Thank you for coming along on the trip! Yes, there is a lot of history in this canyon as this area was hit very early on during California's famous "Gold Rush" days. There will be a lot more on the history in the next video.
Thank you very much. I just finished editing them and there are two more in this series. So, hopefully, you'll like them as much. A short while after this trip, we also explored one of the side canyons of the Yuba River and found some more really cool stuff. So, if you liked this one, there are a few more river videos coming up.
I'm a first time watcher of your vids. Your awesome. I love caves and mines.my dad was a gold miner for years. You are basically in my back yard. I grew up in that area. I now live in Washington state. Keep it up. Reminds me of home
It's great that you answer all these comments, I'm surprised you have the time. No need to answer this one. Thanks for a great video it's so awesome there, I'd live there if I could.
Haha, well, I don't always have the time and it is getting harder as the channel gains more popularity, but I do try, especially with individuals such as yourself that are leaving positive, supportive comments... Yes, that was a great spot along the river there.
Thank you. I'm glad you like these areas as much as we do... I took these areas for granted when I was growing up here, but now that I have been out in the world, I have a great appreciation for them.
Once again, your content is top shelf, sir (narration, writing, editing, camera work, etc.). I'd love to see you receive some recognition and financial reward for the work you're doing-like a grant/award to help you do even more of what you do. Cheers, and I hope I bump into you out in the hills one day.
i dont mean to be so off topic but does any of you know of a tool to get back into an instagram account?? I was dumb forgot my account password. I would love any tips you can offer me.
@Maurice Daxton thanks for your reply. I found the site through google and I'm trying it out atm. Looks like it's gonna take quite some time so I will get back to you later when my account password hopefully is recovered.
Hey this is Dave Howard I'm not sure who you are probably one of the many friends I made down on the river when I stayed there, one of my good friends stumbled upon this video and told me about it and said it had my name written all over it and I'm so glad that you did that I love the Yuba and I love Edwards Crossing and I'm glad y'all had a good time I don't know where I was at that time but I wish I could have gone with ya
I was there a couple weeks ago and didn't have camera or phone with me so didn't have pics or video to show but thanks to you I can show friends what I saw! Awesome canyon, can't wait to check out more of it. Maybe I'll run into you out there!
Wow, what a beautiful place, I could live there ! Those bulldozers were probably there for maintenance on the road to keep it open and for pulling equipment in and out ! I was at a mine in northern Arizona one time that had to have a D7 cat on hand just for getting in and out ! Road had some places with 40 percent grade so the big cat was most certainly a necessity ! 😊 Thanks for sharing and take care. 👍 👍
That mine you showed from the seventies looked like the remains of a mine one of my mom's old tenants owned he bought out his partners just prior to things going south for him, I remember him showing me pictures of those two dozers the cabins and the crane way back then.
That's probably the same place then because I doubt many locations would match that description. What went "south" for him? That seems like a pretty good setup.
A man that brings back so many good memories back in my youth we used to have keg parties down there at the Yuba River and lots of skinny dipping with all the local girls man good times this videos bringing back so many memories man there's gold mind and dredging all up and down that River and More River greenhorn River you name it the Fork River man I wish I was still in my twenties Miss videos Breaking My Heart
My dad took us camping up there in the 70's. My Sister and I explored anything that wasn't straight down. Swam across Bowman Lake and back in the 80's. Spent half of my honeymoon 4 wheeling there in the 90's. What a great spot unless your oversized truck won't make it.
TVR- At this site they were using the crane as a Bucket Dredge. You had it correct for the Sluce at the start of the video. From my observation, there was another part laying on the ground next to the sluce -box that likely connected to a flexible line. It was the part with the rebar "cage" around it. This was likely the end part attached to the suction line of a water pump, used to wash the gravel being pulled up from the river bed. From your location you appeared to be above the Englebright Reservoir. The Caterpillars were likely used to shuffle the waste-rock piles. What is interesting is there should have been a trammel to separate the waste-rock coming up in the Dredge Buckets. Since the Trammel was not there, I will assume it may have been "liberated" from another local miner once that mine was abandoned, or was sold to another miner nearby. For Placer Gold a Trammel is a highly valuable piece of their mining equipment. I am quite surprised the Generator and both of the Caterpillars did not go with the Trammel. -Shane
Love this vid. I go up to that area, usually twice a year to a retreat, Ananda. Their land is crossed by water channels dug by the Chinese for placer mining. Large areas up there still have all the topsoil washed away. Jackass flats road. Malakoff diggings state park. Beautiful country. Love the drone footage. 👍🇺🇸💖
Max Gelein U can walk around Ananda land for free. If u stop and check in at the office they will tell u where to look to see the channels. They are deep. U can pay for lunch if u want. Camping is expensive but includes good food. They have a market that is public and a thrift store. Nice people. There’s an old graveyard there too. You can also go up the road to Malakoff diggings state park. It’s an old gold country town. Really pretty country up there. Malakoff has a campground. Check out Two Toes channel. He pans for gold along the Yuba river.
Max Gelein Important to pick the right time of year. Can be HOT and buggy in summer. Ananda has a tulip garden, gorgeous in the spring/ April. And late fall, after fire season is over, the leaves on the oaks turn beautiful colors. 👍💖🇺🇸
That's serious dedication! It would be cool to know the depth, good to get the shot with the kids swimming, that hole is huge. Looks like you guys could've used a dip also. Always enjoy the write up as much as the vids!
Yes, it would've taken some serious work to get all of that equipment back there and to dig that pit out. I would love to know the depth of the hole. You could see how black it was, so it obviously goes down a ways... I was glad to have the kids show up because it is hard to understand the scale otherwise, but they provided a good reference point to demonstrate the size of the pit. Ha, and, yeah, if we'd had more time I definitely would have been in there myself because it was exceptionally hot and humid that day. Thank you for mentioning the write up as I never knew if anyone was reading those or not. I'll keep putting the work in now that I know at least one person is reading them!
0:14 Is that the possible Pelton wheel foundation? Would you call those dozers Workshop finds? 10:21 - Zombie apocalypse supply box?! Nice heavy-duty roof-beams/framing! 12:32 - Electrical supply/control boxes for the crane? Wow, surprised the copper was still in that motor since it's such a popular area! (at least for the swimmers) Might be a fun place to do some scuba-diving, see if any artifacts from the mining days are down there...
Yes, I suspect that the cement foundation was for the Pelton wheel given its proximity to the river. What else would they have put that close to the water? Ha, yes, that second mine and workshop would not be a bad place at all for hunkering down during the zombie apocalypse! I'm not sure what the electrical equipment you spotted was for, but the crane is a good guess. I would imagine there are indeed some interesting things at the bottom of that pit and, if nothing else, I would love for someone to dive down there to see how deep it is.
Yeah, I just wasn't sure since you described it as 'the remains of a big piece of equipment' and all I could make out in the video was a foundation, thanks for clarifying! Lots of metal for tools/weapons to fight off the undead horde, that's for sure! It's what those electrical boxes were closest to, at least. A plumb-bob and a marked length of rope could do that, but it wouldn't be nearly as fun!
