Roping Down Into An Old Mine About To Be Lost Forever - Part 2 of 2
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- čas přidán 31. 03. 2020
- As you can see now that both of the exploring videos for this mine have been posted, the lower levels appear to have consisted almost entirely of exploratory work by the miners. The impression is left that the bulk of the ore came from the stopes in the middle that we made our way down in the first video. As I mentioned previously, the main shaft was blocked at the section where we were forced to descend the stopes and so I don’t know about other possible drift levels off of that. However, if the stopes we passed through are any indication, it seems likely that there may have been drifts, or at least stopes, leading off from the inaccessible stretches of the main shaft as well.
Sure seems like a lot of work done by the miners just to pull out some uninspiring lead or zinc, no?
The ore cart, tobacco tins, bottles and other antique mining artifacts that were on the lower levels are indicative of the sorts of things that almost all abandoned mines used to have in them (as a reminder, this mine was active from 1909 to 1916 per the official records). Unfortunately, in the more accessible mines, these historical items quickly disappear and end up in someone’s garage or front yard, causing many tears of frustration for industrial archaeologists. So, that is one reason why I treasure the remote mines and the mines that are difficult to access as one can still find so many artifacts and obtain a better sense of how things were. And we’re certainly not the first explorers to have ventured into this particular mine. So, imagine what might have been there before we got there and documented it!
Wait until you see the videos I have of a couple of impressive historic abandoned mines that are on private property that we obtained permission to visit… The amount of artifacts they still had on them were mind-blowing. Perhaps when you see how an abandoned mine SHOULD look, you’ll be more upset about how much people take when they visit these sites.
Some viewers asked me about the demise of my cameras. Well, naturally, I had to include the section in this video where I took out the GoPro… Haha, so, here you go. And, naturally, I’ll include the section of video where I destroyed the primary camera when I post the video of that mine.
I knew that the GoPro was damaged following that close encounter with the top of the adit (or the “back” as miners call it), but I did not realize until I got home how much the damage was impacting the audio or causing the camera to flop around. So, I really had to put in the time editing this one to tease out the usable sections. Fortunately, you didn’t miss too much. That drift the ore cart was on was LONG, for example, but fairly featureless. So, I didn’t feel too badly in cutting almost all of that footage out. I’m sorry more of the footage of the shaft as it continued to drop down wasn’t salvageable because that was more interesting, but Mines of the West was with me on this trip and I’m hoping his work can pick up some of the slack I left on this one. Yet another good reason to go with a buddy!
That’s something else that viewers often ask about… Do I explore abandoned mines alone? Sometimes. My preference is always to go with someone else when mine exploring, but it isn’t always possible to find volunteers to accompany me on these adventures (LOL, which I can fully understand when I’m visiting mines in places like Afghanistan, Iraq, Kazakhstan or Cambodia).
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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.
So, yes, in short, we are adit addicts… I hope you’ll join us on these adventures!
#ExploringAbandonedMines
#MineExploring
#AbandonedMines
#UndergroundMineExploring
![What We Discovered Buried Shocked The Whole World❌ [ Strange Treasure Hunt By Metal Detector ]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/69DWIyHfX3k/mqdefault.jpg)
Your buddy showed a closeup of the tobacco tin on his channel. I had never seen one before, and there wasn't a lot to go by since the tin was pretty beat up. But with about 15 minutes of Google Image searching I came up with a match, got the brand name from that, and was able to research it further. Here's what I wrote on his video; "Patterson's Tuxedo Tobacco. It was made by the American Tobacco Company under the brand name R A Patterson Tob Co. of Richmond, Virginia. There was a striker on the bottom of the tin for striking matches on. R.A. Patterson started making Lucky Strike cut plug in 1871, and later Lucky Strike cigarettes. The company was acquired by the American Tobacco Company in 1905." --- With some further research since then I have determined that tin would have been made some time between 1905 and 1927. Patterson's Tuxedo Tobacco was made from Kentucky Burley tobacco, and a tin like this cost 10 cents. In "Good" condition they now sell for about $45. In "Very Good" condition they sell for about $75.
