eh?
@PMPCMining Immediately followed by Rule 1a - IF timbering, lagging or other supporting structures are visibly damaged, DON'T TOUCH OR REMOVE THEM!
You probably have a backfilled stope above that. You should check out what Frank's been dealing with opening up his mine. Might give you some idea of what to expect. You're gonna need a backhoe and a mucker, lol.
Brent makes me worried often. Really glad the snow slide of death didn't have any melt holes or things like a crevasse. You are brave, or too trusting. Look out for yourself all ways. I guess all is well that ends well, but not sure the entrance was a safe move for a family man. I am an old woman that worries. Like your channel.
creavasses to where? he did excavate that area, he knew what it was like without snow...
@@intothewildexplore the snow at that time was 20-30 feet deep.
@@CobCeo Yes but Brent had been there many times before, and even Jason had been in there once before. They knew there wasn't a chasm under the snow, they knew it to be safe and level ground under the snow.
Good thing the tunnel kept collapsing right away, not five minutes after you passed it , when going in deeper.
I am clueless, but what kind of mining is this? Like with zero structural support and without cleaning, reinforcing the entrance
@Labas Labas It's not. It's untrained owner occupier adventure for TH-cam entertainment. You might be surprised to know he is usually more responsible than when he started. Two guys of similar temperament reinforcing each other's recklessness tendency. But, if no other responsibilities, why not? The whole region is crumbly material, not solid rock granite
If they could clear it the next step would be stabilizing it. Gotta clear it first
Good thing you guys have a structural engineer and a geologist on hand to advise on your mining excavations. There is a reason they use massive timbers to brace some of the tunnels in a mine.
Those areas where the loose rock is falling, can be quite huge. Frank and Sharon, clearing out the Yankee Boy mine was interesting when Sharon was up on the top and feeding in golf balls. Took a lot of material for Frank down below, to find them.
If I recall it was over 100 cart loads spanning multiple weeks of work, and they still have material pouring out of that hole. I was thinking the same thing.
I love your collaborations with Brent. Viva la Cerro Gordo.
Even though its hopeless, Brent keeps cautiously digging. Addiction is a evidently, doing the same thing over & expecting different result.
Good thing you hadn't gotten through and it started collapsing behind you. That could be a fracture zone and will take quite some effort to get past. A large boring machine drilling a tunnel in the Alps ran into one. The machine was stuck for months while they cemented the fracture then drilled through the cement.
Looks like y’all might need some 5 gallon buckets and a assembly line to clear a lot of that loose rock. I think you’re on the right track though.
If you have an overhead shaft or stope backfilled with waste rock by the miners, you have to put in one overhead beam every 6 inches and work your way in.
Love to hear what Dan Hurd would think of your snow slide of death! Jason this was a good video but I can’t believe you went in there. Be safe guys.
That cave look dreadful especially with all that snow surrounding it...I would be able to breathe inside
Honestly, that was really sketchy. Maybe more than you realize. To open up that addit you are going to have to completely level clear it out, starting with 20 feet of snow removal at the front. Once you restablish that incline at the portal, your going to need to go slow, and carefully, retimbering each section. In a lot of ways a completely new mine is safer...to open that thing up properly, you are looking at moving thousands of cubic yards of material. Once you get through that fracture zone it will be easier. Stay safe, Guys!
Thanks to Jason, Brent and Scott for the Educational videos that remain free to watch to this day. You have inspired me a lot and have to appreciate been hard on you'r tools. That short spade is normally used for vertical digging using you'r forearm to support the whole handle. My bulldog has a slight fracture and was basically unavoidable. Hope you guys find some gargoyles.
I have worked with Zinc for 16 years now and believe you could be onto some amazing
I can smell that fresh snow! I could x-ski for miles there wow! I love these videos, many of my mum’s side of the family along with my husband are/were miners.
Pretty sure you will have to crib and timber as you go even if you redirect over the top .
