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Infiltration Forums > Archived US: Four Corners > Mine hunting and the damn Dog Track again.(Sorry, Guys) (Viewed 862 times)
lostfox 


location:
If I went to Hell I'd need a sweater, Arizona, US
Gender: Male




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Mine hunting and the damn Dog Track again.(Sorry, Guys)
< on 10/11/2013 6:06 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
So, I went out last weekend on a hunt for mines and their workings. I had almost lost hope when I stumbled upon the OMITTED Mine which was very poorly placed on a map. I will return to that in the next month or so, but as I made my way back to civilization, I took a walk into a canyon and found my new goal. This other place! I will definitely need a good four-gas detector and pretty much a full contamination suit, but sweet god.... I feel like it's calling me.

As for the Dog Track, I had a buddy that I am trying to get into the hobby more. Weird thing though...just happened upon two other explorers when we arrived. A rarity in this state if I've ever seen one.


A prank or warning?
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I was the only guy in a car. The looks...
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One of the processing buildings...
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...'twas built in tiers down the cliff.
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An adit.
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I hear the voices.
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Stepped in and am now probably full-on retard.
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The roof of that place has parking for boats.
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Some "art."
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Everywhere I go, there they are...
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I liked the eyes on the sugar skull.
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That guy believes in "Safety First."
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When I start seeing these around, joy fills my soul.
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What looked to be a capped vent.
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Takin' a stroll.
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This is going to eat at me until I have the equipment...
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Polluted, painted things.
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It's just so ominous. I must return!
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There were fresh donut wrappers on the "reservations" booth. Squatters, maybe.
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After the PTP press-box, every time I see this one, makes me think "Why?"
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We don't always get what we want, but we always get what we deserve.
Therrin 


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Re: Mine hunting and the damn Dog Track again.(Sorry, Guys)
<Reply # 1 on 10/12/2013 2:12 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Nice pics! Glad to see you found something!

Question though, why do you need a "full contamination suit"??

We only wear protective outer wear in mines which have toxic materials in them. (ie: cinnabar, sulfuric dust which turns to sulfuric acid when it gets wet, etc)

For the most part you'll just need a filter mask or a respirator.

And a helmet (bike helmet will work, to start off with)

And 3 or 4 forms of light, and some sturdy shoes/boots.


And when you go underground, ALWAYS tell someone where you're gonna be and when you should be back by. Give them directions and coordinates if possible.



You don't need to dress up like the dudes in Outbreak just to go mine exploring.

Give a person a match and they'll be warm for a minute, but light them on fire and they'll be warm for the rest of their life. =)
lostfox 


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If I went to Hell I'd need a sweater, Arizona, US
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Re: Mine hunting and the damn Dog Track again.(Sorry, Guys)
<Reply # 2 on 10/12/2013 6:07 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Hahaha. Thanks, Therrin.

The thought had crossed my mind. I've a comfy climbing helmet and gloves, good shoes and all of that. I heard this beast is just full of gases and flooded with leeched lead. Some good waders would probably be fine. MOPP just made sense at the time.(maybe dance around like the old IBM adverts while i'm at it) ^_^

I do have a Cinnabar mine nearby though that I want to go to as well. I've heard they're pretty bad, but you know... I'll have to go check it out anyhow.

We don't always get what we want, but we always get what we deserve.
ufcvic 


location:
denver
Gender: Male


life is an adventure so explore it...

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Re: Mine hunting and the damn Dog Track again.(Sorry, Guys)
<Reply # 3 on 10/13/2013 5:53 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Great pics man. Mine exploring is the best. I do a lot of that here in Colorado.

Therrin 


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Re: Mine hunting and the damn Dog Track again.(Sorry, Guys)
<Reply # 4 on 10/13/2013 3:29 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
If there is good airflow, then you typically won't find it "full of gasses".

Gasses tend to collect in stale air, as materials inside the mine either decompose or continue to offgas. More often during the mining process, when rock seams are broken open and gasses can escape, as well as during the blasting processes and with many materials taken into the mine.

Mines which have been "sealed up", and you then make (um..find?...) and entrance into, can be exceptionally dangerous if that air has been sitting stagnant inside for a long time.

