I found this channel actually at my local Alamo draft house theatre in Texas . One of your videos was being shown on the big screen before the actual previews (30 mins before movie actually starts). They had your channel name and everything, your videos looked interesting hence why I am now subscribed. 👍
Hmmm.... Very interesting! Will have to look into it! Do you remember what video of mine was being previewed? Horton Mine videos by any chance? But at least you found my channel, so that is pretty awesome! Thanks for subscribing, too! I upload new content on the 1st, 10th, and 20th of each month, so stay tuned for that. Always feel free to comment or ask questions on any video. I really do try to answer them all if I can. Glad to have you aboard, and thanks again for the heads-up regarding the theater over there in Texas.
It was the video where you were going into a mine, but didn't want to go any further because you said you felt a presence. Also the chain moved when you tried going in further. I don't remember the name of it, I'm sorry. Yeah we were going to watch the Blair Witch movie & the draft house shows previews from the internet mainly before the movie, that's how I found this channel. I will check out the new videos when I can :) No problem. Well now you know, you were technically on the big screen :) Have a great one. Sorry took long to respond, I lost the notification with others.
In Goldfield, Nevada 4 miles south of town is a dirt road. I don't want to say the name of the road. I own a mine about 10 off the 95 frwy on that road. There are so many mines in this area it literally blows your mind away. BLM has been making it harder on us who own a mine or have claims. Kinross is trying to buy the entire area so they can do a huge open pit mine. Just like they have near the Horton mine at Round Mountain. Its a perfect place to heap leach mine without anyone seeing it. You should make your way out there before they do destroy all those historic mines. At Round Mountain gold mine there so deep with there open pit. Whats interesting is there still hitting shafts that were dug in the 1800's. How they did work like that in the day is the great thing about mining history. Take care
Frank, in my 60 years of exploring abandoned mines, I went to SW Colorado in the San Juan mountains in the Ouray/Telluride areas 28 years exploring the mining camps and mines on my trail bikes (motorcycles) every September for 10 days on each trip. It is the most rugged and beautiful place in the world, where every one of the hundreds of roads and trails go to a mining camp or mine with so much equipment and mills still there. A friend of mine who went with me just gave me to big books about the area with great old photos and details about mining in the old days. Two bits of interesting info were, a " tunnel "has to have 2 openings, as coming out the other side of the mountain, otherwise, it is an adit. Also, what we call the tailings outside the mine are really called "waste rock", as "tailings are all the yellow stuff after the ore has been sent through the mill.
Ah, you were exploring mines back in the day when they were still all open, untouched, and chock full of artifacts! Nowadays, there isn't much left, and various government agencies are hell-bent on sealing off as many as they can because of the over-hyped "danger" myth. Glad you enjoyed the video, though. Thank you for taking the time to watch and comment. I'm sure you have some great stories about what it was like to explore these mines back in the day. Feel free to leave a reply and regale us with some of those stories. Would love to hear them!
There are several hundred thousand abandoned mines spread across California, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, Idaho, New Mexico, and Arizona. It's a never-ending supply!
Hi Frank and Graham another awesome video in the books. And one to remember. Any changes in voice, sounds, or odd feeling you get is very true. Always trust you gut feeling about these places, you guys have very good judgment as I watch you videos from the beginning. Those place with the rock stack you are so correct they didn't want to haul that worthless stuff out to cut cost! Those wide big areas close by those stacked rocks, are what we call pillared areas meaning take everything, those are perhaps the most dangerous place in a abandon mine! They do that when a mine plays out and it not profitable to go any further. Where the ore is at it widest form and they take it all. I'm sure you know most of this. I just wanted to share what I seen through your video. Thank you and always be safe. I know it's not easy bringing this to us and my hats off to you both! Again Thank You.
Thanks for your comment, brotha! The enormity of the stopes doesn't come across very well in the video. They were huge! I agree that it was a never-ending maze.
Wow!!!! What an amazing mine, Frank...I was just imagining how easy it would be to get so lost and disoriented in there without a guideline, at least from camera perspective I got seriously disoriented as you progressed...What a massive amount of blasting and digging and stacking and mucking....Just totally enormous amount of work in there...Very Impressive....Thanks for sharing and Keep Safe You Guys!!!
Another great video Frank! That is certainly one huge mine! Thanks again for taking us along and as always, I can't wait for the next one! And, I loved that lizard!
Thanks for chiming in! I liked the lizard, too. There were actually two of them there. They did seem friendly but not friendly enough to allow me to pick them up.
Whew, what a big mine! Looks like the sloped ceiling was where two formations came together and they dug out the one???? Great set of videos, that mine looks super dangerous with all the stopes, twist, turns, false floors, cracks in the portals and crumbly walls. But SUPER cool. Thanks a lot for the awesome video
It was a pretty extensive mine, that's true. I think you're correct about the sloped ceiling being where the two formations came together. This was a silver mine from what little I know, so there must've been a lot of silver in the ore body they removed. I would bet there is still silver in this mine. A lot of it, too. Thanks for your comment, man!
Indeed you are lucky to have so many mines to explore. Here in South Africa all mines are deep shafts, and we also have the deepest gold mine in the world which is 2.4 miles deep, the Mponeng gold mine. Thanks for another great video.
I'm sure glad you guys do this mine exploring. Just wanted to say thank you guys four sharing. I got disabled so I watch you guys. I miss doing stuff like this. Also your knowledge of mines and professional making these video's is the best on you tube.
