I Went Mining For 12 Hours & Made $____?
Vložit
- čas přidán 5. 07. 2024
- Join me as I spend 12 hours mining inside Cerro Gordo's Union Mine!
The miners back in the day would get paid $3/day for an above ground shift and $4 a day for an underground shift. A day would be a 12 hour shift.
So in this video, I'm going to do the same amount of time down in the mine, and see how I do!
You can see all the listings for the minerals here: www.ebay.com/usr/cerrogordo1865
The current total for the 12 hours = $170.
Thank you all so much for your support and subscribing!
Check out my book 'Ghost Town Living.' The best stories, untold history, meditations on life at Cerro Gordo. This is a book for those who love history, those who seek out a life of adventure, who are on their own quest towards a big project. To lean into living and dive deep into the past:
www.amazon.com/Ghost-Town-Liv...
If you're interested in the backpack I am wearing in this video, check out this link! It is awesome and handcrafted at Cerro Gordo by my friend JT: exoticpax.com/products/cerro-...
You can follow my journey on Instagram: / brentwunderwood
Cerro Gordo T-Shirts and more: store.cerrogordomines.com/
Mailing Address: PO Box 490, Lone Pine, CA 93545
THANK YOU!
Here are some of the minerals I pulled out! www.ebay.com/usr/cerrogordo1865
I think it would be helpful for sales if you listed the weight of each piece you are selling. It's great to see all of your specimens for sale have healthy bids...good Luck Brent!
So interesting Brent. I have a mine as well and would love to do something w it?😊
I can't see any listings at the moment. Maybe it is only for sale in US?
How does a rock shop sell if they don't buy them. Are they just shoeing up?
Need to install a pressure tank after your pump.
I am actually a current miner of zinc in Tennessee. It is fascinating and terrifying to see you go after these specimens. We typically try not to go underneath any type of loose rocks as a rule of thumb. To watch you crawl through spaces you can barely fit is crazy. Usually when small rocks fall, big rocks are not far behind.
Noted and well put! Is the zinc you're mining in smithsonite as well? sphalerite?
@@GhostTownLiving I used to mine smithore. Well, my M.U.L.E. used to mine smithore and crystite. an Atari/Commodore classic.
Almost everytime I see Brent to crawl through the narrow spaces, I am asking myself it this will not be his last adventure... It could be his tomb... I would be very scared down there...
While very interesting, I find going down there by yourself to be extremely reckless and ill advised.
I hope you know that dynamite over time turns into highly unstable ntro glycerin. What happen the nitroglycerin weeps out ward from the tnt. Dont touch them of go near them a falling rock could set them off. Really cool spesimins !
Thank you for this video. Fascinating look at those old workings.
I worked 17 years as an underground bituminous coal miner. Based on those years of experience, there is no way I would have crawled under all that loose, broken top. If you are going to keep doing this, you need to learn how to take down loose top and install roof support to sustain good top. Holes in the ground created by humans are entirely different in character than holes in the ground created by Nature.
Old timbers decompose by slowly combining with oxygen to form carbon dioxide and/or carbon monoxide. Make sure you have air to breathe. I would want a couple of 15-minute O2 canisters: One on my hip and one on the elevator---at a minimum.
Good luck and God Bless!
We were at Cerro Gordo last week on a Tuesday Morning. Thank you for sharing the town with us during that day. Your Representative was wonderful and very accommodating during our visit. We hope to return soon to partake in the 8 mile run this upcoming year. This was one of our big highlights during our two week road trip. Looking forward to the hotel and possibly staying there sometime in the future
I hope the 8 mile is not in hot weather. Be safe guys!
3:35 Brent you know for a fact there are so many veins left of such good minerals gold silver turquoise all of that is there waiting for you. I am so happy you got that place and took over that mine & Ghost Town
You have 1.7 million subscribers. Sell your rocks as Cerro Gordo specimens with a note telling the story of your find, your trip down the mine, and a reference to the video. That's what's even more valuable: The story.
last time i took a story to the bank they wouldnt take it tho :/
@@samjanssens1509 - no, banks don't take your other souvenirs either. :)
If you haven't read his book already it's a great read!
@@gunnar_langemark Souvenirs with value are called collateral.
