Journey Through Abandoned Mountain Mine & Mining Camp
This area had burned over a year or two prior to our visit. That made the hike in to the abandoned mine easier as much of the brush had been cleared out. However, the fire also deleted any remaining structures right around the mine, which is unfortunate. Given what was still intact of that aerial tramway, there must have been a good amount of infrastructure present at one time to support it. And, of course, those workshops and other buildings that we passed on the way in seemed like they had high potential to be interesting as well!
This was rather an unusual mine for us as they mined for aluminum ore here and I can’t think of any other aluminum mines that we have visited. If the ground that we encountered here is any indication though, I doubt that we’ll be getting underground at too many aluminum mines because almost all of it was in terrible shape (collapsed).
The history of aluminum itself is interesting to me - how it was once immensely valuable and as the techniques for processing it improved, the prices dropped to the low levels that we are familiar with today. I was unable to locate historical information on this particular mine, but it was obviously an older one. I’d love to be able to tell you with some specificity when the mine operated as a chart of the declining prices of aluminum would give us a good idea of what their costs were and what pain point on the prices forced them to cease operations. It’s kind of neat to think of the possibility of aluminum from this mine in the remote deserts of Nevada going into the frames of aircraft and flying all over the world.
It was pretty cool to spend the night inside of the cabin at the mining camp. We’ve spent the night at plenty of abandoned mines and mining camps before, but that was the first time that one of the buildings was clean enough to sleep in. Usually, the rodents have done enough to make them so disgusting that sleeping outside is preferable. However, aside from the Mormon crickets swarming everywhere, this cabin was still in pretty good shape. Haha, the Mormon crickets were bad enough though that, in the end, we had to sleep inside of a tent inside of the cabin. For those that haven’t seen Mormon crickets firsthand, trust me, you do not want them crawling all over you.
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You can see the full TVR Exploring playlist of abandoned mines here: goo.gl/TEKq9L
You can see the gear that I use for mine exploring here: bit.ly/2wqcBDD and here: bit.ly/2p6Jip6
Several kind viewers have asked about donating to help cover some of the many expenses associated with exploring these abandoned mines. Inspired by their generosity, I set up a Patreon account. So, if anyone would care to chip in, I’m under TVR Exploring on Patreon.
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.
I hope you’ll join us on these adventures!
#ExploringAbandonedMines
#MineExploring
#AbandonedMines
#UndergroundMineExploring
Пікірлер: 65
Best mine exploration channel on KZread. Only one I watch. Keep up the great work.
@TVRExploring
4 ай бұрын
Thank you for the high praise!
Fun fact, the price of aluminum was more expensive than the price of gold during the war two
@snarnok
4 ай бұрын
It was also more expensive during the Napoleonic war. That was why they made the statue of Eros out of aluminium in Piccadilly, London.
Love the old camp, nice to spend the night there with a small bonfire and a guitar
@TVRExploring
4 ай бұрын
Indeed, it was! Except for the swarming Mormon crickets...
Sweet, a neat dwelling.
Amazing how they can do all the work to enforce the mine, stack all the gobbing, and then go as far as they did for little or nothing to show for they're efforts. Definitely didn't see anything that looked promising inside anywhere. Yet they had to have hit something in all of the different edits, are the stoppes that were evident from the looks of the upper parts of the mountain that had caved long ago. Plus the tram, as well as the supporting facilities that had once stood in the area. Interesting to see the old equipment, and that no one had vandalized the structures left standing Excellent adventure and appreciate the opportunity to see whatever you take us along for.
Cool explore! It's a shame fire removed so much outside. Nice timbering and lagging. Kind of strange the wood rail was removed and the iron strap was left behind. That's different. Nice cabin to stay the night. Thanks Justin and Crew!
Hi Justin. It is definitely not surprising that unsupported parts would collapse. Bauxite and cryolite are both very soft. Between 1 and 3 on the mohs scale. Even serpentine is harder than bauxite and cryolite, and we know how sepentinite likes to cave in gold mines. Thanks for the video, as always. Hope you're not too snowed in out there, and all are safe.
That is really cool to see all that still there. At least no one has shot up the place.
Hi Justin, that was actually a pretty cool mine, the cabin looked really nice and comfortable, quite a bit of room too. Thank you for sharing, much love to you and the crew. xx
@TVRExploring
4 ай бұрын
Thank you, Sue!
@SueGirling68
4 ай бұрын
@@TVRExploring ☺👌
Long adit with no stopes or anything ... just that one winze ... wonder if the lower ones were more successful... Thanks for sharing 🇨🇦
@TVRExploring
4 ай бұрын
I would think so given the infrastructure that they had in place. Given that the top adit was intact, it may have had the least ore. The ore is very soft and crumbly, so the adits and shaft with the good stuff may all have caved.
That was really enjoyable, thank you!
Wow! What a find!!
That was an interesting mine, incredible changes in the rock, we saw a lot of different geology in there. The "camp" buildings were very neat too, I love the stuff that documents the human side of the work, those guys were doing OK. That IR compressor was powered by a 4 cylinder flathead engine, looked to ave an updraft carb on the side of it, those flatheads were built into to 50s I believe. Spinning a hand crank is an art form these days. Hard to imagine that crank was SOP at one time, but so were manual transmissions and unheated seats...oh the humanity...
Incredible geology for that mine! The interior door lock is pre-1910.
The side support beams are mostly old railroad ties. You can see the rail cutouts in them.
Im impressed, that the adit isn't collapsed. Good find!!
@TVRExploring
4 ай бұрын
I was thinking that the top adit may have had the least ore (if any). The aluminum ore is very soft and crumbly, so that is likely why the adits and shaft with the good stuff may all have caved.
