The Building with the Valdeze wood.... was the Fire assey Lab... The Big Round Metal cylinders with the Gear.... are Ball Mills, next to it where metal Flotation cells, wood Thickener Tanks.... The Shafts and big Pulleys in the Cealings are called Line Shafts... All equipment was ran by one big motor, through the Line shafts and flat leather Belts to drive Grinders, drill presses, Fans, pumps....
@ 1:06:36, did anyone else recognize what looked like an 8 foot diameter rod or ball mill to pulverize the ore down to sand grade for the chemical processing to extract the gold? Up in the superstructure we could see all the belt drive pulleys and shafts to power the mill. The stack we saw protruding from the roof could have been for the stationary steam engine power plant. I didn't see it so it must have been disassembled after decommissioning the operations. It would have been the most valuable machinery in use there.
I guarantee you could have heard that mill running for many, many miles when it was in operation. All those colors are likely all toxic heavy metals left from processing the ore to remove the gold. I think I saw two mountain goats laughing at you because they wouldn't dare go up that high. Thank you for showing this and for the Archival images, really enjoyed it. My brother was stationed in Alaska from 1951-54 in the USAF I told him I had heard the cold there was a different kind of cold, he said it was he said it was "real cold" not kind of cold like we have in Missouri.
Outstanding adventure. Alaska: Where manly men did manly things. If I were 40 years younger I would be planning a spring trip up to Alaska just to spend a few days camped out in the mine area. Incredible scenery would make working there really enjoyable. Thank you so much for taking us along on this trip. I walked through the gold mines in NV in the early 60's and this brings back those memories. Have a blessed day and stay healthy. Thanks for sharing.
I had the exact same thought. Gettin' old stinks, doesn't it? I have a suggestion, though. I live in Arizona. In the Winter, the Western Arizona desert is really pleasant. Because the desert is mostly BLM land, you can camp most anywhere you can get your car to. There are some remote and beautiful areas, with lots of old mines, that you can safely drive your car to. Just make sure you bring plenty of water. I't's not Alaska, but it doesn't get nearly as cold here! If you've got a hankerin' to go camping, I suggest Southwest Arizona in January and February!
JT Thill, I can relate how you. I'm now 64, a six year lung cancer sivivor. No more cancer but it came at a cost, lol..in the last years before the cancer I started thinking of Alaska, live in the wild so to speak. Now, I wouldn't last 5 minutes 'roughing it. I give our of breath pretty fast, got no stamina, guess I earned the 'of man' status. Its all good though. House will be paid off in 3 years and planning to get a small rv, not sure what type as yet, just as long as its got certain creature comforts. Gonna hit the roads and play Nomad for a while, its time to do some things I never did before, lol....
JT Thill... I know just what you mean, man. Me, too. If only I was younger. I'm 71 now. I see a lot of guys making the same comments. There's so much I'd still like to do; so much we'd all like to do, but alas...
Hey Brother! Wow! That is quite an informational and educational walk through history. Thank you for blessing us with this wonderful and stimulating session. I like how you interjected the footage into it. I love this stuff. And thanks again for all you do to help us see the importance of holding on to our heritage of America.
Mining in Alaska has been a topic of interest in my life. I thoroughly enjoyed your video. I live about twenty minutes from Independence Mine in Alaska. It was started the same time as the Nebesna Mine and though it has suffered from years of neglect, it is in better shape. It is a favorite place to visit. I have been down inside the mine in two locations. It has eleven miles of tunnels. I’ve had a private tour of the mill by a grandson of one of the men who worked the mine, who owns that part of the mine. Touring the mill was like stepping back in time with everything left intact, including clothing, from its last day of operation. I absolutely love this stuff. My next home design will take inspiration from the mining industry in Alaska. Thanks again for your video.
Wow lucky you, i would love to see that, am so interested in what the old boys did and how they managed to get the machinery into some of these places, I live in New Zealand not far from the bigger places that were mined in the 1900's Even got to have a tour of a modern under ground operation in the 1990's, now that was an eye opener 😲
@@neilfausett6612 That is so cool. This mine also has a more recent operation using big equipment. It is on the other side of the mountain. A friend of mine, who worked there, asked if I would like to work with him to locate a water pump that had been placed in one of the old 1930’s mine portals but had been buried in an avalanche. I told him I would love that. He told me that his company would also pay for my labor. This water pump was used for cooling drill bits that produced core samples. The day we chose to work was sunny and much of the avalanche had since melted away, making it easier to detect the location of the mine portal. We started digging with hand shovels in the morning and by mid afternoon had located the portal and the pump. My friend had me go down into the portal entrance to attach a steel cable to the pump. He told me that a helicopter would be sent later to retrieve the pump. Once down inside the portal, I could see that the old portal timber’s were rotting. There was a steady flow of water running into the mine tunnel from melting snows above. Water was about mid-calf deep, and deeper the further one went into the mine tunnel. I pulled as much of the hose as I could get attached to the pump, without going too far into the tunnel where that water was deeper, and successfully attached the steel cable. It was a great adventure and I felt fortunate to have had the experience.
For all those wondering what some of those barrels were for if you stop at 50:10, you can faintly see a logo and a mosaic pattern. They're definitely mobiloil barrels from the 30's era. They would have either been gargoyle mobiloil or just mobiloil with their classic pegasus, depending on how far into the 1930's they were from. Most likely fuel and/or oil for trucks and machinery, at least for that one barrel. EDIT: If you look even closer you can actually still see the orange gargoyle on top of the mobiloil, definitely an earlier can.
Watching from Australia, and getting a great intro to things Alaska. Love the trucks, they're special enough, but this landscape and history is so different to what's around me. Thanks for sharing with us!
This reminds me of my old neighbor and friends place when I was young. He had a gravel pit with a home engineered and built gravel washing plant which he built in the 30s. I believe it was used until the late 40s. In the early 70s the shop by the pit still stood and had the look of just being walked away from, it was like a time capsule. I would walk around the place with him and he would explain how they built and did things. He somewhat abandoned the operation due to being to small in volume by the late 40s. At this point he bought a new Bucyrus-Erie 22B dragline and concentrated on ditching and drainage. I would loved to have purchased the property when sold but couldn’t afford it. The new owner had all the iron cut up for scrap. More history was lost.