If memory serves correctly, part of American Tobacco was picked up by Altria and another part by British American Tobacco... Thanks for the awesome research (as always). Those dates fit perfectly with when the mine was active.
Gotta love how “exploring buddy” as you refer to assistants , after reading newspaper just trows it down, “ok filled my interest, screw anyone else coming along”, obviously doesn’t have same desire or respect as you or us to discover those artifacts, if he were in my crew I,..........no he wouldn’t. Thanks for your time and efforts in getting to places of difficultly.
Thank you, Carol. Indeed, he was a little rougher on it than I would have been...
What a mine....love these time capsule places you find Justin. I hope you and yours are safe and together in this thing.
I can only imagine the arduous effort it took to get that ore cart down to that level. And, It seems like wishful thinking, with how rough the whole thing is.
You never disappoint with your adventures. Thank you for taking us alone. I would never be able to do what you do with out full blown freaking out so thats why i love watching your content. I dont know how many times I have ducked and held my breath watching your vids. Keep up the awesome work 😊👍
Dang Justin, your videos rock my man!!! hahah.....Thanks for all the "other" info you provide along with these......In my 62.7 years on Earth I have learned ALOT from you even about the Desert Community I grew up in........
Thank you very much. I'm glad to hear that you're learning some things from these videos...
I don't know why I find this stuff so interesting. You folks are the best at choosing locations, video and the narrative. Good Stuff. Thanks.
Thank you very much.
Another outstanding explore! Thanks Justin!
Thank you for your video work, as a disabled veteran this is the only way I can enjoy stuff like this anymore. Sorry about your cameras.
Thank you. I am very happy to be able to share such place with those that cannot visit themselves for whatever reason. It's costly, but cameras are replaceable... So, I try not to get too worked up about it.
That air tank and mine car were RIVETING 😂 thanks for the adventure.
Most definitely my kind of explore this mine, love all the unknown levels going off in all directions, so amazing to explore these rare places. It's hard to imagine how many people have been lucky to see this place, probably a handful at most. Shame about the camera problems, but still a good video to watch!
Yes, when I see the flooded lower levels in your videos, I think of places like this!
That surely was a tough mine to explore Much tougher for the miners though. Thanks for sharing, Stay safe guys.
Yes, it was a good workout exploring that one! Like you said though, nothing compared to what the miners went through...
Thanks, that was great! I'm glad you all made it back up OK.
Take care and thanks for your efforts.
Not just what they take but what they leave behind. It burns me when I see a pile of modern trash in what is for me practically a cathedral.
I share your sentiments completely! That is a great comparison with the cathedral... I never thought about it that way before, but, yes, these rare, historic mines are akin to a medieval cathedral or an ancient library for me.
Ore cart is in really fine shape tracks looked good!!!
Gotta love dry mines!
What a great video. I love the old history.
Thanks for your effort documenting this mine. Different style but nonetheless a very interesting and cool video!
When these mines are abandoned, they really are quickly...abandoned...with loads of equipment, fittings, junk and garbage left behind.
You're absolutely right. It's pretty extraordinary, really, how much stuff was left behind in many of the older mines...
Thanks for the tour guys!!.............as I set in my 1bdr apt~~
Thank you for taking us along. I had a MRI and thought about you guys in small enclosed space.
Great your timing is perfect . I needed this Video right about now , Thanks .
Glad I can come through with perfect timing once in a while!
@ TVR -- Excellent explore , very thorough despite the broken cameras , Thank You Justin ! After a mine is abandoned , it is standard practice for other miners to come and remove track , ore cars , and any other reusable equipment , for use in other mines . So it is not necessarily other explorers that are removing the equipment for use as "Yard Art" . -- < Doc > .
Too bad about your cameras. Glad that you were able to persevere after going through the effort to rope down the shaft. Thanks for the tour, Justin!
Yet another high quality video. Sorry about your camera. That's a bummer. Thank you again for all of your efforts!
Another a great one. Loads of fun
That place was tight! I found myself ducking so much just watching both parts that it gave me a stiff neck.