@@samjanssens1509 You must be a shitty story teller then. Most people get their business loans from banks on not much more than a story and some shady paperwork to back it up. Many are done JUST on the story alone.
As a mineral enthusiast, I personally like the natural look of crystals and matrixes.
Also a good tip. If you find a pristine crystal formation, try not to break it up if you don’t have to or want to. Palm size ores and crystal might sell for hundreds but person size walls of smithsonite can sell for 10’s of thousands as large crystal clusters like what you have found don’t get preserved too often anymore.
Either way I love the video series and can’t wait for the next one!
One of my favorite episodes so far. What a journey!
Thank you!
Just a bit of terminology for you...Horizontal tunnels completely underground are referred to as "drifts". Vertical tunnels are referred to as "shafts" if they come out at the surface, if they don't come out to the surface, they are called "winzes" or "raises", depending on which end you're on.
Nice video - stay safe!
isn't it an adit if it comes out to the surface? edit: guess that's just the horizontal ones.
@@jlt131 Yes, you are correct just the horizontal ones.
For those of you wondering, his bids on ebay are currently thousands of dollars combined... a pretty good days work!
did anything sell ?
@@robertbihn3005 the bids last i checked were somewhere between 3000-5000 usd total, so thats pretty much guaranteed for him at least, as auctions tend to jump the last minutes.
@@robertbihn3005 most have 2 days left on them before they end. Most also have over 50 bids on them. so its safe to say he will sell them. At the time of me posting this comment. He has listed 170 dollars worth as sold in the description + has 9 listings totalling $2465 every one of them has a minimum of 29 bids which means that even if he doesnt get the "HIghest" bid successfully there are plenty of fall back bidders.
So for 12 hours of mining + likely 12hours of outside the mine working (cutting, polishing, Listing...etc) he'll make roughly 2600 dollars. OR roughly 109 dollars per hour. (note i'm just estimating on the "outside the mine" hours. With him having access to the mine and the ability to spend days in it. He could easily turn the mine into a full time job. Work 12 hours in the mine one day, spend the next day's 12 hour shift cleaning, cutting, prepping, listing the gems, rest for a day, rinse repeat.
Funny how people don't know what they're bidding on and the value they place on them. They're rocks! These have very little value which is why Brent couldn't find any local rock seller to buy them.. Doesn't matter where they came from. They are rocks.. not refined gold or silver which do have value.
Diamonds however do have some value , since they are used to cut the rocks lol.. other than that .. most jewels are worth nothing.
The Hotel will get funded by your Mine and many of us are very happy to see the eBay moving right along. Congratulations!✌
Your videos just touch my soul in a way that can’t be expressed in writing. I can’t fathom that you spend so much time in the mine by yourself. I don’t think I could, but you pass along your experiences with all of us. My wife and I have spent some time in Death Valley, and the surrounding areas but mostly on the Nevada side. We hope to make it out there some day and stay at the American Hotel when it’s completed, and look at all the treasures you and Cerro Gordo have. What a life experience! Thank you for sharing your life and progress, it and you are truly amazing!
The best place to sell “rough” rocks is at gem and mineral shows that happen periodically every year and draw thousands of buyers, cutters, and rock hounds. Of course the biggest and best is the Tucson Gem and Mineral show, and there are many other good smaller regional shows such as Quartzite.
I was also going to suggest the Gem & Mineral shows 😊
This was really pushing the envelope, considering how that whole place is so prone to collapse. Don't know how you squeeze through those really tight spots. Please be extremely careful, we don't want to lose you! I have been with you since the first day, you feel like an old friend by now.
Everything fun is dangerous. Just not everything dangerous is fun.
This mine has been in existence for over 100 years in an earthquake prone environment. The odds of collapse are quite low
@@wyatthausman4377Amen to that
@@the2theonly672 : that might be called the "survivor effect". That is, the surviving parts of the mine have not collapsed(!) lol
@@wyatthausman4377I don't think I've ever felt like my life was in danger while playing Uno with the kids
Whoa! This adventure was terrifying! I have never felt so claustrophobic! Beautiful specimens. I know you are going to be able to get some decent money for them. Thank you for taking us along. Take care, Brent.