Thanks for taking us along man. One small request if I may, please pan slower when you move the camera. I know if feels you are moving slowly when you move but the camera speeds up the motion. Thanks man and you are so lucky to be in that part of the world!
That's got to be the best video I've watched in a longtime. Got to give those guys working in the mountains in those conditions and a big thank you for bringing this to the channel.👏👍🤘
Thanks for taking the time to show us this video. This is great. Amazing craftsmanship in that mine. Alaska is a beautiful state. Great job buddy. Thanks again.
What an awesome place, thanks for taking us along! I've been all over coastal Alaska, buf all work and no play. I want to drive my Willys jeep up the AlCan one day from Washington. Thanks bud!
Absolute amazing adventure. Thank you for taking us along. Really enjoyed the trip. It is hard to even begin to imagine, the amount of work that went into getting all the machinery up. Especially considering the extreme remote conditions
A step back in time, long before the EPA was around. Looked like a super fund site for AK. Very interesting hike and history. Thanks for making this video.
Wow,what an epic journey that was for you,thanks for taking us along.that was a time when men were men who lived for quick riches but didnt know were shortning there lives,bet some card games and shenanigans went on in them cabins.nnoticed lots of steam heaters laying around,that was a time when steam n cables ran lots n provided heat,that one building must of been boiler house.they just piped hot water from building to bldg via pipes!!glad you got a few trinkets.defiantly another explore to it again is warranted!!!snookie pa.
Hi, imagine what stories those men could tell if they were alive today, a great look at a vanishing part of Alaskan history. Thank you for taking us along to see this amazing location, those men were pioneers and they would have worked long hours in a very cold climate, a tough way to earn your wage back in the day. xx
Not many people knew about it until now lol. Too bad I’m 4000 mikes away from it. Thx for sharing this as it’s as close as I’ll probably get. Be safe on your adventures
I love the video. It reminds me of where I grew up in Arizona. The town was surrounded with old mines, mostly gold and copper. We used to ride motorcycles and hike up to the mines to explore. It makes me wish we had digital cameras 37 years ago. Of course, none of those operations were as big as the one in your video. I love the old history. Keep up the good work.
We used to sell hay and haul it to the Ellis’s up in Nebesna when I was a kid back in the 60’s and 70’s. Born and raised in the Copper River Basin area.
My father in law would have loved this RIP. He left home (ran away) at age 16 from Idaho to Alaska. Around 1934. He had such great stories. It was a rough life.
That was cool incorporating the old film footage. As much ground as you covered I thought for sure you'd run out of daylight. Excellent POV filming. Think were all ready for a part two this time with a metal detector as you mentioned. ;)
@@BackyardAlaskan One thing I am a little uneasy about is taking a drill bit for a souvenir. So what. It's just one. But the cumulative erosion of people picking up things as souvenirs is going to slowly ruin it. Maybe nature will do that anyways, but like artifacts, it is best to record these images and avoid the urge to cherry pick. I am sure there are a few people who would love to get their hands on some of those hit-and-miss motors, as well. What is left after it is taken to a private collection? Nothing. Now a Model T front axle. Congrats. Another artifact appropriated. Why not take that Model T head gasket, while you're at it? Bet those are hard to come by. Bit by bit you and the other souvenir hunters will whittle it down to nothing. Surprised you didn't pocket some core samples. You can't do this bro. Not good.
@@jeffreymcneal1507 I was thinking the same thing. As much fun as it would be to have a piece of history It is against the Law in National parks to remove anything at all. Leave nothing take nothing.
Those drill bits must be allowed to rust into oblivion, so no one can ever see them! A couple more years and they will be in their appropriate place…as rusty dust on the ground, where they deserve to be. Stop preserving these “artifacts”! Let it rot! No one should ever attempt to preserve the past. I’m mad you filmed them, too. Thanks. (Video was awesome and wanted to join in on the enlightened, recliner-based commentary.)
The big drum with the gear was probably a ball mill that crushed the ore into a powder then went throughout the various tanks and the gold was leached out using chemicals like sulfuric acid . Cool video!!
I don't believe that sulfuric acid will dissolve gold. Much more likely that it would be a cyanide or arsenic-based extraction. I work for a mining company and we had both processes in place. I remember taking a tour of one of our mills circa 1982 - there was an unused section for arsenic processing of gold ore - it was PROMINENTLY marked as dangerous.
Amazing !!! A lot of sweat and blood was left on that mountain !!! Thank you so much for taking us along !!! Please be safe and God bless you !!!!! Eddy
Thank you for documenting the mine in its present state. I spent several weeks in 71 & 72 hunting across the drainage from the road in. A friend and I drove in there about 92 or 93 looking for sheep as there used to be a bunch in the early 70s. My dad and uncle knew several of the people who homesteaded along the road in. We hunted moose on the last big hill before the river. When the Alcan was under construction materials were flown in and landed on a strip next to the Nabesna river. There were thousands of 55gal fuel drums near the strip. I would bet some of the stuff in your video came from Uncle Sams airlift. I would like to go back up one day as it is one of the most beautiful places in AK. That old Ford looked ready to roll with minor items.
That was one amazing adventure, topped off by the archive footage of how it once was. I was surprised how you went off up the steep mountain without even sounding puffed out. Guys were tough back then, can’t imagine what it must have been like in winter and snow. Thanks for videoing so we could all see it.
Thanks for the view of Nebesna mine. I've marveled at that mountain for years every time I've driven by on my way to Valdez. I've lived in Alaska for 46 years and never been there to that mountain. Great job of climbing and finding the open tunnel. Now you need to get a group of experienced miners and go into the mine and document what's inside. That's the time capsule inside!
