Jason picking away at the pillars defines Gold fever. Stay safe.

Hey Jason, I can tell you a quick reminder about what I learned 40 years ago the hard way. There are old miners, and there are bold miners, but there are no Old Bold Miners !!! I was in a position like yours, playing with a pillar that looked good and stout, it had nice gold and needless to say, I wanted the gold. I thought the pillar was solid and would be easy to hi-grade for the PMs. I didn't notice a hairline crack along a crystal face and just kept banging (lightly, haha). To shorten this tale, my foot was braced at the base of the pillar. Everything was just fine until I heard a really high-pitched "Ting" instead of a "Tap" and 60 lbs of pillar rolled across my foot. I did have on steel toed boots, but that doesn't help much when the rock squished right across the arch of my foot. Being a sailor for six years really improved my vocabulary but failed to relieve the horrible ache in my foot. I didn't walk quite right for almost seven months. I just gimped out and left that project behind. It's your decision, but being crippled or dead doesn't bring home any paychecks and you can't play on the shaker table.. Start like a new project and build a stope the right way without turning your body parts into a mess resembling Raspberry Jam. One hand for you, one for the mine, and use that brain-bucket for it's original use !!!

@TheMilwaukieDan

Жыл бұрын

As a husband and father and son It makes no sense tgat you jeopardize your life and their existence by taking crazy chances on a rotten old mine???? For what??? A few thousand dollars in gold? And a video on KZread ? We viewers would feel terrible if your existence was impacted for a ‘video’. Tge quest for gold kills regularly.

@1N2themystic

Жыл бұрын

@@TheMilwaukieDan speak for yourself. He knows what he's risking and I wouldn't lose a minutes sleep.

@74KU

Жыл бұрын

@@1N2themystic So far we can say that 50% of the viewers who have weighed in on this topic WOULD feel bad.. heck I think I would too so that makes 66% of surveyed viewers would feel bad.

@1N2themystic

Жыл бұрын

@@74KU As a realist and someone who is no stranger to being in the minority, I'm fine with that.

@hoodatman

Жыл бұрын

@@TheMilwaukieDan Driving to a boring office job can get someone killed or injured too. Dead is dead. Risks are everywhere in life.

Until today I didn't know I could hold my breath for 30 minutes. We love ya bro, don't go in there again.

“My sack is getting heavy” is by far the biggest understatement of the year so far Jason. Lmao

@Michael-rg7mx

Жыл бұрын

Yeah, that mine isn't big enough for those balls weighing that sack down.

@pavlovssheep5548

Жыл бұрын

and it not even November

@nitsudocsicnarf347

Жыл бұрын

🤣🤣🤣🤣

@rh5563

Жыл бұрын

@@Michael-rg7mx , lmao! 👍👍👍

@EnergyTRE

Жыл бұрын

@@TheMcspreader agreed

Jason: "That's the only thing holding up the ceiling." Also Jason: "Lemme just chip a little off of here." 🤣

I too have been in this mine. And no, I didn't remove a single rock. That winze with the ladders from the transfer drift goes down to a haulage adit. We found a way thru the stope to get to the other side, the miners stoped out to the vertical cliff face, had hundreds of feet of exposure, one of the coolest views from and of the hundreds of mines I've explored. Mines of the West youtube channel did a vid on this mine, but only the lower haulage. In it you can see up the winze jason looks down here. Dont DM me for location info, not telling you guys, someone would end up dead lol

@spennyl3789

Жыл бұрын

Where is it? Lol

@lotharschiese8559

Жыл бұрын

@@spennyl3789 We're sending our guys over to have conversation with you!😶‍🌫👀🖖

@bradleyodonnell9225

Жыл бұрын

THATS ILLAGAL

My favorite part was watching you rationalize your picking on that pillar. lol Nicely done.

@nwliving

Жыл бұрын

Gold fever can definitely overcome rational thinking

@zedaprime

Жыл бұрын

Shop vac would be one way taking samples. Was noticing the quartz crumbling. Easier said than done :-)

@andybilakshow260

Жыл бұрын

The most important thing to remember when taking on projects like this is, remembering that for every action there is a reaction. It's your life to know what reactions are going to get you in trouble.

Jason no amount of gold is worth that headache! That pillar is holding up millions of tonnes of rock. I for one have enjoyed your videos over the years and really want them to carry on into the future. Love and luck from Ireland 🇮🇪

@Ukepa

Жыл бұрын

I'll get my gold from leprechauns... I'm not going in Jason's mines

@NotProFishing

Жыл бұрын

I'd say the pillars are the mountains cut of the gold. It can keep it.