I could see "dressing up" to avoid direct contact with leaded water. You should also consider that that flow of water might not have been consistent over the years. Meaning, if it ever ran higher in an area, it can have left residuals up above the waterline which can easily become airborne. You'd definitely want to use breathing protection for that type of airborne contaminant.

If there was a HIGH lead content, it was very possibly a lead/silver mine, with an ore like Galena, or similar.

Give a person a match and they'll be warm for a minute, but light them on fire and they'll be warm for the rest of their life. =)
lostfox 


location:
If I went to Hell I'd need a sweater, Arizona, US
Gender: Male




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Re: Mine hunting and the damn Dog Track again.(Sorry, Guys)
<Reply # 5 on 10/13/2013 4:52 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Post by Therrin
If there is good airflow, then you typically won't find it "full of gasses".

Gasses tend to collect in stale air, as materials inside the mine either decompose or continue to offgas. More often during the mining process, when rock seams are broken open and gasses can escape, as well as during the blasting processes and with many materials taken into the mine.

Mines which have been "sealed up", and you then make (um..find?...) and entrance into, can be exceptionally dangerous if that air has been sitting stagnant inside for a long time.

I could see "dressing up" to avoid direct contact with leaded water. You should also consider that that flow of water might not have been consistent over the years. Meaning, if it ever ran higher in an area, it can have left residuals up above the waterline which can easily become airborne. You'd definitely want to use breathing protection for that type of airborne contaminant.

If there was a HIGH lead content, it was very possibly a lead/silver mine, with an ore like Galena, or similar.


Well, I know for sure that that water levels on the mountain itself fluctuate quite a bit through seasonal changes.

And that Lead and Silver were mined there.

Finding the ore chute(sealed, unfortunately) at the same level of the adit I went to seems to make me think, and hope, that I've come across a lower level and have at least one other level to explore. I just think it'd be a shame if I couldn't go climb around in there.

You make perfect sense on the gases thing. I always keep my respirator and some extra filters if I think I might stay awhile.

You never know...


Post by ufcvic
Great pics man. Mine exploring is the best. I do a lot of that here in Colorado.


Thank you!

We don't always get what we want, but we always get what we deserve.
Tenebrae 


location:
The Wild West


Life's short; eat dessert first.

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Re: Mine hunting and the damn Dog Track again.(Sorry, Guys)
<Reply # 6 on 10/15/2013 2:35 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Very nice! The mine interior looks intriguing...
Looks like you had a gorgeous day for an explore.

lostfox 


location:
If I went to Hell I'd need a sweater, Arizona, US
Gender: Male




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Re: Mine hunting and the damn Dog Track again.(Sorry, Guys)
<Reply # 7 on 10/16/2013 12:56 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 

Post by Tenebrae
Very nice! The mine interior looks intriguing...
Looks like you had a gorgeous day for an explore.


It was a pretty weekend and it turned out well in the end.

I slept A LOT when I got home! The best kind of sleep.

Thank you, Tenebrae.

We don't always get what we want, but we always get what we deserve.
Droog 


location:
Southeast Arizona.
Gender: Male


Twilight is BEST pony.

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Re: Mine hunting and the damn Dog Track again.(Sorry, Guys)
<Reply # 8 on 10/24/2013 3:30 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
I'm going to need directions to go check this out sometime!
What county are you in?

Twilight is BEST pony.
Abby Normal 


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Re: Mine hunting and the damn Dog Track again.(Sorry, Guys)
<Reply # 9 on 10/24/2013 6:46 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Nice find! I understand the "call" that the mines have on some people. I wrote a magazine article named "The Call of Darkness" about mine exploring. I get near an adit and I can feel the tug.

A four gas detector is never a bad thing, especially in an unfamiliar mine. The mines I hit are all pretty dry and "breathe" well. I've heard other explorers say that occasionally their detectors have gone off, but it's really rare where we go.

Getting geared up for horizontal exploring shouldn't cost very much. As Therrin pointed out, you need a minimum of three lights. I usually have more than that just in case someone else's light fails, I would have a spare.

I grew up in southern Arizona and there were lots of open mines back then. Now I've heard most of them have been closed. I realize it's for safety but I hate to see the history destroyed.