+Joseph GEIS Thanks, Joseph! Always glad to hear from viewers who are enjoying the videos and getting something out of them. Thank you for your support!
The tunnels with all of the gobbing on both sides reminded me of the mysterious tunnels in New England that were built in a similar way. That false floor was scary too. And that collapsed portal near the end of the video is a good example of what will become of those other tunnels in the future. It's a good thing you documented them! Also, that one part when the draft of air increased was pretty disquieting. Great video, Frank! ⛏⛏⛏
I know that New England site you are talking about. I can't think of its name right now, though. They aren't sure who built that or when. Thanks, Ben, for commenting! Yes, the sudden increase in the airflow in that one tunnel after Graham had gone in was strange. Graham said he didn't do anything while inside the tunnel that would've created that sudden increase in airflow. I thought maybe he might've opened a door or something.
This is probably one of the coolest mines you have filmed. I was wondering what false floors looked like and they made gobbing an art lol. Thank you for the video and education Frank!
Excellent vid Frank, talk about a lot of gobbing I've never seen that much gobbing within a mine itself. I think your theory is correct with the mine being 8 miles of tunnels they just stacked the rock within the rather than h hauling it outside of the mine. overall awesome find, awesome exploration and as always highly appreciated from a viewers point of view. keep the vids coming and stay safe doing it....
Love the enthusiasm, David! I really appreciate that. Thanks for your comment. The next video goes live on Tuesday, September 20th at midnight (Pacific Time).
Great video Frank, one massive mine I wonder how much gold they got out of it, I have never seen one larger than that with all its workings it must have taken a lot of time just to do the gobbing. I will pass your video along on my FB page for my friends to see. Regards Tom
+Tom Larkins I appreciate you taking the time to watch and comment, Tom! Thanks! I believe they mined silver here and not gold. I think it did produce a large amount of silver back in its day, but as I mentioned in other replies to other comments, it was very difficult to find information on this mine in old mining reports. I don't know why that is. Thank you, too, for posting the link onto your Facebook page. Are you still getting out and exploring sites yourself?
Not as much as I use too, just a little gold panning hear and their when I get a chance and some hiking it's hard when it's just you out there in case of something happens you have no back up.
WOW! That was amazing to say the least. One has to wonder if that were part of an ancient cave system they mined in, the smooth sloping ceiling and walls didn't show any obvious sign of tools or blasting. Thanks again Frank. Take care
I don't know if there was a natural cave there or not. The smooth ceilings were interesting, though. Don't see that too often in these mines. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Wow that is just a damn enormous mine. With the amount of gobbing I can guess they hauled a crap load of ore out. Interesting how right at the beginning after you came up from the main adit the roof looked like an untouched piece of rock. Those false floors are scary on a good day. It's the ones like you showed that were undercut that I think are the most dangerous. When you see a winze, raise, even an ore chute you know to be cautious. Can you imagine if any one of those upper platforms holding that gobbing in the stopes gave way. Talk about an air blast. You guys be safe as always.
I was in an abandoned mine Thursday night. We climbed up a short sloping passageway to enter a large stope. When we turned around to leave and were back in the sloping passageway, I looked up and saw directly overhead a clogged raise with a huge boulder wedged in it! Granted, the boulder probably has no chance of letting go, but it was unnerving nonetheless. Yes, that false floor I showed in this video was pretty amazing to see from underneath. I don't know if saw the part of the video towards the end where Graham entered that one lower tunnel while I waited outside. There was a sudden increase in the airflow as I was filming the tunnel after he went in. That was kind of strange. I thought maybe Graham had done something while insde the tunnel such as opening a door or something. He said he didn't. Thanks, Doc, for your comment!
The funny thing is that when your a miner you just take a lot of that for granted but in reality a seam that you can't even see in a rock wall can give in an instant. My father told me of an instant where two miners were killed by shifting rock that happened so fast when they got their bodies out one of them still had a cigarette in his mouth.
Excited to wake up and see the "new video posted" alert. Wow, this one was so unlike most other mines. The high stopes, the gobbing, etc. fascinating to journey through with you two. Frank, some tunnels looked low, did you need to stoop along at some points?
+Tanya Davis Thanks, Tanya! Yes, some of the tunnels were a bit low. You can imagine the difficulty Graham had in some of those areas being that he is 6'4" tall. I remember that for a large portion of the tunnels, we had to constantly walk stooped over which is hard on one's neck and upper back.
+qsr7.11 I think somebody else made a similar comment. I tend to agree with you, but I have no way of verifying whether or not natural caves were already present in the area before the mine was dug.
Yes there was! Hand-stacked gobbing. Those old miners sure had a rough, thankless job. I'm glad that their work can be shown to the world now through these videos so that others can appreciate what it must've been like to be a miner back in the day.
+Rob The Dog Thanks, man! There have been a few clunkers in the video department, but not many. Glad to hear you are enjoying them. I love hearing that!
Another great video! Have you ever thought of getting something like the OSMO from DJI? I would think using it with a extension arm could get those shots that are to dangerous with a hand held? Would also help with the stabilization and pans. Just a Idea. Keep up the great work, and be safe.