@alexislaisney3404

Жыл бұрын

Go out like Steve Irwin Do what you love Continue to teach

@timmose6628

Жыл бұрын

Definately a deadly game of jenga, man I bet its tempting but we enjoy your videos..STOP

@orixxboy

Жыл бұрын

@@alexislaisney3404 personally I think the world would be a happier funnier place with Steve Irwin still in it! As for Jason? Only for the fact that he uploaded the video I knew that the anxiety I felt for him was misplaced. But I certainly would worry for his future if he's prepared to take risks like that. It would be different if he was undertaking to stope out the areas where he could then remove the pillars entirely? The scale of that undertaking and manpower and work required make it unfeasible. But I'm definitely curious to see what he got in his samples, can't wait!

As Jeff Williams often says, "who needs a gym, just be a gold miner"

@bradleyodonnell9225

Жыл бұрын

YEA BUT JEFFS VIDEOS DONT SOUND LIKE A GAY PORNO FILM

@xtctrader1467

Жыл бұрын

@@bradleyodonnell9225 I wouldn't know. But apparently you do.

Putting your life on the line isn’t why we watch, stay safe ol’buddy we like the content of your video’s and we need you to be safe and make more videos. Thanks Jason MBMM

@xephael3485

Жыл бұрын

You're probably one of those sickos that watches for the ASMR moaning 😂🤪

You couldn't get me in there if my life depended on it. Not just because I'm a giant lardo who wouldn't fit thru that opening but because the idea of all that mountain above me just waiting to come down sends shivers down my spine.

@user-wg4gf4yo2i

Жыл бұрын

Never speak bad about your self. You are a larger individual. I would insert the legend of Big John. Do you think a skinny little man stopped his lunch box from falling? Much Less thousands of tons of rock? (Yes I realize that no man can stop that kinda force) But legends, fables and heroes are important to all of our future. Love you all and I hope you have an amazing Christmas and new year.

@chandlercallaway9551

Жыл бұрын

Yeah I would have to know there are several hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash in a bag or briefcase in the mine if I was going to go in there 😂

Seems like you need to go outside and do a restart, make an entry to that vein that doesn't look like a dragon's mouth that is almost closed (on you!) and then just work it standing up.

Was anyone else half expecting a jump scare of Dan Hurd popping into frame when Jason was squeezing through that bottleneck?

I honestly have nightmares about trying to fit into places like this.

@xephael3485

Жыл бұрын

Don't worry being trapped alive where nobody can rescue you or knows where you're at starving to death is one of life's funner adventures...

@breckfreeride

Жыл бұрын

Been there done that

Wow, I just can't believe how rich that is! I'm shaking just watching you!

Well…I have been in a few tight spots spelunking over the years yet that much loose rock has me on edge. That is all I am gunna say except thanks for the video.

Waiting in great anticipation for part two.

Thanks for the video. I'm learning so much. Too bad I'm learning all this stuff now that I'm old. 😉 Please be careful.

I'm in Rutherford County NC and am new to this gold finding thing but I have seen a lot of these signs In some places around.. your video was very helpful to identify what I need to be looking for.. Look up Rutherford County NC and you will see we are a big gold bearing area..I just need to get a little more educated.. and this definitely was the best educational video I've seen yet! Thanks!

@baTonkaTruck

Жыл бұрын

I’m in NC as well, didn’t know if we had any gold in our mountains down here. Definitely plenty of quartz, it’s all over the place!

Well Jason, I was quite excited during the video. Certainly there is a very good reason the miners worked and left this mine. The quartz looks superb and yes, I actually would also risked a bit to pick here and there. But you are absolutely right - the mine is scary. It's wet, the wood is decomposing, the rock is cracked and moving obviously over time. One last point: Please keep some of the specimen and work with acid (you know which one) on them to expose the gold crystals / nuggets. It breaks my heart to see all potential specimen just beeing processed with the rest of the rocks.

Wow! That's the sketchiest mine I've seen in a while. Love the videos and the knowledge you have taught us about processing and smelting. Please be careful, a squished Jason does no one any good. Be safe and keep being awesome. Merry Christmas

You need to get one of those daylight flashlights that light up the whole area

The fact that you posted vid means you were OK but that was still pretty scary watching as you chipped away at it. Wouldn't be me! Well done.

