Nighttime Exploration of the Abandoned Waterman Mine Near Barstow, CA < on 11/25/2010 8:27 AM >
The Waterman Mine near Barstow, CA was a very interesting mine with lots of narrow stopes, a couple floorless passageways, a few winzes, and many openings on the surface. We explored three of the main adits that are marked on topographic maps. Thanks goes out to OpenTrackRacer who recommended this mine for our exploration!
Re: Nighttime Exploration of the Abandoned Waterman Mine Near Barstow, CA <Reply # 6 on 11/29/2010 1:55 AM >
You guys went over there that night!? Very hardcore... I love it!
That first winze in the video has not been explored. We didn't even drop a camera although we should have since it would be a good location to dump a body. We did climb down to the bottom of the ladder and scope it out with high intensity lights. That stope with the floor removed was fun. We went over on the way in and under on the way out (it's about 12' deep at the shallow end). The shaft at the end of that drift goes to the surface and also down at least another 100 feet. We explored it completely.
It looks like you got into the other parts of the mine below the smashed car. There is some very interesting areas there and also some huge drops where they removed the floor. It would be nice to go back some time and explore more (except for that damn red dirt).
Re: Nighttime Exploration of the Abandoned Waterman Mine Near Barstow, CA <Reply # 7 on 11/29/2010 4:30 AM >
Posted by OpenTrackRacer It looks like you got into the other parts of the mine below the smashed car. There is some very interesting areas there and also some huge drops where they removed the floor. It would be nice to go back some time and explore more (except for that damn red dirt).
I think we did see a smashed-up car in one of the vertical shafts. You could see it from the outside, if I'm not mistaken. We only went in the three adits that are marked on the topographic maps. I found another adit higher up and to the left that went in a short way and then narrowed into what looked like a stope. We didn't explore that tunnel/stope at all. Not sure where it leads to, but that particular stope probably connects up with all the other ones.
Yeah, you're right about the red dirt! It's everywhere! Felt like I had been on Mars or something!
[last edit 11/29/2010 4:31 AM by hoodrat - edited 1 times]
This member has been banned. See the banlist for more information. location: North of Chicago, IL Gender: Male
*Therrin puts on the penguin-suit
| |
Re: Nighttime Exploration of the Abandoned Waterman Mine Near Barstow, CA <Reply # 8 on 12/2/2010 5:28 AM >
Opentrack, why didn't you guys explore that winze at all??? It's the one with the ladder at the top right? What's the issue? Usually you guys are all over that stuff. Is it super unstable down below or something? No idea how far it goes?
Hoodrat, nice video. I wish it were longer! LOL, about 1/3rd of it was you guys climbing down the 9-ft ledge. =P 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. =)
Re: Nighttime Exploration of the Abandoned Waterman Mine Near Barstow, CA <Reply # 10 on 12/2/2010 5:27 PM >
Funny... in my notes I show that as a five foot ledge!
I'm trying to remember why we didn't go down. One thing for sure is that we were quite tired by that point. There was also a lack of good anchor points. We did climb down to the bottom of the ladder and take a look with a bright light but I can't remember if that allowed us to definitively clear the shaft or not.
All things being equal, it would be a very good idea to see what's down there since it is a prime dumping spot. Underground Explorers California Abandoned Mine Exploration http://www.undergroundexplorers.com
This member has been banned. See the banlist for more information. location: North of Chicago, IL Gender: Male
*Therrin puts on the penguin-suit
| |
Re: Nighttime Exploration of the Abandoned Waterman Mine Near Barstow, CA <Reply # 11 on 12/2/2010 8:11 PM >
You know.. speaking of anchors. On the last Mojave trip, I managed to create a lot of blowback with my "crazy" ideas about body-anchoring. I tried to explain the physics of it and how to go about doing it safely, and that it's a somewhat normally accepted practice when at a lack of anchor point, in some circles.