Be safe!
Abby Normal
[last edit 10/24/2013 6:47 PM by Abby Normal - edited 1 times]

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


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If I went to Hell I'd need a sweater, Arizona, US
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Re: Mine hunting and the damn Dog Track again.(Sorry, Guys)
<Reply # 10 on 10/27/2013 2:33 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
@Droog
I am in Maricopa Co. but the mine pictured above is in Yavapai.

@Abby Normal
I am definitely a safety first type of person. I have the lighting situation down and am in the process of gearing up for more vertical adventures. It is sad to see mines disappear over time, especially ones you've had a chance to visit. I'm probably much more secretive with them than other explorations just because of this. Hopefully I will get to head back up to this one soon, but I'm little occupied right now.

Can you PM me a link to your article? I'd love to read it! Reminds me of that French expression "L’appel du vide."

We don't always get what we want, but we always get what we deserve.
Therrin 


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Re: Mine hunting and the damn Dog Track again.(Sorry, Guys)
<Reply # 11 on 10/28/2013 8:26 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
I only speak french with my tongue... but that expression sounds nice to my ears.


The jump in equipment from horizontal to fully vertical can be a steep one, but don't skimp.

A good (the best?) setup for frogging(ascending):

A good harness
A chest ascender (Croll?)
A chest harness of some type for the croll (Torse?)
A handled ascender (Ascension?)
A footloop (GGG double?)
A mallion/small biner to attach your footloop to your handled ascender
A dynamic lanyard between your handled ascender and your harness (Spelegyca?)
A half-moon mallion to attach your croll to your harness (Delta?)
A small biner to attach your ascender lanyard to your half-moon mallion

(Note: the Spelegyca is not seen as the best solution in the incident of dynamic shock loading, instead a custom lanyard tied from dynamic line seems to be preferred.)
References to product names in "( )" are made by Petzl, with the exception of the Gonzo Guano Gear Double Footloop.

And of course for descending you need:

A descender
A biner to attach your descender to your harness
(and of course, a harness)

This is a BASIC loadout. You will add to it as you see fit.


Buying quality and EFFICIENT equipment the first time around can save you from having to get it the second time (or like me, the 4th or 5th time around).

It can also easily cost you several hundreds of dollars.

Don't buy used gear, you don't know it's history.
(ie: if it's been dropped, stressed, dynamically loaded, etc)


For both of the above activities you need a rope.
The best suggested rope size for starting out is 7/16" (dia). There are several good companies, but since you're doing Vertical Access (static) you will want to use a static rope, not a dynamic one (as is used in rock climbing).
Try New England KMIII rope or PMI Pit Rope.

A 200ft rope seems to be a good starting option. It allows you access to *most* places you will come across, and allows you enough excess in many areas to do other things, like rigging for emergencies.

Short of that (no pun intended) a 100ft rope would be good.

If you had a 50, 100 & 200, you'd be well set up for most obstacles that you'd face in most mines.


Beyond this advice, join the SRT/Vert Access private sub-forum on UER, and get ahold of a copy of the book "On Rope"

http://www.amazon....lers/dp/1879961059


ALL of the above supplies are available from:

www.karstsports.com

They are an excellent retailer, I have spent several thousands of dollars with them.


Don't skimp on the people you learn from either. Find the best people you can, and try to find several of them. Learn as much as possible, and never stop learning new things.
Think outside the box.
Keep practicing till you're efficient at the skills you need, then keep practicing more.

PM me or Abby if you have any questions.

Above all else.... have fun. (and don't kill yourself!)


Give a person a match and they'll be warm for a minute, but light them on fire and they'll be warm for the rest of their life. =)
lostfox 


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If I went to Hell I'd need a sweater, Arizona, US
Gender: Male




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Re: Mine hunting and the damn Dog Track again.(Sorry, Guys)
<Reply # 12 on 10/28/2013 11:37 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
OOOOooohh! Karstsports is seriously the coolest place. I've spent a few dollars there and hope to spend many more. Thanks again, Therrin. This list is pretty much exactly what I've been looking for.

I had a friend that was going to buy a harness from some dude on CL and I was very tempted to backhand him…

…I think used equipment is possibly the dumbest thing you can purchase. Super dangerous.

Oh, and thanks to you too, Abby!

