forums
new posts
donate
UER Store
events
location db
db map
search
members
faq
terms of service
privacy policy
register
login




UER Forum > Archived US: Pacific Southwest > Mine exploring over the Christmas holidays (Viewed 491 times)
Abby Normal 


Location: Las Vegas
Gender: Female




Send Private Message | Send Email | Mine Explorer
Mine exploring over the Christmas holidays
< on 1/2/2014 4:42 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
What better way to start the new year than to share some pictures from my Christmas holiday explore?

My friend Tony was visiting from England over the Christmas holidays, and as always we headed out into the desert. We know the name of this mine, but I'm not going to disclose it in this report. PM me if you want to know. I've known of this mine for quite some time but have never taken the time to visit. I don't remember seeing any underground photos so I'm not sure how often it's been explored. There is some evidence of underground exploration but it's not much.

Everywhere we looked there were signs of mining. Equipment foundations were scattered across the area.



This tailings pile is pretty good sized but small compared to those around it.



Tony found a small entrance and decided to explore it. Getting in was easy. Out was a bit more work. Unfortunately this lead was blocked.



This shaft looked very interesting. Tony dropped it and came to a blockage at about 100 feet. He worked down through the block and descended to about 200 before it was blocked again. It had been a long day so we gave up at that point. We still may go back to see if we can work down through the second blockage.



This was a proper collar. Unfortunately all of the shaft lining has collapsed into the shaft.



This foundation lined up with the collar and looks like it would have held the winch. The earth around it was quite level and square shaped indicating a building stood here at one time.



Right in the middle of the tailings pile is the indication of an underground collapse. Upon further research and some underground exploration, it appears that the miners covered over the adit for the main incline.



Tony is rigging up to head down. I had dropped this shaft on a previous trip and knew that it lead into the workings.



Looking back up the shaft.



This little ladder leads up into some nice workings. What is not obvious in the picture is that the ladder sits on a bench that has a 30' drop off just off of the picture. Not particularly dangerous unless you lose your footing getting back onto the ladder.



Here is a small ore chute from the same workings. The little ladder is just to the left of the photo.



More indication that the mine has not been extensively explored. Most of these items would have been long gone. It's neat to see them in an authentic setting.



This was an interesting ore hopper above the rails.



We wanted to find the main incline so we started heading downwards. This is looking back up a manway / ore chute that we descended. It zig-zagged down close to 100' getting us to around the 500 foot level.



This was evidently an intermediate level because the only access was the manway that we just came down, or up from a lower level via this ore chute. There is about 8' of ladder at the top and 30 feet of drop below that. We rigged a rope and headed down.



We reached what we though was the 600' level. Down the drift we came across these patches of crystal "angel hair". Don't know what it was, but it was beautiful.



This ore chute confirmed we had found our way to the 600' level. Considering that the deepest level is 1200', we're only half way to the bottom!



We saw quite a number of metal chute gates in the mine.



As we made our way towards where we thought the main incline should be, the workings became larger and more complex.



The miners obviously pulled a lot of ore out of this chute.



The ore vein sits at close to a 45 degree angle. This stope continued both above and below.



Some great structures in this area. It just felt like we were getting close to the incline. Unfortunately there was a large collapse just in front of Tony.



After climbing over the collapse we had found the incline! We had seen quite a bit of evidence of a fire and the inside of the incline was black with soot. Evidently there has been a serious fire further down.



We headed down the incline until we reached the next level, 700'. There are some extensive drifts in the area but no obvious connections to other levels or areas of the mine. There were a couple of small alcoves where the miners had been taking core samples. Holes would lead off at various vertical angles as they searched for more ore.



It had been already been a long day so we started to head out. We noticed a rope ladder hanging further up the incline where it was blocked by a collapse. We had found a similar ladder near where we rappelled into the mine. Tony climbed up hoping that we would find a shortcut to the surface but no such luck. The ladder lead right into a pile of rock that came from a recent collapse.



It was a long day and completely dark when we climbed out.



During our research we came across a survey report of this mine, including this map! We were able to scale the map, and Google Earth, so we could overlay the map with the terrain features. Sure enough we could line up all of the openings we had found. It turns out that the mine extends much further that we ever expected. We also found that some of the information commonly found on the internet about this mine is incorrect. Notice that each square is 200' x 200'. This is a good sized mine!



Anyway, it was a great couple of days of exploring. There is a lot more that we would like to do as well. We spent most of our time just trying to find our way to the incline, but didn't spend much poking around all of the drifts.

Hope you enjoyed the industrial photos from underground.