Yes, I should have remained a little longer on it, but a foundation was all that was left. We didn't know about the Pelton wheel until more research was done after we got home though and so I didn't realize its significance at the time... Nah, a plumb-bob and rope just don't have the same charisma as electrical boxes.
Really nice flowstone in that adit, quite a nice wide quartz vein too, I bet that was hard and dangerous going to mine that. Some great surface stuff, shame that someone had to break in even in the middle of nowhere! At least most of the heavy gear is still in place! Loved that idea of mining from that hole in the river, it must have paid off bigtime for them to do it. Great video, look forward to seeing more from this area!
Yes, that was a real nice adit. Dry and spacious with no collapses (the dirt beneath the stope was piled up there intentionally and was not the result of a collapse) I wish more of the adits we explored were like that! It is a shame that someone broke into the workshop and bunkhouse, but it is extraordinarily rare for us to run across a mine that hasn't been worked over. I thought that mining that pit was absolutely brilliant and, yes, the rumor is that the miners did extremely well with that one. Ha, no, we didn't have time for a swim, but wouldn't that have been a great perk after a long day of mining?
Looks like your drone flew over at least one other mine entrance, and just before the end, seems to be looking at a debris slope on the opposite side coming from above the drones height going through the trees. Seems to be alot of activity around there. The question I have is why did they stop mining that massive quartz vein you showed?? Looks like there's alot of quartz still in the mine you went into.
Yes, this was a VERY active area for mining gold. There is stuff all over that canyon, but the majority of it is obscured by thick brush and the steep canyon walls make it hard to get around up there. So, in other words, unless you know exactly where you are going, you are in for a very unappealing slog to try and find anything. I'm not sure why they stopped mining at that first mine with the huge quartz vein... Quartz doesn't always have gold in it. So, perhaps the gold content in the quartz there tapered off?
Thank you very much. As far as the swimming hole being secret... Most locals know about it, but I haven't encountered very many people outside of the area that know about it. It is also a VERY rough road out to that site (it takes some work even in a 4WD). So, even if someone does know about it, getting out to it is an entirely different matter.
I wish I had the munny to purchase and reopen this mine! It beautiful and relatively modern! I bet I could have 10 guys running this place at lease seasonally if not year round.
this video is the best the vein is AMAZING....glad your back, I seen the crane buckets. and stuff and to think gold was $30 something in the 70s....and getting that equipment to location and erecting it. but 2 bulldozers. I would nail the door shut. help keep the looters down though it don't suffer a lot up to now.. thanks for posting.....
Thank you. Yes, they were on to a pretty serious quartz vein at the first mine. Given the work they did, there must have been some good gold in that quartz too. The camera just does not do justice to how rough that road is. So, trust me, it is really bad. It is incredible to me that they were able to get the crane and all of the other equipment out there. I am frequently amazed by some of the places that miners have gotten mining equipment in. However, this one is up there on the list. It is a shame that vandals/thieves are breaking into the bunkhouse and workshop, but it is a wooden structure and the claim owners can't be there all of the time. So, there doesn't seem to be a lot they can do against determined individuals.
yep on vandals, it's a shame....roads are a premium, owner maintained, they may on the way out rough it up a bit then park the equipment.... thanks for the REPLY on the operative word "TRY"
Hey Justin. I cant believe that blue generator has sat there all that time totally un-molested. Thank you and Chuck for the exploration. Regards from Ody Slim
i.m.o - it is very interesting to see the (most often) beautiful locales' of your Mine Sites.. I 'm always Amazed by the human determination and ingenuity that must have gone into excavating with explosives, digging {etc} And DANGEROUS -as we all realise by now.. Miners of the past, we salute you !
Awesome video. Anyone know where that really deep swimming hole part of the river is? My in-laws live in Grass Valley and I love swimming in the Yuba. Wanna go to that swimming spot.
Shit! I'd be so happy if triple A's ran that light and not the 4lb sealed lead core battery I have to lug around in that fucking pack all the time! Lol
Which section is that? Was that the james bar mine? I have the affidavit of the mining claim from W.J. Forbes from 1895 from Sec 2 and 11. He signed it, stating he had 5 to 10 men working the mine for a full year.
Just down from you in Smartsville... Been looking at staking a claim on the middle fork. This place seems pretty awesome, though I've no clue where it is. Those old-timers ran through some rough territory. Makes Humbug look like a highway. :)
You're right! I completely missed that... There wasn't much room to move around in there, but now I wish I had climbed up on the tracks and walked along them because it seems like there was a fair amount in the back of the workshop that I missed.
Was the yellow hose in the shack a dredge hose? Did they dredge that hole after pulling the boulders out? One of the last quadcopter shots of the mountains looked like it could have been a large quartz outcrop up on the mountain. A light colored vertical band of something anyway.
You have good eyes! Yes, there is a large quartz outcrop up on the mountain. We looked it over with the binoculars and it seemed that there was a waste rock pile in front of it, but none of could figure out how to get up to it. Of course, there is a LOT more brush in the canyon now and I suspect that if a fire came through, it would reveal a trail up there. As we learned later, there are also adits above the first mine we visited. So, undoubtedly, there are a lot of adits along the canyon walls that are waiting to be explored, but are hidden or difficult to get to now. Anyway, yes, I believe that the yellow hose inside the bunkhouse was for dredging. They would dredge the hole and also had a way to separate out the rich gravel from the material they were lifting out of the hole with the crane. I'm not sure how they accomplished that though.
I could be wrong, but the fiberglass ladder and the supplies on the shelf look a lot more recent than 40 years old at 9:16. I would think those mattresses would have been torn apart by rodents long ago.
Oh, yes, I'm sure you're right. Almost certainly there has been activity here much more recently. I was just saying in the video that the last time I *KNOW* with absolute certainty that work was done was in the 1970s. With the crane gone and dredging illegal in California now, it is likely that in the past few years this has just become a nice camping spot along the river for the claim owner though.
Amazing the place is in such good condition. It almost defies explanation, given the location in California and the fact that it's a well-known spot (at least to the local swim club!)
Hey TVR, up at bowman lake,CA there's a old mine with the stamps still there. It's on the opposite side of the lake from the road. Have you checked that out yet? Just wondering if it's still there.,. Upper Yuba river....M
I wonder how the miners kept the glory hole from being flooded. That's a lot of water coming down the canyon. Are there any signs of the river being diverted?
I was at this location recently and found an opening that you didnt either find or didnt show us. I was not prepared to go into the mine but I'm really curious to know how far it goes. It is very close to the crane camp. the opening is hidden by by a tree and a bunch of plants.
Did you check the second video in this series? Some of those mines were just past the crane camp... If it isn't one of those, then, no, we didn't know about it. There is a LOT of stuff back in that canyon. If it isn't one of those we checked out in the second video, go ahead and email me the details about the location to TVRExploring@gmail.com and I'll get back there and check it out for you.
Going up river, one should look under large boulders and pools for gold nuggets lodged there. I would always bring a metal detector when exploring mines. You never know when a really nice prize might buzz and be worth a small fortune by day's end.
