What Do 500 Miners Leave Behind? Roping Down To The 500 Foot Level (part 2 of 3)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 6 ก.พ. 2025
- We spotted this shaft during our initial exploration of this mine and decided that we had to know what lies below. We returned with our climbing gear and ropes to try to tackle this beast. It's a dangerous inclined shaft due to it being wet, muddy, slippery, and containing a lot of loose rocks and debris.
Here is some information on the mine:
What a treat it was for us to explore this private mine camp and some of the 13 miles of underground workings. What's left behind is pretty amazing. This is primarily a silver and copper mine that was first discovered in the 1860s. It was worked for 100 years before it finally shut down. At one time, there were as many as 500 miners working here. The nearby town that sprung up four miles away included five stores, eight saloons, two hotels, restaurants, three stables, a lodging house, butcher and barber shops, a blacksmith, and a post office. In 1872, a furnace was built in the town to treat silver ore from the mine. In 1880, a five stamp mill was built there.
At the mine site, there is a 1000' deep shaft, covered trestle, intact hoist room, assayers office, three huge air compressors, tool shop, auto shop, change room, and showers. There are also several small houses and a school here.
In 1914, an aerial tram was built to haul ore over the top of the mountain, where it was taken by narrow gauge railroad to be processed.
We will make a return trip soon to try to access the 200 level and the winze shaft seen in part 1 of this series.
Thanks to Herschel for helping out on this adventure.
We hope you enjoy the video!
Here is the link to part 1 of this 3 part video series.
• What Do 500 Miners Lea...
Here is the link to part 3 of this 3 part video series.
• What Do 500 Miners Lea...
The links to the other two parts of this video are in the description. 👌
Yes! A new Tom and Julie 😊
If you're happy, we're happy. Thanks for the comment!👍😁
T&J, very well done video of an old and historic mine. A little bit of everything here. Good artifacts and mineralization. Miner's graffiti is always interesting to see. The miners who left it have long since departed. 🍕🍻
Hi Rob. Yes, a little bit of everything is going on here. I like the old graffiti, too. Thanks for the kind words. 👍😁
I have come to understand Julie is the star of your operation. No Julie, no show.
I agree 💯%. I've been saying that for years. Thanks for the comment!👌😊
Great roping julie you definatly got talent thanks for the adventure please stay safe out there 🤗😇
Hi Gary. Thanks for watching and commenting. We appreciate it!👍😁
Awesome thank you Tom and Julie what a mine. That jug was a cool find. Stay safe. Better get as a beerfor the climb out. 👍👍🍺🍺🍺🍻
Hi David. That really was a cool jug. I wonder what was originally in it. Thanks for the comment and beer!🍺🍺🍻👍😁
Hello, to my two favorite Desert Rats and friends. It was great you all made it to the bottom. I love looking at the beautiful Malachite and Azurite . Copper oxides and sulfide are so beautiful. I love looking at them. You could certainly tell it was extremely hot in there at some point, the burnt host rock along with the iron permeation. Ok, I'll be waiting for chapter three. 😢 always, thank you so much for taking me along. And , please be safe in all you do. Thanks again.
Hi Bob. Yes, we made it to the 500 level. I love seeing the beautiful copper related minerals, too. It makes all the hard work worth it. You're welcome, and thanks for coming along for the explore. 👍😊
Love the reaction @ 13:04, thanks Tom for the a kick a** series great time watching it.
Hi Bernard. You're welcome. Glad that you enjoyed the series. Thanks for the comment!👍😊
Tom & Julie, thanks for another great video, 500 feet down.⛏
@donbob449 Hi Don. You're welcome. Glad that you enjoyed it !👍😁
So that long drop down to the 500 ft level was worth the effort when you came across a rare ore cart in one piece, well done and looking forward to some more of the same, stay safe you two and Cheers !!
Hi Brian and Mary. Even if there would have been nothing of interest down the shaft, it's still worth looking. If not, I will lay awake at night wondering what might be there. So finding an ore car and a few other interesting things is just a bonus. Thanks for the comment. Cheers!👍😁
Thank to the Both of you for the exciting video. Im looking forward to part 3
@@OdySlim Hi Scott. You're welcome. Thanks for watching and commenting!👍😁
Hey T&J, it's been a minute, glad you 2 are back full swing, that one looked really steep, take care be safe!
Hi Raiderman. Good to hear from you. This incline is about a 45° angle but very slippery with a thin coat of mud on everything. Thanks for the comment!👍😁
Rope chaffing against jagged rock at 1:20
Not to worry. Climbing ropes are tough against that type of thing. The sheath is abrasion resistant and is not where the strength of the rope comes from. The core is what gives the rope the tremendous strength that they possess. The sheath is there to protect the core. Now, if you're going over a very sharp edge, that is a different story. Thanks for your concern. We regularly inspect our ropes to make certain there is no damage to them. 🧗♂️👌😁
Hello Tom & Julie
Great video
Can't wait to see part 3
Keep up the great work...