Wondering how you don't get lost. Someone posted that you mark with spray paint when you come to one of the many intersections. But I've watched scores of your vids so far, and many times the filming isnt paused, etc, you just forge ahead. And the overhead stuff is dicey s hell-no fasteners, just timber wedged into place. I'm posting alot of comments and questions tonight-binge watching your channel. Thanks again
+672E galaxie No, we've never used spray paint. Believe it or not, it is very hard to get lost in these mines. They usually are only one way in and one way out. Any branching tunnels lead to a dead end. There have only been one or two mines that I have been in where one would have to keep track of the route one took due to how massive and extensive they were. These mines had 10 or 12 levels and had literally miles and miles of tunnels with many, many branching tunnels going off everywhere. Thanks for your comments and questions!
Great video Frank, I been trying to get around to watching it sooner but been so busy. Them false floors are a scary thought! We have the same in our mines although it would probably be more of a fall to deep water and drown in the dark for us! F***ing scary stuff! Quite funny when you refer to the rocks as Gobbing, over here we just call them Deads. I will mention that to the team next time we go and see what they say, there's probably quite a few names for it in the mining world. Love the massive stope, imagine having to climb up that every day to work! Great mine to explore though, looked amazing, worth a trip back to see the rest of it?
+Cornish Mine Explorer Thanks for your comment! I don't have any plans to return to this particular site. We covered pretty much all of it. The only thing that would be left to do would be to climb up (and down) into more of those stopes. Interesting to hear that you guys call the waste rocks "deads." I think you are correct - there are probably a lot of different, colorful names for various things related to mining which vary from region to region.
We found five portals at different elevations. I think there are more. That one portal you see in this video that I went into by myself was probably the main portal. However, as shown in the video, it was collapsed about 30 feet in which cuts-off those workings forever. Those tunnels on that level, though, might be accessible through a stope.
No close calls in this mine despite it being very extensive. Fortunately, the close calls are few and far between. But yes -- I agree that they do make for a more exciting video. Thanks for commenting!
In a lot of these abandoned mines, the ore cart tracks were removed decades ago. They either used the tracks in other mines or someone removed them for scrap metal. There would have been ore cart tracks all through this mine, no doubt.
The pink ribbons were probably markers that a survey team left behind from who knows how long ago. The ribbons actually were useful because they indicated the path to take in the mine.
Wow that mine is just massive!! Thank you again another great video! Do you have plans on exploring that last mine that Graham came out of which was another big mine? Was there any other artifacts in those little sheds in the mining camp?
That last tunnel that Graham entered led to the lowest levels of the mine we were documenting. It was just more of the same according to Graham -- more tunnels with stopes and gobbing. I really didn't venture any farther into those cabins than what you saw in the video. They were too rickety and had too many rodent droppings in them.
+kelvin williamson It certainly was an amazing mine and really extensive. We estimate that of the approximate 8 miles of tunnels supposedly in it, only about a third of those are accessible today. Here in Part 2, that one tunnel I enter that was totally collapsed not too far in was another main entrance to the mine, so all of the tunnels on that level are inaccessible.
They certainly don’t decay, do they? Thanks for your comment, Chris! This was a pretty amazing mine, but I think a good portion of it is no longer accessible. There was supposed to be 8 miles of tunnels or something like that, but I don’t think we encountered that kind of tunneling. The amount of air blowing out of the portal was pretty amazing, and I thought it made for some good video footage at the beginning of this video. Gotta love that air circulation!
Thanks, man! No, there have been some other viewers and fans from south of the border. Glad to have you along, too! Thanks for watching and commenting. I appreciate your support.
Hey Frank, always great to see your tape(?). I wonder if you have used a pedometer, as you make your way from one historical jewell to the next? Awesome job brother, and it is such a wonderful distraction from the every day humdrum. You are the best!,
+Doug Simerly Thanks, Doug! No, I have never used a pedometer while traversing through these abandoned mine tunnels. Might be something to consider doing, though. Always super excited to hear when a viewer such as yourself is enjoying the videos and getting something out of them. I really appreciate hearing that. Thanks again!
I don’t think so. I think the black stains are from rodent waste that has collected over the many, many decades that the mine has been abandoned. I’m not totally sure, however.
At around the 1:50 - 1:57 mark in the video, watch the gobbing on the right side. Some thing seems to squirrel away in to the gobbing as you get closer to it.
awesome stuff as always! but what creates the strong draft coming from that last mine? the air has to be entering the mine from somewhere in order for air to flow out like that. so would there be a second entrance somewhere but with air flowing in?
+TubbyTronPwnzU There were multiple entrances to this mine all over the mountain. The mine's levels are all interconnected via the stopes and internal winzes. That creates strong airflow.
Hey, big fan of your channel! I think you have got some serious guts investigating some of these spooky decrepit old mines like you do! The fact that you go to these crazy places makes it that much more exciting to watch. One question: have you ever come across anything paranormal like ghosts of dead miners or something? I saw your mine video that had those noisy owls in it and that was pretty freaky itself! So: any ghost encounters?
+Exploring Abandoned Mines Awesome! Since I have you, a few more questions: have you ever encountered "bad air" before? I imagine miners usually empty all the valuable deposits, but have you ever come across any ore deposits of value with precious metals? Thanks for the Q+A and keep exploring, your channel is one of my favourites on UA-cam!
I have been in three mines that had "Bad Air" posted at the portals. Never encountered any. Animals such as bats and mice were also living in those same three mines. As far as finding valuable ore left in these mines, I never look for it. I'm just not interested in mining for minerals at these sites. I am sure, though, that many of these mines still have valuable ore left in them. One the price of a certain ore gets high enough, maybe an abandoned mine that has that kind of ore in it will be re-opened by a mining company. The pink ribbons hanging from the ceiling in this video is an example of that. Those ribbons were survey markers of some kind.