Hey Justin, great work on you videos. I spend most my summer in the Yuba River and would love to go to that deep swimming hole. Any chance you could point me in the right direction..?
Dude can I come exploring with you? Just want to take pictures of the views. 5th Generation here in GV. And your going places I’ve always wanted to explore but never had the chance!
Really cool operation! It's sometimes hard to figure out why so much equipment is left at a mine but if the ore paid for it, it wasn't worth the trouble but it's different with equipment that is self propelled like caterpillars. I suppose there's the possibility that they weren't worth taking due to repairs needed but obviously they ran enough to get parked in the tool shed. Looking at that thick layer of quartz I can imagine it was a tough decision to not try drilling and blasting 'just one more time' in case five more feet in would reveal a vein of beautiful free gold. What they wouldn't give for a coring bit. Did you happen to notice what looked like drill holes at 14:45, center of the frame on the right side of the bank just slightly upstream from the glory hole? They looked a bit large for standard drill bits but they didn't really look natural. How much gold is under the other masses of rock? No doubt they scoured every catch pool for a distance up and down stream but there has to be more hiding, forever now that California won't let miners blast the crap out of the natural beauty any more. I'm sure we'd feel guilty going back in time, abusing the land, if we knew what we know now, but all that gold, just waiting... I don't know if it's that big of deal but flow stone stops forming from the oil on the fingers. I don't think it matters unless there's some magnificent growth that's going to be accessed by others. I mention that because I caught hell for reaching toward some in one of the cave systems in Missouri. The guide threatened to throw me out of the boat and down a whirl pool if I tried it again. Loved the video, thanks again!
Thank you. Yes, I thought that placer operation with the crane was really cool. We've heard a rumor that more than a million dollars worth of gold was taken out of that pit before the 1970s. So, if you consider the price of gold at the time, that is a lot of gold! With a return like that, they needn't have bothered with the equipment much. I can only imagine how much gold is down in that pit now... I believe those holes at 14:45 were created by the water. It's extraordinary to see, but there are a lot of holes like that in the rocks along the Yuba River that have been carved out over thousands of years by silt-laden water swirling around. I didn't know about the oils on our hands blocking the formation of the flowstone. Good thing that Chuck is the bad guy in this one! Yes, I can imagine there was a fierce temptation to keep pushing inside of that adit for another gold-laden quartz vein. I don't know if you read the description or not, but there were actually four adits at that site. So, they were poking all over the canyon wall there for gold.
Thanks for the response. I keep telling myself to try to get a handle on my comments and questions but I did wonder about the holes.By the way, if they mined in 1972 and held onto the gold until 1975 they would have way more than doubled their money. It went from $139 in 1975 to $1061in 2015 but people with that much far sight are few and far between.
ill bet they only messed with the glory hole , to much huge overburden in shallow river, you gotta remember the old timers only went for the easy stuff called high-grading because gold was only worth 20$ an ounce till the 1970's.
Actually you're the first to ask... I use a system called "Right Hand Rules." What that means is that anytime I come to a fork, I always go to the right. This way, if I get turned around, I can start walking back and if I only take turns to the left, I will return to my starting point. Of course, you could do "Left Hand Rules" as well. Fortunately, I have never had to use this backup system as I have always been able to retrace my steps. However, it is there if I ever need it and given how confusing some mines are, I expect I'll need it eventually.
Apparently, in the past, there was a flume. However, it is my understanding that divers went down with hoses during the decades when it was last worked. The crane would scoop out the waste rock and boulders during that time as well.
say do you recall how I remarked on all the rounded rocks and how you said they would go in till they found the ancient river beds well there is a guy mokpot who frequently dives an as he puts it AN American river.....in the video I see the same plastered rocks and sediments in walls as he goes looking for lost treasures....if by chance you may look in to it and go looking for gold....just saying....
Much of the work in this region was done in the early days of California's "Gold Rush" era and so there aren't records from that period of time. It must have been quite a lot though...
In early 80s helper and I working tributary With backpack dredge open land. Getting Good Gold when a Camo Armed M16 individual w/ two of the Biggest Killer Dogs ever seen. Told us we were Trespassing and leave. Forrest Service said they Pot Farmers. Dangerous situation. Guy helping me about had a Heart attack.
Those dozers are probably from the 50's, maybe 60's. They didn't have any roll over protection so I couldn't imagine them being much older then that. Unless they cut it off which isn't unheard of...
Given what David Howard said about visiting in the late 60s/early 70s those dates for the bulldozers make perfect sense... Miners certainly like to tinker with things and modify them, but I don't recall seeing any sign of a cage or rollover protection being hacked off.
My grandfather was a miner so I'm well aware of the tinkering LoL!! I've even seen his name in a video once, which was a MAJOR trip! But I digress. I'm going off memory so hopefully I don't screw this up, most equipment was red or brown up until the early fifties, then the yellows, greens and blues came out. Late 60's early 70's started seeing a lot more standardized safety equipment, but they did have a metal sun 'awning' that gave the driver a tiny bit of protection, as early as the 20's I believe.
Ha, yes, you'll know all about the tinkering then... Yes, I have seen early dozers with the sun 'awning' you mentioned. I hadn't thought about the changing color schemes before, but since you described it, yes, I have noticed that in museums and vintage machinery shows. Interesting stuff. Thank you for pointing that out.
I'm sorry, it sounds as if your father paid a high price for the work he did. I imagine there are a number of things we're exposing ourselves to now (endocrine disruptors?) that future generations will look back on and shake their heads in wonder about, just as we now look back at what previous generations were exposed to and do the same...
Agreed. He's been gone nearly two decades now & suffered tremendously his last ten yrs of life due to lung cancer from smoking/drinking & exposure to toxins on the job. He wasn't a miner, but many a family friend & relative was (I grew up in WV), so I've seen the good, bad, & ugly inherent in the industry. Hopefully, we're learning as we work & live, so as to limit these incidences & do better by subsequent generations. Thx for the response, I look forward to exploring more via yr videos in the near future.
Again, it boggles me that they would just leave equipment like bulldozers behind rather than hauling them out and selling them. There's no way that wouldn't have been profitable. Bulldozers aren't exactly cheap pieces of equipment. Overall it's amazing how good a shape that workshop and cabin are in. Those bunks look they they could still be usable rather than being all decayed. It's a shame some people make trips all the way to isolated locations such at that, only to vandalize them. What a waste. All in all a good vid, and that river is absolutely beautiful. My kind of country!
Thank you. Yes, that is a beautiful area... It is a shame that someone broke into the cabin and workshop because, as you observed, everything was in great shape inside. Of course, with winter upon us, they won't stay that way for long.
Any chance of doing a poor man's repair job while you're at the sites you visit? Bring a hammer and a box of nails or something like that to help preserve locations?
glad you made it up there justin alot more stuff up there two or three more adits on the cabin side three more on the other side of the river drone was close to the adits on the other side of river owner told me ore carts still on the hill but no been up there in yrs and yes use to be a tram going up the hill and they deverted the water past the glory hole with the flumes that are still laying around couple spots upstream also that you can cross on low water hope no one post the real name and the owners got cameras
Yes, we could tell there was a lot more higher up the canyon walls that we were missing because of the heavy brush. I flew the drone around a lot more than is shown in the video to try and spot more mine sites, but the vegetation was just too thick. I'd love to find that spot with the ore carts... Ah, that is interesting about them diverting the water around the glory hole. I didn't know they did that, but it makes perfect sense. There is a lot of history in that area...
that was a fibre glass ladder in the kitchen area which at best is 1980s genra or later o some body has been stripping the mine out for scrap gold or stripping rights?
