That's what's nice about the mines in the desert where I've gone into, like Calif, Nevada, Utah and Ariz.. There's no water to rot all the timbers and rust everything, The ladders are in perfect shape and no slogging through water and mud. I went to SW Colorado for 28 years and never went into one mine! Great video.
Seeing that hail in the middle of summer and hearing your reaction to it reminds me of a similar experience I had. I literally almost died of hypothermia because of a freak and sudden hail/rain storm. The temperature literally dropped 30 degrees in minutes. I was soaked and frozen before I could even get my poncho out. Luckily I was only 1 mile from the start of the trail where I parked. I got some strange looks while naked huddled over the dashboard heater vents. I remember I could barely get the keys into the ignition my hands were so cold and cramped
Just found your TH-cam channel recently and love your videos. While watching this one and seeing how much quartz was in this mine I decided to see how much quartz was worth. Today, 10/6/2018, quartz is priced $30 - $300. I wonder why no one is mining this.
Another fantastic video. I love seeing the mines and all that go with them but I love all the beautiful scenery. I live out here in west Texas and just about all we have is sand and tumble weeds! It breaks my heart to see all the forest fires that have happened. Anyway thank you for sharing your adventures with us. I look forward to the next ones. Stay safe.
Thank you for your comment. I'm glad I can share some of the scenery with you along with the adventures... You might like the upcoming video if you're into the scenery - it is fairly far removed from sand and tumbleweeds.
Another fantastic find! I saw the sign nailed to the tree, "Danger Explosive Area' and just pictured blasting caps and sticks of dynamite just tossed hap hazardly around. The buildings and equipment don't look all that old, probably like you said, from the 1960s. It's obvious that there have been very few visitors or a lot of conscientious ones. The age of the latest workings are somewhat alluded to by the protection cages over the light bulbs, something you rarely see in earlier mines. They seemed to be less concerned about safety earlier on. Fantastic to find a mucker in a mine, especially so close to the adit. Was that ventilation tubing as large as it looked? It appeared to be around 3' in diameter. And they used 3 or 4 inch tubing for timbering in the first adit? What do you call that? Timbering just doesn't seem right. Just support, I suppose. Imagine this site totally denuded of vegetation which was the norm for most all mine sites. That must have been a sizeable operation. It's hard to imagine the miners not wanting to drill and blast just one more time into that quartz, hoping that just another 6 feet would expose the vein that would make them rich. But it was probably that kind of wishing that got them to go as far as they did. This was another outstanding site. Thank you for braving the miserable weather to record what you could. Not even one ball? You can tell me, I won't tell a soul.
Thank you! Haha, I had the same mental image as you did in regard to the explosives... I walked a little more cautiously until I saw what it was all about. There could have been something in the buildings - we have certainly found dynamite and ANFO before - but I suspect they took everything away. I was very happy to see the mucker in there as it is a rare treat to see equipment like that. This mine is pretty out of the way and so I imagined it did not receive much attention from the thieves and scrappers. However, a friend that visited three years ago just sent me a private message and told me that there is a fair amount of stuff missing now that was there three years ago. It is really hard to stay ahead of all of the forces working to destroy these historic mines. Yes, that ventilation tubing was enormous! It came up to my waist when I squeezed by it. They must have had a LOT of air blowing through that mine when they were working it. And, yes, I believe I would call the metal tubing in the first adit "supports" as it certainly is not timbering. Well, "supports" or whatever popped into my head at that instant. I am seeing all of this stuff for the first time as I am filming it and the right words don't always come to me immediately. Yes, I have seen pictures of this mine that were several decades old and the hillsides are essentially bare. Also, I believe you were right in describing the mindset of the miners pushing on just a little bit more. That mindset led them to cross the creek and work up and down both sides of the canyon (a map I found suggests that the various levels connect inside of the mine past the collapses we saw on both sides of the creek). Also, do you remember that flooded passage I thought was a winze near the portal? The map I saw suggests that those might be older workings that were sealed off, but connected the adits on both sides of the creek at one time by running well under the creek. Ha, no, we didn't take any of the balls from the ball mill...
We could certainly use it today! There are fires all around us now, with one in particular burning about a mile from a family home and the wind picking up again...
Agreed. I'm in the Bay Area, south of the majority of what's burning, except for the Anaheim fire, of course, but worry for longtime family friends in SoCal & others who just set up house in the North Bay a few yrs back, esp. since the blaze recently jumped 101. Stay safe now. Here's hoping we make it thru w/o any more loss of life. 'Tis truly some scary times.
Yes, this year has certainly been the worst in recent memory. I hope you are able to stay south of what's burning and that we are more or less done for the year.
For sure. We're East Bay, not North, thank goodness, no fire, but plenty smoke. Bad air outside, no a/c inside. Unhealthy & uncomfortable, but unharmed w/family & housing intact, so I'm not gonna complain. Take care.
wow, that was some hail storm, the weather is just messed right up! What a great mine explore, a amazing amount of quartz in there, bet that was evil to mine as it splinters like hell, Some awesome goodies to look at outside too, nice find and well documented!.
