Abandoned Gold Mines | Idaho

#idaho #gold #mining #history #historyfacts
Today I am sharing with you footage of one of my trips into a western National Forest. I found a possible gold mine on Google Earth and decided to hike up towards it. Little did I know I would stumble on at least 3 different mining camps with abandoned buildings and machinery. For one day at least, I was the only person looking at these camps. Forgive my excited chatter as I pull on random levers, fall into bees nests and ramble about minerals and history. I truly love these places and want to see as much of them as I can before they well and truly disappear. Buildings left to the elements usually succumb to them, and these are just a couple that deserve to be remembered and captured on video. I hope you like the video and please let me know in the comments if you know of any other good mining sites to explore, preferably on BLM or National Forest land where access is allowed. The harder to get to the better enjoy!
-IntoTheMap

[@riplee406]

Very cool. Thanks for sharing your experience. Your video has given me enough to feel as though I experienced it as well. Impressive job!

[@intothemap360]

Thanks for watching. That means a lot to me

[@Dave_9547]

The Caterpillar engine ran a generator and they were manufactured to be used that way. The Ingersoll Rand Imperial type 10 was a very common large capacity air compressor that was run by the electric motor attached to it. There were two of them run by one motor, which was fairly common. In some locations where electric power was not available, they were run by steam engines. I noted that there appeared to be power poles to the mine shops, so the gen set may have been for back up use.

[@intothemap360]

I found a HUGE air compressor a little further on in the video! That was was run by some ridiculously big engine

[@bobjones8372]

I thought it was from before the wires in and kept in tune so they could still run when the power was out, which I would guess probably happened a lot in the winter and summer thunderstorms. They wouldn't have to shut down till the power came back on..

[@howardfrisk5331]

I am writing a book about abandoned places in Idaho. Would it be possible to get your permission to include some screenshots of the video in the book? You would get credit.

[@intothemap360]

Happy to help. Email me at [e-mail]

[@calebrodrigues23]

This is so cool! I live in Boise and am planning my next adventure for this weekend. Looking at a couple of mines around here, but would love to check this area out. Do you have coordinates of this location? I saw below you mentioned it’s in Salmon Challis National Forest. Currently combing through maps trying to find these buildings.

[@intothemap360]

Hey man sure thing. It’s a bit off the beaten path but message me on Instagram and I’ll share location data with you. Should be linked in my channel about page or Instagram @intothemap360

[@bobjones8372]

At 25 minutes in, that's an old forge, the cone was hung above it to catch the smoke and take outside, That was not iron ore, that was a coal forge and that lump is called a clinker, its from getting the fire so hot, You start melting the ashes, fusing them together, hence the glass like look to it.

[@intothemap360]

Good catch. Thanks for watching:)

[@adamt644]

was this in silver city? or that area?

[@intothemap360]

Salomon Chalis National Forest

[@Donaldperson7]

Should have a metal detector! You might find gold in the tailings?

[@intothemap360]

I just went for a run and found this! I had no idea what I was going to stumble on until I started looking around the area on google maps. Sorry for my lack of understanding on what some of the mine equipment is. It was my first mine and like I said just happened on it. I am sure folks have metal detected and found stuff at old mines before.