Due to the popularity of the swimming hole, I would probably only work the glory hole during hours when tourism was low, and then shut down in time for people to come enjoy it like a park. If it had a land claim on it, I might be greedy and charge .50 per day per person, but then I would also hire a life guard and leave a diving locker on site for rescues. I could even see renting diving gear to people who wanted to snipe gold from the bottom as long as they were diving certified and minded all the normal diving safety rules. And then, if they wanted to sell it, I would have a person there most days of the week to buy any gold off of them at spot price. And I would put in a little refreshments stand, some dining and sanitary facilities safely away from the water to prevent contamination [and to keep my low durability goods from storm, flood, landslide and avalanche type damage].
Yes, there was some great equipment at the second mine! It is indeed a shame that people have to destroy things just for the sake of destroying them... There are many things people do that I consider a shame.
Yeah I Yuba River my friends had gold claims up there one of them was by a mine called the Spanish mine you might want to see if you can find that one that one's awesome we used to have Campground right there next to the river on Earth with our gold claim and we can't be out there all the time drinking beer Raisin Hell shooting guns and going through all of the caves in Old Mines the Spanish mines there is old houses there and on the side of the mountains there's all kinds of gold mines around there somewhere off of 85 Highway 85 as you're headed to Lake Tahoe I sure like to go back there now I live in Washington
I never understood mineing, it looks interesting but, like why dnt they just drop a big ass reckon ball on top of the mounting rock and look gmfor gold that way instead of, digging ? 👏👌😁🤷♂️🤷♂️
That's one we have speculated about before too... In some cases it is more effort to haul all of the equipment out than it is worth, in others the miners are so disgusted by the whole wasted effort that they just walk away - the reasons are endless.
Thank you. Yes, I know the name, but I am usually evasive about the locations in order to not draw the Forest Service into destroying the site or even to just bring in more vandals...
TVR Exploring I know some sighs on a different fork of that river that are fairly intact if you're interested. All I have is a smart phone though so I can't send private messages.
If you're referring to a fork that takes off to the left when headed upriver, we may have documented those as well on a later trip. I'd love to trade some ideas with you. Do you have email?
Do you have any idea how many old mines there are in California? Look up an old mine registry map sometime. Thousands and thousands. and that’s just what modern people know about, not including all the places that were never reported or were lost. It’s actually a huge problem, what with all the chemicals that make their way into the environment. They try their best to get the really bad spots taken care of, but there’s just so much it’s impossible to get it all
I still watch the older videos. Keeps the adventures fresh
There are some gems in the older videos...
Thank you for taking us along on your trip . Nice history
Thank you for coming along on the trip! Yes, there is a lot of history in this canyon as this area was hit very early on during California's famous "Gold Rush" days. There will be a lot more on the history in the next video.
Beautiful mine! Love that quartz to! WOW! I'm blown away!
Yes, we were extremely impressed by that quartz as well!
The ultimate place to prospect, thanks for video 📹
Is is up in the top 5 of,my favorite videos of urs keep it up and stay happy and safe
Thank you very much. I just finished editing them and there are two more in this series. So, hopefully, you'll like them as much. A short while after this trip, we also explored one of the side canyons of the Yuba River and found some more really cool stuff. So, if you liked this one, there are a few more river videos coming up.
I'm a first time watcher of your vids. Your awesome. I love caves and mines.my dad was a gold miner for years. You are basically in my back yard. I grew up in that area. I now live in Washington state. Keep it up. Reminds me of home
It's great that you answer all these comments, I'm surprised you have the time. No need to answer this one. Thanks for a great video it's so awesome there, I'd live there if I could.
Haha, well, I don't always have the time and it is getting harder as the channel gains more popularity, but I do try, especially with individuals such as yourself that are leaving positive, supportive comments... Yes, that was a great spot along the river there.
Good stuff fellas, your very fortunate to have areas like that to explore. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you. I'm glad you like these areas as much as we do... I took these areas for granted when I was growing up here, but now that I have been out in the world, I have a great appreciation for them.
13:11 Ever thought on trying to get across to see if the drone missed something?
Reading your write ups. Very good. Lots of great information. 😊👍
Thank you. You're one of the few that reads them!
Once again, your content is top shelf, sir (narration, writing, editing, camera work, etc.). I'd love to see you receive some recognition and financial reward for the work you're doing-like a grant/award to help you do even more of what you do. Cheers, and I hope I bump into you out in the hills one day.
i dont mean to be so off topic but does any of you know of a tool to get back into an instagram account??
I was dumb forgot my account password. I would love any tips you can offer me.
@Juelz Tate Instablaster ;)
@Maurice Daxton thanks for your reply. I found the site through google and I'm trying it out atm.
Looks like it's gonna take quite some time so I will get back to you later when my account password hopefully is recovered.
@Maurice Daxton it did the trick and I now got access to my account again. Im so happy:D
Thank you so much, you saved my ass :D
@Juelz Tate glad I could help :)
I really injoy your videos. Keep up the good work!
Thank you.
Hey this is Dave Howard I'm not sure who you are probably one of the many friends I made down on the river when I stayed there, one of my good friends stumbled upon this video and told me about it and said it had my name written all over it and I'm so glad that you did that I love the Yuba and I love Edwards Crossing and I'm glad y'all had a good time I don't know where I was at that time but I wish I could have gone with ya
You would have liked the original Dave Howard...
I was there a couple weeks ago and didn't have camera or phone with me so didn't have pics or video to show but thanks to you I can show friends what I saw! Awesome canyon, can't wait to check out more of it. Maybe I'll run into you out there!
What crossing is it near?
Wow, what a beautiful place, I could live there !
Those bulldozers were probably there for maintenance on the road to keep it open and for pulling equipment in and out ! I was at a mine in northern Arizona one time that had to have a D7 cat on hand just for getting in and out ! Road had some places with 40 percent grade so the big cat was most certainly a necessity ! 😊
Thanks for sharing and take care. 👍 👍
Yes, that is a really beautiful area... A 40% grade is insane! I can't even imagine that, but I would love to have seen that road.
That mine you showed from the seventies looked like the remains of a mine one of my mom's old tenants owned he bought out his partners just prior to things going south for him, I remember him showing me pictures of those two dozers the cabins and the crane way back then.
That's probably the same place then because I doubt many locations would match that description. What went "south" for him? That seems like a pretty good setup.
A man that brings back so many good memories back in my youth we used to have keg parties down there at the Yuba River and lots of skinny dipping with all the local girls man good times this videos bringing back so many memories man there's gold mind and dredging all up and down that River and More River greenhorn River you name it the Fork River man I wish I was still in my twenties Miss videos Breaking My Heart
Those sound like good times. I miss how it used to be there as well...