Hard to say how many yards of gravel and rock are just waiting to slump into any void you create .
You are not going to make fast progress there and do it with any safety margin otherwise .
It may be safer and faster to go around that spot , even if it means redirecting the tunnel around the area of collapse .
Worst case scenario would be if that zone extends to the surface , in which case you would probably have to start a new adit just in from that rotten area .
OR , you could wait until next winter and pump water into the area , assuming it is below freezing at that depth . The ice may stabilize it long enough to clear a route , timber it , and , stabilize the tunnel . Alternately a grout slurry could do the same thing , but will not be cheap .
The old mine really wants its privacy it seems .
Terrible suggestions. Widening the tunnel weakens the structural support around the area. Especially since it's unknown how large and in what direction the fracture is. And ice would introduce more cracks, too, destabilizing it further, instead of stabilizing it.
That almost seems like backfill.
Maybe a filled vertical shaft?
You both are brave! But that’s what explorers/prospectors do!
Possibly even Darwin
I was terrified but could not stop watching. I would have called it quits faced with having to slide down a snow face of unknown stability…great video..
Jason, Brent and Scott, great exciting adventure. Don't give up. We enjoyed every minute of it.
The best shovel I've ever used has been a steel handled Fiskars brand. I've had it for at least 10 years now and it's received nothing but compliments from others who have used it. It's about the same weight as a wood handled shovel, I think it's because the handle shape isn't round, it's more like an egg 🥚 which adds rigidity while keeping the weight down.
I would strongly recommend this shovel to anyone who has to move earth, it will change your perception of how holes can be dug.
For tight spaces a M43 or M51 entrenching tool locked in the 90 degree position would be good. It’s like the pelican tool mentioned below, but it folds up and is less expensive.
Agreed
Cyclone Pelican Pick, standard piece of equipment in every Australian underground mine, and above ground too.
You'll move more coarse material and works far better in confined spaces than a shovel.
@@mdhaynie m32 Abrams also works for making holes lol
@@baseballjustin5 if that doesn’t work we will need to drop a MOP or MOAB
One step forward, two steps back. That's the life of a miner, just keep going forward!
@@runs_through_the_forest Have you ever dug yourself out of a hole? LOL
@@jimmime i usually dig myself into a hole.. damn this is going nowhere is it? 🤐🤣
@@runs_through_the_forest That's what I was trying to say.😆
I think you should put safety first and maybe do some timber in the entrance and improvement on tunnel. It's not worth someone getting injured or losing their life.
you just need to organise "the omega day" and have a bunch of volunteers chaining buckets out the mine
Patience is rewarded.....and caution is too!!! Great video!!
Exciting movie! Real adventure. Thank you! Jason.
A "catty-wampus" beam, and a flow of rock, are sending a pretty clear message, guys!
These "collaboration" videos are the best X 10 to the power of 10!.
You boys just love to saw the limb you're standing on, you're either very brave or lacking in respect for the mine. I love what you do and respect it to a great degree, please stay safe.
Yikes collapsed timbers signals a need to turn back for the sake of safety.
Yes, it would definitely help to have a tunnel you could use to escape the mine if the hoist were ever incapacitated.
what about, building some new support beams to prevent it from collapsing further? would be needed no matter what right?
thank you for letting us come on your adventures, love your content !
Good that you got out safe, better if you stayed out I guess.
I mean you move a softball sized rock and that happens.
So what about those smaller collapses you climbed over on your way in. What if your climbing over them loosens a softball sized rock and that happens?
You need a way to support those spots before you go on and make them passable again. That way there is at least a chance that people move in with rescue equipment if anything happens.
I think there has been a reason why they didn't open it up back in the days. Probably they considered it to difficult and to dangerous.
Usually old mines are closed up because people die doing what you do there.