Nice vid once again , you are correct miners used gob walls to not only support the backs but also to only haul ore out of the mine , waste does not pay to be handled any more than necessary . The pink ribbons hanging from the ceiling are used by geologists or surveyors to map the workings as they sample . I have mapped many mines this way and it works well to orient yourself and allow you to quickly return to a sample that gave good results rather than relying on searching for numbers alone . Buy using a combination of brunton compass and string box or tape very accurate maps can be quickly made , esp if you measure left and right of centerline everywhere there is a change in the ribs or back .
the term " Gob or Gobbing " originated with the Cornish tin miners who immigrated to the USA . they brought with them several mining terms . every term used in Mining today comes directly from the original terms used by European miners some German, Cornish, ect . Terms like adit , drift, stope winze, footwall and hanging wall for example . We use the terms to this day in modern underground mining. However some folks mistakenly call backfilling gob , The difference being Gob refers to the practice of stacking rock for walls , stoppages , or ground support and backfilling is just like it sounds using waste or concrete mixed with waste to fill an opening . Does it really matter ? depends on what group of miners you working with and how much of a noob you want to look like .lol I am heading back to a consulting project in October and Im planning on video taping some of the operation . Drilling, loading and blasting, slushing , backfilling , gobbing ,bolting and timbering . Im not a video editor or poster however if you would like a copy let me know. cheers
+jittychitty Yeah, I think it does have that older style of working in it. For as extensive as it was or is, it was difficult to find information about it in old mining reports for some reason. Not sure why that is. I do think that recent mining companies have been interested in maybe turning the area where the mine is located into a large, open pit mining operation. However, I don't know if that will ever happen because the area is pretty rugged and mountainous to some degree. I think the pink survey ribbons that are hanging in the mine are evidence that some companies possibly had been looking at it within the last decade or two.
12:58 That is the main reason why I always use a helmet when exploring caves or mines. No matter how much I pay attention to my surroundings I always hit my head on stuff.
Damn you are one of the few UA-camrs who actually read through most of the comments. Have you ever heard of caves in Bulgaria? There are about 4.500 caves. After I get a new bike I will start exploring them. Do you have any tips as far as video production?
+Alex939 I have never heard of those caves that you mentioned. I will have to look them up. Sounds interesting! As far as video production goes, you want to get a camera that works well in low light, for obvious reasons. I did a lot of research four years ago or so when I first purchased a camera. I wanted one that was rated best for low light situations. Back then, the Panasonic video cameras seemed to be the ones that were the best for low light. I have not been disappointed with the two or three Panasonic video cameras I have used during that time. Of course, having awesome lighting is also important. I use three Fenix LED flashlights. Two are on my helmet and the other I hold in my hand. I hope this information helps!
I believe those pink ribbons hanging from the ceiling are survey markers of some kind left behind by a mining company who was considering re-opening the mine.
Dang! Good eye! I had to watch that part of the video a few times before I saw the mouse myself. Mice are common in these mines. And bats. Those seem to be the main residents I've encountered. Saw a gopher snake in a mine once a few years ago. Also saw a black widow spider just inside a mine's portal a couple years ago, too.
It was initially discovered over a hundred years ago. I can't remember when it was last worked. I want to say that it was in the 1950s, but I'm not sure. I do think that a modern mining company was looking to possibly dig an open-pit mine at this mine's location, but that was quite a while ago. I think the pink ribbons inside the mine are their leftover survey markers.
+Exploring Abandoned Mines The only reason why you don't have 1 million+ subscribers by now, I think it's just a matter of awareness to this channel, countless hours of fantastic, immersive content here. In any event, you're well on your way to full-time UA-cam status, I love this, and all abandoned mine exploration channels!! Yours is the best!! :)
No, I don't carry chalk. I know these videos make the mines seem very confusing and maze-like. However, it really is only one way in and one way out. It would be very difficult to get lost in this mine. There is more of a danger of falling into one of the deep pits that have no ladders in them nor any tunnels at the bottom and becoming trapped in it with no way to climb out.
No, there won't be a Part 3. There remains a lot of underground workings to see in that mine, but I don't have any plans to return to it anytime soon. Glad you liked the video! And thanks for your comment!
I found this channel actually at my local Alamo draft house theatre in Texas . One of your videos was being shown on the big screen before the actual previews (30 mins before movie actually starts). They had your channel name and everything, your videos looked interesting hence why I am now subscribed. 👍
Hmmm.... Very interesting! Will have to look into it! Do you remember what video of mine was being previewed? Horton Mine videos by any chance? But at least you found my channel, so that is pretty awesome! Thanks for subscribing, too! I upload new content on the 1st, 10th, and 20th of each month, so stay tuned for that. Always feel free to comment or ask questions on any video. I really do try to answer them all if I can. Glad to have you aboard, and thanks again for the heads-up regarding the theater over there in Texas.
It was the video where you were going into a mine, but didn't want to go any further because you said you felt a presence. Also the chain moved when you tried going in further. I don't remember the name of it, I'm sorry. Yeah we were going to watch the Blair Witch movie & the draft house shows previews from the internet mainly before the movie, that's how I found this channel. I will check out the new videos when I can :) No problem. Well now you know, you were technically on the big screen :) Have a great one. Sorry took long to respond, I lost the notification with others.