A very interesting mountain made out 3 or four different types off mountain, guess some parts were stress too blast through tho, very much asking for timber, hope it was a money maker. nice buildings at the end.
That mine appeared to be one huge exploratory. A lot of money invested in timbering and the tram all for not. That’s mining. Thanks, J!
@Benson_aka_devils_advocate_88
4 ай бұрын
There could be sections that have been lost to time and the elements, landslides, cave-ins, etc. Is it possible that they managed to find someone to finance a prospective dig with a bunch of infrastructure? Sure, wouldn't be the first, nor the last. But it's likely that parts of the mine were missed in this explore, or more likely that an adit has caved.
@TVRExploring
4 ай бұрын
All of main adits and the shaft were caved. That is what I showed on the way up to the top adit...
You are the Greatest Mine Explorer I have watched them all ypur the best by far I can't wait till next video your calling in life is to be a explorer and commentator. I was wondering if you ever kept many thing you found just wondering and you don't have to tell keep on keeping on I live Church Hill TN have a great day
@TVRExploring
4 ай бұрын
Thank you very much for the kind words... Indeed, life does seem to have pulled me in that direction (and not just with the mine exploring). No, I never keep things that we come across. To me, their value is in the context in which they are found (which mine they were in, how the miners used them, where in the mine they were found). Once artifacts come out of the mine, they are just rusty junk that ends up in someone's garage or front yard and then the kids or grandkids eventually throw the artifacts out because, without any context, they are just rusty junk.
What an awesome view man🤩
@TVRExploring
4 ай бұрын
The views at many of these places are just phenomenal...
Good afternoon from Southeast South Dakota
That ground looked very rocky, loosely packed and highly unstable.
@TVRExploring
4 ай бұрын
Indeed, it was!
Another great video😎
The rock you kept showing us, with the small pockets looks like it is volcanic in origin. I would say basalt, but am probably wrong
@MrShotlighter
4 ай бұрын
Didn't spot any basalt but I was thinking volcanic too.
That was great you guys.👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
Thanks!😊
i have that flashlight at 31:05. its an EDC so mine looks that worn too. everyone needs one in their pocket when they get to a certain age.
Just wondering where would you be able to find/buy rail back then. Cool mine explore.
The unknown presence makes itself known again at the six minute 11 mark briefly flashing for a split second
Fan fiction: The walls of the mine were so well placed on the sides of the walls and ceiling, it wasn't a mine at all, but an escape tunnel for ancient humans from their alien overlords. The humans had slaved away building their structure and homes. As the rubble was piled up as refuse from the building, a band of escapees tunneled through all the rubble, right under the noses of the aliens. Thousands of years later, miners came in looking for gold and following tales of ancient alien antiquities, but after 200 feet of digging, their tunnels collapsed and they were trapped in an alternate reality. 100 years later a mine explorer turned up with his friends but all they could find was the remnants of past explorations. Little did he know, if he had dug through the back full, he would have opened the portal to an ancient civilization.
Did anyone else see the bat or bird at 17:01 come by him?
@kennys9855
4 ай бұрын
Something definitely flew by him.
at 0:53 is a upsetter forging machine probably used to reforge the tips of the drill steel
Hello Justin you say this may be a aluminum mine .I think the base mineral is called bastite (spelling ) in Washington state there are 2 very large mines one opened about 1970 by Addy Washington and this is my home state but thank you for the expore and the adventure nice cabin love your adventures ⛏️🤔
Presents briefly flashed again at the 627 Mark
❤
looks lie that bend of rail was left because it wouldn't go back out of the mine while still bendy lol The bat at 500ft seems to suggest you were near something that went to the surface..bats typically prefer to be near the surface for access...unless he was lost The geology of this mine is all over the place, although something did occur to me that around a fault there would typically be a broken side that took the majority of the force of the flat solid side moving against it. If it was very active minerals would be percolating up through the broken side leaving deposition and making for good mining but a really old or very young fault might have movement but no extra mineralisation, explaining the amount of broken sections in this mine.. I hope that make sense Cool place to stay Ingersoll Rand are still the rolls royce of air powered tooling.
All I have to say is CARBON TETRA-CHLORIDE......☠☠☠💀💀💀😎😎😎😎 When you were scanning that medicine cabinet and that bottle of carbon tetra-chloride popped into view, all I was thinking was somebody's into some heavy duty chemicals, that stuff was banned years ago, anyway great video as always!!!
22:05 "metal strips on top, cheaper than regular rail" yes, but not as durable.
I believe all that stacked waste rock in a mine is called Gobbing
So you had company at the six minute mark unknown presence makes itself known in the form of a light orb
My guess they ran out of men before they ran out of minerals mining there
Is the cabin location one of those if you know you know deals? My kid is finally old enough to consider overnight camping and I'm at a loss to find places such as this one. I assume it's also a great spot for stargazing.
@doug6885
28 күн бұрын
Watch the video. Everything you need to know is in the cabin portion. A little pausing here and there and little Google Fu and I found it and the story of the family that used to use it in less than 5 minutes.
Interesting graffiti at 10:20! Anyone know what is says in the middle... yo something (damp?) GFK?
@NewArcadian
3 ай бұрын
'YOU DIRTY (YO [GFX]) DAMN THEIF'
What are these rocks called or made of.
@stevesyverson8625
4 ай бұрын
At 5:23 it appears to be talc that has fallen to the floor from the hanging wall of the fault. It has a hardness of 1 on Mohs scale. At 7:03 it looks like vesicular basalt lava with the gas bubbles. At 10:49 the slickensides of the hanging wall appears to be stained with limonite, a low grade iron deposit. Anything yellow tends to be limonite with red being hematite.
carbon tetrachloride ages that bottle to at most the late 1970's
21:21 "groundfall"? Why would the ground fall? Shouldn't this be called "ceiling fall"?