These guys worked hard today. Never forger though the men who built these mines did so with HUGE effort and risk. No power equipment, trucks, electricity, communications, etc. Everything was hauled in and out with mules and wagons. Food was sparse, it was hot, cold, dirty and simple injury or illness could mean death.
Place some timbers to stop the loose material from trickling down. Start shoring it up proper as you dig in a little at a time.
Timber??? They didn't go in to work they are having fun
I'm certainly not an expert and don't know what is above the collapse. It seems the correct way to safely get in the omega is to rebuild it starting from the portal. After watching this...I'm wondering if it would be possible to dig down from ground level to the collapse and build square set framing and lagging to provide a safe way down to the omega? I'm not sure those are correct terms. Basically, build a ladder down from ground level. My thought is that so much has collapsed that there has to be a large hole already void going up toward ground level. If not sure Brent has big enough equipment to pull that off or the wood to build it.
There is dead people down there.
I sincerely doubt they have the budget to make that tunnel section even remotely safe. I'm not an expert either, but I suspect the vertical option would be even more expensive. Heck, just the timber cost these days would be astronomical let alone the equipment and expertise to install it. I suppose the adoption of, ahem, "period appropriate" mining techniques could reduce the monetary costs if only Cerro Gordo was in some third world country, but here in the US you are stuck with contracting using techniques with a low probability of killing anyone. Despite it's siren song, I would forget about the Omega entrance until you get the money to make it safe.
@@steveanderson9290 Brent has plenty of money I just think he wants to explore if it even connects to the main mine before putting any substantial work into the tunnel. I do agree its risky to work there but its gotta be done.
@@JtagSheep Not to mention that Jason also has his own timberland and a sawmill where he makes his own timbers. While they dont live right next door it would be possible for Jason to make timbers and either have them shipped or move them himself.
Man you are living the life, love how you stick it out with Brent... Brent, you need like 20 guys to go back in & then make some better headway with better manpower.
Is there a level / adit above the Omega tunnel that is collapsing into this tunnel?
@14:40 It would have been worse, if you´d have crossed that part and then afterwards the collapse took place. No option of return. That is creepy down there in the mines !
it seems to me, that ti may be time to invest in some timber (ouch right?) and do a full timbering of that tunnel, and get some electric digger scoops in there to dig out a quarter yard at a time. be the only way i feel to really get access is just to get to it with machinery. granted, going at it by hand has a certain pleasure in its own way. sorting stone by hand for my own project the last 12 years has been pretty fun haha. i sort by size, and classify out the smallest dirt and gravels, and have made nice piles of Stack-ready stone for my crew and I. its a labor of love and Art, as i feel getting to working that Tunnel is for Brent.
Glad you guys are safe. That was a bit of a nail biter. Until next time. Great health to all.
As cavers we used to treat digs like that as a long term project.
8 people. Buckets, crow bars, shovels, hoes, a red wagon to move the buckets. Just did, dig, dig. Trip after trip. We always made it fun. Most of the time we would get in after hard work. Does it move any air?
Long term dig projects always suffer from recruitment challenges , and this is often the biggest impediment to forward progress .
That rumbling noise like you heard in the video will reduce your recruitment strategy to blackmail and bribery , I don't care HOW much depth potential you have or possible miles of virgin borehole you predict .
I recall one project that had 20+ regular participants , until , a deep distant rumble was heard .
Suddenly the workforce was down to half that number and half of the remainder was just waiting on the first wave to exit .
We learned to stop scheduling trips when the nearby quarry was blasting ...
Yes, air is coming out of the tunnel from the direction of the collapse, when they were there 9 months ago you could see moss swaying in the wind.
Be careful and safe in those dangerous old mines!
Hey Jason, BIG thumbs up! Should only take a week or 2 to muck all that loose dirt & rock out to the portal! Start digging! Brent needs a couple of the small, folding Army shovels to dig with - made for cramped spaces. Hopefully Brent will do more work in there! Glad everyone is safe! Take Care, Jim
You left that as a death trap. At least the old timers had the sense to board it up
There's two sounds you never want to hear in a hard rock mine: sudden cracking and the falling of rocks, and a low growl or high pitched yowl that tells you someone has made it their home and doesn't want you there.
