An Insider’s Look At Active Placer & Lode Gold Mine: Part 3 - Quartz Veins
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- čas přidán 25. 02. 2020
- In this next video of our explore of this historic placer and lode underground gold mine, we start encountering more of the lode elements… There is, of course, still virgin ancient river channel underground at this mine that, if the numbers proved to be anything like the miners of the past encountered, would mean there is still a staggering amount of gold underground here. However, this mine also contains several large, high grade quartz veins and many small fissure veins.
The adit at this mine was run for gravel, but miners are not too picky about where their gold comes from. So, when they encountered gold in the quartz veins, they did not complain. The description of the discovery of the veins is reported as follows: “…[the adit] driven for gravel encountered a quartz vein 35 feet wide on a contact between the slate and serpentine with perpendicular walls. Twenty feet next to the footwall rich in sulphurets and free gold. Sulphurets show galena, zinc, and iron pyrites assaying $1500 per ton. After drifting 100 feet on the vein no deterioration in the quality of the quartz is perceptible. The quartz vein does not show anywhere on the surface being entirely lava capped."
As a reminder, that $1500 per ton was for prices in the 1800s. It would be considerably higher now!
Also, to put that mention of the lava cap above into some context… The lava cap has a thickness of over 600 feet in some locations at this mine. That is a LOT of lava. Imagine the kind of eruption(s) that would have taken place to produce flows like that!
So, to recap the geology you observed in these three videos: The adit initially cuts through serpentine, then encounters a fault contact with the lava, goes through the lava, enters a belt of amphibolite, re-enters the lava and again goes into the serpentine and amphibolite.
We are wrapping up the underground portion of this mine with this video. In the next video, we’ll go into great detail showing you the buildings and equipment on the surface - everything you need to know to get a gold mine of your own up and running!
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All of these videos are uploaded in HD, so adjust those settings to ramp up the quality! It really makes a difference.
You can see the gear that I use for mine exploring here: bit.ly/2wqcBDD
And a small gear update here: bit.ly/2p6Jip6
You can see the full TVR Exploring playlist of abandoned mines here: goo.gl/TEKq9L
Thanks for watching!
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Growing up in California’s “Gold Rush Country” made it easy to take all of the history around us for granted. However, abandoned mine sites have a lot working against them - nature, vandals, scrappers and various government agencies… The old prospectors and miners that used to roam our lonely mountains and toil away deep underground are disappearing quickly as well.
These losses finally caught our attention and we felt compelled to make an effort to document as many of the ghost towns and abandoned mines that we could before that colorful niche of our history is gone forever. But, you know what? We enjoy doing it! This is exploring history firsthand - bushwhacking down steep canyons and over rough mountains, figuring out the techniques the miners used and the equipment they worked with, seeing the innovations they came up with, discovering lost mines that no one has been in for a century, wandering through ghost towns where the only sound is the wind... These journeys allow a feeling of connection to a time when the world was a very different place. And I’d love to think that in some small way we are paying tribute to those hardy miners that worked these mines before we were even born.
So, yes, in short, we are adit addicts… I hope you’ll join us on these adventures!
#ExploringAbandonedMines
#MineExploring
#AbandonedMines
#UndergroundMineExploring
Outstanding! Here's hoping that the miner hits a great pay streak, he's a stand up guy and deserves a payday! Great tour.
@Arla Blind reported and your sock puppet too.
A few thoughts, in no particular order:
First, most of the time I trust your judgment in determining how far into something you will climb. Every once in awhile, however, you make me nervous.
Second, and somewhat related to the first, those slabs were unbelievably enormous! I wonder what makes them so unstable. They appear to be somewhat greasy, which is probably the cause of their calving.
Third, you meet the neatest people, I swear. This guy is so knowledgeable and straightforward yet personable and even funny sometimes!
Fourth, those crystal nuggets were absolutely divine. 💜
Fifth, I can't believe how deadened your voices were in that last chamber. The minor's voice literally trailed off if you turned the microphone away from him. There was no reverberation whatsoever.
Last, I learned something new today about the refuge chamber. That's very interesting and I am glad they have it!
Looking forward to part 4! 😊
Yes, some of the ground in this mine was really bad. That serpentine is bad news... We never would have been able to get this far back into the mine if they hadn't rehabbed it recently.
I have been extremely fortunate with many of the people that I have met in my life. Aaron is one of them!
@@TVRExploring aww shuck! 😅
@@aaronkeeth651 i noticed an ironworker sticker on your hardhat
Those slabs would sure make a pancake out of some poor miner. Your two miners look like they are good size guys, stooping over as they do I am sure back aches will be waiting in their old age. Thanks to you and especially them for the tour.