Abby Normal


"Government is not a solution to our problem, government is the problem." Ronald Reagan
Clostridium 


Location: SF Bay Area
Gender: Male


We'll see the city's ripped backsides

Send Private Message | Send Email
Re: Mine exploring over the Christmas holidays
<Reply # 1 on 1/2/2014 5:51 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Nice explore there! That mine seems to have plenty of interesting 1900s era artifacts. What type of ore were they looking for? Silver?

I wonder if the "angel hair" was some sort of gypsum formation. In dry limestone caves gypsum flowers could form when they precipitate out of a evaporating pool of water.



(Not my photo)

Abby Normal 


Location: Las Vegas
Gender: Female




Send Private Message | Send Email | Mine Explorer
Re: Mine exploring over the Christmas holidays
<Reply # 2 on 1/2/2014 7:56 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Posted by Clostridium
Nice explore there! That mine seems to have plenty of interesting 1900s era artifacts. What type of ore were they looking for? Silver?

I wonder if the "angel hair" was some sort of gypsum formation. In dry limestone caves gypsum flowers could form when they precipitate out of a evaporating pool of water.


327916.jpg (48 kb, 500x375)
click to view


(Not my photo)


I really like finding artifacts in mines. They help give context to the environment that the miners lived and worked in. Since there is no "walk in" access to this mine, it has kept out the casual explorers.


They were mining galena and tin zinc, although there is often copper, silver, and a trace of gold in the ore as well.

It would be likely be gypsum since we have so much of it around here. I've seen examples in mines almost exactly like the photo you have posted. It's quite beautiful and unexpected when we find it.

Abby Normal



[last edit 1/3/2014 4:39 AM by Abby Normal - edited 1 times]

"Government is not a solution to our problem, government is the problem." Ronald Reagan
Astro 

Usually naked


Location: The Delta Quadrant
Gender: Male


Resistance is Futile

Send Private Message | Send Email
Re: Mine exploring over the Christmas holidays
<Reply # 3 on 1/2/2014 9:13 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
What a great holiday explore! love it Sounds like quite the adventure.

[02:33:56] <Valkyre> Astro your whole life is ruled by the sentence ' life is better without clothes on'
[22:16:00] <DSomms> it was normal until astro got here
Astro: Patron Saint of Drains
TRUE 


Location: Nor-Cal
Gender: Male


"We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be..."

Send Private Message | Send Email | Yahoo! IM
Re: Mine exploring over the Christmas holidays
<Reply # 4 on 1/3/2014 3:40 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Wow!!! That, is one superb write up and set Abby.
Happy New Year!

The Rebel Urban Explorer
bonnie&clyde 


Location: 510 & 415


Cleverly disguised as responsible adults

Send Private Message | Send Email
Re: Mine exploring over the Christmas holidays
<Reply # 5 on 1/3/2014 10:56 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Looks like a good time was had and no snakes this time! Yay!

The question is not when are we gonna stop, It's who's gonna stop us?

Abby Normal 


Location: Las Vegas
Gender: Female




Send Private Message | Send Email | Mine Explorer
Re: Mine exploring over the Christmas holidays
<Reply # 6 on 1/7/2014 5:14 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Thanks all!

I was super glad not to find any snakes. Surprisingly we found a kangaroo rat nest well back in the mine. There was a family of about 8 of the little guys scooting around. We put down a bit of trail mix for them and they loved it. It was great fun watching them race back and forth with their prizes.

Abby Normal

"Government is not a solution to our problem, government is the problem." Ronald Reagan
skatchkins 


Location: The Desert
Gender: Male




Send Private Message | Send Email | No Stone Unturned Photography
Re: Mine exploring over the Christmas holidays
<Reply # 7 on 1/7/2014 6:34 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Great explore and report. Thanks for the share.

Flickr Pitchrs
thetrainguru 


Location: Jasper AB
Gender: Male


im not crazy...wait...y es I am

Send Private Message | Send Email
Re: Mine exploring over the Christmas holidays
<Reply # 8 on 1/7/2014 7:05 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
awsome explore! and a great story to go with it.

thanks for sharing

Create don`t destroy.

http://www.flickr....tos/104842213@N04/
Austtie 


Location: Ventura County
Gender: Male




Send Private Message | Send Email | 
Re: Mine exploring over the Christmas holidays
<Reply # 9 on 1/8/2014 6:40 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Incredible! Reading through your set is comparable to taking a gripping tour of the underground. I truly enjoy and look forward to these sets Abby!