Awesome watch Brent, Thank you for sharing with us all : @ )
I work at the Oil at Gas business and like watching your videos to see the formations underground. very interesting to me. In Kansas, there are oil deposits at 400 feet. In Oklahoma, you can find oil at 1100 feet. It is very interesting to watch you walk through formations that we drill through. It is helpful to visualize and understand lost circulation formations and other anomalies we deal with.
Those jagged rocks in the tight places really freaked me out.!! So glad your ok Brent! Whew!
“I don’t really want to mess with it.” Proceeds to mess with it. 😂
I thought the very same thing!
Me too.
And he said it with a glimmer in his eye😁
Thanks for sharing your trip down for awesome looking rocks and minerals. Love watching all your vlog adventures in and around the mines.
Seeing you scoot and slither through those cracks and cravaces is boggling indeed. Cheeses! You got nerves and very large cahones. 😮 😊
Dude be careful please. The supports are old and if that collapses on you. 😢
You are one brave ambitious guy. Thanks for taking us along on your journey!
I have been following since you were a small channel but i get more and more urges to come visit Cerro Gordo guess i know what i'm saving up for.
It is a beatifull piece of history, love the content you make always brightens my day up so thanks for that :)
Thank you for taking us on this journey with you. What makes it even more enjoyable to watch is your passion for it. You can tell you really do care about everything. Little or big and it's great. Unfortunately I live to far away to visit anytime soon (Scotland) but being able to watch these is really cool. Looking forward to the next.
Brent, I hate to tell you this, but we as a community took a poll, and we all decided we need an hour long episode put out every day from now on. Thanks brother! 🙃
What. Who are You. Do you Live at Cerro Gordo. You are watching a video. Are you working for Brent in the mine??????
@@michelleharrell8452 a word called ''irony'' 🙃 english isn't my first language and i can clearly see the guy was being ironic ,just chill and enjoy the video
i really do appreciate those who still do these long form less edited hour long videos! i live for them! just listened while in a big rain storm. perfect part of my day! :)
@@asatechnics8363 Unless this community is associated with Brent they HAVE NO RIGHTS to tell Brent they the Community want to Run His Page.
Great video and beautiful haul. But that mine is a scary lonely place.
Hey Bret, thanks for your fantastic videos. Steve Irwin was also a guy who loved the natural world, and specifically animals, but one day nature showed him who is boss. Stay safe and respect the power of nature. We don't want to lose you.
Nature didn’t do a damned thing. The idiot human who PULLED THE RAY SPINE OUT causing a grave but potentially treatable injury to become a fatal bleed did it. If anything punctures your body deeper than skin level (5mm or less) you leave it where it is, stabilize it in place so it cannot move and go to the hospital.
Brent I got Clostro just watching you trying to get past that collapse. Yikes.You the Man.
Being an ole hard rock miner back in 1968 as my first real worked at 5000 FOOT LEVEL CREIGHTON 5 SHAFT IN SUDBURY ONTARIO CANADA 🇨🇦 REALLY ENJOY
hello, you might have met my grandfather at one point because if i remember correctly he would have been mining around the same depth as you and i hope your living your best life.
OMG Brent, take a partner with you when exploring like that. Safety in numbers. Yes some of your explorations are safer than others, this one wasn't. I pray for your safety. Ty for taking us along
These people don't listen to warnings. You'll read about a youtuber who died in some cave some day. There's quit a few of them.
He does seem to have a guy "topside" radioing to him each time he got into the lift.
@@nate9696 doesn't help much if you're stuck under a rock and the guy up top isn't expecting to hear from you for another 2 hours.
That's a big NO from me
The entrance to the 200 level seems like an unnecessary unacceptable risk in its present condition. The rest didn't look too bad
Love this episode. That said, my sphincter puckered watching you skinny through the narrow openings. I grew up in Folsom California and the gold mining history of the area. I have been down tunnels created by the Chinese workers. At one point as I was skinning through an area I decided I was done. Fascinating yes. Y
Kudos to the immigrants who suffered for the gold. You are a warrior Brent. Glad you have a support team. Not sure how much they could help you in the situations you embark on. Glad you are happy doing what you do!
That flying rock that hit the camera really made you deer in hedlights for a moment. 😂
Had a second thought. You have a friend named Dan Hurd. He runs a succesful online gem store. Bet he would be honored to pedal Cerro Gordo gems & minerals.