Even the cavers in the group weren't going for the idea. I seem to recall being heckled, thereafter, with remarks like "Hey Therrin, why don't we just anchor to this little shrub also!" =P
I think that while a tad more risky (and in the case of two guys sitting with one's legs wrapped around the guy in front, possibly also risque), it has its merits, and can be done with a relative degree of safety.
You've done a body-anchor before haven't you, OpenTrack? 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. =)
Re: Nighttime Exploration of the Abandoned Waterman Mine Near Barstow, CA <Reply # 12 on 12/2/2010 8:52 PM >
We've done body anchors a few times. I dropped a short (20') vertical shaft on Lead Mountain while anchored to five or six guys. Crystal went down a fairly steep incline in the Bagdad Chase Mine anchored to Stuart, Jeff and I. We also use body anchors at both ends of our traverse in the Supply Mine.
I think they do have use but I wouldn't drop anything significant with body anchors unless there was a compelling reason do descend the shaft. Underground Explorers California Abandoned Mine Exploration http://www.undergroundexplorers.com
This member has been banned. See the banlist for more information. location: North of Chicago, IL Gender: Male
*Therrin puts on the penguin-suit
| |
Re: Nighttime Exploration of the Abandoned Waterman Mine Near Barstow, CA <Reply # 13 on 12/2/2010 10:56 PM >
I had suggested it for about a 15 to 20ft drop. Actually it was that shaft just past what was once the vertical entrance to Waterloo. The one that connected to the surface from that drift where we were all waiting during the ascending phase.
It was clear and open during our first trip out there, but during this last mojave trip, even that opening (what appeared to be maybe a ventilation shaft?) looked to be filled in.
I had wanted to drop down inside it and check to see if it was COMPLETELY filled in, or if there looked like there was some space that could be dug out or tunnelled through to re-access that drift, under the gated vertical.
That spot is just so far from anything anchorable. They insisted on driving a truck back around up above it, but by that time everyone had lost interest and I didn't feel like pulling out a 200' rope to hike it all the way up to the truck to attach it, and then have to clean it all back up for a measly 15' drop.
BODY ANCHORING FOLKS! It's quick, it's (almost) painless, and it's easy! 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. =)
Re: Nighttime Exploration of the Abandoned Waterman Mine Near Barstow, CA <Reply # 14 on 12/3/2010 12:50 AM >
Yeah, there's really no good anchor up there. I bet I could get my Jeep in a usable position though. That shaft went down to the first drift so total depth was more like 75-100 feet. I think I'd run the rope all the way back to the cage and anchor there before I descended that distance just tied off to a couple of bodies. Underground Explorers California Abandoned Mine Exploration http://www.undergroundexplorers.com
Re: Nighttime Exploration of the Abandoned Waterman Mine Near Barstow, CA <Reply # 15 on 12/3/2010 8:16 AM >
Posted by Therrin Hoodrat, nice video. I wish it were longer! LOL, about 1/3rd of it was you guys climbing down the 9-ft ledge. =P
I cut the footage of me going down that 9-foot ledge. I didn't do it quite as fast as Trooper and DesertRatMatt did. I was out of my element somewhat. I hope rappeling is a lot easier! By the way, it was much easier climbing back up that ledge on the way out.
[last edit 12/3/2010 8:20 AM by hoodrat - edited 2 times]
This member has been banned. See the banlist for more information. location: North of Chicago, IL Gender: Male
*Therrin puts on the penguin-suit
| |
Re: Nighttime Exploration of the Abandoned Waterman Mine Near Barstow, CA <Reply # 16 on 12/3/2010 8:25 AM >
Posted by OpenTrackRacer Yeah, there's really no good anchor up there. I bet I could get my Jeep in a usable position though. That shaft went down to the first drift so total depth was more like 75-100 feet. I think I'd run the rope all the way back to the cage and anchor there before I descended that distance just tied off to a couple of bodies.