Hi David. Glad that you liked the video. Thanks for watching!👍😁
@@TomandJulieMineExploring your welcome and I will keep watching
Hello Tom hello Julie
This mine is amazing.
A great thank you for your work and all the risks you take .
I am looking forward to the next Part of your explorring Trip
Greetings from Germany yours Frank Galetzka
Hello Frank. This one is pretty amazing. You're welcome, and thank you for the nice comment! Have a good weekend!👍😁
Fantastic to see Julie all billy-goat-like getting around in that mine. Reckon the foot doc did
a good job eh? Tom's gonna have to work on keeping up. 🙂
- Ed on the Ridge
Hi Ed. It's good to see Julie back all right. She's not quite 100% yet but getting there. I'm trying to keep up. Thanks for the comment! 👌😆
Thanks for letting us go along with y'all. I really liked all the mineral colors especially the copper. Be careful and bless you both.
Hi Jimmy. Hope you're doing well. Yes, the copper related minerals are great to see. You're welcome. Thanks for watching and for the blessing!👍😊
@@TomandJulieMineExploring not doing to well at the time, I was told yesterday that I will be taking chemo for four months, then I will have surgery. My left kidney has fast growing cancer but with prayers and God I will get through this.
@jimmystockdale7555 Oh boy, very sorry to hear that. You will be close in our prayers!🙏❤️
Yay, Back mine exploring again, Thanks, Tom and Julie 👍
Hi Lloyd. Thanks for the nice comment!👍😁
Terry and The Pirates comic strip was originally created in 1934 so the date on the newspaper you found couldn’t have been 1928. Must have been 1938. Thanks for another great video!
Hi Max. Makes sense to me. Thanks for doing the leg work on the newspaper comic. Those old papers can be a lot of fun. Thanks for watching!👌😁
Very cool video awesome ore car and artifacts!! Appreciate what you guys do!
@ghosttownsandminesofwashington Hi Tim. I think that's your name. Glad that you enjoyed the video. This is a huge mine that has three shafts, two of which are very deep, well over 1000 feet. Thanks for watching. We appreciate what you do as well!👍😁
Very good aventure!
Thank you. Glad that you enjoyed it!👍👍
Thanks for taking us along. Take care of each other and stay safe.
Hi Ed. You're welcome. Thanks for watching and commenting. We appreciate you!👍😁
Great finds deep folks. Ladders were beyond use Tom. Those bottles were great stuff for sure. Stay safe you 2. I love your adventures. All the best of holidays from SoCal.
Hi Jake. It's amazing that any glass is still intact. Glad that you liked seeing the mine. Thanks for watching from California!👍😁
Thank you, Tom & Julie! I need to watch some great mine exploring!
Part 1 of 3, great news.
Hi Jimmi. You're welcome. Thanks for the nice comment 👍😁
Great artifacts and graffiti! Thanks for the awesome explore.
You're welcome, Roger. Thank you for watching!👍😁
Thank you guys, beautiful colors. Can't wait for part 3😊
Hi Linda. You're welcome. Those colors are great. Thanks for commenting!👍😊
Fabulous exploration!! I googled, green mineral in copper ore and it came back Malachite. It came back as a copper indicator and is used in the making of paint.
Looking forward to your next episode.
Thank you, T&J!!
Hi Ralph. Glad that you enjoyed the explore. Yes, the Malachite and other copper related minerals are always fun to see. You're welcome, and thank you for watching!👍😁
Some pretty colors too.
Yes, definitely some colorful minerals, Ed!👍👍
you two are the absolute BEST! Great video Thank you for all the time you spend to share this with us.
Hi Bill. You're welcome. Glad that you enjoyed the explore. Thanks for the kind words!👍😁
very cool thanks for sharing
Hi Jerry. Glad that you enjoyed it. You're welcome. Thanks for the comment!👍😁
Hey thanks for taking us along for the ride. Tom when are we going to hear some more of your acoustic? :-)
@jimiplayscobo5877 Hi Jimi. You're welcome. Thanks for watching. Funny you should ask. I just broke the neck on the acoustic guitar that I have with me for the winter. I accidentally broke the headstock clean off. I reglued it and so far it's holding. I'm working on getting the neck and truss adjusted again. Hopefully, I can get to playing it soon. 😊🎸
@@TomandJulieMineExploring Well that sucks. I hope it was your beater and not your prized Martin. I hope the headstock holds up and it keeps in tune. Take care till the next time :-)
@jimiplayscobo5877 It was a lower end Takamine. It still plays pretty good. I'm just letting it cure before I do much with it.