Good work! Sorry about your damaged cameras!
Love your videos, especially when you do a series !
Have been watching your channel for quite a few years now and like the way you style the vids and give a bit of background as well!
Look forward to when you come to the UK and explore the old,sketchy wet mines over here! Lol.
Keep up the good work and thanks for your efforts !👍
Thank you. Yes, unfortunately, I wasn't into mine exploring yet when I was last living in the UK.
Great Video And Finds.
It amazes me how much work went into these places. I hope it paid off for someone.
The cure to the lockdown blues!
Fortunately, I've got a good supply of content in the backlog and plenty of mines around where I am right now. For once, I was in the right place when getting stuck somewhere!
I had to put my hard hat on when I watched this video. You must have the GoPro camera on the top of your hat. Even though I have a ceiling 8 feet above my desktop, I still find my chin is rubbing my keyboard when I watch your videos on my 50" monitor. Thank you for bring us along. Please stay safe!!!!
Yes, the GoPro was mounted to the front part of my helmet and sat slightly above the top part of the helmet. So, it took the full impact. I've got the new one in the same place (not many options), but I will hopefully be more aware of it now. The GoPro definitely enhanced the claustrophobic feeling in these two videos, which the primary camera doesn't normally convey. I intend to use it more for sections like those stopes we dropped down where I need both hands.
@@TVRExploring I mount my camera off the front down. It does block a bit of my view, but not to the point it isnt worth it. I barely notice it anymore tbh. My light hits first on the top now, its surprisingly tough lol . Plus, I leave the screen on and I can see what I have in the frame.
Thanks man .... Under appreciated thing you do.....
Thank you.
Great work! That is so cool to see! (I'm a bit jealous...) sorry to hear you had two cameras broken...
Thank you! Broken cameras (and other equipment) are, unfortunately, a constant in this type of exploring... It's just one of those things you have to accept. I can tell you a lot about how much various pieces of electronic equipment can endure though! So, it's been educational in that regard.
@@TVRExploring I would imagine so!
I wish I could be spending my quarantine in a mine instead of a bedroom lol
The mine is definitely preferable!
That entirely depends upon whom your sharing your bedroom with!?! 😘😍😏👌
@@worldtraveler930 An indisputably correct statement.
Thanks Justin, so much rough terrain, you were practically on rubble most of the time or rickety ladders. There were some pretty cool features though like that weird system of the piece of wood going from side to side, I wonder if it was to attach and detach something ?. Thanks for sharing and stay well, much love. xx💙
No idea about the wood... That does make sense though.
Very nice explore,thnx very much for doing this, brings back memories of destroying go pro clones as well, started too use the underwater protector after destroying one while descending a bit too fast from a Swiss mountain lol
The underwater protector is a good idea.
What courage !!!👏☺️
another great explore, such a pity they are left to rot and collapse away
Thank you so much for sharing your adventures with us. I love watching them. Could you please link to previous parts of the vids in the description? I want to watch all of it 😉👍
Very few people read the descriptions, so I typically don't bother to put links to prior videos in...I should though. In this case, you can just go to the main page of the channel and all of the videos are there in chronological order. Or just cut and paste the title of the video into CZcams's search bar and all of the videos in a series will come up.
Rough mine! Cool as hell though.
Have you ever thought about bringing/packing an avalanche type shovel that snowboarders carry when we hike the back country mountains in the Sierra Nevada? I am a new subscriber and am into your videos because I have been going through gold country, and never stop to explore, a lot of my life driving to the ski areas around Tahoe City and especially on the way to Kirkwood. So I was wondering if you packed a small shovel with you on the inside. I keep a regular sized shovel in my snow raider 4x4, lifted 4-1/2 inches, Goodyear Wrangler tires Ranger when I'm going to the snow. Love your work! You have inspired me... from Kurt in Santa Rosa, Ca!
