Rough Visit To A Mine Not Even Supposed To Exist - Part 1 of 2

TVR Exploring
TVR Exploring
72.2 هزار بار بازدید - 9 ماه پیش - I often use old topographic
I often use old topographic maps out in the field when scouting abandoned mines to explore… As you know, I’ve been doing this for many years and (until this mine) whenever I have come across a mine marked “Inactive” on a historical topo map, it has never been accessible. To be marked “Inactive” on a topographic map that can be a century or more old means that the mine has been abandoned for a very long time! Therefore, whenever we have visited such mines in the past, they have always been eroded shut or completely caved. Often, there hasn’t even been much of interest on the surface anymore either given the amount of time that has passed since the mine was last worked. Not so with this abandoned mine!

To further reinforce the idea in our minds that this mine almost certainly did not exist anymore was the fact that the conditions in the area were not at all conducive to the mine being open… Specifically, I am referring to an abundance of brush in the area as well as a heavy accumulation of topsoil. The dirt or topsoil is far more prone to caving in on itself or in eroding a mine shut. So, we generally have low expectations in such terrain, but there are enough exceptions to keep us checking. However, with the dirt conditions AND the “Inactive” status on the topo map, we knew beyond any doubt that this mine would be gone.

Well, you saw the reality…

Having learned our lesson, we returned to the site in Part 2 with all of our gear. So, the production quality is higher with the second part as I had the stabilizer and other such gear for the second visit. And, of course, for there to be a Part 2, you can rest assured that we found some good stuff on the return visit!  

*****

You can see the full TVR Exploring playlist of abandoned mines here: https://goo.gl/TEKq9L

You can see the gear that I use for mine exploring here: https://bit.ly/2wqcBDD and here: https://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!

*****

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
9 ماه پیش در تاریخ 1402/09/15 منتشر شده است.
72,295 بـار بازدید شده
... بیشتر