Ha, it was like British weather! We're used to actually getting summers in California, but when I was living in the UK, I think it rained more in the summer than the winter... Yes, this was a good mine and I was happy to see so much equipment still around. That's a good point about the quartz splintering. When I was walking through, there were splinters of quartz all over the floor that you could hear crunching under my feet. Thank you for the comment!
British Summer, oh, look raining again here, thats a surprise lol Think this summer is probably the worst its been, although dry we've not seen much sun either down this end of the country! That quartz can be like flint, cut my hand open on some once!
That's saying something if this is the worst summer you can recall because British summers already have a lot of rain. Ha, I have to say that I haven't noticed much sun in your videos... Yes, the quartz is like glass. Most of it in our area has been smoothed out by erosion, but if it is broken apart, it is, well, like broken glass... Just as you said.
Sweet mine, incredible amount of quartz left! Pity about the weather, but that's how it goes sometimes. Ooh, nice anvil and foot-vice! Looked like a big electric motor or generator in that open open shack with the rails running through it. Ooh, that Jaeger Air Plus might've been a flat-head! Wasn't that Sullivan unit you called an engine just after that some kind of engine/compressor/generator hybrid? Certainly an interesting old beast! Thanks for pressing on and checking things out despite the terrible weather!
Thank you. Sometimes it is a lot more comfortable inside of the mine rather than out and this was one of those times! The anvil was welded to the metal table, which may be why it was still there. I'm not sure about the Sullivan... It looked like an engine based on my limited knowledge, but it could definitely have been a compressor/generator/etc. as well. I'll have to ask my exploring buddy about that one. He's the one that knows all about mechanical stuff!
Welcome! Yeah, shelter is nice. Most likely, moving a metal table of that size would require quite an effort! I'm thinking it might've been two cylinders for compressor duty and two as an engine to power everything, with a belt going to that electrical generator. A multi-function power-plant would make sense for a mine too, I'd think. Anyhow, it looked like the two banks/pairs had different heads on them and possibly even different cylinder sizes, beyond that I didn't see other obvious cues. Let me know what he thinks, please!
The section near the adit where the deep stream is located may indicate that this was once a natural cavern that was dug out for a mine. The anvil could mean that the collapsed building was a combination mill and blacksmith's forge. That big stalactite shows that the large crevice is a natural formation.
ooh such convenient portals , that water looks fairly toxic as well as deep lol the marginally drier mine looks like the cave ins might be what stopped it being worked, with so much ore potential left it looked like it was once a really rich mine but the amount of water everywhere must have made it incredibly dangerous to dig.
Found your channel recently, and some of these locations and very local to me. Wondering why you don't "explore" way more extensive mines that are roughly in the same area..anyways, just curious. Keep up the vids, very interesting adventures. Bravo
Thank you! Reading between the lines of your comment, we just recently finished a big one in the area you're referring to (which may well be a primary one that you're thinking of) as well as several others the month before. Those mine videos will be coming out before too much longer, but there is a backlog of videos before them to work through. Also, there have been a few others from that neighborhood already published, but the names would not be familiar to you. That said, it was really only this season that we started properly exploring the mines in this area. Always nice to connect with locals that know these particular sites... If you have any specific ideas or suggestions, please send me a private message. I'd love to hear about them.
There looks to be alot more there than you saw there. I wonder if that rail goes further to another adit. there was a ventilation tube in the main adit did you lok up into it did it go somewhere?, and that is alot! of quartz!
I think the ventilation tube tied into the notch in the rock on the left... I'm sure there are other things around there, but we were so miserable in that weather that we just didn't have the heart to keep looking around much.
Way cool as usual sir. If I may make a suggestion thought, can you narrate what the miners where chasing on some of these side offshoots ??? Or even if you could describe some of the minerals, the strike, how the rock does change, etc. ??? Up here in BC Canada we have many many mines in the mountains. I've done my fair share of exploration, development, etc. I was shocked to find a old workings or a shaft, within a single mile of each other. I've always been interested in the geology and the way it snakes through these mountains. Hence, it would be nice if you could describe this stuff. Many thanks ! Cheers!
Thank you. I'd like to, but I don't know much about geology. I started doing the videos to document the mining history... When I know anything about the geology, I will either mention it in the video or put it in the description below the video. I'm afraid you're bound to be disappointed though if your primary interest is the geology.
Never disappointed. Just wish I was up there, traipsing thru those beautiful mountains with you. (Very fond memories of doing soils, and exploration in the mountains). But, no worries about the geology. It may be my eyes, but sometimes hard to see the minerialization in the rock. You describe the quartz fine, And |I can usually see the strike, dips, etc, from the excellent documentation of winzes and stopes, its just sometimes hard to see what the old timers are chasing. I was doing a restoration for development of a mine in our mountainous back yard, and it just blows me away how much they knew about rocks, geology back then. Plus the fact that they packed in that stuff. Either that, or the poor pack mules. (We found a old blacksmith shop, with a 200 Lbs anvil) Sheeeezzz. Cheers, and keep safe.