In Goldfield, Nevada 4 miles south of town is a dirt road. I don't want to say the name of the road. I own a mine about 10 off the 95 frwy on that road. There are so many mines in this area it literally blows your mind away. BLM has been making it harder on us who own a mine or have claims. Kinross is trying to buy the entire area so they can do a huge open pit mine. Just like they have near the Horton mine at Round Mountain. Its a perfect place to heap leach mine without anyone seeing it. You should make your way out there before they do destroy all those historic mines. At Round Mountain gold mine there so deep with there open pit. Whats interesting is there still hitting shafts that were dug in the 1800's. How they did work like that in the day is the great thing about mining history. Take care
Frank, in my 60 years of exploring abandoned mines, I went to SW Colorado in the San Juan mountains in the Ouray/Telluride areas 28 years exploring the mining camps and mines on my trail bikes (motorcycles) every September for 10 days on each trip. It is the most rugged and beautiful place in the world, where every one of the hundreds of roads and trails go to a mining camp or mine with so much equipment and mills still there. A friend of mine who went with me just gave me to big books about the area with great old photos and details about mining in the old days. Two bits of interesting info were, a " tunnel "has to have 2 openings, as coming out the other side of the mountain, otherwise, it is an adit. Also, what we call the tailings outside the mine are really called "waste rock", as "tailings are all the yellow stuff after the ore has been sent through the mill.
This is a very unique mine - I've never seen gobbing like that before and that stope was just incredible.
It's the ever lasting gobbing stopper!!! :o
Thanks, Justin! Yeah, there were loads of gobbing in this one. Pretty cool to see.
Watching this brings back memories. I used to explore Northern California 1800's Mother Lode drift mines.
Ah, you were exploring mines back in the day when they were still all open, untouched, and chock full of artifacts! Nowadays, there isn't much left, and various government agencies are hell-bent on sealing off as many as they can because of the over-hyped "danger" myth. Glad you enjoyed the video, though. Thank you for taking the time to watch and comment. I'm sure you have some great stories about what it was like to explore these mines back in the day. Feel free to leave a reply and regale us with some of those stories. Would love to hear them!
You sure are lucky to have so many mines to explore, great videos!
Where I am there's a couple Haunted places but nobody will let you in them
+It'sYoBoi Chubrock If those haunted places are graveyards it's understandable. Everyone's dying to get in!!! Nyuk Nyuk Nyuk!
+ADIT ADDICTS more like hospitals that are abandoned and hotels and everything like that
+It'sYoBoi Chubrock Unfortunately, no hospital or hotel jokes come to mind at the moment. Damn it!
There are several hundred thousand abandoned mines spread across California, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, Idaho, New Mexico, and Arizona. It's a never-ending supply!
Hi Frank and Graham another awesome video in the books. And one to remember.
Any changes in voice, sounds, or odd feeling you get is very true.
Always trust you gut feeling about these places, you guys have very good judgment as I watch you videos from the beginning.
Those place with the rock stack you are so correct they didn't want to haul that worthless stuff out to cut cost!
Those wide big areas close by those stacked rocks, are what we call pillared areas meaning take everything, those are perhaps the most dangerous place in a abandon mine!
They do that when a mine plays out and it not profitable to go any further.
Where the ore is at it widest form and they take it all.
I'm sure you know most of this. I just wanted to share what I seen through your video. Thank you and always be safe. I know it's not easy bringing this to us and my hats off to you both! Again Thank You.
+bigsky12001 Thank you for your detailed comment. I appreciate your insight.
Excellent! A never-ending maze of exploration! Those large caverns were most impressive.
Thanks for your comment, brotha! The enormity of the stopes doesn't come across very well in the video. They were huge! I agree that it was a never-ending maze.
Wow!!!! What an amazing mine, Frank...I was just imagining how easy it would be to get so lost and disoriented in there without a guideline, at least from camera perspective I got seriously disoriented as you progressed...What a massive amount of blasting and digging and stacking and mucking....Just totally enormous amount of work in there...Very Impressive....Thanks for sharing and Keep Safe You Guys!!!
Another great video Frank! That is certainly one huge mine! Thanks again for taking us along and as always, I can't wait for the next one! And, I loved that lizard!
Thanks for chiming in! I liked the lizard, too. There were actually two of them there. They did seem friendly but not friendly enough to allow me to pick them up.
Wow that was one massive mine!! It amazes me that you guys continue to find such awesome explores!!!! Thanks for sharing this one.
Thank you for your comment! We really appreciate it.
great video guys ...
Thank you for watching and commenting!
Wow, crazy workings at that mine! Thanks for the great tour!
Whew, what a big mine! Looks like the sloped ceiling was where two formations came together and they dug out the one???? Great set of videos, that mine looks super dangerous with all the stopes, twist, turns, false floors, cracks in the portals and crumbly walls. But SUPER cool. Thanks a lot for the awesome video
It was a pretty extensive mine, that's true. I think you're correct about the sloped ceiling being where the two formations came together. This was a silver mine from what little I know, so there must've been a lot of silver in the ore body they removed. I would bet there is still silver in this mine. A lot of it, too. Thanks for your comment, man!
Indeed you are lucky to have so many mines to explore. Here in South Africa all mines are deep shafts, and we also have the deepest gold mine in the world which is 2.4 miles deep, the Mponeng gold mine. Thanks for another great video.
Yes that is one deep mine! Super hot down there too!
simontay1984 very active mine, still producing record amounts of gold per tonne of ore.
I'm sure glad you guys do this mine exploring. Just wanted to say thank you guys four sharing. I got disabled so I watch you guys. I miss doing stuff like this. Also your knowledge of mines and professional making these video's is the best on you tube.