I am quite sure that he is doing just fine with his eBay sales of the minerals. You would be wise to consider this video to be highly effective marketing.
That is a GREAT idea.
Just set up your own rock and mineral shop in Keeler
I love watching Dan Herd too.
Thank you for giving me quality content while I heal from radiation treatments. This has really helped pass the time in some hard moments. You have such a cool place there.
Oh wow, thank you for that note! I'm sorry to hear about your health but hope it's improving!
Popular sport. Visited last October. Radiation this spring. Now in chemo.
Cancer fighters for Cerro Gordo!!!!
Prostate cancer like all others is no fun. So don't fuss though about the finger exam. But when your doctors goes in there with a ginger, be sure to demand 2 fingers! When the doctor asks why 2? The answer is to get a 2nd opinion! 😮
@@dustymojavenow that's funny
Get well soon, remember WITH GOD ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE 🙏
I wanted to express my genuine appreciation for your CZcams channel. The videos about mining and exploration have been a source of inspiration for me. I find the way you detail each step of the process truly fascinating. Keep up the fantastic work!
That 200ft level is wild! Would love to see into the original entrance that’s boarded up.
I'm claustrophobic, this video gave me great anxiety right around the 13 minute viewing. If you told me the fountain of youth was at the bottom of that mine , I'd say hallelujah and good luck to who discovers it ! Because it sure AF won't be me ! 😂😂😂... love your channel though ! Living my dreams vicariously through you all the while sitting comfortably and safely on my couch . Be safe 🙏
hahah, love this comment. Thanks for checking out the video!
Cerro Gordo should open it's own rock shop!
CONGRATS on the sales! We've been checking them each day. The Lone Pine rock shop did you a big favor by refusing to buy your haul! 😂
Amazing!❤ Thenk you for showing this incredible mine! I loved washing this video!😍
I'm so happy for more mine content.
Same! This was a fun one!
time to play minecraft boyz
Fascinating video. Excellent story. Good luck!
Brent. My Uncle Bill died at Silver Peak Mine, NV. My Dad's Family were hired to work in the Hoover Dam on the Colorado River. The Family was moved from Butte MT due to their mining experience in Montana. Thank you.
Ah Brent how are you not terrified squeezing in the small gaps of the mine!!? new fear activated 😂
Yeah. Properly clear out access to the level. Don't be a thrill-seeker.
He clearly does not believe in Claustrophobia.
Hire some arms and clear the entrance.
Yeah the back of the mine in that collapse section was awfully fractured up..extremely unstable and dangerous for him just to be grinding and banging through it.
For sure, that crack/fault line just above that tight spot you were crawling under should be looked at on the 200. Minute 12:32-36ish you can see it running parallel to where you are going.
Brent, you need to ditch the buckets. Get a dry bag for boats and it will make your life a lot easier.
+ maybe a bit of rope when logic dictates
Home Depot marketing execs punching the air right now
@@seb5165 logic says watch his other videos and you will see he does use rope.
@@seb5165 try using logic yourself. Watch his other vid4os and you will see he does use rope.
Gotta have ropes on those to lower them down from those heights when loaded..or else a tour and a tear are coming soon😂
You are one brave person. Some may say crazy but it’s your passion
Oooooh this should be interesting!
Hope you enjoy it!
Soooo much better to be selling online and certificated vs what the rock shop in town would've given, too.
Looking forward to seeing the final total on those eBay sales. : )
I’m sorry but you couldn’t pay me enough to go that far underground into such confined spaces. Please don’t feel like you have to place yourself in danger for the benefit of views. I would very much prefer you to be safe than to see you risk your life.
@@RuthlessMojo especially on stuff that old
Hello Brent, I am a 17 year old from Estonia. I have watched your content for 4 years now and I am just obsessed with the American mining history and overall wild west history. I hope someday I am able to visit Cerro Gordo, and enjoy the breathtaking views and learn more about Cerro Gordo mining history. I love what you do, and I hope my life dream will come true in the future.
Best regards,
Janar
Follow your dreams, Janar, and good luck.
Just finished watching your video, man I pray you do well. Awesome video, just awesome.