Man what a wild mine that one has everything, and lots of stuff like the petrified trees I never would have imagined seeing in a Gold mine.
Love your channel Justin I learn so many things here going along on your travels while still being entertained.
WOW simply just WOW. Thank you for taking us along. That was Awesome!!
More of this fantastic mine tour ! yay.
Fantastic series and thanks Aaron for a superb tour
This is the best series you have ever done. Keep up the good work
Thanks to everyone that made this video possible
That is a really big mine hopefully they are getting a lot of gold. Thank you for taking use along.
Great video fellas. Many thanks to Aaron for his knowledge and guidance.
This has been so great, I have always been very interested in the deep lead channel mining of the Tertiary gravel channels , and how on earth they were found deeper than just surface exposure, this really brings to light just how driven miners were to cut through tight rock on a hunch that values were somewhere to be found in the deep up lifted buried lava flow cappings. your guide is so knowledgeable of the geology and the miners techniques of solving problems. This has been better than any college course of underground hardrock mining and gold bearing quartz also !!! And his adherence to underground mine safety is top notch. Thank you very much for this tour , it is right on par with the 16 to 1 which was also incredible!
Thank you very much for sharing this information.
this is a fascinating series im really enjoying it.
Been waiting for this one! Good job! Thanks for the tour. Can't wait for the last one, but will be depressed for a while, until the next vid! Lol
wow man, it's so cool that Aaron let you go back into that really unstable area to film what you did and yeah your breathing was laboured back there and your voice lowered considerably which is understandable , thanks again Justin , this is an awesome series
Those crystals are amazing 😍 thank you for sharing with us, I really enjoyed this mine.
I'm glad to hear that. Thank you. Given the sketchy ground created by the serpentine underground, we never would have been able to get into the back sections of the mine if they had not recently rehabbed it...
@@TVRExploring it did look really dodgey back there!! Awesome that they showed you around.
Yay, been waiting for this.
Thanks for sharing. That was very interesting. Cheers
Another Awesome series 👍, best channel on CZcams
Concretia......I learned that from the flintstones!
Cool cool, fantastic job of thoroughly covering the workings of a "working mine".
Thanks for the 3 part of an interresting tour.
Thanks for watching. I love being able to tag along with miners!
Great job again dude! And got balls again. What horrible ground there! Expecting for the next ;)
Thee best mine video series I've ever seen. Excellent guys....!
Thank you very much!
Another amazing explore
I love your videos, makes me want to come to the states for some explores!
Thanks again for these three episodes so interesting and I did look up that nugget at the Smithsonian amazing stuff thank you stay safe
Such an awesome video series. My daughter and I really appreciate you sharing your extensive knowledge and experience!
Thank you very much. I'm glad the two of you enjoyed these...
I had to check it out. great to hear..
Absolutely awesome videos 🇬🇧🇬🇧🛸🛸👍👍
Very amazing and impressive tour gentlemen
Glad you enjoyed it
Love it could listen to your guide all day loved this series even more than last mine tour adventure passion flows out of these hard men needs be wen lives depend on coming at nite & bringing bacon home also. Many regards as always from Ireland thanks.👍☘🇮🇪Godbless🙏
this is soooo interesting thanks very much. like most of that ground was at ground level at some point. old river beds, lava flows from old volcanoes.. damn in my element
"Baby Slabs " at the beginning . That gave me an idea about some of what I would see in the video ? But you showed me so much more . Thank you again Aaron for the Tour and safely allowing Justin to visit and Video this Mine . You sure have put a lot off work into that Mine to make it safer .
Good series of videos.🇦🇺
I am really impressed with Aaron (is that right?) Both of these guys so cool. Thanks again sir. I really appreciate what you do. This was so fun and educational.
This is one series of vlog I don't want to end ..really need to see some gold being worked out .that would truly complete this fantastic series
I've asked to see gold in situ, as well. Fingers crossed, someday we will.
@@WhatAboutTheBee The best chance of seeing that in an old mine would be if a collapse exposed some sizable piece/s. It wouldn't be likely that the miners (or anyone else that visited the mine) would leave anything like that in place.
@@daveg2104 Totally understood, yet I remain hopeful!!
Thanks for the video
Man those are some big slabs!
Lots of water in that mine too
Surprised he let you go into that crazy unstable section at 13:00...
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WoW Great video and series of this mine. Placer mines are definitely not my thing, but thanks for showing us this mine.