@@TomandJulieMineExploring If it doesn't stay in tune you can always pull a Pete Townshend on it. lol Good luck!!!
@jimiplayscobo5877 It's settling back in now after the repair.
What a climb down! I knew there would be some cool stuff when Tom said it didn't look like anyone had been here in a long time. I wasn't disappointed. Can't wait to see part three. Thanks Tom and Julie!
Hi William. Yes, it's quite a slippery climb down this shaft. I think it's been a long time since anyone has been down there. You're welcome, and thank you for watching!👌😁
Thanks, Tom and Julie cool
Hi Lyle. You're welcome. Glad that you liked it. Thanks for commenting!👍😁
Great video! Interesting mine.
Thanks, Jim! Glad that you liked the mine. 👍😁
Great one again
Hi Phil. We're glad that you enjoyed it. Thanks for watching!👍😁
Awesome video !!!
Alot of miner's graffiti and tems found
Hi! Thanks for watching, and yes, lots of miners' graffiti and tools found in this one.👍😁
Great video!
Hi Brad. Thanks for watching. Glad that you liked it!👍😁
Looks like you go on some cool adventures. YIKES.
@emptynest2travel Yes, we do as far as I'm concerned. We have been in a lot of mines and have done a lot of hiking, too. If you check out our playlist tab on our homepage, you can look at different categories of videos. Thanks for the comment!👍😁
10:15 Did you Two Let Him Out!?
Haha, we tried Richard. He must have already escaped somehow.👍😆
I am not cool with heights but when I was on the team repelling was a required skill... The step off was always a gut cruncher but after I learned to trust the rope it got easier. After so many years off the rope I am not confident I could still do it. Looks like that mine has seen better days.
Hi Max. That first step is always going to be a leap of faith. We always double-check everything so as not to have a mishap. Thanks for watching and commenting!👍😁
great explore!!!!!
@@imzackson Hi, Zackson. Thanks for the comment!👍😁
@@TomandJulieMineExploring always a pleasure wathcing, the second level crossing was a pucker moment for sure!!!
And the pucker factor begins ! 😮
Hi Ken. Haha, yes another pucker job. Thanks for watching!👍😁
I missed not seeing you guys last week. that shaft looked kind of scary trying to get over to that tunnel , is Herschel the guy from Dessert Trails, if so I watch his channel also. thank-you for the video, see you on the next one.
Hi Tony. We've only been putting out a video every other Friday. Herschel is not from Desert Trails channel. You're welcome, and thank you for watching!👍😁
That was a pretty cool jug. I know you don't take anything out of the minds but that joke could be worth some money. Hey what is flowstone?😊❤❤😊
Hi Eddie. That was a cool jug. I don't remember seeing one like that before. I haven't really tried to look up any information on it like what was in it originally. Flowstone is a general term for the minerals in wet mines that are deposited on the walls when water drips down. It is most commonly made up of calcite. It almost looks like ice. Thanks for the comment!👍😁
Incredible
Glad that you liked it, Richard. Thanks for watching!👍😁
👍👍🤟
Thanks for watching, John!👍😁
Amazing. Looks like some people from the future signed and dated the wall.
Hi Matt and Ali. That miner's graffiti is made with soot from their carbide headlamps in case you didn't know. It will be even more interesting to date these after 2100. We see graffiti from the late 1800s as well as from the 1900s. Thanks for the comment!👍😁
I had a short career in underground mining in 2 mines in Nevada. One was the Mohawk mine near Silver Peak and the other was the Potosi mine near Candelaria. I’ve been searching your videos hoping to see my old haunts. Do you have any plans in regards to those mines or did I miss them
Hi Michael. We have several videos from the Candalaria area. I'm not sure which mine there is the Potosi or the Hecla. I don't always use the correct name in my videos. Here are a couple of links to videos:
th-cam.com/video/qIx6gk0XlGk/w-d-xo.htmlsi=djdEpsX5SuolzL5g
th-cam.com/video/KouYh9QWxuc/w-d-xo.htmlsi=c7MQJ1NOvnb2vRUO
That second video has at least two parts to it. The link to the other part is in the description. Thanks for the comment!👍😊
Man O man!!!
@@cheycasters Hey Cheyenne. Thanks for the comment!👍😆
You need someone to dress in a zombie or monster costume and turn this into a horror movie.
It's got that feel to it.