Nah that's what I was saying. It *used* to be 75-100 ft. They dumped a truckload of dirt in it. So now it only goes down like 15 feet and then its soft dirt. It's that 15 feet that I wanted to use body-anchoring to drop down to to check for possibility to dig/crawl over the fill-dirt.
If there was a way over/through the fill dirt, or if the shaft was clear, I'd totally anchor to a vehicle up top, or the welded structure as a main TIP to head down i. I was just kinda like..wth, cuz we spent like 30 mins trying to set up for a 15 ft drop that would have taken 4 mins to check out.
12 ppl standing around and noone down to form an anchor. *shrugs*
AIGHT so, maybe we could try to drop the winze on Waterman next time he hit up Tecopa? Whatcha think OpenTrack? [last edit 12/3/2010 9:51 PM by Therrin - edited 2 times] 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. =)
Re: Nighttime Exploration of the Abandoned Waterman Mine Near Barstow, CA <Reply # 17 on 12/4/2010 6:25 AM >
Posted by Therrin
Nah that's what I was saying. It *used* to be 75-100 ft. They dumped a truckload of dirt in it. So now it only goes down like 15 feet and then its soft dirt. It's that 15 feet that I wanted to use body-anchoring to drop down to to check for possibility to dig/crawl over the fill-dirt.
If there was a way over/through the fill dirt, or if the shaft was clear, I'd totally anchor to a vehicle up top, or the welded structure as a main TIP to head down i. I was just kinda like..wth, cuz we spent like 30 mins trying to set up for a 15 ft drop that would have taken 4 mins to check out.
12 ppl standing around and noone down to form an anchor. *shrugs*
AIGHT so, maybe we could try to drop the winze on Waterman next time he hit up Tecopa? Whatcha think OpenTrack?
I would love to go down that shaft with the ladders, though this kinda creeps me out:
Posted by OpenTrackRacer Funny... in my notes I show that as a five foot ledge!
All things being equal, it would be a very good idea to see what's down there since it is a prime dumping spot.
Oh and FUUUUUUUUUuuuuuuuuuuuuu'd at 5ft ledge. It was taller than me and im around 5'10. Atleast a couple feet taller
This member has been banned. See the banlist for more information. location: North of Chicago, IL Gender: Male
*Therrin puts on the penguin-suit
| |
Re: Nighttime Exploration of the Abandoned Waterman Mine Near Barstow, CA <Reply # 18 on 12/4/2010 1:26 PM >
Oh and FUUUUUUUUUuuuuuuuuuuuuu'd at 5ft ledge. It was taller than me and im around 5'10. Atleast a couple feet taller
You know... the mines tend to shift. Tectonic plate movement causes stratisgrphic interchanges in the lithography of the structure of the mines, due to polar irregularities and gravitational miscarriage of slight degrees from the path of nearby planets. So if it was 5 ft when he went, it could well be 9ft when you went. The true height is relative to who climbed it and when. This flexing and heaving and settling is what causes large layers of dust to settle on the floors. Also, it has been known to occasionally trap a mine explorer in tight areas, crushing him, and swallowing any evidence of his existence.
You've heard mines are dangerous right? This is why. Every time you enter it's a gamble. Most people are completely unaware of this very vital information.
Tread lightly. 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. =)
Re: Nighttime Exploration of the Abandoned Waterman Mine Near Barstow, CA <Reply # 19 on 12/5/2010 5:59 AM >
Posted by Therrin
You know... the mines tend to shift. Tectonic plate movement causes stratisgrphic interchanges in the lithography of the structure of the mines, due to polar irregularities and gravitational miscarriage of slight degrees from the path of nearby planets. So if it was 5 ft when he went, it could well be 9ft when you went. The true height is relative to who climbed it and when. This flexing and heaving and settling is what causes large layers of dust to settle on the floors. Also, it has been known to occasionally trap a mine explorer in tight areas, crushing him, and swallowing any evidence of his existence.
You've heard mines are dangerous right? This is why. Every time you enter it's a gamble. Most people are completely unaware of this very vital information.
Ethics