Underground placer mines are next level, to be sure...
Bravo! Very few ever see this! (But you’ll be at 100k subs before we know it!)
Nice !!
Those slabs are wild
That offshoot you took to the left with the really sketchy ground reminds me of the mines in a valley near here, all very loose with huge slabs coming down.
Yeah, those slabs definitely reduce the fun factor a little...
Thank you 😊 interesting
Thanks Justin, I must admit I did get worried that you continued down that old drift level with the meter beeping but I guess you know what's safe and what isn't. A very interesting mine with so many different features, although that's the first time I've seen Re bar being used to hold up the back, an ingenious idea. Thank you so much for this series as I know it must have been tough going but also very interesting. x 🙏🏻🙏🏻💜
Thank you, Sue. Yes, there was definitely some bad ground in this mine, to be sure!
Yay! Staying up late has paid off again!
I actually wish I was a morning person, but I'm just not... I accept my natural inclination to stay up late.
2019 I entered a historic lode mine through a 80 ft long Adit. the next year catastrophic collapse sealed off the main tunnel entrance.thank GOD I wasn't in there when the collapse occured.
Dang, looks like it paid off to not go to bed early!!!
Great video. However that is one sketchy place to work. When you went back in on your own you were in some seriously dangerous places.
Wow! Pretty cool when you find a miner who has payed his dues to take for a class in a mine!
Thanks for the tour! I'm kinda confused, though: is this mine actually operating, taking out ore or placer material? Or are they still in a rehabbing phase, like clearing collapses beyond where you ended in the adit and putting track in? Anyway, cool mine, and a very good guide!👍👍
all done its turnkey now
YOU'RE LATE!!! BEEN WAITING FOR THIS VIDEO ALL DAY!!!! lol.
Yes, the past two weeks have been exceptionally busy... However, it isn't midnight here yet, so I still got it out on Wednesday! LOL.
Great video as usual did he say the last time they actually Were working the mine
not long ago
I think we need to start calling you the King Of Sketchy. You go into places I wouldn't go near. I suppose being a war correspondent gives you a bigger brass set than normal, but geez.
Haha, well, someone's got to do it...
nice tour lots bad ground better carry a scaling bar thumbs up fellas
A very interesting part,very nice series, not a safe pace too go off the main track tho, a lot of big stuff coming down in this place, but if there is gold perhaps they thought: Oh Dear, how Bad, Never Mind :-)
2:20 mark I see a reset of Jesus. Great series of videos. Packed full of useful content.
I worked in a mine like that. Soft ground. Always having the back coming down.
Serpentine sucks. We have serpentine boulders at our placer mine that carry AU and PT. Our bedrock is amphibolite. The serp comes from nearby, the Melones Fault, which is filled with serpentine in our district. Serp in our area carries PT.
The serpentine is awful stuff!
I'll take the serpentine over the pyroclastic ash any day!
I love that "toothpick" he has strapped to his backpack!
I was wondering why he carries that in a mine. More useful in a jungle.
was just attached to the pack
I have a question about another video of yours. Please respond to this
What does the "Echo" have to do with it?
No matter how hard I try, I can't figure out what he uses a machete for in a mine. Thanks for another awesome installment. TVR EXPLORING RULES!!!
might have to cut a bitch!
Gotta always be prepared for stope cats.
There's a mine near us that is slabbing big chunks into some of the ball rooms. That's one or the only mines I have felt unsafe in
Gotta love those slabs!
What kind of material are they getting from the mine in the vein? OZ per ton or however they are measuring it? Obviously it must be profitable or they would not be working it. reat video, the guide wa great, definitely comfortable in the mine.
Check out the description below the second video... I get into the gold amounts there.
@@TVRExploring Thank you. Great information.
not sposed to kiss n tell
That is a very sketchy mine. Worse than a lot of the mines you've been in I think.
One of the worst. The guy aaron lost his wife to a cuckolding accident, doesn't help he has a weak family history
I would recommend that the serpentine be assayed for PT. Might get a big surprise. What district is this mine located in ?
possibly Sierra county
Damn what a death trap
My impression is if you're mining in serpentine you need to get in and get out quickly. That stuff does like being exposed to moist air or water.
Yes, the serpentine is real nasty stuff. I hate coming across it in a mine because I know I'm in for a bad time when I do.
First time I've seen a refuge. That had to of been a dangerous mine to work in.
we like to think of the "refuge"chamber as a glorified coffin for 4-5 individuals. heck there's lifesavers candy in the food locker..... what more could you ask for?