+Joseph GEIS Thanks, Joseph! Always glad to hear from viewers who are enjoying the videos and getting something out of them. Thank you for your support!
Awesome videos, thanks for sharing.
+tread Marsh Thank you for taking the time to watch and comment.
HEy another gem that i am 4 years late for...well gonna watch it now :D
Thanks, man! This was a pretty extensive mine.
The tunnels with all of the gobbing on both sides reminded me of the mysterious tunnels in New England that were built in a similar way. That false floor was scary too. And that collapsed portal near the end of the video is a good example of what will become of those other tunnels in the future. It's a good thing you documented them! Also, that one part when the draft of air increased was pretty disquieting. Great video, Frank! ⛏⛏⛏
I know that New England site you are talking about. I can't think of its name right now, though. They aren't sure who built that or when. Thanks, Ben, for commenting! Yes, the sudden increase in the airflow in that one tunnel after Graham had gone in was strange. Graham said he didn't do anything while inside the tunnel that would've created that sudden increase in airflow. I thought maybe he might've opened a door or something.
Very impressive! Thanks for the adventure!
Thanks, Jim! I think the most impressive thing about this mine was the extensive nature of the tunnels and all of that stacked gobbing.
awesome vid frank! it amazes me at all the gobbing and the large stopes that were in that mine,anyway stay safe out there.
This is probably one of the coolest mines you have filmed. I was wondering what false floors looked like and they made gobbing an art lol. Thank you for the video and education Frank!
Excellent vid Frank, talk about a lot of gobbing I've never seen that much gobbing within a mine itself. I think your theory is correct with the mine being 8 miles of tunnels they just stacked the rock within the rather than h hauling it outside of the mine. overall awesome find, awesome exploration and as always highly appreciated from a viewers point of view. keep the vids coming and stay safe doing it....
+Joshua Johnson Thanks, Joshua! I appreciate your ongoing support of my channel here. And thanks for your comments.
5:59 holy shit, id never go under that stuff.
good heads up on them false floors frank , at 6.02 nice shot of underneath of one.stay safe now,
Thanks! I really liked that shot of the underside of the false floor that was suspended high above us in that one stope. Crazy!
excellent job buddy, stay safe
They did a great job stacking.
Enjoy your videos...This is the stuff I love (Exploration and Documenting for others). I need more time and less hobbies....hahaha
Thanks for watching, man! I really appreciate the support.
Wow so damn cool that was what I been waiting for all week. Man I got to get out and explore more. Nice job brother and be safe out there.
Love the enthusiasm, David! I really appreciate that. Thanks for your comment. The next video goes live on Tuesday, September 20th at midnight (Pacific Time).
Those are some tough boots. Looks like they will still be there after the cabin has wasted away.
Amazing yet again :)
+IKS Exploration - Fridays 10AM Thanks, man!
Love your vids man, keep 'em coming.
Great video Frank, one massive mine I wonder how much gold they got out of it, I have never seen one larger than that with all its workings it must have taken a lot of time just to do the gobbing. I will pass your video along on my FB page for my friends to see. Regards Tom
+Tom Larkins I appreciate you taking the time to watch and comment, Tom! Thanks! I believe they mined silver here and not gold. I think it did produce a large amount of silver back in its day, but as I mentioned in other replies to other comments, it was very difficult to find information on this mine in old mining reports. I don't know why that is. Thank you, too, for posting the link onto your Facebook page. Are you still getting out and exploring sites yourself?
Not as much as I use too, just a little gold panning hear and their when I get a chance and some hiking it's hard when it's just you out there in case of something happens you have no back up.
Yes! Made my day....woke up to my beautiful family, getting ready for gun show....and a new video!
its going to be a great day!
Thanks again
Now that doe's sound like a great day. Mine would have my kids at their grandmother's for the weekend but other than that, perfect!! lol
Thanks for your comment! Really appreciate those kind words, David!
+ADIT ADDICTS well....that would be nice....but we live 2000 miles from our family...but i get it...
+David Shreve Ouch!!
WOW! That was amazing to say the least. One has to wonder if that were part of an ancient cave system they mined in, the smooth sloping ceiling and walls didn't show any obvious sign of tools or blasting. Thanks again Frank. Take care
I don't know if there was a natural cave there or not. The smooth ceilings were interesting, though. Don't see that too often in these mines. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Thanks so much for the interesting sight we mostly don't get to see.
Well, thanks for watching and commenting! I always enjoy it when viewers are getting something out of the videos. Thanks, man!
Wow that is just a damn enormous mine. With the amount of gobbing I can guess they hauled a crap load of ore out. Interesting how right at the beginning after you came up from the main adit the roof looked like an untouched piece of rock. Those false floors are scary on a good day. It's the ones like you showed that were undercut that I think are the most dangerous. When you see a winze, raise, even an ore chute you know to be cautious. Can you imagine if any one of those upper platforms holding that gobbing in the stopes gave way. Talk about an air blast. You guys be safe as always.
I was in an abandoned mine Thursday night. We climbed up a short sloping passageway to enter a large stope. When we turned around to leave and were back in the sloping passageway, I looked up and saw directly overhead a clogged raise with a huge boulder wedged in it! Granted, the boulder probably has no chance of letting go, but it was unnerving nonetheless. Yes, that false floor I showed in this video was pretty amazing to see from underneath. I don't know if saw the part of the video towards the end where Graham entered that one lower tunnel while I waited outside. There was a sudden increase in the airflow as I was filming the tunnel after he went in. That was kind of strange. I thought maybe Graham had done something while insde the tunnel such as opening a door or something. He said he didn't. Thanks, Doc, for your comment!