Thanks, I really enjoyed that. Although I will admit that I was probably breathing heavier then you were and I was just watching you climb that mountain. Love old mine sites like this.
Respect to all these men of iron as they can build such structures to chase the chance at more shiny yet you can't eat gold. Once in a while ya thinks ye a winner but all yous got was a we bit thinner! Thanks for your efforts and time! Keep it up as there is a lot of hidden history in Alaska. Stay adventurous!
Much of it would have been dragged in during the winter, hauled by tractors hauling large sleds. He mentioned that at the start. I work at a mining company in northern Manitoba (Canada, eh). We build a hydro dam/generator station in the 1920s and all of the material for that was hauled in the same fashion.
I am a lifelong Alaskan and remember visting this mine site in 1981. It looks much more overgrowing on plant life and slowing disappearing. Thanks for the memories.
Absolutely fascinating your subject matter everything from your wrecked vehicles in your yard to this mine your videos are getting better and better thank you
Today, from the comfort of my easy chair in Texas, I traveled to the top of an ancient mountain and explored an abandoned gold mine. Your videos are amazing and take my breath away. The only thing absent in your interesting and pleasant narrative is what is the air like? Does it smell of the fallen leaves? Pine? Do the buildings smell of cedar or dust? What does the air feel like on your skin? Is it warm? Is it brisk? You climbed up this amazing trail, in October, did you at all fear becoming trapped in a snowstorm? Not another soul in sight! They wouldn't find you until the Spring Melt! And thed Alaskan days, were you up against the clock? I watched as the shadows grew longer and longer, were you at risk of being swallowed by a freezing Alaskan night? I have always wanted to visit Alaska. Now you have fueled my yearning to a fevered pitch. The mountains, the rivers, the lakes, the sea, all so enormous, all so beautiful, yet wholly indifferent. I am a speck and they are beyond time.
I have driven by that road so many times and never knew that mine was there! Beautiful scenery! I'll make it one of my hikes next summer. Thanks for sharing!
This is so amazing to see. Iv only read about this an seen a cpl archive clips that were five minutes long when I was a kid . It’s sad to see the way it was left . I bet that if he was never shut down , we’ll I bet it would of been something bigger than what it became. Iv herd some old timers talk when I was a young kid an they sad that their was a lot of gold left in that Montain . That they had not even hit the mother load yet . I’m glad I woke up at 430 am hearing your video playing an decided to replay it all. It was a walk back in the past. Thank you . Wish this place was being preserved an not just wasting a way . But that takes the right person with the foundation an time plus man power an will too.
Thanks for dragging us along. I found It very interesting, lots of great old machinery, id sat that building with the smoke stack, was a boiler house for possibly warming the cabins and or for the big steam engine you passed by. That must of been a rich deposit to require so much equipment. Thanks from a kiwi from down under.
The Gardner Denver radiator would’ve been off a old air compressor for their drills. Apparently someone was thinking about prospecting there again hence all the modern wireline rock cores. Very cool video, thanks for sharing.
That was a pretty awesome experience to see you do. Especially solo, neat that you got the axle! The archive footage was neat to see also. Next time take a friend. And grab that truck.lol
Watching from Arizona. Such a beautiful hike in a historic setting. Mining is what opened up the US and other countries like Canada and Australia. No one knew then just how toxic it could be to the environment then. Everyone just wanted a piece of the pie and still do. We lived in CO for 10 years and visited many mining museums and mines. My knees could never tolerate a hike like yours. Thanks for taking me on a virtual adventure. I loved it.
What a trip! You certainly have got to have a tremendously powerful set of legs! I can't imagine climbing up and around that entire operation in ONE day! Thanks for doing all that and making it available to all of us! I had my first trip to Alaska a couple years ago for some salmon fishing with an ole Navy buddy from 1960. The scenery brought back the trips we took to 'The Bridge To Nowhere'' and several other places. We took the ferry to Valdez and then on to a friends house. What a trip. This reminded me of that. Can't imagine what all those barrels were for. How our thoughts to protect the environment has changed since those years. We've learned alot and hopefully that mess will get cleaned up some. Thanks again!
This is a very special video! I had the opportunity to visit the Nabesna Gold Mine area when I worked at the Copper River Princess Wilderness Lodge during the summer of 2017. I traveled as far as where you parked your truck. Thank you, thank you, thank you for completing my trip and using your time and talent by documenting the actual trip to the mine. This without doubt my all time favorite video! I will return to it often.
It must have taken you forever to piece this together! Thanks for doing it! It was a great adventure! From the other side of the continent, Nova Scotia.
A cheap drone would be great to have so you could fly it up to some of the parts you can't get to and still be able to see what's up there. Great video.
Thank you for the tour and journey to the abandoned gold mine, I found it to be an excellent armchair adventure for this 79 year old disabled Vietnam Veteran. Thanks again...
I would stick to the areas with living things, 80 years and not a thing growing in the pretty colored mill tailings. Whole lot of nasty in that dirt. The good old days....yeah.
No ore was trucked out from this place... only refined gold or gold/silver bullion. At the rate they were making the refined product it could have been moved to a bank or shipping facility on the coast by any vehicle, car, truck, dog sled whatever. It probably was a well armed and well guarded shipment though. The archive clip you showed briefly shows the red/white hot cupels being removed from the furnace and the purified precious metals being poured into molds. The filter cake that results from the cyanide leaching process is what goes into the cupels... the extreme heat burns off the impurities or leaves the impurities as slag.
Old time engineering and construction. Very impressive. Thank you for your effort presenting this special. Got a nice model T front axil as a reward. Good for you. Thanks again, nice job.