I guess that if they wanted to actually reopen that section of the mine they'd probably want to put up expanded steel caging and shotcrete it to support it safely right? Timbering probably would be more expensive and less safe right? Brent definitely needs some of those muckers like they use in opal mines in Australia to clean that place out.
Either one of those walk-behind skid-steers or a half-yard LHD. I'd be most comfortable with a remote-control machine considering the proximity to what is essentially an uncontrolled drawpoint. That collapse is more dangerous than it looks.
I agree. Expanded or corrigated steel arches and injectable concrete. Loose rocks are scary in a mine. Always. Gravity and mass respect no one.
Dynamic duo. This a great collaboration. Thanks for bringing us along in the safety of our homes. ;p Stay safe, guys.
Y'all need a dedicated snow plow blade for your little Kubota there.
One of those that splits in the middle to push to both sides equally and makes a track wider than the machine say by a foot on each side.
One of the best wood shovels you can get is from poles inc but they cut the tips of they are used to dig utility poles.
One more comment from me here , don’t be discouraged. Up at the Main mine in Bodie California ( Brent did a video from there I think last year or year before) there were a couple of miners who leased access and one day while out of the mine on a lunch or rest break heard a huge rumble from the portal . Once the dust cleared and they were able to regain access back in they were amazed to see the collapse had exposed a huge vein of very rich ore chock full of gold. The leaser’s of the mine made an agreement to sell it back to the main owners for a very tidy sum at the time & it made headlines around the world once that vein proved its worth . Only problem here is Brent is the one working it & he already owns all the rights .😆👍😉. Good luck guys in your endeavors.
Somebody else owned the mineral rights from day one unless Brent bought them out
@@showgirlsaroundtheworldada4484 Since Brent bought the entire town over 3 years ago now I just naturally figured he owned the mineral rights underground as well . Since he mined & made silver produced from the ore already I’m pretty sure he has the right to do so. I could be wrong however…..
@@stephenmiller5023 It was bought by an "investment group" They are hoping to use it as a corporate resort in the future. They are frauds.
@@stephenmiller5023 he has a previous vlog stating that the people that owned the mineral rights were going to lease out to a commercial company. So no he did not buy the minerals rights to the land to start with. Most people will never sell the mineral rights when they sell a property anyway. They make far too much revenue. You as the landowner can go thru tons of crap with them tearing your land up too.
Appreciate all your vids & humble nature...hope to see u on other side...God bless!
I think a steel rake would work better. You should also have a small cart of some kind to take away the gravels and rocks. Y'all should be pulling out that that keeps falling and then brace it.
I was thinking the same thing but just disperse the gravel on the floor since it would be way less effort.
Is that loose stuff coming down possibly ore, or mineral rich, what makes such loose gravel happen in bed rock?
Love seeing these videos of you and Brent
Def a fun side of youtube im not used to. Hope you guys stay safe.
Id probably try steel ibeams woth wood to support, time to remake the supports
Great adventure like the old miner said just a little bit more ⛏️ and we will be clear .You are closer ❤️🤔
Could that have been a tailings shaft that collapsed? Just doesn’t seem like a roof collapse would be that fine.
That is my question too. They need to look at the rocks with a geologist to determine if they were broken naturally or from mining. It might be a tailings pile shoved off in another section of the mine. If that’s so then there’s a whole lot of old activity on the other side that needs exploring!
Thank you, Keep working. Good luck! 👍
You should clear out to floor level then drive in timbers above and side were its coming in ,it will be slow but better than getting buried
@@Michealkittlerarecoins Fo
I went in to my first mine today here in southern Oregon. Detected the walls a bit but no luck . Glad you didn’t die bro 😂👊
Keep the great videos coming friend from Scotland thanks 😊
@mbmmllc
Could you process whatever keeps falling down to see if there is anything useful in that? I mean, if you can find something in there, then this isn't a complete loss.