Seeing the proceeds go to the town is great and its a freat way for the youtube community to give back! Grest story behind these listings!
As a Welsh man I find the scrap of old newspaper very interesting. For those who don’t know Cambria is another name for Wales. Whose patron saint is David. There must have been quite a lot of miners from Wales in the region during that period.
At about time stamp 12.25 , I determined Sir that you are CRAZY !!! And I like it . Very adventourus and bold.
Fantastic you have come so far from when the hotel. Burnt down. "you were so emotional upset back then and it dnt feel very long ago but it was" Thanks brent amazeing insight much appreciated.
beautiful how peaceful and ominously lonely it is down there... epic video, i fucking love rocks and geology
I would place a check valve at the water pump to prevent the weight/pressure of all that water pushing back on the pump. I would also add a few more smaller pumps further up the mine to help reduce the load on the main pump.
I found you via Max Millers’ tasting History. I love your passion for this place. It’s inspiring to see you bring history to life. Your ghost town has such potential and I’m excited to see what you do with the place. The spirits of the town must be happy with your honor of their work.
Welcome aboard! Thank you for the kid words
I struggle to get out of bed every day, and your crawling through those tight spaces giving me anxiety, i almost switched over dude.
They are pretty rocks and the historical things you found like the old paper article from the 1800s and blasting caps were interesting.
Thank you for sharing your love of pretty rocks, minerals and mining, pretty cool video dude.
Hello Brent, Thank you for sharing your journey. I’ve been following you since the beginning as you have me at the edge of my seat rooting for all your success! As you’ve been building your hotel, it would be wonderful to see a store on sight with your finds and even a story along with some of the unique finds I believe would sell easily as everyone loves a story with there treasures ❤ keep up the great work
Just got my copy of your book so excited to start reading after work this made my week end!
Thank you so much! I hope you enjoy it.
Love your videos and I'm excited to see ya down in the mine again
I finally got recommended one of your videos again in a long time! I forgot just how entertaining it is to watch you live your exceptional life in such a unique place!
So happy to see another Cerritos Gordo video! 😊
Meant Cerro
Hello!!! I love your videos and I love your ghost town....Cerro Gordo is on my bucket list. Take care and Thank you for sharing.
I enjoy your videos so much. This one especially. You have great knowledge of rocks and minerals. Crawling round and showing us how long hours in those mines took a toll on men. Killing some too! 😥 Im fascinated! Thank you!
Omg I’m so claustrophobic watching what you go through to get the minerals. You truly are a very hard worker. If you sell any cool rocks or crystals I’d love to get a chance to buy something. Thank you so much for your videos
The mining content is great but scares me you're so brave 😂 just thinking about the guys who did that every day. Crazy. Love everything you do!
They were fearless guys back then! Really hard work.
Wonderful video, Brent! Thank you, thank you, thank you for the incredible opportunity to tag along with you. This was really fun and a fantastic concept and experience. Please do more videos like this.😊
What an awesome adventure thank you for taking us along, you are so very lucky, I love rocks collect what I can but know nothing about my collection. I understand your frustration there
So much copper oxidatizion, basicly half of the rock where scalitz blue. And other half were silver composites. You did a great job. Eaven excelent job Brent!
"Everything turns to dirt with time." Sage words of wisdom 🙌 😂
Great video, please do more like this. You're living the life that millions of people around the world would love to live!
Love your videos, been watching for a few years.
Much much love to the channel ❤️
Goodmorning Brent, thank you for once again taking us with you down into Cerro-Gordo mine it has been quite awhile since you did that and I must say I miss that!
Thanks! I enjoy it down there. Working on some more videos there too
OH HELLO THERE AGAIN, good to see you still kickin
Still kicking! Thanks for checking out the video
Great Wonderful Finds And So Many More Brent, A Few Moments Was Pins And Needles Watching You Go Down In Tight Spaces, Glad You Are Okay!
Love the content. Fascinating. Stay safe.
Wow..... I really appreciate this channel, I know it takes a lot of time and energy to film and edit and post this stuff, I cannot put into words just how much it means to me. Thank you so much.
Glad you enjoy it! My pleasure to make them. I enjoy it!