That was an interesting mine site for sure now the only thing is if I'd climbed all the way up that steep of a ground then I'd damn well sure would've explored the inner workings of it too here have a great day
I'd love to have that ol 3/4 ton ford in the shed up there and put it back to running like it did back when it was parked in there too that thing was almost in perfect shape for its model too it was made between the early 70s to 77 because they changed the headlights in them in 79 to square headlights too
Wow! What a view! Really enjoyed watching this. It was especially neat to see the old film of them actually working that mine, and how nature is reclaiming the space over time. I grew up in mining country in Colorado, and this reminds me of being a kid and going exploring. Finding all the old camps, cans, tools, etc.. Really great job putting it all together
The building with the basketball hoop may have been a school. Its possible. Mining towns sometimes had a small school. I knew there was a boiler there, its Alaska. That what those serpentines of pipes in the processing building to the left of the door that ran across the wall were, that is a radiator. And the cast iron sections in front of the second ? "cabin" were also manufactured radiators that you add sections depending on the heat loss. Awesome stuff.
It really would have been awesome to see all that an operation cuz it's cool setup for those years that kind of shows the hardness of the Alaskan people and I'll fill the Ingenuity of them so that's cool
2 years later and I'm watching this for the first time...wonderful and beautiful..loved your inserts of live footage..I will absolutely be looking for more of your videos all the way from Texas..loved it. Thank you for a very educational video.
Yep 👍, the old Nebesna mines, know that area well. I used to explore mining claims for possible economical minerals all over Alaska. Great graying fishing and hunting up there. I remember going through some of those old stopes long before the feds lockout everything. Looks really bad now.
That was the most interesting hour and a half I’ve spent in a long time, thanks for sharing….that must have been a job and a half just dragging those cables up that mountain.
THANK YOU FOR A GREAT VIDEO, THIS IS THE 2 OR 3 TIME WATCHING IT. I LOVE LOOKING BACK WHEN MEN WORE MEN, AND WOMEN WERE WOMEN! SEEING ALL THAT CASTIRON AND HUGE GEARS GIVE'S ME GOOSEBUMPS. AND THOSE OLD AS BULL DOSSER WITH THE CABLE INSTEAD OF HTYDRULICS. THAT PILE OF HAND DRILL BITS DUDE SO FREEKING COOL. O'' AND THE VUE IS INCREDIBLE.
Excellent adventure with quality history to boot. Great vibe. Feels like step one should be followed up by an "Step#2: Test Sample Adventure". Wish I was 20 years younger!
As a youth, I loved exploring ruins. I was so immersed in this video that I felt a strong sense of being right there, even experiencing a twinge of vertigo once or twice. I'm happy you found a treasure! That Ford axle looked almost new. I spotted electrical wires running through one of those buildings that housed the tanks. They were merely strung about six inches apart using glass insulators. Call OSHA!
Thank you so much for this very interesting video. I'm so far away from you but your follower. I managed understading many words of your explanations also about mechanic. Around beginning of the 60s when I was child I remembber very well my neighbour driving an old very noise green Dodge truck from US Army. I'm looking forward for your next videos .Bye from Ugo, Italy
I cannot imagine how tough it was on him to get his stuff to the mine! Although, the country is still beautiful but, I cannot imagine how awesome the country was back when he took on the difficult task and the amount of wildlife that was available, and no doubt the wildlife size would’ve really been unbelievable to read in the genesis world record book… Thank you for sharing
Bruce, New Zealand The little boiler you found I would guess was for heating the various buildings going by the number of radiators around and the big radiator on the wall at "54.36". On looking on Google it would appear that the high wire does go to a higher tunnel with a short rail to a platform, although you have to go back in the time line to see it. Also noticed another mine further around the mountain connected by trail to the Nabensa workings. Keep up the good work.
What a treat for us all to get to see that time capsule of a place. Great filming and narration too. Would dearly love to see you drive that old pickup out of there. That would be the will it run rescue to top them all 👍🏻😃
The runoff on the other side of the mountain looks like a tailing dam has collapsed . The word for the mine entrance is "adit' . (from Latin aditus, entrance).😁. The US government used the mine as a scret storage place during the cold war ,so the mine workings are possibly safe to poke around in and there may even be some interesting stuff hidden underground.
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The Building with the Valdeze wood.... was the Fire assey Lab... The Big Round Metal cylinders with the Gear.... are Ball Mills, next to it where metal Flotation cells, wood Thickener Tanks.... The Shafts and big Pulleys in the Cealings are called Line Shafts... All equipment was ran by one big motor, through the Line shafts and flat leather Belts to drive Grinders, drill presses, Fans, pumps....
Alaska Film Archives should hire you. Better than I’d even hoped for.
I thought the upper part of the plant was incredibly well preserved.
@ 1:06:36, did anyone else recognize what looked like an 8 foot diameter rod or ball mill to pulverize the ore down to sand grade for the chemical processing to extract the gold?
Up in the superstructure we could see all the belt drive pulleys and shafts to power the mill.
The stack we saw protruding from the roof could have been for the stationary steam engine power plant.
I didn't see it so it must have been disassembled after decommissioning the operations.
It would have been the most valuable machinery in use there.
I guarantee you could have heard that mill running for many, many miles when it was in operation. All those colors are likely all toxic heavy metals left from processing the ore to remove the gold. I think I saw two mountain goats laughing at you because they wouldn't dare go up that high. Thank you for showing this and for the Archival images, really enjoyed it. My brother was stationed in Alaska from 1951-54 in the USAF I told him I had heard the cold there was a different kind of cold, he said it was he said it was "real cold" not kind of cold like we have in Missouri.
Gets my vote for best TH-cam video of 2020 if I ever get to Alaska I'm not gonna leave
Same here but im stuck in no pay Texas.
Outstanding adventure. Alaska: Where manly men did manly things.
If I were 40 years younger I would be planning a spring trip up to Alaska just to spend a few days camped out in the mine area.
Incredible scenery would make working there really enjoyable.
Thank you so much for taking us along on this trip.
I walked through the gold mines in NV in the early 60's and this brings back those memories.
Have a blessed day and stay healthy.
Thanks for sharing.
I had the exact same thought. Gettin' old stinks, doesn't it? I have a suggestion, though. I live in Arizona. In the Winter, the Western Arizona desert is really pleasant. Because the desert is mostly BLM land, you can camp most anywhere you can get your car to. There are some remote and beautiful areas, with lots of old mines, that you can safely drive your car to. Just make sure you bring plenty of water. I't's not Alaska, but it doesn't get nearly as cold here! If you've got a hankerin' to go camping, I suggest Southwest Arizona in January and February!