Thanks for sharing this extensive mine explore; please keep them coming!

https://www.flickr...otos/97773368@N06/
Akron 


Location: Colorado
Gender: Male


Ab inferno te libera, ignave!

Send Private Message | Send Email
Re: Mine exploring over the Christmas holidays
<Reply # 10 on 1/8/2014 11:53 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Always stoked to see some solid mine exploration! The workings in that place are impressive, but the survey map makes the eyes open a little wider! Looking forward to more content, awesome job dudes.

Libera te tu temet ipsum ab inferis!
52389, 118604
Abby Normal 


Location: Las Vegas
Gender: Female




Send Private Message | Send Email | Mine Explorer
Re: Mine exploring over the Christmas holidays
<Reply # 11 on 1/9/2014 12:31 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Posted by Akron
... awesome job dudes.


Or in my case, dudette.

Abby Normal


"Government is not a solution to our problem, government is the problem." Ronald Reagan
Akron 


Location: Colorado
Gender: Male


Ab inferno te libera, ignave!

Send Private Message | Send Email
Re: Mine exploring over the Christmas holidays
<Reply # 12 on 1/9/2014 4:19 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Oops! That was lame of me. I suppose "dudes" isn't the best substitute for "people" or "folks".
Mine on dudette!

Libera te tu temet ipsum ab inferis!
52389, 118604
Abby Normal 


Location: Las Vegas
Gender: Female




Send Private Message | Send Email | Mine Explorer
Re: Mine exploring over the Christmas holidays
<Reply # 13 on 1/9/2014 4:37 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Posted by Akron
Oops! That was lame of me. I suppose "dudes" isn't the best substitute for "people" or "folks".
Mine on dudette!


Absolutely no offense taken!

Abby

"Government is not a solution to our problem, government is the problem." Ronald Reagan
wranglerroadhead 


Location: San Diego/LA
Gender: Male


Safari Kay

Send Private Message | Send Email
Re: Mine exploring over the Christmas holidays
<Reply # 14 on 1/28/2014 3:31 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Well "holidays" being somewhat loosely interpreted, over my days off I decided to do some vertical exploring near Joshua Tree paired with a strategic 4x4 trip out to location. Mostly just wanted to drop in a few shafts that I had seen earlier and check out if they were filled in or not. Didn't think to use the helmet camera so here are just a few phone pictures. Was super surprised at how many people were in the middle of the desert. Had to have seen at least 12 other vehicles and a multitude of dirtbikes and some good ol' desert shooting.

1. looking over the vally near supply mine


2. Perhaps one of the more sketchy drives of my life


3. contemplating the use of a longer rope protector near the edge


4. Just after fielding a phone call on our way back out


5. Oh, the random stuff at the bottom of a shaft


6. Daylight after a rather disappointing walk-in


7. Looking down to the more stable part of one of the supply mine shafts near before throwing the rest of the tail that had landed on a shelf.


8. Getting ready to ascend after being hit by some loose collar debris. Helmets were a must have but even so it was still unpleasant.




"It's nothing, only the smellz."
Abby Normal 


Location: Las Vegas
Gender: Female




Send Private Message | Send Email | Mine Explorer
Re: Mine exploring over the Christmas holidays
<Reply # 15 on 1/28/2014 3:50 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
wranglerroadhead, looks like a nice explore. The track you went up does look like it was a bit scary with the big drop-off. I have to whole heartedly agree with you about wearing a helmet. Loose rocks and long drops make for a bad combination.

Thanks for sharing the pics!

Abby Normal

"Government is not a solution to our problem, government is the problem." Ronald Reagan
crows 


Location: Eastern Iowa


Il est interdit de faire smashy smash

Send Private Message | Send Email | AIM Message
Re: Mine exploring over the Christmas holidays
<Reply # 16 on 1/29/2014 1:38 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Beautiful country and lovely mine photos. I'm sad that my western x-country road trips in the last few years have been so strenuous and time constrained; I'd love to get out in that area more but it's so far away from me and crossing Nebraska is the worst. ;_;

Though I will say you're a braver man than I about going deep into mines like that. I'm too green for it, but I love the heck out of other people's pictures

input: bacon | output: fiction
UER Forum > Archived US: Pacific Southwest > Mine exploring over the Christmas holidays (Viewed 491 times)



All content and images copyright © 2002-2024 UER.CA and respective creators. Graphical Design by Crossfire.
To contact webmaster, or click to email with problems or other questions about this site: UER CONTACT
View Terms of Service | View Privacy Policy | Server colocation provided by Beanfield
This page was generated for you in 109 milliseconds. Since June 23, 2002, a total of 737049085 pages have been generated.