Good company is always welcome on these jaunts! I wish you were coming along too... You are not the first to request more on the geology and so I am focusing on that more in my new videos. What I've been running so far are from my backlog of videos. However, the newer videos will gradually start to replace the backlog of older videos, but it may take some time. I still have two years of mine exploring videos in my archives to publish! I have been getting some really, really outstanding material here in Italy though - including what was the absolute best abandoned mine I have ever explored just three days ago - and I look forward to publishing those. You're sure right about the knowledge and toughness of the old timers... Those miners were tough and smart. I can't believe some of the minerals they tracked down and some of the material they hauled in - with or without mules.
Yes, we always carry air monitors. We have never encountered any dangerous gases (we stay out of places like coal mines), but we have hit low levels of oxygen in a few mines.
Thank you! I appreciate the sub. You might be interested in my upcoming video (I try to post a new video every Wednesday morning) as it is of an abandoned limestone mine in Italy.
The last significant work that I know of was in the 1960s. However, a large mining company was poking around the site as recently as the late 1990s and carried out some low level activity there. So, it seems likely they dragged that equipment off to the edge of the property at that time and the trees started growing there shortly after (as I agree with your estimate of their age).
The last major work was in the 1960s (that I know of). However, a large mining company was interested in this mine in the 1990s and did some assessment work.
Dang. Lots of equipment in that area, buried behind the trees. Looking at that odd rock by the adit, I almost wonder if that was a natural opening at first, before being expanded by mining. and LOL. The weather reminds me of Wyoming. Snows in the morning, sunny during the day, hails in the evening. And snows on the 4th of July, while getting back in to the hundreds by weeks end because: "sure, why not?" XD
Yes, I'm sure there was more around there and also up the hills a bit, but we were soaking wet and freezing and just simply too miserable to be motivated to go scrambling up the steep, muddy hillsides that day. The odd rock by the adit was a mystery to us. I don't know if that was an earlier entrance to the mine or if it was originally a natural opening or what... Ha, it certainly sounds like there are similarities between Wyoming's weather and what we get.
You have good eyes... This was actually a lode mine for the duration of its existence though. It just happens to be right next to a creek (we actually hiked down the creek to find this site) and that mill is sitting on top of old creek bed.
Someone must still own this mine. That anvil is worth a fair amount of money I'm surprised it hasn't sprouted legs. My guess it hasn't been touched since the sixties. Or earlier
Yes, the 1960s were the last period in which I found documentation suggesting extensive work... I was pleasantly surprised to see that anvil as well. This mine is in a pretty out of the way spot, but a friend of mine that visited it three years ago said that a number of things that were there when he visited are now missing. So, unfortunately, it seems some things are sprouting legs.
TVR Exploring I've had so many things walk off on our property over the years. Not something you would expect large heavy metal objects are capable of doing on their own volition.
(Sorry, clicked post before I wanted too). The reason being, is on this particular exploration, there was a adit both sides of the creek ??? Suggesting the same mineralization on both sides. Follow that strike to the other side of the mountain/hill and see if there are more workings. (I often found workings that way) Cheers!
Yes, the creek cut through the quartz vein that is the basis for this mine (so consider how much gold would have been washed downstream for placer miners to recover). There are workings higher up both sides of the canyon, but it is my understanding that they are eroded shut or collapsed. Either way, considering the weather, we weren't in the mood to go scrambling up the muddy sides of the canyon that day to seek them out.
I remember back in 1975 my Boy Scout Troop had the coldest summer camp award. It was in Red Rive, NM up in the mountains had 3" of snow on the 4th of July.
No, officially, it is illegal to take souvenirs. Of course, out in the middle of nowhere, someone can almost always get away with taking souvenirs. However, that's not my thing.
I've noticed that miners tended to recycle names quite often. How many Bunker Hill or Excelsior Mines are there, for example? It isn't often I come across a mine with a name that I have never seen anywhere else before.
If you go north towards the Dump out of SC ..turn Rt on ButcherR Rd you will pass a huge Quartz Vein ~. Possibly that was part of the load structure the Monarch Mine was following ~ just above that?.> The Monarch Mine was enormous! I think that has all reverted back to the state.... = Lots of active claims up there in that area.
We haven't been up to that one yet or really looked around that area much yet... However, we'd like to get at least a couple of trips in up there this year. The season is running out quickly.
Oh, and thank you again for the heads up on the other mine you commented on. I believe we will be heading up there next because there were some promising looking mines there.
Haha, is that what being with Chuck is called? Good luck? Or a curse? LOL Seriously though, he is great at hunting cool shit down. He's like a bloodhound sniffing out adits and equipment when we are looking over an area. I can pull out the occasional winner, such as this mine, but he is definitely in a league of his own.
Haha, yeah, we were freezing that day! We went into another abandoned mine that day and actually felt warmer in there. Normally, the mines feel very cold.
Yes, the rust always wins in the end. It wins much more quickly in the wet environments, which is one reason it is nice to visit a place like the Nevada desert where the mines are better preserved...
While the quartz is a good indicator of minerals (especially gold) it all comes down to the ratio/percentage of minerals per ton of ore. Miners aren't stupid. If there were minerals to be had in that quartz they would have mined it out as they found it. There is WAY to much quartz left to think they just didn't want to mine it. Even if they were searching for a major vein of minerals the quartz was to easy to get. It looks like they had a small mill so it would have made no sense to leave it. The one man mucking machine was a nice find. On the drift to the left when you looked up it looked like they may have had a grizzly set up there. having worked in a mine with both gold and silver and lead if there was even close to enough minerals per ton of ore it was never left. Just my opinion. Nice video as always and yo guys be safe.