JT Thill, I can relate how you. I'm now 64, a six year lung cancer sivivor. No more cancer but it came at a cost, lol..in the last years before the cancer I started thinking of Alaska, live in the wild so to speak. Now, I wouldn't last 5 minutes 'roughing it. I give our of breath pretty fast, got no stamina, guess I earned the 'of man' status. Its all good though. House will be paid off in 3 years and planning to get a small rv, not sure what type as yet, just as long as its got certain creature comforts. Gonna hit the roads and play Nomad for a while, its time to do some things I never did before, lol....
JT Thill... I know just what you mean, man. Me, too. If only I was younger. I'm 71 now. I see a lot of guys making the same comments. There's so much I'd still like to do; so much we'd all like to do, but alas...
lol oooo
Lol
A big old two thumbs up for you. Just an outstanding piece . Thank you for doing all the hard work for the rest of us.
Hey Brother! Wow! That is quite an informational and educational walk through history. Thank you for blessing us with this wonderful and stimulating session. I like how you interjected the footage into it. I love this stuff. And thanks again for all you do to help us see the importance of holding on to our heritage of America.
Thanks so much!
@@BackyardAlaskan I’m just about to pack my truck and head up. Ready to start gold chasing. Need a partner?😁
Mining in Alaska has been a topic of interest in my life. I thoroughly enjoyed your video. I live about twenty minutes from Independence Mine in Alaska. It was started the same time as the Nebesna Mine and though it has suffered from years of neglect, it is in better shape. It is a favorite place to visit. I have been down inside the mine in two locations. It has eleven miles of tunnels. I’ve had a private tour of the mill by a grandson of one of the men who worked the mine, who owns that part of the mine. Touring the mill was like stepping back in time with everything left intact, including clothing, from its last day of operation. I absolutely love this stuff. My next home design will take inspiration from the mining industry in Alaska. Thanks again for your video.
Wow lucky you, i would love to see that, am so interested in what the old boys did and how they managed to get the machinery into some of these places,
I live in New Zealand not far from the bigger places that were mined in the 1900's
Even got to have a tour of a modern under ground operation in the 1990's, now that was an eye opener 😲
@@neilfausett6612 That is so cool. This mine also has a more recent operation using big equipment. It is on the other side of the mountain. A friend of mine, who worked there, asked if I would like to work with him to locate a water pump that had been placed in one of the old 1930’s mine portals but had been buried in an avalanche. I told him I would love that. He told me that his company would also pay for my labor. This water pump was used for cooling drill bits that produced core samples. The day we chose to work was sunny and much of the avalanche had since melted away, making it easier to detect the location of the mine portal. We started digging with hand shovels in the morning and by mid afternoon had located the portal and the pump. My friend had me go down into the portal entrance to attach a steel cable to the pump. He told me that a helicopter would be sent later to retrieve the pump.
Once down inside the portal, I could see that the old portal timber’s were rotting. There was a steady flow of water running into the mine tunnel from melting snows above. Water was about mid-calf deep, and deeper the further one went into the mine tunnel. I pulled as much of the hose as I could get attached to the pump, without going too far into the tunnel where that water was deeper, and successfully attached the steel cable. It was a great adventure and I felt fortunate to have had the experience.
For all those wondering what some of those barrels were for if you stop at 50:10, you can faintly see a logo and a mosaic pattern. They're definitely mobiloil barrels from the 30's era. They would have either been gargoyle mobiloil or just mobiloil with their classic pegasus, depending on how far into the 1930's they were from. Most likely fuel and/or oil for trucks and machinery, at least for that one barrel. EDIT: If you look even closer you can actually still see the orange gargoyle on top of the mobiloil, definitely an earlier can.
Watching from Australia, and getting a great intro to things Alaska. Love the trucks, they're special enough, but this landscape and history is so different to what's around me. Thanks for sharing with us!
This reminds me of my old neighbor and friends place when I was young. He had a gravel pit with a home engineered and built gravel washing plant which he built in the 30s. I believe it was used until the late 40s. In the early 70s the shop by the pit still stood and had the look of just being walked away from, it was like a time capsule. I would walk around the place with him and he would explain how they built and did things. He somewhat abandoned the operation due to being to small in volume by the late 40s. At this point he bought a new Bucyrus-Erie 22B dragline and concentrated on ditching and drainage. I would loved to have purchased the property when sold but couldn’t afford it. The new owner had all the iron cut up for scrap. More history was lost.
Thanks for taking us along man. One small request if I may, please pan slower when you move the camera. I know if feels you are moving slowly when you move but the camera speeds up the motion. Thanks man and you are so lucky to be in that part of the world!
I will take that into consideration! Was trying to be slower on panning with this whole filming project. Thanks for watching!
A little foam rubber over the mic should reduce the roar from the wind through the mic.
Yup, I had to quit watching for awhile... made me queezy
I love all that old gear drills and stuff.
That's got to be the best video I've watched in a longtime. Got to give those guys working in the mountains in those conditions and a big thank you for bringing this to the channel.👏👍🤘
Looks like a really fun day of exploring the past. Enjoyed that thanks a bunch.
Thanks for taking the time to show us this video. This is great. Amazing craftsmanship in that mine. Alaska is a beautiful state. Great job buddy. Thanks again.
Wow, those shots of the valley with mountains in background, amazing! What ruggedly beautiful country Alaska is 🍻
That was cool. Thanks for taking us along
Thank you for taking us along on your journey
One of the best videos I`ve watched on TH-cam! Thx so much for sharing
Thank you for sharing your adventure! This is one place I could never manage at this stage of my life. Love seeing the world through your eyes.
Thank you for watching! Glad you enjoyed!
What an awesome place, thanks for taking us along! I've been all over coastal Alaska, buf all work and no play. I want to drive my Willys jeep up the AlCan one day from Washington. Thanks bud!