My dad took us camping up there in the 70's. My Sister and I explored anything that wasn't straight down. Swam across Bowman Lake and back in the 80's. Spent half of my honeymoon 4 wheeling there in the 90's. What a great spot unless your oversized truck won't make it.
TVR- At this site they were using the crane as a Bucket Dredge. You had it correct for the Sluce at the start of the video. From my observation, there was another part laying on the ground next to the sluce -box that likely connected to a flexible line. It was the part with the rebar "cage" around it. This was likely the end part attached to the suction line of a water pump, used to wash the gravel being pulled up from the river bed. From your location you appeared to be above the Englebright Reservoir. The Caterpillars were likely used to shuffle the waste-rock piles. What is interesting is there should have been a trammel to separate the waste-rock coming up in the Dredge Buckets.
Since the Trammel was not there, I will assume it may have been "liberated" from another local miner once that mine was abandoned, or was sold to another miner nearby. For Placer Gold a Trammel is a highly valuable piece of their mining equipment. I am quite surprised the Generator and both of the Caterpillars did not go with the Trammel.
-Shane
Lots of interesting things along that stretch of river!
nice find, & as always nice job keep doing what you do $ stay safe doing it...
Thank you for that. We'll keep doing it for the foreseeable future...
Love this vid. I go up to that area, usually twice a year to a retreat, Ananda. Their land is crossed by water channels dug by the Chinese for placer mining. Large areas up there still have all the topsoil washed away. Jackass flats road. Malakoff diggings state park. Beautiful country. Love the drone footage. 👍🇺🇸💖
What is a good area too park i really wanna check this spot out 🤘
Max Gelein U can walk around Ananda land for free. If u stop and check in at the office they will tell u where to look to see the channels. They are deep. U can pay for lunch if u want. Camping is expensive but includes good food. They have a market that is public and a thrift store. Nice people. There’s an old graveyard there too. You can also go up the road to Malakoff diggings state park. It’s an old gold country town. Really pretty country up there. Malakoff has a campground. Check out Two Toes channel. He pans for gold along the Yuba river.
@@unicorntv1232 thank you for the reply ☺ .. Thats soo cool man i really wanna get some pictures of the area ✌
Max Gelein Important to pick the right time of year. Can be HOT and buggy in summer. Ananda has a tulip garden, gorgeous in the spring/ April. And late fall, after fire season is over, the leaves on the oaks turn beautiful colors. 👍💖🇺🇸
That's serious dedication! It would be cool to know the depth, good to get the shot with the kids swimming, that hole is huge. Looks like you guys could've used a dip also.
Always enjoy the write up as much as the vids!
Yes, it would've taken some serious work to get all of that equipment back there and to dig that pit out. I would love to know the depth of the hole. You could see how black it was, so it obviously goes down a ways... I was glad to have the kids show up because it is hard to understand the scale otherwise, but they provided a good reference point to demonstrate the size of the pit. Ha, and, yeah, if we'd had more time I definitely would have been in there myself because it was exceptionally hot and humid that day. Thank you for mentioning the write up as I never knew if anyone was reading those or not. I'll keep putting the work in now that I know at least one person is reading them!
0:14 Is that the possible Pelton wheel foundation? Would you call those dozers Workshop finds? 10:21 - Zombie apocalypse supply box?! Nice heavy-duty roof-beams/framing!
12:32 - Electrical supply/control boxes for the crane? Wow, surprised the copper was still in that motor since it's such a popular area! (at least for the swimmers) Might be a fun place to do some scuba-diving, see if any artifacts from the mining days are down there...
Yes, I suspect that the cement foundation was for the Pelton wheel given its proximity to the river. What else would they have put that close to the water? Ha, yes, that second mine and workshop would not be a bad place at all for hunkering down during the zombie apocalypse! I'm not sure what the electrical equipment you spotted was for, but the crane is a good guess. I would imagine there are indeed some interesting things at the bottom of that pit and, if nothing else, I would love for someone to dive down there to see how deep it is.
Yeah, I just wasn't sure since you described it as 'the remains of a big piece of equipment' and all I could make out in the video was a foundation, thanks for clarifying! Lots of metal for tools/weapons to fight off the undead horde, that's for sure! It's what those electrical boxes were closest to, at least. A plumb-bob and a marked length of rope could do that, but it wouldn't be nearly as fun!
Yes, I should have remained a little longer on it, but a foundation was all that was left. We didn't know about the Pelton wheel until more research was done after we got home though and so I didn't realize its significance at the time... Nah, a plumb-bob and rope just don't have the same charisma as electrical boxes.
I figured, research often makes more sense and is more easily directed after a visit! Er, I meant for checking the depth, VS scuba.
Awesome video, thanks for posting. Just subscribed, looking forward to going through all your other videos too.
Thank you very much for the comment and for subscribing. I hope you enjoy the other videos as well...
Really nice flowstone in that adit, quite a nice wide quartz vein too, I bet that was hard and dangerous going to mine that.
Some great surface stuff, shame that someone had to break in even in the middle of nowhere! At least most of the heavy gear is still in place!
Loved that idea of mining from that hole in the river, it must have paid off bigtime for them to do it. Great video, look forward to seeing more from this area!
ps - did you go for a swim? :)
Yes, that was a real nice adit. Dry and spacious with no collapses (the dirt beneath the stope was piled up there intentionally and was not the result of a collapse) I wish more of the adits we explored were like that! It is a shame that someone broke into the workshop and bunkhouse, but it is extraordinarily rare for us to run across a mine that hasn't been worked over. I thought that mining that pit was absolutely brilliant and, yes, the rumor is that the miners did extremely well with that one. Ha, no, we didn't have time for a swim, but wouldn't that have been a great perk after a long day of mining?
10:06 Are we just going to gloss over *_”destroy the undead”_* sign there?
Yep, they ignored it....Seems like that should have been near the top of the conversation list...
its not a sign, its a box. a 3D zombie target came in it
Looks like your drone flew over at least one other mine entrance, and just before the end, seems to be looking at a debris slope on the opposite side coming from above the drones height going through the trees. Seems to be alot of activity around there. The question I have is why did they stop mining that massive quartz vein you showed?? Looks like there's alot of quartz still in the mine you went into.
Yes, this was a VERY active area for mining gold. There is stuff all over that canyon, but the majority of it is obscured by thick brush and the steep canyon walls make it hard to get around up there. So, in other words, unless you know exactly where you are going, you are in for a very unappealing slog to try and find anything. I'm not sure why they stopped mining at that first mine with the huge quartz vein... Quartz doesn't always have gold in it. So, perhaps the gold content in the quartz there tapered off?
Thanks for the video this place is an absolute gem
Always appreciate you work and ideas. That's a nice chilly swimming hole so hope it's a secret
Thank you very much. As far as the swimming hole being secret... Most locals know about it, but I haven't encountered very many people outside of the area that know about it. It is also a VERY rough road out to that site (it takes some work even in a 4WD). So, even if someone does know about it, getting out to it is an entirely different matter.