Thank you. No, the miners were definitely not stupid. Incredibly innovative and intelligent instead! I know that quartz does not automatically equal gold, but the last major work done here was in the 1960s. With the price of gold at $35 an ounce at that time, they were still able to work profitably then. With the price around $1300 now, it makes me wonder what might have not been economical then versus what could be extremely economical now if the mine were rehabbed? The quartz veins run deep into the mountain and presumably ran right across before the creek cut them in two. Yes, our first impression was that that was a grizzly on the drift to the left... We weren't sure if it was a grizzly or support for the top of the adit. However, a grizzly would make sense with all of that material there. The stope above could have collapsed and sent a lot of material through the grizzly onto the floor of the adit.
alot of equiptment still but with age we fade away, and cant keep up the work lest they have a family to on, I was amazed on the amount of quartz, and a pillar, must be low yeild..or looking for something else, like with all things supply and demand, not up on the quartz...knowledge...... all hail the and he has found the mills still balls.....but they are loose laying around and some in a can....ok I'LL STICK TO the great video, top 5 for sure....really must of been cool.(temp)...the hail the x-plorer.......
I'm sure that pillar has gold in it just like the other quartz they removed from the mine... However, given the apparent precarious state of the mine with all of its collapses, the miners probably thought it was necessary to keep it there for structural integrity of the upper levels. Haha, yes, it was VERY, VERY cool that day.
Learning to pick locks might let you go where you otherwise wouldn't be able to go on these old mines. Just a thought. It's not too hard and the tools can be made or purchased.
Haha, I thought you might enjoy this one more. It is too bad that we couldn't get into the buildings because I'm sure there was some great stuff in there. However, there have been some really great gearhead sites we've visited in the past month that I'm confident will satisfy gearhead cravings.
the little building with the conveyor and rail coming out of it was the ore box for the mill. The conveyor fed a smaller ore pocket that than fed into the processing equipment, you can clearly see the grizzly bars next to the track where ore would be sorted by size, anything too big would be smashed up by sledge hammer.
That's what's nice about the mines in the desert where I've gone into, like Calif, Nevada, Utah and Ariz.. There's no water to rot all the timbers and rust everything, The ladders are in perfect shape and no slogging through water and mud. I went to SW Colorado for 28 years and never went into one mine! Great video.
Thank you. Yes, I'll take a dry mine over a wet mine any day!
We had snow that summer in VA, too. It was so strange! Great exploration- thank you for sharing with us. You've really been an inspiration 🙂
Seeing that hail in the middle of summer and hearing your reaction to it reminds me of a similar experience I had. I literally almost died of hypothermia because of a freak and sudden hail/rain storm. The temperature literally dropped 30 degrees in minutes. I was soaked and frozen before I could even get my poncho out. Luckily I was only 1 mile from the start of the trail where I parked. I got some strange looks while naked huddled over the dashboard heater vents. I remember I could barely get the keys into the ignition my hands were so cold and cramped
Great show!
Just found your TH-cam channel recently and love your videos. While watching this one and seeing how much quartz was in this mine I decided to see how much quartz was worth. Today, 10/6/2018, quartz is priced $30 - $300. I wonder why no one is mining this.
Another fantastic video. I love seeing the mines and all that go with them but I love all the beautiful scenery. I live out here in west Texas and just about all we have is sand and tumble weeds! It breaks my heart to see all the forest fires that have happened. Anyway thank you for sharing your adventures with us. I look forward to the next ones. Stay safe.
Thank you for your comment. I'm glad I can share some of the scenery with you along with the adventures... You might like the upcoming video if you're into the scenery - it is fairly far removed from sand and tumbleweeds.
Thanks for taking us along great video and it looks like a lot of history their along with a lot of quarts and crazy weather.
Haha, yes, that day had it all! Thank you...
Epic site! That adit was super badass looking haha. Great job!
Thank you! Yes, this one packed a lot of good stuff into the relatively small area that we were able to explore...
I love it when he says adit! I don't know what that is but when he says that it usually means something cool is coming.
Haha, yes, usually that means we're heading underground...
Another fantastic find! I saw the sign nailed to the tree, "Danger Explosive Area' and just pictured blasting caps and sticks of dynamite just tossed hap hazardly around. The buildings and equipment don't look all that old, probably like you said, from the 1960s. It's obvious that there have been very few visitors or a lot of conscientious ones. The age of the latest workings are somewhat alluded to by the protection cages over the light bulbs, something you rarely see in earlier mines. They seemed to be less concerned about safety earlier on. Fantastic to find a mucker in a mine, especially so close to the adit. Was that ventilation tubing as large as it looked? It appeared to be around 3' in diameter. And they used 3 or 4 inch tubing for timbering in the first adit? What do you call that? Timbering just doesn't seem right. Just support, I suppose.