We don't always get what we want, but we always get what we deserve.
Austtie 


location:
Ventura County
Gender: Male




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Re: Mine hunting and the damn Dog Track again.(Sorry, Guys)
<Reply # 13 on 10/29/2013 4:10 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Posted by Therrin

Excellent work as usual, Therrin.

Both Abby and Therrin have a wealth of knowledge and wisdom concerning mine exploration (and they're both awesome individuals). Lostfox, I would definitely recommend you seek their advice as you move forward in the ways of mine exploration.

Also, awesome set! Make sure to let us in on your future mine trips. One day I'll be able to afford equipment for myself, but until then, I look forward to following your progression in the hobby.



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


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Re: Mine hunting and the damn Dog Track again.(Sorry, Guys)
<Reply # 14 on 10/29/2013 12:58 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Anytime guys.

I had to figure most of the "non-rock climbing" stuff out on my own over the last 15 years or so, and pick it up here and there, i wish someone had laid stuff out for me back then.

If you can keep from making some of the mistakes and missteps I've made, you'll get to it a lot quicker and hopefully have more years of fun at it.


Looking forward to seeing and hearing about both of your future explores!



Give a person a match and they'll be warm for a minute, but light them on fire and they'll be warm for the rest of their life. =)
Abby Normal 


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Las Vegas
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Re: Mine hunting and the damn Dog Track again.(Sorry, Guys)
<Reply # 15 on 10/30/2013 2:03 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Posted by lostfox
@Droog
I am in Maricopa Co. but the mine pictured above is in Yavapai.

@Abby Normal
I am definitely a safety first type of person. I have the lighting situation down and am in the process of gearing up for more vertical adventures. It is sad to see mines disappear over time, especially ones you've had a chance to visit. I'm probably much more secretive with them than other explorations just because of this. Hopefully I will get to head back up to this one soon, but I'm little occupied right now.

Can you PM me a link to your article? I'd love to read it! Reminds me of that French expression "L’appel du vide."


You can find the article here: http://www.dezertm...04/index.html#/42/ Photos are mine as well. Enjoy

Abby


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


location:
Las Vegas
Gender: Female




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Re: Mine hunting and the damn Dog Track again.(Sorry, Guys)
<Reply # 16 on 10/30/2013 2:29 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Ditto on Therrin's post. Good info there! I would also suggest that you don't try to reinvent the wheel when it comes to gear configuration. Most of us use very similar equipment and it works well.

Here are some very good tutorials. They are focused on caving but translate well into mine exploring: http://cavediggers.com/vertical It doesn't teach you how, but provides a really good foundation to understand what goes on.

I've taught a number folks how to rappel and ascend. If you can make your way up to Vegas some time I'd be glad to walk you through it, practice on a cliff face, then a quick trip into a mine to put it into action. I have a full extra set of gear for training and friends. Learning the basics only takes a few hours, learning all the rest is a life time's work.

If you want to see a bunch of pictures, you can visit: http://www.mine-explorer.com


Abby Normal



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


location:
If I went to Hell I'd need a sweater, Arizona, US
Gender: Male




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Re: Mine hunting and the damn Dog Track again.(Sorry, Guys)
<Reply # 17 on 11/2/2013 10:42 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
D'aww… You guys… just. too. good. to. me….
I will certainly make the jaunt up to Vegas if I can around Spring Break, childcare pending, of course. -_^ I've got some gear hanging around and am picking up bits and bobs along the way! That would be so fun!!

@Austtie
I certainly will. ^_^ It's been a long time since I've climbed anything, but hey! The Mines have called me back and said they've been waiting.

We don't always get what we want, but we always get what we deserve.
Stang5_0 


location:
Phoenix, AZ
Gender: Male




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Re: Mine hunting and the damn Dog Track again.(Sorry, Guys)
<Reply # 18 on 11/5/2013 7:35 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Sign me up next time, love me some mines.

lostfox 


location:
If I went to Hell I'd need a sweater, Arizona, US
Gender: Male




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Re: Mine hunting and the damn Dog Track again.(Sorry, Guys)
<Reply # 19 on 11/6/2013 9:59 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
If you've a place to go in the near future, let me know. I'll have some time off soon.


We don't always get what we want, but we always get what we deserve.
Infiltration Forums > Archived US: Four Corners > Mine hunting and the damn Dog Track again.(Sorry, Guys) (Viewed 862 times)
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