That was absolutely fascinating and the way you incorporated the old footage just tied it all together perfectly. Great job.
Absolute amazing adventure. Thank you for taking us along. Really enjoyed the trip. It is hard to even begin to imagine, the amount of work that went into getting all the machinery up. Especially considering the extreme remote conditions
I lived in Alaska as a kid and explored gold mines only on the outside. I love watching your videos and remembering my childhood!
A step back in time, long before the EPA was around. Looked like a super fund site for AK. Very interesting hike and history. Thanks for making this video.
will i will say i ll give you a 10 star count on that one thank you for an hour and 1/2 of pure fantastic!!!!!!!
Wow,what an epic journey that was for you,thanks for taking us along.that was a time when men were men who lived for quick riches but didnt know were shortning there lives,bet some card games and shenanigans went on in them cabins.nnoticed lots of steam heaters laying around,that was a time when steam n cables ran lots n provided heat,that one building must of been boiler house.they just piped hot water from building to bldg via pipes!!glad you got a few trinkets.defiantly another explore to it again is warranted!!!snookie pa.
Hi, imagine what stories those men could tell if they were alive today, a great look at a vanishing part of Alaskan history. Thank you for taking us along to see this amazing location, those men were pioneers and they would have worked long hours in a very cold climate, a tough way to earn your wage back in the day. xx
Not many people knew about it until now lol.
Too bad I’m 4000 mikes away from it.
Thx for sharing this as it’s as close as I’ll probably get.
Be safe on your adventures
ohhh looka that still has an old sky bucket still there, how cool!!
I love the video. It reminds me of where I grew up in Arizona. The town was surrounded with old mines, mostly gold and copper. We used to ride motorcycles and hike up to the mines to explore. It makes me wish we had digital cameras 37 years ago. Of course, none of those operations were as big as the one in your video. I love the old history. Keep up the good work.
We used to sell hay and haul it to the Ellis’s up in Nebesna when I was a kid back in the 60’s and 70’s. Born and raised in the Copper River Basin area.
My father in law would have loved this RIP. He left home (ran away) at age 16 from Idaho to Alaska. Around 1934. He had such great stories. It was a rough life.
That was cool incorporating the old film footage. As much ground as you covered I thought for sure you'd run out of daylight. Excellent POV filming. Think were all ready for a part two this time with a metal detector as you mentioned. ;)
Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed
@@BackyardAlaskan You did an AMAZING job on this Video brother! Keep up the good work and thank you for creating this content. Cheers 🍻
@@BackyardAlaskan One thing I am a little uneasy about is taking a drill bit for a souvenir. So what. It's just one. But the cumulative erosion of people picking up things as souvenirs is going to slowly ruin it. Maybe nature will do that anyways, but like artifacts, it is best to record these images and avoid the urge to cherry pick. I am sure there are a few people who would love to get their hands on some of those hit-and-miss motors, as well. What is left after it is taken to a private collection? Nothing.
Now a Model T front axle. Congrats. Another artifact appropriated. Why not take that Model T head gasket, while you're at it? Bet those are hard to come by. Bit by bit you and the other souvenir hunters will whittle it down to nothing. Surprised you didn't pocket some core samples. You can't do this bro. Not good.
@@jeffreymcneal1507 I was thinking the same thing. As much fun as it would be to have a piece of history It is against the Law in National parks to remove anything at all. Leave nothing take nothing.
Those drill bits must be allowed to rust into oblivion, so no one can ever see them! A couple more years and they will be in their appropriate place…as rusty dust on the ground, where they deserve to be. Stop preserving these “artifacts”! Let it rot! No one should ever attempt to preserve the past. I’m mad you filmed them, too. Thanks. (Video was awesome and wanted to join in on the enlightened, recliner-based commentary.)
Now that was one heck of a video great content good job.
Great job but please slow your camera panning angles down. No time to focus on anything.
The big drum with the gear was probably a ball mill that crushed the ore into a powder then went throughout the various tanks and the gold was leached out using chemicals like sulfuric acid . Cool video!!
I don't believe that sulfuric acid will dissolve gold.
Much more likely that it would be a cyanide or arsenic-based extraction. I work for a mining company and we had both processes in place.
I remember taking a tour of one of our mills circa 1982 - there was an unused section for arsenic processing of gold ore - it was PROMINENTLY marked as dangerous.
@@guywerry6614 correct yes , couldn't remember exactly what mixture was other than it was some acid combination. Thanks👍
Amazing !!! A lot of sweat and blood was left on that mountain !!! Thank you so much for taking us along !!! Please be safe and God bless you !!!!! Eddy
Thank you for documenting the mine in its present state. I spent several weeks in 71 & 72 hunting across the drainage from the road in. A friend and I drove in there about 92 or 93 looking for sheep as there used to be a bunch in the early 70s. My dad and uncle knew several of the people who homesteaded along the road in. We hunted moose on the last big hill before the river. When the Alcan was under construction materials were flown in and landed on a strip next to the Nabesna river. There were thousands of 55gal fuel drums near the strip. I would bet some of the stuff in your video came from Uncle Sams airlift. I would like to go back up one day as it is one of the most beautiful places in AK. That old Ford looked ready to roll with minor items.
That was one amazing adventure, topped off by the archive footage of how it once was. I was surprised how you went off up the steep mountain without even sounding puffed out.
Guys were tough back then, can’t imagine what it must have been like in winter and snow.
Thanks for videoing so we could all see it.
Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed. I was sure getting tired up but pushed myself to explore further.
Thanks for the view of Nebesna mine. I've marveled at that mountain for years every time I've driven by on my way to Valdez. I've lived in Alaska for 46 years and never been there to that mountain. Great job of climbing and finding the open tunnel. Now you need to get a group of experienced miners and go into the mine and document what's inside. That's the time capsule inside!
Thanks, I really enjoyed that.
Although I will admit that I was probably breathing heavier then you were and I was just watching you climb that mountain.