Imagine this site totally denuded of vegetation which was the norm for most all mine sites. That must have been a sizeable operation. It's hard to imagine the miners not wanting to drill and blast just one more time into that quartz, hoping that just another 6 feet would expose the vein that would make them rich. But it was probably that kind of wishing that got them to go as far as they did. This was another outstanding site. Thank you for braving the miserable weather to record what you could.
Not even one ball? You can tell me, I won't tell a soul.
Thank you! Haha, I had the same mental image as you did in regard to the explosives... I walked a little more cautiously until I saw what it was all about. There could have been something in the buildings - we have certainly found dynamite and ANFO before - but I suspect they took everything away. I was very happy to see the mucker in there as it is a rare treat to see equipment like that. This mine is pretty out of the way and so I imagined it did not receive much attention from the thieves and scrappers. However, a friend that visited three years ago just sent me a private message and told me that there is a fair amount of stuff missing now that was there three years ago. It is really hard to stay ahead of all of the forces working to destroy these historic mines. Yes, that ventilation tubing was enormous! It came up to my waist when I squeezed by it. They must have had a LOT of air blowing through that mine when they were working it. And, yes, I believe I would call the metal tubing in the first adit "supports" as it certainly is not timbering. Well, "supports" or whatever popped into my head at that instant. I am seeing all of this stuff for the first time as I am filming it and the right words don't always come to me immediately. Yes, I have seen pictures of this mine that were several decades old and the hillsides are essentially bare. Also, I believe you were right in describing the mindset of the miners pushing on just a little bit more. That mindset led them to cross the creek and work up and down both sides of the canyon (a map I found suggests that the various levels connect inside of the mine past the collapses we saw on both sides of the creek). Also, do you remember that flooded passage I thought was a winze near the portal? The map I saw suggests that those might be older workings that were sealed off, but connected the adits on both sides of the creek at one time by running well under the creek. Ha, no, we didn't take any of the balls from the ball mill...
Beautiful quartz awesome thank you 😊
From a state that's going up in flame, it's nice to hear the sleet & rain.
We could certainly use it today! There are fires all around us now, with one in particular burning about a mile from a family home and the wind picking up again...
Agreed. I'm in the Bay Area, south of the majority of what's burning, except for the Anaheim fire, of course, but worry for longtime family friends in SoCal & others who just set up house in the North Bay a few yrs back, esp. since the blaze recently jumped 101. Stay safe now. Here's hoping we make it thru w/o any more loss of life. 'Tis truly some scary times.
Yes, this year has certainly been the worst in recent memory. I hope you are able to stay south of what's burning and that we are more or less done for the year.
For sure. We're East Bay, not North, thank goodness, no fire, but plenty smoke. Bad air outside, no a/c inside. Unhealthy & uncomfortable, but unharmed w/family & housing intact, so I'm not gonna complain. Take care.
wow, that was some hail storm, the weather is just messed right up! What a great mine explore, a amazing amount of quartz in there, bet that was evil to mine as it splinters like hell, Some awesome goodies to look at outside too, nice find and well documented!.
Ha, it was like British weather! We're used to actually getting summers in California, but when I was living in the UK, I think it rained more in the summer than the winter... Yes, this was a good mine and I was happy to see so much equipment still around. That's a good point about the quartz splintering. When I was walking through, there were splinters of quartz all over the floor that you could hear crunching under my feet. Thank you for the comment!
British Summer, oh, look raining again here, thats a surprise lol
Think this summer is probably the worst its been, although dry we've not seen much sun either down this end of the country!
That quartz can be like flint, cut my hand open on some once!
That's saying something if this is the worst summer you can recall because British summers already have a lot of rain. Ha, I have to say that I haven't noticed much sun in your videos... Yes, the quartz is like glass. Most of it in our area has been smoothed out by erosion, but if it is broken apart, it is, well, like broken glass... Just as you said.
Sweet mine, incredible amount of quartz left! Pity about the weather, but that's how it goes sometimes. Ooh, nice anvil and foot-vice! Looked like a big electric motor or generator in that open open shack with the rails running through it. Ooh, that Jaeger Air Plus might've been a flat-head! Wasn't that Sullivan unit you called an engine just after that some kind of engine/compressor/generator hybrid? Certainly an interesting old beast! Thanks for pressing on and checking things out despite the terrible weather!
Thank you. Sometimes it is a lot more comfortable inside of the mine rather than out and this was one of those times! The anvil was welded to the metal table, which may be why it was still there. I'm not sure about the Sullivan... It looked like an engine based on my limited knowledge, but it could definitely have been a compressor/generator/etc. as well. I'll have to ask my exploring buddy about that one. He's the one that knows all about mechanical stuff!
Welcome! Yeah, shelter is nice. Most likely, moving a metal table of that size would require quite an effort! I'm thinking it might've been two cylinders for compressor duty and two as an engine to power everything, with a belt going to that electrical generator. A multi-function power-plant would make sense for a mine too, I'd think. Anyhow, it looked like the two banks/pairs had different heads on them and possibly even different cylinder sizes, beyond that I didn't see other obvious cues. Let me know what he thinks, please!