I wish I had the munny to purchase and reopen this mine!
It beautiful and relatively modern!
I bet I could have 10 guys running this place at lease seasonally if not year round.
Reminds me of a place called Emerald Pools on the Yuba river, love your channel!!
Thank you! The Emerald Pools are a great spot...
this video is the best the vein is AMAZING....glad your back, I seen the crane buckets. and stuff and to think gold was $30 something in the 70s....and getting that equipment to location and erecting it. but 2 bulldozers. I would nail the door shut. help keep the looters down though it don't suffer a lot up to now..
thanks for posting.....
Thank you. Yes, they were on to a pretty serious quartz vein at the first mine. Given the work they did, there must have been some good gold in that quartz too. The camera just does not do justice to how rough that road is. So, trust me, it is really bad. It is incredible to me that they were able to get the crane and all of the other equipment out there. I am frequently amazed by some of the places that miners have gotten mining equipment in. However, this one is up there on the list. It is a shame that vandals/thieves are breaking into the bunkhouse and workshop, but it is a wooden structure and the claim owners can't be there all of the time. So, there doesn't seem to be a lot they can do against determined individuals.
yep on vandals, it's a shame....roads are a premium, owner maintained, they may on the way out rough it up a bit then park the equipment.... thanks for the REPLY on the operative word "TRY"
I don't remember if you mentioned did they get all the way down to the bottom of that pit? It must be filling up again!
Hey Justin. I cant believe that blue generator has sat there all that time totally un-molested.
Thank you and Chuck for the exploration. Regards from Ody Slim
i.m.o - it is very interesting to see the (most often) beautiful locales' of your Mine Sites.. I 'm always Amazed by the human determination and ingenuity that must have gone into excavating with explosives, digging {etc} And DANGEROUS -as we all realise by now.. Miners of the past, we salute you !
Very well said... Yes, we are frequently amazed by the ingenuity of the miners.
What an amazing place shame I live so far away would really like to visit. Nice work bringing this to us all.
Thank you. Yes, it is a more unique area than I realized. Growing up in this region, I took it for granted...
Awesome video. Anyone know where that really deep swimming hole part of the river is? My in-laws live in Grass Valley and I love swimming in the Yuba. Wanna go to that swimming spot.
Shoot me an email at justin.ames@gmail.com and I'll tell you how to get there... You're definitely going to need a 4WD.
TVR Exploring thanks!! I’ll email you.
the AAA on Chucks helmet is to remind him of what batteries to buy for his head light.
Haha!
Shit! I'd be so happy if triple A's ran that light and not the 4lb sealed lead core battery I have to lug around in that fucking pack all the time! Lol
ADIT ADDICTS - why not use Li-ion 81650 cells in packs? The energy density/weight ratio should be on the lighter side...
The crane was most likely removed to keep the locals from swinging into the pool below.
That was a very common thing to do before it was removed!
Which section is that? Was that the james bar mine? I have the affidavit of the mining claim from W.J. Forbes from 1895 from Sec 2 and 11. He signed it, stating he had 5 to 10 men working the mine for a full year.
Great video! Me love the Yuba.
Thank you. Yes, I do believe the Yuba is my favorite river system.
I just came across this video Josh! What a cool place!
The property is up for sale now, supposedly they burnt down all the cabins to keep the squatters out. Still a nice piece I bet
I live extremely close to there, in a place called Penn Valley. So cool to see you close to my home :)
I'm very familiar with Penn Valley... Yes, this isn't too far from you at all!
Just down from you in Smartsville... Been looking at staking a claim on the middle fork. This place seems pretty awesome, though I've no clue where it is. Those old-timers ran through some rough territory. Makes Humbug look like a highway. :)
If you look closely at the shot of the bulldozers there are actually three. 10:30 mark. Count the tracks.
You're right! I completely missed that... There wasn't much room to move around in there, but now I wish I had climbed up on the tracks and walked along them because it seems like there was a fair amount in the back of the workshop that I missed.
Just wondering I noticed the rock in the river is awful white looking is that quartz or is the river run with the quartz vain or what
Was the yellow hose in the shack a dredge hose? Did they dredge that hole after pulling the boulders out? One of the last quadcopter shots of the mountains looked like it could have been a large quartz outcrop up on the mountain. A light colored vertical band of something anyway.
You have good eyes! Yes, there is a large quartz outcrop up on the mountain. We looked it over with the binoculars and it seemed that there was a waste rock pile in front of it, but none of could figure out how to get up to it. Of course, there is a LOT more brush in the canyon now and I suspect that if a fire came through, it would reveal a trail up there. As we learned later, there are also adits above the first mine we visited. So, undoubtedly, there are a lot of adits along the canyon walls that are waiting to be explored, but are hidden or difficult to get to now. Anyway, yes, I believe that the yellow hose inside the bunkhouse was for dredging. They would dredge the hole and also had a way to separate out the rich gravel from the material they were lifting out of the hole with the crane. I'm not sure how they accomplished that though.
Good stuff, I've been to both of those mines and a few more in that area it's about 40 minutes from my house.
There is some great stuff in that canyon...
@@TVRExploring which canyon or trail where you exploring
I could be wrong, but the fiberglass ladder and the supplies on the shelf look a lot more recent than 40 years old at 9:16. I would think those mattresses would have been torn apart by rodents long ago.
Oh, yes, I'm sure you're right. Almost certainly there has been activity here much more recently. I was just saying in the video that the last time I *KNOW* with absolute certainty that work was done was in the 1970s. With the crane gone and dredging illegal in California now, it is likely that in the past few years this has just become a nice camping spot along the river for the claim owner though.
fuck cali and their moratorium , you and i know the dam dams are 100000000 times worse than a little dredging.
No kidding... I wish they'd put a fraction of the effort into removing dams and freeing rivers that they put into regulating small scale dredging.
✅👍🏼❤️ 1st Mine so cool, nice big dry, clean mine. 2# Love that compound. Ty
Amazing the place is in such good condition. It almost defies explanation, given the location in California and the fact that it's a well-known spot (at least to the local swim club!)
Well, the road in is ROUGH. That's my only explanation...
Hey TVR, up at bowman lake,CA there's a old mine with the stamps still there. It's on the opposite side of the lake from the road. Have you checked that out yet? Just wondering if it's still there.,. Upper Yuba river....M
It's called the Yellow Metal Mine and it's an interesting one. You can find the video of it on this channel...
What a shame, when I was there it was totally intact. Friggin idiots...thanks...
can you pass on any tips or suggestions so the viewers and fans can go out and explore mines too ?
I wonder how the miners kept the glory hole from being flooded. That's a lot of water coming down the canyon. Are there any signs of the river being diverted?
No, the river wasn't diverted. They used the crane to lift out rocks and placer material along with scuba divers as I understand it...
hmmmm, scuba miners.
@@Buck1954 When dredging was still legal in California, that's how most miners did it...
There was so much equipment left at the mine, do you think they had intended to reopen it again someday?
That's often the hope or dream... It rarely seems to happen.
Nice one, that's a lot of quartz!
Thank you. Yes, they must have been into some good gold with this one to justify the cost of the stamp mill, Pelton Wheel, etc....