Looks like a back fill tunel above you might dig for days
Jason 😂, 13:00 at this point I expected to to start the dialogue of: I love my family, friends, if we don’t make it ….. 😂😂😂. Soooo much fun underground brother man 🤙🤙
Hey, I was looking forward to seeing how you got back up that slide!
Jason - the collapse almost looks like muck, but that wouldn't make sense - is it the country rock and if so, why is it so broken up? All that stuff coming down reminds me of failed stopes you see.
I wish so bad I could have been there to help move the rock out of the way for you guys. Great vid. Thumb up and shared.
That looks like so much fun!
Absolutely brilliant, the best underground video I've seen in ages! It would be good if it's possible to sure up the entrance portal not just to ease but I don't like the look of them rocks and if assistance was required the portal would be much easier to find, keep up the good work lads.
Thank you Jason a great video with my morning coffee !
Mining is not for the timid...lol thanks for sharing...fun stuff.
Quite the gamble you are all taking disturbing the mine. You need to shore that tunnel back up to where the collapse is.
Those timbers are holding on but for how long?
Awesome Adventures gaining valuable knowledge!!! 😎✌❤
Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance is a great book on philosophy. I wouldn't mind reading zen and the art of mining as well
Does this mean Brent will have a video for this weekend too? 😊
Nice to see this little adventure from your side of the camera :D
That was a really entertaining video 😀👍
Im so glad that you're collaborating with Dan Hurd prospecting so I could find your videos 😎
You can thank Dan Hurd for my subscription. Been following him for quite some time. I'd jump at the chance to crawl into that mine!
Really wish i was able to visit cerro gordo,id happily spend a week plus to get that tunnel open for Brent
It looks like you have your own version of the Oak Island "Money Pit" there!
Take good care of our Brent. We’ve grown rather fond of our Cerro Gordo guide.
Yea like it’s so fractured it looks like pre excavated material that’s been dumped there no? The shoring above them where they were digging looked good, but there is only one way to know for sure and that’s build your own spring with good solid backfill prior to continuing on. I wouldn’t be crawling over stuff like they did but I would use that nice material from the cave in to run back and support the tunnels anywhere I could behind me
Looks like so much fun!
12:20, you can clearly see the "spider webs" (for the lack of better term), where Brent removed the board, fluttering in the breeze, that means the tunnel it's not completely pinched off!
Nature makes you work for it !
Is it possible that the extra weight from the snow on the ground above your head would increase the chance of a cave in?
Loved this video. Hope you guys can find a way, maybe get some mining company to help.
I have an idea….. what if you made some kind of device that works similar to the way that a corn silo rescue tool works. Slide in some sort of panels that would hold back the falling rocks/ gravel. Like crawling through a Calvert pipe that has been taken apart and made in to small parts.
Yes sir Brent you are the man
You have to remember the easier it is the harder it is to get out. I learned that many tears ago in a salt mine in Hutchison, Kansas when we were driving a hew deain tunnel.
With the right tools and a scaling bar, some timbering and determination. Yes, constructive effort is definitely required! That's where the fun is!
Ok, why so much loose gravel material in bedrock?
What's that loose falling gravel made of?
Did you take a sample of it out with you for a geologist to look at and determine what it is. I'd also look on top of the mountain above this location to see what this loose gravel is all about.
Also I've seen sandstone in California appear to like liquidfy from the vibration of an Earthquake and move massive amounts of land. Something in the composition of the sandstone it happens. If that's the gravel, that would be very unstable. Just my thoughts.
Maybe Bigfoot was using a draw crusher above😊
Good point though
I’m glad you weren’t alone in their when it happened.
Love it, it's like Minecraft 1.1. Hope you get those richs boys👍