The section near the adit where the deep stream is located may indicate that this was once a natural cavern that was dug out for a mine. The anvil could mean that the collapsed building was a combination mill and blacksmith's forge. That big stalactite shows that the large crevice is a natural formation.
ooh such convenient portals , that water looks fairly toxic as well as deep lol
the marginally drier mine looks like the cave ins might be what stopped it being worked, with so much ore potential left it looked like it was once a really rich mine but the amount of water everywhere must have made it incredibly dangerous to dig.
I just love everything you find and all that you do
Thank you very much. It is great to receive comments like that.
Found your channel recently, and some of these locations and very local to me. Wondering why you don't "explore" way more extensive mines that are roughly in the same area..anyways, just curious. Keep up the vids, very interesting adventures. Bravo
Thank you! Reading between the lines of your comment, we just recently finished a big one in the area you're referring to (which may well be a primary one that you're thinking of) as well as several others the month before. Those mine videos will be coming out before too much longer, but there is a backlog of videos before them to work through. Also, there have been a few others from that neighborhood already published, but the names would not be familiar to you. That said, it was really only this season that we started properly exploring the mines in this area. Always nice to connect with locals that know these particular sites... If you have any specific ideas or suggestions, please send me a private message. I'd love to hear about them.
Good video 👍
There looks to be alot more there than you saw there. I wonder if that rail goes further to another adit. there was a ventilation tube in the main adit did you lok up into it did it go somewhere?, and that is alot! of quartz!
I think the ventilation tube tied into the notch in the rock on the left... I'm sure there are other things around there, but we were so miserable in that weather that we just didn't have the heart to keep looking around much.
I understand.
big tank is welded. that says something about the age over a riveted structure.
Way cool as usual sir. If I may make a suggestion thought, can you narrate what the miners where chasing on some of these side offshoots ??? Or even if you could describe some of the minerals, the strike, how the rock does change, etc. ??? Up here in BC Canada we have many many mines in the mountains. I've done my fair share of exploration, development, etc. I was shocked to find a old workings or a shaft, within a single mile of each other. I've always been interested in the geology and the way it snakes through these mountains. Hence, it would be nice if you could describe this stuff.
Many thanks !
Cheers!
Thank you. I'd like to, but I don't know much about geology. I started doing the videos to document the mining history... When I know anything about the geology, I will either mention it in the video or put it in the description below the video. I'm afraid you're bound to be disappointed though if your primary interest is the geology.
Never disappointed. Just wish I was up there, traipsing thru those beautiful mountains with you. (Very fond memories of doing soils, and exploration in the mountains). But, no worries about the geology. It may be my eyes, but sometimes hard to see the minerialization in the rock. You describe the quartz fine, And |I can usually see the strike, dips, etc, from the excellent documentation of winzes and stopes, its just sometimes hard to see what the old timers are chasing. I was doing a restoration for development of a mine in our mountainous back yard, and it just blows me away how much they knew about rocks, geology back then. Plus the fact that they packed in that stuff. Either that, or the poor pack mules. (We found a old blacksmith shop, with a 200 Lbs anvil) Sheeeezzz.
Cheers, and keep safe.
Good company is always welcome on these jaunts! I wish you were coming along too... You are not the first to request more on the geology and so I am focusing on that more in my new videos. What I've been running so far are from my backlog of videos. However, the newer videos will gradually start to replace the backlog of older videos, but it may take some time. I still have two years of mine exploring videos in my archives to publish! I have been getting some really, really outstanding material here in Italy though - including what was the absolute best abandoned mine I have ever explored just three days ago - and I look forward to publishing those. You're sure right about the knowledge and toughness of the old timers... Those miners were tough and smart. I can't believe some of the minerals they tracked down and some of the material they hauled in - with or without mules.
Sounds good Sir. Looking forward to the new vids. And as always, do be careful. Cheers!
Cool videos, but as a mine foreman I wonder... Do you guys carry air monitors? Have you ever encountered any mine gases in places you've explored?
Yes, we always carry air monitors. We have never encountered any dangerous gases (we stay out of places like coal mines), but we have hit low levels of oxygen in a few mines.
Awesome! i definitely subbed! I work in limestone but always intrigued by other mines.. Visited Quincy copper mine in the upper peninsula last year
Thank you! I appreciate the sub. You might be interested in my upcoming video (I try to post a new video every Wednesday morning) as it is of an abandoned limestone mine in Italy.
How many years do you think this was abandoned for? The trees near the equipment look like ~10 years?
The last significant work that I know of was in the 1960s. However, a large mining company was poking around the site as recently as the late 1990s and carried out some low level activity there. So, it seems likely they dragged that equipment off to the edge of the property at that time and the trees started growing there shortly after (as I agree with your estimate of their age).
If you could transform into a rail cart going through these mines would be so much easier
What a beautiful location. I'd live there.
Pretty out of the way, but, yes, it is a beautiful setting to live and work in!
when do you think this mine last used or mined??
The last major work was in the 1960s (that I know of). However, a large mining company was interested in this mine in the 1990s and did some assessment work.
thank you
They probably got rich and left the place behind . What a beautiful piece of country
Smart Vid Boys
Yes, some of these mines are in gorgeous locations...