I was at this location recently and found an opening that you didnt either find or didnt show us. I was not prepared to go into the mine but I'm really curious to know how far it goes. It is very close to the crane camp. the opening is hidden by by a tree and a bunch of plants.
Did you check the second video in this series? Some of those mines were just past the crane camp... If it isn't one of those, then, no, we didn't know about it. There is a LOT of stuff back in that canyon. If it isn't one of those we checked out in the second video, go ahead and email me the details about the location to TVRExploring@gmail.com and I'll get back there and check it out for you.
Going up river, one should look under large boulders and pools for gold nuggets lodged there. I would always bring a metal detector when exploring mines. You never know when a really nice prize might buzz and be worth a small fortune by day's end.
Hey Justin, great work on you videos. I spend most my summer in the Yuba River and would love to go to that deep swimming hole. Any chance you could point me in the right direction..?
where is this located in the yuba River. the swimming hole.
Dude can I come exploring with you? Just want to take pictures of the views. 5th Generation here in GV. And your going places I’ve always wanted to explore but never had the chance!
Great Great grand father and Great grandfather where legit miners back in the day
My family owns some property on the Middle Fork Yuba, there are over 7 mines there, I know where three are. Any interest in exploring them?
Yes, we would definitely be interested in checking them out. Thank you.
That was some beautiful country, in my mind Edan rebirthed.
Well said.
Really cool operation! It's sometimes hard to figure out why so much equipment is left at a mine but if the ore paid for it, it wasn't worth the trouble but it's different with equipment that is self propelled like caterpillars. I suppose there's the possibility that they weren't worth taking due to repairs needed but obviously they ran enough to get parked in the tool shed. Looking at that thick layer of quartz I can imagine it was a tough decision to not try drilling and blasting 'just one more time' in case five more feet in would reveal a vein of beautiful free gold. What they wouldn't give for a coring bit.
Did you happen to notice what looked like drill holes at 14:45, center of the frame on the right side of the bank just slightly upstream from the glory hole? They looked a bit large for standard drill bits but they didn't really look natural. How much gold is under the other masses of rock? No doubt they scoured every catch pool for a distance up and down stream but there has to be more hiding, forever now that California won't let miners blast the crap out of the natural beauty any more. I'm sure we'd feel guilty going back in time, abusing the land, if we knew what we know now, but all that gold, just waiting...
I don't know if it's that big of deal but flow stone stops forming from the oil on the fingers. I don't think it matters unless there's some magnificent growth that's going to be accessed by others. I mention that because I caught hell for reaching toward some in one of the cave systems in Missouri. The guide threatened to throw me out of the boat and down a whirl pool if I tried it again. Loved the video, thanks again!
Thank you. Yes, I thought that placer operation with the crane was really cool. We've heard a rumor that more than a million dollars worth of gold was taken out of that pit before the 1970s. So, if you consider the price of gold at the time, that is a lot of gold! With a return like that, they needn't have bothered with the equipment much. I can only imagine how much gold is down in that pit now... I believe those holes at 14:45 were created by the water. It's extraordinary to see, but there are a lot of holes like that in the rocks along the Yuba River that have been carved out over thousands of years by silt-laden water swirling around. I didn't know about the oils on our hands blocking the formation of the flowstone. Good thing that Chuck is the bad guy in this one! Yes, I can imagine there was a fierce temptation to keep pushing inside of that adit for another gold-laden quartz vein. I don't know if you read the description or not, but there were actually four adits at that site. So, they were poking all over the canyon wall there for gold.
Thanks for the response. I keep telling myself to try to get a handle on my comments and questions but I did wonder about the holes.By the way, if they mined in 1972 and held onto the gold until 1975 they would have way more than doubled their money. It went from $139 in 1975 to $1061in 2015 but people with that much far sight are few and far between.
ill bet they only messed with the glory hole , to much huge overburden in shallow river, you gotta remember the old timers only went for the easy stuff called high-grading because gold was only worth 20$ an ounce till the 1970's.
Love your videos! A question and probably one you get asked time and time again. When you have made multiple turns etc how do you retrace your root?
Actually you're the first to ask... I use a system called "Right Hand Rules." What that means is that anytime I come to a fork, I always go to the right. This way, if I get turned around, I can start walking back and if I only take turns to the left, I will return to my starting point. Of course, you could do "Left Hand Rules" as well. Fortunately, I have never had to use this backup system as I have always been able to retrace my steps. However, it is there if I ever need it and given how confusing some mines are, I expect I'll need it eventually.
I didn't see any evidence of a dam or flume at the river. It would be interesting to know how they diverted the water to access the glory hole.
Apparently, in the past, there was a flume. However, it is my understanding that divers went down with hoses during the decades when it was last worked. The crane would scoop out the waste rock and boulders during that time as well.
great a new video!
I try to publish every Wednesday... "Try" being the operative word.
say do you recall how I remarked on all the rounded rocks and how you said they would go in till they found the ancient river beds well there is a guy mokpot who frequently dives an as he puts it AN American river.....in the video I see the same plastered rocks and sediments in walls as he goes looking for lost treasures....if by chance you may look in to it and go looking for gold....just saying....
Ha, mining is to much work for me! I love watching other people do it, but I don't know enough myself to make the work worth it...
did you ever find out the amout of gold that came out of that area ??
Much of the work in this region was done in the early days of California's "Gold Rush" era and so there aren't records from that period of time. It must have been quite a lot though...
That generator is a 50s model Detroit or earlier the Detroit engines changed in the 60s n 70s
Thank you.
TVR - Those Bulldozers are the same size as my 1951 Caterpillar D-2 Bulldozer , so I'd have to say their age is 1950's or earlier.
I didn't realize they were that old, but that makes sense with everything else we know about this mine.
those are john deere 1010 or 2010 crawlers early to mid 1960's
We're are you in California? Heck looks like a good place to go off grid.
Yeah, despite its population, there are still some real remote parts of California.
In early 80s helper and I working tributary
With backpack dredge open land. Getting
Good Gold when a Camo Armed M16 individual w/ two of the Biggest Killer Dogs ever seen. Told us we were Trespassing and leave. Forrest Service said they Pot Farmers. Dangerous situation. Guy helping me about had a Heart attack.
Very cool mines I bet they got a lot of gold out of them.
Yes, some of them did extremely well!
Is this in California
im actually going to buy a house in yubba city do you mind pm where this mind is at i was going to explore the river and try and find one
Nice find..
Thank you.
Howdy do you guys ever look for gold
Haha, nah, mining's too much work! Sometimes we'll spot flakes of gold in placer gravels or in a vein inside of a lode mine, but we leave it alone...
Those dozers are probably from the 50's, maybe 60's. They didn't have any roll over protection so I couldn't imagine them being much older then that. Unless they cut it off which isn't unheard of...
Given what David Howard said about visiting in the late 60s/early 70s those dates for the bulldozers make perfect sense... Miners certainly like to tinker with things and modify them, but I don't recall seeing any sign of a cage or rollover protection being hacked off.