@@aaronkeeth651 Hey Aaron. Thanks for the tour and sharing your knowledge. What's new at the mine?
The coolest crystal I ever found underground was brown, about 6 inch across at the base, and nearly 3 foot tall. I left it there for others to see. That mine has since totally collapsed, so that crystal will probably never been seen by human eyes again. I wish I had the cameras I have now back then.
I think that you in particular have laid eyes on a number of things that human eyes will never gaze upon again... I'd wish I'd been out exploring with you when you were still doing it!
I feel lucky to have gotten into the hobby of exploring abandoned mines and mining towns before people though it was cool to deface everything with spray paint and break all the windows, and before BLM and Forestry Service started destroying all these historic sites. My grandpa got me into exploring mines, mining towns, and Indian caves in the late 1950's, in California, Nevada, Arizona, and Mexico. One of my most memorable explores with him was Whiskeytown, a Gold Rush mining camp that was submerged in 1963 when Whiskeytown Dam was built. My grandpa worked for Clair A. Hill construction in Redding CA who built the Clair A. Hill Whiskeytown Dam. My grandpa designed and engineered that dam, so had access to that area even after it was closed to the public because of the dam construction. He taught me to respect and appreciate the history of these sites. I just wish I had realized the importance of photographing these things. Now they are just memories in my head and the best I can do is talk about them.
I'm sure you saw some amazing places... And, yes, I'm real sorry as well that you didn't have a camera with you!
You have to know your mine,it will save your life
sketchy, sketchy, is not the word i would use for this mine, justin. i'm so far behind in viewing but i'll catch up.
thanks for the tour, the guide was awesome, I hope these guys reach their goal. I think you can buy shares in this operation via ebay, $25,000.00 minimum investment. It's tempting after seeing the last section of fractured quartz with mineralization...
can you now?
Why does the Miner often have a Bic lighter in his hand??
👍
This mine looked unsafe to me at anytime
Are there many minerals left in there that are worth it. ASK him
mostly untouched, easy materials were removed 1st and lots overlooked in haste of xtracting AU
3 videos in and I ain't seen no mining or digging yet!
never show it...... msha is everywhere
@@aaronkeeth651 msha?
@@jasons7279 Mine Safety and Health Administration - an agency of the United States Department of Labor which administers the provisions of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 to enforce compliance.
@@daveg2104 prolly a lot like osha. Fucken bastards are a real pain most of the time
where's the gold ?
Don’t know if it’s been asked. Title says “active”. Are these guys making money out of this thing? How much ore are they pulling out?
Still dumbfounds me that all that work for what may have presumably had little profit for the labor and danger.
I watch “Ask Jeff Willams”. That guy is a nut and does dig in tight spaces for gold. But I think he does it more for educational and historical value, and because he is crazy.
Just seems that to go through that kind of nuttiness on digging such a huge mine there should be gold nuggets the size of baseballs every couple of feet.
Jeff Williams really gets in to the geological aspect which I’d very cool too. Interesting to see the different ground make ups as your going.
Keep em’ coming.
The mine is owned by a company. At that area where they finished, core samples had been taken, so the owner/s will have to make a decision on whether to proceed. Aaron said in another comment that the mine is "turnkey", so ready to be worked.
I need a baby slab of sliced mayo plz.
how does one "slice" mayo?
I'm surprised state "work safe" let people go into the mine. Millions in rehab has to be done. Lots of old mines had to shut down because of unstable ground. Surprised they would film this death trap.
it's perfectly safe under controlled conditions 😁
babies
So extremely sketchy ground!
Yep, that serpentine is nasty stuff...
what is "dogging"? new to the channel, not a kinda thing you want to type into a google search............
Lool, best laugh today!
@@dirkdiggler1242 glad to be of service ahah
@@pizzafrenzyman ahhh like a "dog leg bend"
If I was wandering in her mine and seen those two guys I would probably shit myself Because I think I would’ve found Bigfoot
Watch out down there for those Species Rats! 🐲
don't see any creatures past 300ft into the mine. unless they are sucked in through the ventilation
Had a friend in college who became a mining engineer. I went nuclear. Think I would if enjoyed mining better. Arne
I understand, believe me... I initially ended up in a desk job after college. Huge mistake for me!
Mining in America is soooo out of date compared to Austrian mining! Wtffff
Check your gmail Justin, I sent you some information.
Got it. Just need to get caught up on my emails... I've been super busy this week.
Corona Chan will make Gold go to 10K. . . .🦇
Better start mining . . .! . . . If you don't die. . . .⚰