Dang. Lots of equipment in that area, buried behind the trees. Looking at that odd rock by the adit, I almost wonder if that was a natural opening at first, before being expanded by mining.
and LOL. The weather reminds me of Wyoming. Snows in the morning, sunny during the day, hails in the evening. And snows on the 4th of July, while getting back in to the hundreds by weeks end because: "sure, why not?" XD
Yes, I'm sure there was more around there and also up the hills a bit, but we were soaking wet and freezing and just simply too miserable to be motivated to go scrambling up the steep, muddy hillsides that day. The odd rock by the adit was a mystery to us. I don't know if that was an earlier entrance to the mine or if it was originally a natural opening or what... Ha, it certainly sounds like there are similarities between Wyoming's weather and what we get.
so sad they left behind all these things that are now just trash in a beautiful forest. Why did they not take their equipment back out when they quit?
It's the nature of human beings...
At 13:50 Ancient riverbed.....I believe this turned into a placer mine?
You have good eyes... This was actually a lode mine for the duration of its existence though. It just happens to be right next to a creek (we actually hiked down the creek to find this site) and that mill is sitting on top of old creek bed.
Someone must still own this mine. That anvil is worth a fair amount of money I'm surprised it hasn't sprouted legs. My guess it hasn't been touched since the sixties. Or earlier
Yes, the 1960s were the last period in which I found documentation suggesting extensive work... I was pleasantly surprised to see that anvil as well. This mine is in a pretty out of the way spot, but a friend of mine that visited it three years ago said that a number of things that were there when he visited are now missing. So, unfortunately, it seems some things are sprouting legs.
TVR Exploring I've had so many things walk off on our property over the years.
Not something you would expect large heavy metal objects are capable of doing on their own volition.
Well, like I always say, you see some really interesting things at abandoned mines...
(Sorry, clicked post before I wanted too). The reason being, is on this particular exploration, there was a adit both sides of the creek ??? Suggesting the same mineralization on both sides. Follow that strike to the other side of the mountain/hill and see if there are more workings. (I often found workings that way) Cheers!
Yes, the creek cut through the quartz vein that is the basis for this mine (so consider how much gold would have been washed downstream for placer miners to recover). There are workings higher up both sides of the canyon, but it is my understanding that they are eroded shut or collapsed. Either way, considering the weather, we weren't in the mood to go scrambling up the muddy sides of the canyon that day to seek them out.
Do you ever come across any gold in these mines?
Yes, we see visible gold in the underground placer mines sometimes...
I remember back in 1975 my Boy Scout Troop had the coldest summer camp award. It was in Red Rive, NM up in the mountains had 3" of snow on the 4th of July.
Ha, that's insane... 3" on the 4th of July? We didn't get three inches, but it felt completely bizarre (and very cold) to be in that weather!
i wish some one would bring me old stuff like that to fix up
Lots of equipment to choose from out at some of these old mines...
do you want to ship me something small to rebuild for you just let me no i live in lansing michigan
I really want to go there with my dad. Is there any possibility that I could have help finding it?
Is there any way I could contact you?
Nothing personal, but after being very badly burned in the past, I don't share locations anymore...
Ok. I was interested in somehow rescuing that anvil and the leg vice. Leagaly of course
Are you permitted to take souvenirs?
No, officially, it is illegal to take souvenirs. Of course, out in the middle of nowhere, someone can almost always get away with taking souvenirs. However, that's not my thing.
Was this mine located in Nevada County, CA, by any chance?
Never mind, saw it was Sierra County. No MSHA records for this one if Little Sister was its operating name.
I've noticed that miners tended to recycle names quite often. How many Bunker Hill or Excelsior Mines are there, for example? It isn't often I come across a mine with a name that I have never seen anywhere else before.
If you go north towards the Dump out of SC ..turn Rt on ButcherR Rd you will pass a huge Quartz Vein ~. Possibly that was part of the load structure the Monarch Mine was following ~ just above that?.> The Monarch Mine was enormous! I think that has all reverted back to the state.... = Lots of active claims up there in that area.
We haven't been up to that one yet or really looked around that area much yet... However, we'd like to get at least a couple of trips in up there this year. The season is running out quickly.
Oh, and thank you again for the heads up on the other mine you commented on. I believe we will be heading up there next because there were some promising looking mines there.
You always find the coolest Shit.
Chuck must be good luck.
Prospector Josh Damn straight I am!! Really good at 4x4'n too!! Lulz
Haha, is that what being with Chuck is called? Good luck? Or a curse? LOL Seriously though, he is great at hunting cool shit down. He's like a bloodhound sniffing out adits and equipment when we are looking over an area. I can pull out the occasional winner, such as this mine, but he is definitely in a league of his own.
TVR Exploring You both Rock! Looking forward to having a beer with y'all sometime. Until then..Cheers and keep exploring!
Haha, thanks, man. We would love to have a beer with you as well! Hopefully soon...
Wait until you see the next few videos. I led them to some mines and good shit coming. They are great company and quite daring.
I can't believe that I mist this one, I can't believe the hail and rain and in California summer.
Haha, yeah, we were freezing that day! We went into another abandoned mine that day and actually felt warmer in there. Normally, the mines feel very cold.