The funny thing is that when your a miner you just take a lot of that for granted but in reality a seam that you can't even see in a rock wall can give in an instant. My father told me of an instant where two miners were killed by shifting rock that happened so fast when they got their bodies out one of them still had a cigarette in his mouth.
Excited to wake up and see the "new video posted" alert. Wow, this one was so unlike most other mines. The high stopes, the gobbing, etc. fascinating to journey through with you two.
Frank, some tunnels looked low, did you need to stoop along at some points?
+Tanya Davis Thanks, Tanya! Yes, some of the tunnels were a bit low. You can imagine the difficulty Graham had in some of those areas being that he is 6'4" tall. I remember that for a large portion of the tunnels, we had to constantly walk stooped over which is hard on one's neck and upper back.
Wow, some parts of the mine look like natural caves and not actual human-made tunnels, amazing!
+qsr7.11 I think somebody else made a similar comment. I tend to agree with you, but I have no way of verifying whether or not natural caves were already present in the area before the mine was dug.
A lot of beautiful gobbing in there.
Yes there was! Hand-stacked gobbing. Those old miners sure had a rough, thankless job. I'm glad that their work can be shown to the world now through these videos so that others can appreciate what it must've been like to be a miner back in the day.
Might keep the case of "Ted explorer" to give a small glimpse into the cave, please. Fondly a follower of Mexico, good job.🌪
very cool. thanks
hey frank fantastic video thanks.
could you show us the beginning of an ore Shute as I would like to see how it works.
Absolutely beautiful video as always!
Love your stuff, have yet to find a video of yours that isn't fantastic!
+Rob The Dog Thanks, man! There have been a few clunkers in the video department, but not many. Glad to hear you are enjoying them. I love hearing that!
Another great video! Have you ever thought of getting something like the OSMO from DJI? I would think using it with a extension arm could get those shots that are to dangerous with a hand held? Would also help with the stabilization and pans. Just a Idea. Keep up the great work, and be safe.
Sir Daniel Fortesque!
hank you gents for another very interesting video!
Right on, Scott! Thanks!
Wondering how you don't get lost. Someone posted that you mark with spray paint when you come to one of the many intersections. But I've watched scores of your vids so far, and many times the filming isnt paused, etc, you just forge ahead. And the overhead stuff is dicey s hell-no fasteners, just timber wedged into place. I'm posting alot of comments and questions tonight-binge watching your channel. Thanks again
+672E galaxie No, we've never used spray paint. Believe it or not, it is very hard to get lost in these mines. They usually are only one way in and one way out. Any branching tunnels lead to a dead end. There have only been one or two mines that I have been in where one would have to keep track of the route one took due to how massive and extensive they were. These mines had 10 or 12 levels and had literally miles and miles of tunnels with many, many branching tunnels going off everywhere. Thanks for your comments and questions!
Great video Frank, I been trying to get around to watching it sooner but been so busy. Them false floors are a scary thought! We have the same in our mines although it would probably be more of a fall to deep water and drown in the dark for us! F***ing scary stuff! Quite funny when you refer to the rocks as Gobbing, over here we just call them Deads. I will mention that to the team next time we go and see what they say, there's probably quite a few names for it in the mining world. Love the massive stope, imagine having to climb up that every day to work! Great mine to explore though, looked amazing, worth a trip back to see the rest of it?
+Cornish Mine Explorer Thanks for your comment! I don't have any plans to return to this particular site. We covered pretty much all of it. The only thing that would be left to do would be to climb up (and down) into more of those stopes. Interesting to hear that you guys call the waste rocks "deads." I think you are correct - there are probably a lot of different, colorful names for various things related to mining which vary from region to region.
great video that place look like a swiss cheezz with so many portal
We found five portals at different elevations. I think there are more. That one portal you see in this video that I went into by myself was probably the main portal. However, as shown in the video, it was collapsed about 30 feet in which cuts-off those workings forever. Those tunnels on that level, though, might be accessible through a stope.
it sure look like a awsom mine to explore thank for shearing it
any CLOSE CALLS? those moments are what makes a video 10x better (as in, the more risky the mine, the better the video)
No close calls in this mine despite it being very extensive. Fortunately, the close calls are few and far between. But yes -- I agree that they do make for a more exciting video. Thanks for commenting!
Love this channel! Safe exploring :)
+TheRichard991 Thank you! I really love viewer just like yourself who are super enthusiastic and very supportive of this channel.
Awesome work! Greetings from Argentina
Greetings from the U.S.! Thanks for watching!
That was a awsome one guys keep making more haha
+Antonio Tolliver Right on, brotha!
Excellent video!
+Maria Paula Thank you, Maria!
The thing I noticed in both 1 & 2 was the lack of ore cart tracks! No wonder they liked gobbing, but how was the loose stuff got out - dragged?
In a lot of these abandoned mines, the ore cart tracks were removed decades ago. They either used the tracks in other mines or someone removed them for scrap metal. There would have been ore cart tracks all through this mine, no doubt.
checking out the diamond mine video right now when's the next time you guys are going to go up mine exploring around the Butte County area
Great video ty
Great videos
+Noctis Bezarius Thank you!
is it a fairly new mine? what are those pink ribbons hanging down from ceiling? Is that common? thx!