My grandfather was a miner so I'm well aware of the tinkering LoL!! I've even seen his name in a video once, which was a MAJOR trip! But I digress. I'm going off memory so hopefully I don't screw this up, most equipment was red or brown up until the early fifties, then the yellows, greens and blues came out. Late 60's early 70's started seeing a lot more standardized safety equipment, but they did have a metal sun 'awning' that gave the driver a tiny bit of protection, as early as the 20's I believe.
Ha, yes, you'll know all about the tinkering then... Yes, I have seen early dozers with the sun 'awning' you mentioned. I hadn't thought about the changing color schemes before, but since you described it, yes, I have noticed that in museums and vintage machinery shows. Interesting stuff. Thank you for pointing that out.
I'm sorry, it sounds as if your father paid a high price for the work he did. I imagine there are a number of things we're exposing ourselves to now (endocrine disruptors?) that future generations will look back on and shake their heads in wonder about, just as we now look back at what previous generations were exposed to and do the same...
Agreed. He's been gone nearly two decades now & suffered tremendously his last ten yrs of life due to lung cancer from smoking/drinking & exposure to toxins on the job. He wasn't a miner, but many a family friend & relative was (I grew up in WV), so I've seen the good, bad, & ugly inherent in the industry. Hopefully, we're learning as we work & live, so as to limit these incidences & do better by subsequent generations. Thx for the response, I look forward to exploring more via yr videos in the near future.
Again, it boggles me that they would just leave equipment like bulldozers behind rather than hauling them out and selling them. There's no way that wouldn't have been profitable. Bulldozers aren't exactly cheap pieces of equipment.
Overall it's amazing how good a shape that workshop and cabin are in. Those bunks look they they could still be usable rather than being all decayed. It's a shame some people make trips all the way to isolated locations such at that, only to vandalize them. What a waste.
All in all a good vid, and that river is absolutely beautiful. My kind of country!
Thank you. Yes, that is a beautiful area... It is a shame that someone broke into the cabin and workshop because, as you observed, everything was in great shape inside. Of course, with winter upon us, they won't stay that way for long.
Any chance of doing a poor man's repair job while you're at the sites you visit? Bring a hammer and a box of nails or something like that to help preserve locations?
Given how much gear we're already packing in, it would be tough to haul in construction tools as well.
*Nods* Fair enough. It's just seeing that stuff makes me want to try and preserve it if possible somehow.
as i understand its on private land.
glad you made it up there justin alot more stuff up there two or three more adits on the cabin side three more on the other side of the river drone was close to the adits on the other side of river owner told me ore carts still on the hill but no been up there in yrs and yes use to be a tram going up the hill and they deverted the water past the glory hole with the flumes that are still laying around couple spots upstream also that you can cross on low water hope no one post the real name and the owners got cameras
Yes, we could tell there was a lot more higher up the canyon walls that we were missing because of the heavy brush. I flew the drone around a lot more than is shown in the video to try and spot more mine sites, but the vegetation was just too thick. I'd love to find that spot with the ore carts... Ah, that is interesting about them diverting the water around the glory hole. I didn't know they did that, but it makes perfect sense. There is a lot of history in that area...
Most comfortable mine I've been in to date.
Man, isn't that the truth...
that was a fibre glass ladder in the kitchen area which at best is 1980s genra or later o some body has been stripping the mine out for scrap gold or stripping rights?
I'm not sure of the deal with that mine.
Where is Yuba river?
It's in California.
Bummer
3:44 did anyone else see the spooky face in the rock?
Those old miners must have been all grit & gricle !
They were tough, that's for sure...
oh hey, your in my backyard! cool
What fork of the Yuba is this?
How in Gods name do these miners hump virtually tons of heavy equipment up these questionable roads? Another serious recce TVR. Thanks so much.
A very good question! I can only imagine that it is a little bit at a time.
Due to the popularity of the swimming hole, I would probably only work the glory hole during hours when tourism was low, and then shut down in time for people to come enjoy it like a park.
If it had a land claim on it, I might be greedy and charge .50 per day per person, but then I would also hire a life guard and leave a diving locker on site for rescues.
I could even see renting diving gear to people who wanted to snipe gold from the bottom as long as they were diving certified and minded all the normal diving safety rules.
And then, if they wanted to sell it, I would have a person there most days of the week to buy any gold off of them at spot price.
And I would put in a little refreshments stand, some dining and sanitary facilities safely away from the water to prevent contamination [and to keep my low durability goods from storm, flood, landslide and avalanche type damage].
Do you guys ever just brake some off. Crush it throw in a pan? Temptation, gold fever, what ever you want to call it.
No, we're just there for the history...
I love what I saw of the old equipment and building's shame people have to destroy things
Yes, there was some great equipment at the second mine! It is indeed a shame that people have to destroy things just for the sake of destroying them... There are many things people do that I consider a shame.
Yeah I Yuba River my friends had gold claims up there one of them was by a mine called the Spanish mine you might want to see if you can find that one that one's awesome we used to have Campground right there next to the river on Earth with our gold claim and we can't be out there all the time drinking beer Raisin Hell shooting guns and going through all of the caves in Old Mines the Spanish mines there is old houses there and on the side of the mountains there's all kinds of gold mines around there somewhere off of 85 Highway 85 as you're headed to Lake Tahoe I sure like to go back there now I live in Washington
You were living life right back then.
I never understood mineing, it looks interesting but, like why dnt they just drop a big ass reckon ball on top of the mounting rock and look gmfor gold that way instead of, digging ? 👏👌😁🤷♂️🤷♂️
Having some trouble finding part two. (Not very good with computers). 🙃
Cut and paste the the title of this video into UA-cam's search bar and the other videos should come up...
TVR Exploring Thanks 👍
Lots of equipment left behind.
We're frequently amazed by the amount of equipment that miners leave behind!
so why do people just abandon this stuff
That's one we have speculated about before too... In some cases it is more effort to haul all of the equipment out than it is worth, in others the miners are so disgusted by the whole wasted effort that they just walk away - the reasons are endless.
Looks like it could be an activemining claim.
I know where that glorified dredging operation is and it's name of you'd like to know it.
Thank you. Yes, I know the name, but I am usually evasive about the locations in order to not draw the Forest Service into destroying the site or even to just bring in more vandals...
TVR Exploring I know some sighs on a different fork of that river that are fairly intact if you're interested. All I have is a smart phone though so I can't send private messages.
If you're referring to a fork that takes off to the left when headed upriver, we may have documented those as well on a later trip. I'd love to trade some ideas with you. Do you have email?
I wonder why either the state, local, or federal government hasn’t required these mining areas to be cleaned up?
Do you have any idea how many old mines there are in California? Look up an old mine registry map sometime. Thousands and thousands. and that’s just what modern people know about, not including all the places that were never reported or were lost. It’s actually a huge problem, what with all the chemicals that make their way into the environment. They try their best to get the really bad spots taken care of, but there’s just so much it’s impossible to get it all
people were jumping from the crane at least until as recently as 2015....wtf
Yeah, I heard they took it down in 2016 or 2017. It sucks to have just missed it...
Hey I need some new countertops cut me a slab of that stuff!