It is sad to see that someone would take things from an old mine but it does happen all the time. I know the ore carts would be gone if they could find a way to get t hem to the surface. You guys stay safe
That is getting to be a bit of a double edged sword. In years past I always left artifacts where I found them. But now the government is hell bent on destroying these mines so all artifacts will be lost forever. It's a shame when people take artifacts for their own yards, where they end up rusting away. But it's making more and more sense to take them to donate to a museum. Governments destroying these mines and erasing all traces of their history is why it's so important now more than ever for people to go in them and video document them for future generations to see.
Man ..that is just cool..wish i was there checkin it out myself..
AWESOMENESS I was looking for something on CZcams right now lol
I'm glad my timing was good.
Did it look like the arm assembly next to the track raised a board as a brake like the old timey wood rollercoasters?
It didn't seem connected to anything, which was strange. Of course, it may have been damaged over time, but from what we saw, the entire action was what I showed in the video.
Where those plastic Gatorade bottles?
as long as its only the cam thats broke and not your head bud is all that matters. do you take still photos of things like the truck and other artifacs..
Haha, yes, I'll take the camera getting cracked over my head any day. I've already had enough concussions! Yes, I do take still images, which I include in the videos sometimes. Oh, and the thumbnail images for the videos are almost always still photos of mine. I probably should do more with all of the mine photos I have taken, but I need more free time! Mines of the West (one of the other guys on this trip with me) takes fantastic mine photos that he shares online.
So it was slated for closure but what are the chances that there is an opening somewhere further down in the mine? You seem to have gone in from the top of the mountain so there might to my mind me other places that you could gain access.
Thanks for sharing despite the camera abuse.
your not having much luck with your cameras on this trip mate! keep up the good work and stay safe!
Ha, no, not a good trip for cameras.
Do you guys take anything out of these mines? I can understand that maybe you wouldn't take something out in more travelled mines to preserve some of the personality of it. However in a mine like this, about to be shut down, wouldn't it do more justice to the mine to take some stuff out so some of it lives on?
No, I never take anything out of the mines. Far better to leave things in place. You never know who will be able to access a mine in the future... And I've seen what happens to stuff that comes out of mines. The person that retrieved it thinks the stuff is cool and knows the story behind it. Their kids think it is junk and don't know which mine it came out of or anything else about it. So, it gets thrown out. Without any context, the kids are right - it usually is just junk at that point.
Cool 👍
How is the radon level there? What is your Geiger counter saying in terms of radioactive isotopes?
Very cool mine too bad about the cameras but at least you caught it before it’s gone
True.
Thats a deeeeep. Mine, i can understand why BLM would want that closed off, unfortunately. But im go glad you documented whatbyou couldnto helpnpreserve the history and give many of us unfortunate not to be close to mines a glimpse intonwhat is beneath our feet. Thank you
Thank you. Unfortunately, due to perverse financial incentives they wish to close off EVERYTHING, not just mines that could be considered dangerous... That is a source of great frustration to many. So, it really is a race against time (which we are losing) to document what we can until all of the mines are sealed up. And they will eventually seal all of them up except for those select few that are on private property (and even most of those are in poor shape and are eroding shut).
Hi at 7:11, what is that to the left of the tank? Almost looks like a big socket. Something not covered in dust.
energizer battery
so when I asked you about doing rope work cuz there is so many things you could reach that you can't reach any other way and you said you were doing some of that right when I asked you about a month ago this must have been it? Love your vids you and your family stay safe with all the crazy.
Thank you. Actually, it was a different mine that we had roped into when I answered your question before... Haha, however, the timing on that question was great.
@@TVRExploring so does that mean there's another video waiting to come out with rope work? 😁
@@daveshrum1749 Many others...
Not sure if I missed it in the first video but what kind of ore where they hauling out of this mine?
Mostly silver and lead...
You wonder what made the old timers pick this place for a mine? Just think of the years of work, I wonder what the value of the mine was.
I looks to me like some folks went to Extreme measures to Utterly destroy and Trash every square inch of this mine with only the lowest levels having escaped the wanted destruction, is this solely the result of easy access or are there other factors involved?