It would be so cool to find the camp were they processed the ore I wonder how much their sluice boxes missed!!!

Those old timers were something else! You know they had to of missed more then a few viens, but to get it safely needs to be a major project, but you can see all the minerals in that mine VERY RICH!

The excited noises you made while seeing the gold, is gold. Says it all. lol

Next time you go in there you should take a plastic scoop, a good shop vac, a bristle brush with dust pan, and an assortment of tweezers.

From what you have shown in the pass, that looks like very rich trail to follow.

That stuff is pretty hard, I saw the Sparks coming off the end of your chisel. 👀 And as far as picking on that pillar that's so rich or gold in front of me theoretically. I would know nothing about the pillar full of gold because it would not be in front of me because I would be on the surface and wouldn't set too foot inside that cave. LOL. And the only reason I continue watching this is because I know you made it out alive because you posted the video. If you were broadcasting this live I would have changed channels because I couldn't take it. 👀

@orixxboy

Жыл бұрын

Exactly! The level of anxiety I felt though irrational, was intense! Picking away at the pillars like that! Finding one that had totally sheared! And the amount of widow maker's littering the floor of the mine, a slight tremor while in there? I wouldn't fancy my chances.

This is a life experience. I'm happy I could enjoy it from behind my screen, because there is no chance I would go in there!

I know that feeling you can't help but wonder if anyone is under those giant boulders that fell from the ceiling

Love the videos buddy! Literally get excited when I see a post. What am I going to learn today

Wow!!! I’ve never seen you this excited. But as scary goes, it reminds me of a treasure movie where they find it, but peril awaits. Please, I know your experienced but becareful.🇺🇸

Gold fever overcame the fear of being squashed again. Looking over the new tunnel where the water was, overcame the fear of the light going off. 😮

UNREAL!! keep it up man,love all these vids!

I was getting anxious just watching you crawl inside that crack. There is not enough gold in that mountain to get me inside there.

That was indeed a scary spot to be in! I would have probably done the same on that pillar though. The gold fever demands it! Great video glad you made it out safe

Outstanding,this is exactly the kind of prospecting video I’ve been looking for!!!

Wow! That is some amazing stuff! Congrats on finding that, Jason!!!

Definitely a thrilling one for sure.. thanks for bringing us along Jason

I am in a similar mine in Arizona. The vein runs appx 2-3.5 feet wide at about a 20 dip. The old timers just mined the vein and left pillars and stalls. I won't touch the pillars even though there is juicy ore left behind. I avoid the stalls. It's sobering when you see large slabs from the hanging wall resting on the footwall. I love your videos and your way and would not like to see your departure anytime soon. Be safe out there Jason.

@jeffbybee5207

Жыл бұрын

What is a stall?

@jeffashton3352

Жыл бұрын

@@jeffbybee5207 It is usually a single board of wood that is wedged between the hanging wall (Think ceiling) and footwall (think floor) to bear weight.

@waltertodd4479

Жыл бұрын

Stulls are all those wood posts that support the weight of the roof or overlying rock. If you will notice throughout the video most of them are crushed because the whole roof is coming down. Jason shouldn't even be in this mine.

Zero percent chance I climb into a hole like that. You are the man.

32:20 - this is your crocodile hunter moment "Krickey! Look at how unsafe this pillar is, let's go get closer to it!"

just watched Chris Vogus use caustic soda to dissolve the Quartz on his specimens, might be worth a try to clean those up. stay safe and keep up the great work Jason, I really enjoy your content and how informative it is!!!

@Baronstone

Жыл бұрын

Clean them? He is going to crush them!

@Reglabbe

Жыл бұрын

@@Baronstone he mentioned getting rid of the Quartz on the gold chemically as well as crushing some of it, I was just merely making a suggestion based off known ways to dissolve quartz while leaving the gold intact (so if say there is wire gold within, you get to see the structure of its formation rather than just crushing it to recover the gold) specimens are worth a premium if prepared properly ;)

@rockbutcher

Жыл бұрын

@@Reglabbe Agreed Reg. HF also works well to dissolve the quartz, but it makes my butt pucker to use it. 😳

Wow ! Fun to watch you pick at the quartz with gold in it. Scary stuff too. I am very anxious to see what kind of yield you get from it.

Jason says, "Well, looks like the stalls aren't holding up the hanging wall anymore. Thats not a good sign!" LOL! Thats the understatement if the year!

Can’t wait to see the clean up looks like. Great video as always man.