Make a small corner of the museum a gift shop, open it when lots of people come up to volunteer or like at the foot race! People would pay a price to take a real mineral rock home from Cerro Gordo! Sell your book and shirts and don't forget postcards!
They already have that
I love how you thread history with your growing love of finding minerals and weaving it with your adventures through the mines. You’re a fantastic storyteller and what you are doing will inspire generations of people across the globe for years to come
Thank you very much! I enjoy weaving the stories together
Your dedication to the preservation of the mines is absolutely admirable! The earth is such a beautiful thing and I appreciate your mission to share this with the world. Stay safe and keep digging!
Thank you very much!
Don't wind up like those Chinese miners. Read your book, awesome. Love seeing your adventures. Stay safe, thanks for sharing!
I am horribly claustrophobic and it stems from being caught in a lava cave. I crawled on my belly about 30 feet thru a crack in the lava that was about the same size as my body. I had to creep/crawl backwards out of the crack to get out. My clothing got caught on the sharp lava rocks and I was stuck. Did not have enough room to remove my jacket. I eventually managed to tear my jacket to free myself from the rocks. I have never felt comfortable in a confined space since that day. I could never do what you are doing now. I still to this day, nearly 60 years later can remember the feeling of fear and desperation I felt. Thank you for sharing your adventures with us that cannot tread where you do. Kind Regards, Randy at Coyote Sticks Oro Valley, Arizona
I got trapped in a small tunnel a couple years back. I could feel the weight on my chest as he was squeezing through.
Here in Utah, some of you probably have heard, of Nutty Putty Cave. A guy got stuck, upside down, and after hours and hours he passed away. They sealed the entrance and that was the end of the story. Tragedy.
This mine will be hid demise in a cave in dated 7-15-27 or within a month +/-
I am a physic and i foresee this
I made the mistake of watching a video on CZcams about a guy that got stuck in a cave head down and they were not able to free him. He died in that spot and his body was never recovered. Absolutely never, ever, would I get myself into a position like that. If I have to crawl through something, I'm calling it off. I'm walking or I'm out....
sounds like a normal spelunking adventure
You are doing an amazing job. I watch your videos since the beginning. Keep up the good work and content.
I was frightened by the sharp rocks in the awkward spots! I'm so pleased Brent is okay! Oh my!
If you discover a vein that travels forever, it’s probably Samsonite. Cool video.
Thanks for bringing history to life. I love the stories of the history of the mine and the people that made it great. Cheers
I am very excited to watch this. I have a feeling this one is gonna be GREAT!!!
Another great video. Love the colors in the rocks.
Thank you! Cheers!
19:20 Something that i leaned is that most people don't get Claustrophobia, but rather fear of getting stuck, which is Cleithrophobia.
Very interesting!
I appreciate seeing these tunnels…I could never go that deep without feeling the full weight of the mountain hovering above me. Thank you for sharing this with us, but please be SO careful in there.
ARCHitect here. There is a thing called an ARCH. It carries the weight of a fairly small triangle over a curved ceiling of a mine. The rest of the incredible load of all the rock above sort of arches over that and goes into the sidewalls of the mine. It's not a perfect system, an ancient one, but it works most of the time.
I love all the snow you get up there my wife would never go for it I’m jealous of what you’ve done thanks for sharing
I give you serious credit man, just watching this video raised my anxiety. I couldn't imagine crawling through there and going through the tight squeeze's.
That triggered all of my Claustrophobia! Brave.
What a tight squeeze! I found myself holding my breath while you wormed your way out.
Hey from Windsor On 🇨🇦 been following your channel since the beginning..your doing a fabulous job at restoring the mine and property…if I’m ever in the area I’d love to go “rock” hunting with ya ..call it a bucket list challenge 😎🇨🇦 take care and god bless you and the channel
Alls I knows is it’s Saturday and I have 1 hr to devote to a video. I’m so thankful I opened CZcams to find your video!
Heyyy, my favourite mole man is back!! Burrowing deep in the depths for precious gems to flog to the topsiders, all to fund his hotel addiction
remember the underdog episode......DRINK WATER THE MOLEMEN ARE COMING......underdog had put a hefty amount of his energy pills in the local reservoir...
These videos are the best! Would love to visit one day!! Keep it up dude
Cool video. Thanks for taking us along.
Thanks for checking it out!