Lots of time it is the miners themselves. Its easier to render it unusable than to haul it out. It stops people from taking the claim when not there for long periods. Especially during the war effort when mines closed for war efforts and used all the steel and stuff for it. Rocks falls/water damage also ruin things that make it crumble. Just picture what you see after a big rain..%100 it has lots of water in it.
@World Traveler I'm not sure what you're referring to in regard to the mine being trashed and so I can't comment specifically. However, in general, the rocks strewn about are a result of sections of the mine caving. Some of it is backfill, but the plugged shaft and such is a result of collapses. I agree with the other commenter on the destructive forces of water... Water is a huge enemy of abandoned mines in regard to natural forces. That is why the mines in the deserts are so much more intact than our wet mines in the Sierras. To be clear, the number #1 enemy of abandoned mines overall are the aggressive federal agencies that are closing every mine they can locate. I was referring solely to natural forces as the government's destruction of mines is a newer force on the scene.
@@TVRExploring It looks like every foot of rail is ripped out and bent up as is every pipe and wire as well as Any piece of wood unable to withstand the swing of a pick, just like vandals do when they encounter a abandoned building, that or my Galaxy S7 is doing a piss poor job of interrupting your GoPro.
@@worldtraveler930 Ah, yes, I understand you now. Indeed, the upper levels were in rough shape...
Do you ever find Fossil down in the mines. Really enjoy your videos.
We haven't yet. The closest we've come are pieces of wood and leaves that are many millions of years old and have been trapped by volcanic mud flows.
Some archeologist will open this up in 2000 years and make another video like yours. ;)
They will probly say this was public transportation 😟
Looks like less then 100 with the way everyone's governments are treating everyone and the way everyone is acting like a fucking 12 year old! Live free or die! People need to wake up!
@@earljohnson7675 they will definitely lie... No doubt
The work the old timers did.
I wonder how many of these old silver mines will become economically viable again. Hopefully, at least some of them.
It seems almost inevitable with the fiscal policies of our government, no?
Indiana jones be like riding the crap out of the cart..lol
👍👍👍
You should do a collaboration with Exploring abandoned mines
Better broken cameras than broken lighting!
So if the record said it stopped in 1916 is the date on the wall from miners in 47 or early visiters
Could be miners assessing the site back in 1947 or early mine explorers...
Hey, how are your Viberg boots holding up?
Fantastically well! They're my work boots and wildland firefighting boots now too!
@@TVRExploring Thank you, I appreciate it.
Teeshirt idea: GoPro Slayer
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Sketchy!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I would be as lost as last year's Easter Egg. !!
Poor Cameras & Justin's Pocket to replace them
Stone face at 8:07 on the right side
I know a lot of the mines are privet property , but on the mines that are not privet..How do you resist taking a metal detector ? Thank's
It would be pretty useless. So much iron around in ground you get so many false positives. These mines are not like rivers when its a chance to find gold nugget, you got to process the rock here for small amounts at a time. To give you a reference, in my area it took 2 tonnes of rock for 1oz of gold.
Just wondering if you guys are vets?
Just wondering, you carry your self well
A couple are veterans... Given my line of work, I've spent more time in action than most infantry soldiers, but I have not formally been in any branch of the military.
Whenever I see a modern coke can deep inside these mines I wonder to myself "who is the fucking asshole that carries a coke can to a remote location, deep into a mine, drinks it and then leaves it there?".
Apparently, it is a lot of people because we see that quite often... Plastic wrappers, modern batteries, etc.
Shame about your camera still good video
Don’t tell frank about that ore cart.
If reptilians were real you would have run into one by now. Great content.
Sketchy/crumbly decline - was it as dangerous as it looks or just the overactive imagination of this armchair adventurer?
Probably somewhere in the middle... Definitely not the safest mine we've explored, but not the most dangerous either.
Ahh July 4th good old July 4th, the day that the Europeans gave up on bringing the scumbags we call Patriots to justice for committing treason against their homeland.. I can recall the elders talking about those people that murdered our ancestors and took our land.. I think the karma is coming back around these days... Nothing against you though pal I love your videos.. it's a shame that the young people weren't taught the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help them God, in school during history class.
Not a lot of truth is taught in our schools these days...