Love old mine sites like this.
The footage you included was spectacular. The gold left behind could make millions. A dredge at the bottom and dynamite the mountain.
Respect to all these men of iron as they can build such structures to chase the chance at more shiny yet you can't eat gold. Once in a while ya thinks ye a winner but all yous got was a we bit thinner! Thanks for your efforts and time! Keep it up as there is a lot of hidden history in Alaska. Stay adventurous!
Yellow Ford rescue when? Really though that was amazing seeing all the machinery that was still left and wondering how they got that up there!
Much of it would have been dragged in during the winter, hauled by tractors hauling large sleds. He mentioned that at the start.
I work at a mining company in northern Manitoba (Canada, eh). We build a hydro dam/generator station in the 1920s and all of the material for that was hauled in the same fashion.
I am a lifelong Alaskan and remember visting this mine site in 1981. It looks much more overgrowing on plant life and slowing disappearing. Thanks for the memories.
Absolutely fascinating your subject matter everything from your wrecked vehicles in your yard to this mine your videos are getting better and better thank you
Today, from the comfort of my easy chair in Texas, I traveled to the top of an ancient mountain and explored an abandoned gold mine. Your videos are amazing and take my breath away. The only thing absent in your interesting and pleasant narrative is what is the air like? Does it smell of the fallen leaves? Pine? Do the buildings smell of cedar or dust? What does the air feel like on your skin? Is it warm? Is it brisk? You climbed up this amazing trail, in October, did you at all fear becoming trapped in a snowstorm? Not another soul in sight! They wouldn't find you until the Spring Melt! And thed Alaskan days, were you up against the clock? I watched as the shadows grew longer and longer, were you at risk of being swallowed by a freezing Alaskan night?
I have always wanted to visit Alaska. Now you have fueled my yearning to a fevered pitch. The mountains, the rivers, the lakes, the sea, all so enormous, all so beautiful, yet wholly indifferent. I am a speck and they are beyond time.
I have driven by that road so many times and never knew that mine was there! Beautiful scenery! I'll make it one of my hikes next summer. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for this. It was very relaxing. I watched the entire thing before I even noticed it was almost 2 hours long!
Amazing home made documentary. Thanks for taking the time to filme this whole little adventure. Great stuff. Bless
This is so amazing to see. Iv only read about this an seen a cpl archive clips that were five minutes long when I was a kid . It’s sad to see the way it was left . I bet that if he was never shut down , we’ll I bet it would of been something bigger than what it became. Iv herd some old timers talk when I was a young kid an they sad that their was a lot of gold left in that Montain . That they had not even hit the mother load yet . I’m glad I woke up at 430 am hearing your video playing an decided to replay it all. It was a walk back in the past. Thank you . Wish this place was being preserved an not just wasting a way . But that takes the right person with the foundation an time plus man power an will too.
Thanks for dragging us along. I found It very interesting, lots of great old machinery, id sat that building with the smoke stack, was a boiler house for possibly warming the cabins and or for the big steam engine you passed by. That must of been a rich deposit to require so much equipment. Thanks from a kiwi from down under.
That was super interesting- thank you so much for posting this!
The Gardner Denver radiator would’ve been off a old air compressor for their drills. Apparently someone was thinking about prospecting there again hence all the modern wireline rock cores. Very cool video, thanks for sharing.
That was a pretty awesome experience to see you do. Especially solo, neat that you got the axle! The archive footage was neat to see also. Next time take a friend. And grab that truck.lol
Watching from Arizona. Such a beautiful hike in a historic setting. Mining is what opened up the US and other countries like Canada and Australia. No one knew then just how toxic it could be to the environment then. Everyone just wanted a piece of the pie and still do.
We lived in CO for 10 years and visited many mining museums and mines. My knees could never tolerate a hike like yours. Thanks for taking me on a virtual adventure. I loved it.
What a trip! You certainly have got to have a tremendously powerful set of legs! I can't imagine climbing up and around that entire operation in ONE day! Thanks for doing all that and making it available to all of us! I had my first trip to Alaska a couple years ago for some salmon fishing with an ole Navy buddy from 1960. The scenery brought back the trips we took to 'The Bridge To Nowhere'' and several other places. We took the ferry to Valdez and then on to a friends house. What a trip. This reminded me of that. Can't imagine what all those barrels were for. How our thoughts to protect the environment has changed since those years. We've learned alot and hopefully that mess will get cleaned up some. Thanks again!
Thank you for watching! I really appreciate the comment
This is a very special video! I had the opportunity to visit the Nabesna Gold Mine area when I worked at the Copper River Princess Wilderness Lodge during the summer of 2017. I traveled as far as where you parked your truck. Thank you, thank you, thank you for completing my trip and using your time and talent by documenting the actual trip to the mine. This without doubt my all time favorite video! I will return to it often.
It must have taken you forever to piece this together! Thanks for doing it! It was a great adventure! From the other side of the continent, Nova Scotia.
Watching for a second time, love the Dodge and the area! Alaska is on the bucket list.
Truly a beautiful sight to behold........
A cheap drone would be great to have so you could fly it up to some of the parts you can't get to and still be able to see what's up there. Great video.
Thank you for the tour and journey to the abandoned gold mine, I found it to be an excellent armchair adventure for this 79 year old disabled Vietnam Veteran. Thanks again...
Thank you for your service and for watching! I appreciate it
Living in a gold mining town in northern Ontario found this amazing.
I'm in a gold mining town to in northern Ontario yes very interesting
I would stick to the areas with living things, 80 years and not a thing growing in the pretty colored mill tailings. Whole lot of nasty in that dirt.
The good old days....yeah.
No ore was trucked out from this place... only refined gold or gold/silver bullion. At the rate they were making the refined product it could have been moved to a bank or shipping facility on the coast by any vehicle, car, truck, dog sled whatever. It probably was a well armed and well guarded shipment though. The archive clip you showed briefly shows the red/white hot cupels being removed from the furnace and the purified precious metals being poured into molds. The filter cake that results from the cyanide leaching process is what goes into the cupels... the extreme heat burns off the impurities or leaves the impurities as slag.
