The more I learn about this mine the more interesting it is. I worked with a half dozen miners up in Mammoth after the mine closed in the 1980’s, had friends in Rovana. The stories are incredible.
I remember driving through Rovana in 88 or 89, on our way to Pine Creek. Weirdest little backwater I've ever seen. Saw a bunch of dirty, half dressed kids standing in the middle of the road right next to town. From a distance I assumed they must've been playing a game of catch or something. We get closer, and realize they're not playing with anything, they're just standing in the road for no reason. Maybe 15 or 20 kids with dirty faces, some without shirts, some without shoes. We pull up and stop, and after a minute or so some of them slowly turn to face us. It was like something out of a horror movie... they were all just standing in the middle of the road facing random directions. They react super slowly, and they had the most blank expressions, completely zombified. We finally said screw it and start driving through the crowd at walking speed. The ones that were in our path would wait until the last moment to step aside, still with the blankest, most "special" looks on their faces. We get through the crowd and look back a while later, and see that they've all resumed their positions, standing motionless in the road. I'd seen plenty of grown desert folk that seemed like extras in Deliverance, but this was like Children of the Corn, in the desert. Not sure if there was lead in the water, or bybroducts from someone's meth lab. Cue the banjo music.
There’s some towns in Nevada that have a lot of natural lithium and everyone is beyond relaxed lol, I wonder if that might have been the case in this area. Lead is probably a good theory too we didn’t test every water supply back then, and it wouldn’t be unheard of to have heavy metals seep into the groundwater in a mining area. A lot of times it’s naturally occurring in mining areas too and not even a result of mining, there’s some places here in California where cinnabar is just leaching out of the rocks and dirt into the creek, and it’s just a natural occurrence.
This kind of reminds me of a 16mm movie that I might have seen in grade school. In all reality, I probably didn’t. But it just has that ‘70s school movie’ vibe, right down to the music. The only thing that it’s missing is the clattering of the projector.
I worked in there 76 to early 78. Those were Mercedes Unimogs we were driving in there. I'm sure I operated that same old jumbo drill. I also drove small ore pass raises using their old stoper drills that were antiques then.
Sad to say that we now purchase 80% our tungsten from foreign sources. Perhaps 20% comes from recycling. The following is from a 2012 Forbes article: "China, which has more than 80% of the world’s supply of tungsten, has sharply curtailed its exports and as of now is a net importer of this precious element. China also shows no signs of loosening the reins on tungsten exports, preferring instead to use its supply for its own manufacturing applications. Russia has some, but keeps 70% of what it has for domestic use. Tungsten has also been harvested and recycled from existing devices and components, but even those sources have now reached their limits and there’s no new significant supply on the horizon. Currently, that leaves no more than five mines supplying most of the world’s tungsten outside of China and Russia. (A possible mine in South Korea may have reopened)
The mine is not in operation but several portals remain open (but locked). Much of the mill was destroyed in an avalanche but the buildings at the Easy-Go level are intact. All equipment downstream from the jaw crusher has been removed except the clarifier and associated hardware and plumbing. The ore bin is also still intact.
I bought a 1958 Plymouth that was in the mine back in 2016.
The more I learn about this mine the more interesting it is. I worked with a half dozen miners up in Mammoth after the mine closed in the 1980’s, had friends in Rovana. The stories are incredible.
Did you know a Ronnie Owens? My dad worked in the mine and we lived in rovana.
I remember driving through Rovana in 88 or 89, on our way to Pine Creek. Weirdest little backwater I've ever seen. Saw a bunch of dirty, half dressed kids standing in the middle of the road right next to town. From a distance I assumed they must've been playing a game of catch or something. We get closer, and realize they're not playing with anything, they're just standing in the road for no reason. Maybe 15 or 20 kids with dirty faces, some without shirts, some without shoes. We pull up and stop, and after a minute or so some of them slowly turn to face us.
It was like something out of a horror movie... they were all just standing in the middle of the road facing random directions. They react super slowly, and they had the most blank expressions, completely zombified. We finally said screw it and start driving through the crowd at walking speed. The ones that were in our path would wait until the last moment to step aside, still with the blankest, most "special" looks on their faces. We get through the crowd and look back a while later, and see that they've all resumed their positions, standing motionless in the road.
I'd seen plenty of grown desert folk that seemed like extras in Deliverance, but this was like Children of the Corn, in the desert. Not sure if there was lead in the water, or bybroducts from someone's meth lab. Cue the banjo music.
There’s some towns in Nevada that have a lot of natural lithium and everyone is beyond relaxed lol, I wonder if that might have been the case in this area. Lead is probably a good theory too we didn’t test every water supply back then, and it wouldn’t be unheard of to have heavy metals seep into the groundwater in a mining area.
A lot of times it’s naturally occurring in mining areas too and not even a result of mining, there’s some places here in California where cinnabar is just leaching out of the rocks and dirt into the creek, and it’s just a natural occurrence.
Once upon a time I use to work there and lived in Round valley ( Rovana )
This kind of reminds me of a 16mm movie that I might have seen in grade school. In all reality, I probably didn’t. But it just has that ‘70s school movie’ vibe, right down to the music. The only thing that it’s missing is the clattering of the projector.
Back when school wasn’t so hard
Great Video, I worked underground there from 76 to 82.
did you know a Dennis Swan?
No, sorry!
Mike O'konowitz?(spl)
I worked in there 76 to early 78. Those were Mercedes Unimogs we were driving in there. I'm sure I operated that same old jumbo drill. I also drove small ore pass raises using their old stoper drills that were antiques then.
Interesting video
look for the book "Mine in the Sky" 2nd Ed. by Joseph-M-Kurtak
Unfortunately, this book is out of print, and examples are rather expensive ($100+ on Amazon). Your best bet is to check libraries in your area.
My dad died in that mine Joe bebar
☹
🙏🏼
Sad to say that we now purchase 80% our tungsten from foreign sources. Perhaps 20% comes from recycling. The following is from a 2012 Forbes article:
"China, which has more than 80% of the world’s supply of tungsten, has sharply curtailed its exports and as of now is a net importer of this precious element. China also shows no signs of loosening the reins on tungsten exports, preferring instead to use its supply for its own manufacturing applications.
Russia has some, but keeps 70% of what it has for domestic use. Tungsten has also been harvested and recycled from existing devices and components, but even those sources have now reached their limits and there’s no new significant supply on the horizon.
Currently, that leaves no more than five mines supplying most of the world’s tungsten outside of China and Russia. (A possible mine in South Korea may have reopened)
Mine is closed, the old mill and plant has been scraped down to the earth.
The mine is not in operation but several portals remain open (but locked). Much of the mill was destroyed in an avalanche but the buildings at the Easy-Go level are intact. All equipment downstream from the jaw crusher has been removed except the clarifier and associated hardware and plumbing. The ore bin is also still intact.
This is great! I always wondered about the mine there. Is it still in operation?
The mine has been closed for many years.
This is awesome! How'd you even get this?
+Steve archive.org/index.php
Awesome thanks