I keep telling myself that if I am watching this, you likely made it out alive! Be careful Jason!

That’s crazy….my anxiety and love for gold mining/prospecting are in a fierce battle right now 😅

You're crazy Jason, no way I would be crawling in there. I enjoyed watching from the safety of my armchair. Cheers Kev👍

Jason I just want to point out that if you get crushed in an old mine, we don't get any more cool saturday mining videos...

Can you just imagine how much gold came out of that mine! could've been hundreds and more!

Yes I would be doing what your doing. I have an idea. Consider installing new stulls along the route and face of the quartz vein you want to work. Also, if your gonna work it, a small narrow track with a low profile skip you can lay on to ride to the workings...if possible. After that, your gonna want to try out Sierra Blasters or other blasting methods you already know how to do. Beautiful gold!!! Get it!!!

Beautiful looking ore, I think they would have to alot of reinforcing and repair before I would go in that one...spooky

pretty cool episode Jason :) nail biting in every minute of this video :) glad you made it out safe ands sound :)

Cannot wait to see part 2 of this video! I've probably watched this video 10 times now just looking at all the beautiful specimens. I wonder what it's all going to add up to.

😄👋👍👍👏👏💕🙏🏻 Hi Jason, that was so wickedly cool. At the same time, through most of the video I didn't feel like I could breathe. I have severe Claustrophobia. there is no way. I would be able to do what you did. you're the man.

Take care when chipping at the quartz....it looks pretty fractured. Also the pillars do not seem to be hourglass shaped which is a good thing. Maybe look to supporting the roof with steel and then remove the pillar material? Good luck it is awful tempting looking. Maybe clean up the muck and see what weathered out.

Jason, pick what you can without harming yourself. Then make a plan to return with reinforcements. We're definitely going back !!!

Great video. Thank for sharing it.

Thank you, Jason, for giving me my weekly dose of claustrophobia.

I was half expecting to see a balrog pop out of one of those scary f****** holes. Be safe Jason and don’t delve too deep. Love the videos 👍

"OoOoOh! I'm gonna pick a little bit at it." Lmao. XD

Youre an absolute madman picking on that pillar 😂😂 as if that mine wasnt sketchy looking enough

Glad it is looking like you got some gold, as well as great content. A sharper tool for the touchy stuff, and a little battery powered vac might be helpful for the floor cracks.

If you don’t have one already, I’d suggest getting an oxygen meter for when you go exploring around in these old mines.. maybe a higher powered longer life light as well. 😉

@gilgoldmuenze2570

Жыл бұрын

Yes! Please both!

@SaxonSuccess

Жыл бұрын

And maybe "lightS", plural!!

Jason it gives me the willies just watching. I cannot believe you squeezed yourself down in there.

great video Jason, can't wait to see the crush and shaker table!!

Wow! That was a spectacular adventure, although just at scary! I enjoy your videos and all the knowledge you share. With such a rich mine, is it possible to go in to areas that are easy to reach w/jacks to support the headers? Maybe it’s just not feasible?

Great episode! Pull a Huck Finn & bring some strong young guys to carry all that much out for you. "Sell" the adventure, and keep the rest !

Jason this reminded me of the Old Indiana Jones movies, pressure plates and large bolders rolling down narrow tunnels trying to kill You!!! Kept holding my breath through this entire video!! I've been in caves and this was definitely a scary place!

Thanks for the video

Love your videos. Wish I could do the same but I live in a state with almost 0 gold lol

Right on Jason, definitely a creepy one by yourself. Is this your eastern Oregon claim ? I want to go with one of these days. I’m in Medford Oregon just a few hours away.

i remember working with a guy from Ethiopia in a tree planting camp long ago 1990/91. he was telling me about a mountain near his village and that the people would sometimes walk up there and chisel visible gold out of the quartz veins along the rocks sticking out near the top and side of the mountain. they supplemented their income this way☺

Nightmare fuel. Watching you crush rocks and melt them is much more soothing 😂

Thanks for taking us along... It's always informative, and entertaining. That being said, I'd sooner run through Hell in gasoline soaked drawers than go anywhere near that hole... I'd rather give a hungry lion a hug while wearing beefsteak boxer shorts.

Jason, picking a pillar is insane, Look for extension of the system. If it is that rich figure it out ! Really don't care to see what was once there, find the bigger newer find in that mine!

Everything about this video is anxiety city! I’m sure that equates to a thrilling experience on the ground…. or rather IN the ground. Nice sweater!!