@chillislives Are you volunteering, Chillis? I think we could work something out for the next video. Good to hear from you!👍😆
"We're going to have to be somewhat careful "😂😅
Hi Hoyt. I guess that does sound a little funny now that I think about it.👍😁
Looks like Julie has ankle tennis shoes on better support would be over the ankle with lug trail grip on them not so slippery and strengthens the ankle
Hi Tom. As I said in the previous comment, we are wearing trail runners. We are hikers at heart and do not need ankle support from our footwear. Some people do. Our thinking is that ankles are designed to flex in all directions, and if you restrict that flex in your ankle, the forces in play will move to try to flex the next joint, which is your knee. Your knees are not meant to flex in all directions and can develop problems if forced to flex because of an ankle that is not allowed to flex. Also, many of our mine explores involve long, hot hikes to just get to the mine, and big heavy boots are not ideal for that. Thanks again for your concern!👍😊
@3:30 what is a patch of red bricks ?!
That looks like a patch of iron stained rocks, not bricks. Thanks for the comment!👍😁
Prankster to store clerk: Do ya have Prince Albert in the can?
Clerk: Yes we do.
Prankster: Well doncha think ya outta let him out?
Comedy was much simpler back then.
That's an oldie but goodie.😆
How the heck did they get graffiti up on the roof of that 200' level you rappelled by?
Looks like there's a great iron bacteria culture there too (6:20). Anywhere there's pyrite or marcasite and water, the iron and sulfur bacteria will grow - they're unique in that they oxidize sulfides and ferrous solutions for their energy. That's what you're seeing often when you come across that gelatinous orange stuff. Put some under a microscope and you'd see the filaments.
@@stevengill1736 Hi Steven. I have no idea how they put the graffiti up there. Maybe standing on an ore car? Thanks for the information on the culture growing there. We see some strange things growing in the old mines if they're damp enough.👍😁
I noticed a loud whisper at 15:47 with the caption “say what” it sounded Slavic? Can you elaborate on that?
Well, I have to say that the whisper kind of freaks me out. It sounds like my voice, although I have no recollection of saying it and have no idea what is said. I'm generally not the guy who believes in supernatural type things like ghosts and the like. I've listened to it several times and decided to leave it in the video, hoping someone could explain what is being said. It also happened as we entered the area where all the old graffiti left by the miners is. Did someone speak through me? I would not really believe that but I also don't have an explanation for the whisper. Very strange feeling for me to hear that. Thanks for the comment!👍😱
Thanks for the reply Tom, definitely odd. Appreciate the Channel over all these years.
Did you find the ninja magnets I left on the charging station?
@@undergroundmines Hi Boxy. I did not. I guess it wasn't a thorough explore. Thanks for commenting!👍😆
Have you guys ever had an old timer contact you and said that was my name on the wall and any of your explorations have you ever had a contact with anybody just curious
I don't recall anyone that said their name was in a mine. We have had people who previously had a claim on a mine we visited contact us. Also, some that have worked in the mine or a relative of theirs did. Thanks for the question!👍😁
I would think some better boots with grips on them would work better almost looks like you have tennis shoes on, I always wore a good grip boot going underground
Hi Tom. We both alternate between wearing low leather boots and trail runners while we are mine exploring. In this video, we are wearing trail runners, which offer superb traction. The problem with trail runners is that the uppers are not as durable as leather. The benefits are that they are breathable and dry quickly when they get wet. They are much lighter in weight and easier to climb ladders and other things with versus a bigger boot. It's all just personal preference. Thanks for the comment!👍👌
Gravity is not your friend underground.
Hi Mike. That's correct. Gravity in a mine shaft is a powerful foe. Thanks for commenting!👍😁
Find a plank and make yourself a bridge to get across good try thoughkeep app the good work
That is a good idea, Aaron. You'll have to watch part 3 to see what happens.😆
You don't need to risk your life for our entertainment!
Hi Doug. I appreciate your comment, but we explore mines because we enjoy it. It's a tough, dirty, and dangerous hobby, but I guess that's all part of the fun. Thanks for watching!👍😁
Tom your not going to like this, but that guest explorer you had in this mine was a liability, he quite clearly has similar cognitive and balance issues as president Biden, would you and Julie take Joe Biden down as sketchy mine⁉️🌬️✨✨✨🙏
Hi John. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I'll have to respectfully disagree with you. Herschel is a very experienced mine explorer. More so than I am. He has been exploring mines for 20+ years. We all fall, I just happened to catch that one on video. As far as Joe Biden goes, I would not do much of anything with him. 😆👌
@@TomandJulieMineExploring Thanks for your comment on my post, by inference I get the strong impression that you and Julie would leave Joe Biden down the deepest mine available, and probably the quickest way possible.🌪️
🕳️
When it comes to rappelling in abandoned mines, we all have to start somewhere. It's a lot harder than it looks on camera, especially when it's wet and slippery. I'd say Herschel did a fine job 😊 especially with Tom and Julie nearby to offer words of encouragement and advise.
@lh6551 Yes, he did. Just yesterday, Herschel told me he did his first 300 foot descent into a vertical shaft. He's a quick learner.