What flashlight do you use
Haha, I've answered that question on every video where you've presented it. Coast lights... The HP550 is the handheld one.
I didn't see any waste rock piles, it all must have been processed, incredible how every mine is so different.
Indeed, I think they ran a LOT of material through the mill... Yes, it is interesting (at least to me) to see how different all of the mines can be.
Why do they leave so much quartz in these mines?
Quartz doesn't automatically mean gold. A lot of quartz is barren.
I've seen the way rust wins . Miners didn't keep up the grease work on many of the mines I seen.
Yes, the rust always wins in the end. It wins much more quickly in the wet environments, which is one reason it is nice to visit a place like the Nevada desert where the mines are better preserved...
While the quartz is a good indicator of minerals (especially gold) it all comes down to the ratio/percentage of minerals per ton of ore. Miners aren't stupid. If there were minerals to be had in that quartz they would have mined it out as they found it. There is WAY to much quartz left to think they just didn't want to mine it. Even if they were searching for a major vein of minerals the quartz was to easy to get. It looks like they had a small mill so it would have made no sense to leave it. The one man mucking machine was a nice find. On the drift to the left when you looked up it looked like they may have had a grizzly set up there. having worked in a mine with both gold and silver and lead if there was even close to enough minerals per ton of ore it was never left. Just my opinion. Nice video as always and yo guys be safe.
Thank you. No, the miners were definitely not stupid. Incredibly innovative and intelligent instead! I know that quartz does not automatically equal gold, but the last major work done here was in the 1960s. With the price of gold at $35 an ounce at that time, they were still able to work profitably then. With the price around $1300 now, it makes me wonder what might have not been economical then versus what could be extremely economical now if the mine were rehabbed? The quartz veins run deep into the mountain and presumably ran right across before the creek cut them in two. Yes, our first impression was that that was a grizzly on the drift to the left... We weren't sure if it was a grizzly or support for the top of the adit. However, a grizzly would make sense with all of that material there. The stope above could have collapsed and sent a lot of material through the grizzly onto the floor of the adit.
Deep Canyon, west of Bishop?
Head farther north... Sierra County.
TVR Exploring Not the one I was thinking of, then.
I bet there is another tunnel hidden under all that overgrowth
I'd imagine you're right about that. We were wet and freezing, so we weren't as motivated as we usually are to look around the area.
6:20 is that a skeleton of something petrified in the rock?
I'm not certain, of course, but I think that is just the way the quartz veins spread through the rock.
all hail the chief
Cool stuff
Thank you.
I would like to own this mine and work it.
Did you?
At 12 minutes, anvil welded to the steel table which is why it's still there,.
100% agree... That thing must weigh a ton.
alot of equiptment still but with age we fade away, and cant keep up the work lest they have a family to on,
I was amazed on the amount of quartz, and a pillar, must be low yeild..or looking for something else, like with all things supply and demand, not up on the quartz...knowledge...... all hail the and he has found the mills still balls.....but they are loose laying around and some in a can....ok I'LL STICK TO the great video, top 5 for sure....really must of been cool.(temp)...the hail the x-plorer.......
I'm sure that pillar has gold in it just like the other quartz they removed from the mine... However, given the apparent precarious state of the mine with all of its collapses, the miners probably thought it was necessary to keep it there for structural integrity of the upper levels. Haha, yes, it was VERY, VERY cool that day.
I must know what's in that shed !!!
Yeah, we were (still are) pretty curious too!
I subscribed
Csykes Forge Well Done You👍🏻
hmm it had power there cool.
Learning to pick locks might let you go where you otherwise wouldn't be able to go on these old mines. Just a thought. It's not too hard and the tools can be made or purchased.
Thank you. I'll have to get my exploring buddy working on his lock skills...
gear head alert
Haha, I thought you might enjoy this one more. It is too bad that we couldn't get into the buildings because I'm sure there was some great stuff in there. However, there have been some really great gearhead sites we've visited in the past month that I'm confident will satisfy gearhead cravings.
There should have been an ore cart or two behind the mucker so I guess some two legged rat has stolen them.
Uhmmm, quartz is often closeby gold i heard?
It's the other way around. Gold is often around quartz. Not all quartz has gold though...
cool
Thank you
KubotaManDan It was that day!! Actually almost freezing ass cold but not quite.
like to mine this one it still good
the anvil is still there because it welded to the work bench, along with the vice...thiefs out there
Some of the thieves out there are very determined. I'm glad no one has carted it off yet.
the little building with the conveyor and rail coming out of it was the ore box for the mill. The conveyor fed a smaller ore pocket that than fed into the processing equipment, you can clearly see the grizzly bars next to the track where ore would be sorted by size, anything too big would be smashed up by sledge hammer.
Thank you for the explanation... It's good to have an audience that knows their stuff!
dang I'm early
First one
TVR Exploring Not me I'm late as hell! 7:53pm just got home. Went to work at 7:00am. Hmm there's a disturbing cycle playing out before me!
That's a very disturbing cycle...
And if I get the job as a miner the first gem I will mine will be 💎😃😃😃😃😃😃😃😃😃😃