Great Adventure Jason! The shifting pillars and low Hanging walls and I don't get along. And congrats on 're-finding' your light.

The beginning of the video had me pretty uneasy. Really don't like tight spaces. Elevators bother me pretty little, but the crawl space under my moms house had me in damned near panic mode lol I gotta say though, gold prospecting a mine like that might just entice me enough to go in lol But, there are things more valuable than gold. Time and life rank very high on the most valuable things. Excellent video, seriously. Just be careful 😉

@lotharschiese8559

Жыл бұрын

Not a cave but human excavated mine entrance underground!

I love these prospecting videos but I’ve also really been wanting to see some more smelting videos on all this different ore that you have collected from these different mine do you know when you’ll have some more smelting videos out?😊

@lotharschiese8559

Жыл бұрын

When gets some ore would be my guess?

Fantastic video

Such an awesome video brother - looked like a lot of good gold down there!

Is there any way you can make that mine suitable for you? So it does not look too scary anymore? Like putting new beams Where the old ones were or close to them!

Thanks Jason for sharing your adventures with us and the wealth of knowledge you share with us. I have been retired for a couple of years now and living in Southern California I have some decent opportunities for hard rock prospecting out in the high desert. Who would of thought that this hard work could be so much fun!

wow i love these exploration videos!! Much more than the equipment heavy ones

You earned that one. Jason. Great show and spooky in parts of the show. Thanks for the adventure movie.

Love your videos but since I am major claustrophobic, I could never get in there to explore. What state are you in now? Be safe!!

Is it possible to rehabilitate a mine once it reaches a dangerous level of disrepair? If so, might be a worthwhile adventure. That was some really nice gold. Could one turn a profit just by mucking out and processing those rocks?

@rockbutcher

Жыл бұрын

Given the shallow dip of the vein and how close the workings are to surface, it would be safer just to turn it into an open pit operation. Once you got to the bottom of the workings you could re-evaluate the waste to ore strippage ratio going deeper and then maybe go back underground on it.

@lotharschiese8559

Жыл бұрын

@@rockbutcher Sorry does not compute, narrow vein deposit mining you drill/blast the foot wall first to create a void to break the ore into, putting a mucking sheet down first so as to minimize dilution of the ore and easier mucking! Your rational is cost prohibitive, you would go bankrupt real quick!!

@rockbutcher

Жыл бұрын

@@lotharschiese8559 Thanks for clarifying my errors of the last 32 years in the mining industry. Where have you been all my life? Resue blasting is vastly more expensive than open pitting at this depth.

Jason, this one made me nervous just watching, can't wait to see how much gold you got from this scary mine.

Awesome!

Jason, with today's Gold prices, do you think it would be worth going in there with what you saw left and restoring safe access and mining out the rest?

It's already been stated but this is awesome content for your channel Jason.

SOME REALLY NICE PIECE'S YOU CAME OUT WITH, SO COOL!

Can you imagine having a cave in and not getting crushed. Having to sit there and die slowly thinking about how there is nothing your can do 😢

@lotharschiese8559

Жыл бұрын

NEXT!

Hey Jason, what is that country rock in the mine that's so crumbly? Also, is there any way MSHA would allow remediation and mining in that mine? Trying to imagine how it could be made safe and coming up short. Would the overburden prevent just going for open-top mining or is there a mtn above?

@xephael3485

Жыл бұрын

There's a sky above it I'll tell you that much..

You just inspired me to treat my crawlspace inspections as gold mine prospecting. I have only come close to hyperventilating in one so far but you're playing Jenga with your life on the line. Imagine if you could run the finer debris on the floor of that mine through a sluice what you would find? Someone must have high graded the heck out of that.

@lotharschiese8559

Жыл бұрын

That is exactly what came to my mind, sample the tailings that reside on the floor, use a rechargeable vacuum to clean it all up. Seeing all the VG in the pillar rock, would not be the least bit surprised that you will find some interesting specimens, too good to crush!

@Sunsetschano

Жыл бұрын

My thoughts exactly

Sometimes it’s alright to call a mine to far gone, especially when you’re crawling on what used to be the roof. Stay safe.

that mine looks like it could use a whole lot of stone wall support and a whole lot more wood haha. im curious as to why they have so few blocks holding up the roof. if it where not a wood supply issue i would have put one every 5 foot or so lol. but, it really is amazing what people do to get that gold. makes you wish you could telekinetically draw it out of the rock right into a bar in your hand haha...