Old time engineering and construction. Very impressive. Thank you for your effort presenting this special. Got a nice model T front axil as a reward. Good for you. Thanks again, nice job.
I was thinking that, totally devoid of even the most persistent weeds... kinda tells you something doesn't it.
All these years later that trail up the mountain is so well worn in its still not grown over. Men were tough back then!
That was an interesting mine site for sure now the only thing is if I'd climbed all the way up that steep of a ground then I'd damn well sure would've explored the inner workings of it too here have a great day
All that stuff that you are calling junk is worth some money if you find the right person that wants it too
I'd love to have that ol 3/4 ton ford in the shed up there and put it back to running like it did back when it was parked in there too that thing was almost in perfect shape for its model too it was made between the early 70s to 77 because they changed the headlights in them in 79 to square headlights too
Wow! What a view! Really enjoyed watching this. It was especially neat to see the old film of them actually working that mine, and how nature is reclaiming the space over time. I grew up in mining country in Colorado, and this reminds me of being a kid and going exploring. Finding all the old camps, cans, tools, etc.. Really great job putting it all together
The building with the basketball hoop may have been a school. Its possible. Mining towns sometimes had a small school. I knew there was a boiler there, its Alaska. That what those serpentines of pipes in the processing building to the left of the door that ran across the wall were, that is a radiator. And the cast iron sections in front of the second ? "cabin" were also manufactured radiators that you add sections depending on the heat loss. Awesome stuff.
It really would have been awesome to see all that an operation cuz it's cool setup for those years that kind of shows the hardness of the Alaskan people and I'll fill the Ingenuity of them so that's cool
I agree with the common theme, thanks very much for sharing this important history. Greatest generation for many many reasons.
Thank you for your time and effort
With out people like you there is so much of our history and country that I would never get to visit
thank you for taking us , it was amazing ! do more of this if/when you can
The pump house is a treasure trove of old pump housings. What a view!
2 years later and I'm watching this for the first time...wonderful and beautiful..loved your inserts of live footage..I will absolutely be looking for more of your videos all the way from Texas..loved it. Thank you for a very educational video.
As an old man who can't get around much anymore, I do appreciate your work young man. Great video.
I'm exhausted just watching you exploring everything! thanks for putting in the effort to make a very interesting video! watching from Australia
This is not just a video, this video is a story of hundreds of people who worked there at different times, even possibly in different centuries.
Yep 👍, the old Nebesna mines, know that area well. I used to explore mining claims for possible economical minerals all over Alaska. Great graying fishing and hunting up there. I remember going through some of those old stopes long before the feds lockout everything. Looks really bad now.
Hello there. I like that blue Dodge.
That was the most interesting hour and a half I’ve spent in a long time, thanks for sharing….that must have been a job and a half just dragging those cables up that mountain.
A very enjoyable video. I hope you find another old worksite and document it like you did this one.
THANK YOU FOR A GREAT VIDEO, THIS IS THE 2 OR 3 TIME WATCHING IT. I LOVE LOOKING BACK WHEN MEN WORE MEN, AND WOMEN WERE WOMEN! SEEING ALL THAT CASTIRON AND HUGE GEARS GIVE'S ME GOOSEBUMPS. AND THOSE OLD AS BULL DOSSER WITH THE CABLE INSTEAD OF HTYDRULICS. THAT PILE OF HAND DRILL BITS DUDE SO FREEKING COOL. O'' AND THE VUE IS INCREDIBLE.
Excellent adventure with quality history to boot. Great vibe. Feels like step one should be followed up by an "Step#2: Test Sample Adventure". Wish I was 20 years younger!
As a youth, I loved exploring ruins. I was so immersed in this video that I felt a strong sense of being right there, even experiencing a twinge of vertigo once or twice.
I'm happy you found a treasure! That Ford axle looked almost new.
I spotted electrical wires running through one of those buildings that housed the tanks. They were merely strung about six inches apart using glass insulators. Call OSHA!
They say Gold rides an iron horse so I would suggest the dark staining at the rock around upper tunnel was iron oxide. Thanks for taking us along !
Thank you so much for this very interesting video. I'm so far away from you but your follower. I managed understading many words of your explanations also about mechanic. Around beginning of the 60s when I was child I remembber very well my neighbour driving an old very noise green Dodge truck from US Army. I'm looking forward for your next videos .Bye from Ugo, Italy
I cannot imagine how tough it was on him to get his stuff to the mine!
Although, the country is still beautiful but, I cannot imagine how awesome the country was back when he took on the difficult task and the amount of wildlife that was available, and no doubt the wildlife size would’ve really been unbelievable to read in the genesis world record book…
Thank you for sharing
Of all the mines i have been the Nabesna mine was by the coolest. We hiked up the mountain to both portals
Never tire of that stunning Vista !! What a beautiful country ,great vid .
Thanks for sharing your adventures!!
Bruce, New Zealand
The little boiler you found I would guess was for heating the various buildings going by the number of radiators around and the big radiator on the wall at "54.36".
On looking on Google it would appear that the high wire does go to a higher tunnel with a short rail to a platform, although you have to go back in the time line to see it.
Also noticed another mine further around the mountain connected by trail to the Nabensa workings. Keep up the good work.
Brave host!That place is a death trap but extremely interesting! Love the vintage clips.
Awesome video,gotta say I love the truck.had one like it been looking for another,least you can work on them not like today's junk
What a treat for us all to get to see that time capsule of a place. Great filming and narration too. Would dearly love to see you drive that old pickup out of there. That would be the will it run rescue to top them all 👍🏻😃
The runoff on the other side of the mountain looks like a tailing dam has collapsed .
The word for the mine entrance is "adit' . (from Latin aditus, entrance).😁.
The US government used the mine as a scret storage place during the cold war ,so the mine workings are possibly safe to poke around in and there may even be some interesting stuff hidden underground.