The pink ribbons were probably markers that a survey team left behind from who knows how long ago. The ribbons actually were useful because they indicated the path to take in the mine.
Wow that mine is just massive!! Thank you again another great video! Do you have plans on exploring that last mine that Graham came out of which was another big mine? Was there any other artifacts in those little sheds in the mining camp?
That last tunnel that Graham entered led to the lowest levels of the mine we were documenting. It was just more of the same according to Graham -- more tunnels with stopes and gobbing. I really didn't venture any farther into those cabins than what you saw in the video. They were too rickety and had too many rodent droppings in them.
That was an amazing mine.
+kelvin williamson It certainly was an amazing mine and really extensive. We estimate that of the approximate 8 miles of tunnels supposedly in it, only about a third of those are accessible today. Here in Part 2, that one tunnel I enter that was totally collapsed not too far in was another main entrance to the mine, so all of the tunnels on that level are inaccessible.
The timbers don't decay at all in these nice dry desert mines. No moisture to rot them.
They certainly don’t decay, do they? Thanks for your comment, Chris! This was a pretty amazing mine, but I think a good portion of it is no longer accessible. There was supposed to be 8 miles of tunnels or something like that, but I don’t think we encountered that kind of tunneling. The amount of air blowing out of the portal was pretty amazing, and I thought it made for some good video footage at the beginning of this video. Gotta love that air circulation!
Awesome video men, Im a great fan of your job, maybe im the only one mexican watching your videos...
Thanks, man! No, there have been some other viewers and fans from south of the border. Glad to have you along, too! Thanks for watching and commenting. I appreciate your support.
A lot of man hours there! The gobbing is impressive. Great 2 part video, have you considered exploring the Calicos?
Thanks, Mike! Someone I know is currently researching the many mines around Calico for me. I personally haven't spent much time there.
+Exploring Abandoned Mines Very cool man! looking forward to it. be safe!
The pink tape hanging from the ceilings, are those indicators of airflow? If so, who put them there? Interesting video.
Those pink ribbons are survey markers from long ago.
Funny enough I too thought they were airflow indicators!
Hey Frank, always great to see your tape(?). I wonder if you have used a pedometer, as you make your way from one historical jewell to the next? Awesome job brother, and it is such a wonderful distraction from the every day humdrum. You are the best!,
+Doug Simerly Thanks, Doug! No, I have never used a pedometer while traversing through these abandoned mine tunnels. Might be something to consider doing, though. Always super excited to hear when a viewer such as yourself is enjoying the videos and getting something out of them. I really appreciate hearing that. Thanks again!
Really late on thus question
The black stains on the gobbing. Is it wax melted from candles used to see though out the mine?
I don’t think so. I think the black stains are from rodent waste that has collected over the many, many decades that the mine has been abandoned. I’m not totally sure, however.
At around the 1:50 - 1:57 mark in the video, watch the gobbing on the right side. Some thing seems to squirrel away in to the gobbing as you get closer to it.
I think somebody else pointed that out, too, in another comment. Probably was a mouse or packrat. They live all throughout these abandoned mines.
Superb
awesome stuff as always! but what creates the strong draft coming from that last mine? the air has to be entering the mine from somewhere in order for air to flow out like that. so would there be a second entrance somewhere but with air flowing in?
+TubbyTronPwnzU There were multiple entrances to this mine all over the mountain. The mine's levels are all interconnected via the stopes and internal winzes. That creates strong airflow.
Hey, big fan of your channel! I think you have got some serious guts investigating some of these spooky decrepit old mines like you do! The fact that you go to these crazy places makes it that much more exciting to watch. One question: have you ever come across anything paranormal like ghosts of dead miners or something? I saw your mine video that had those noisy owls in it and that was pretty freaky itself! So: any ghost encounters?
There is a playlist on my channel titled "Haunted Mines, Creepy Mines, and Mines That People Have Died In." That one should keep you up at night!
+Exploring Abandoned Mines Awesome! Since I have you, a few more questions: have you ever encountered "bad air" before? I imagine miners usually empty all the valuable deposits, but have you ever come across any ore deposits of value with precious metals? Thanks for the Q+A and keep exploring, your channel is one of my favourites on UA-cam!
I have been in three mines that had "Bad Air" posted at the portals. Never encountered any. Animals such as bats and mice were also living in those same three mines. As far as finding valuable ore left in these mines, I never look for it. I'm just not interested in mining for minerals at these sites. I am sure, though, that many of these mines still have valuable ore left in them. One the price of a certain ore gets high enough, maybe an abandoned mine that has that kind of ore in it will be re-opened by a mining company. The pink ribbons hanging from the ceiling in this video is an example of that. Those ribbons were survey markers of some kind.
What an amazing stope. Wonder how long that took to mine out.
+Cormier66 I don't know how long it would take to dig out something that large and extensive, but I'm sure it took years.
Nice vid once again , you are correct miners used gob walls to not only support the backs but also to only haul ore out of the mine , waste does not pay to be handled any more than necessary . The pink ribbons hanging from the ceiling are used by geologists or surveyors to map the workings as they sample . I have mapped many mines this way and it works well to orient yourself and allow you to quickly return to a sample that gave good results rather than relying on searching for numbers alone . Buy using a combination of brunton compass and string box or tape very accurate maps can be quickly made , esp if you measure left and right of centerline everywhere there is a change in the ribs or back .
+bigwallrog I really appreciate the information in your comment. Thanks for sharing it! By the way, what term did you guys use for "gobbing?"
the term " Gob or Gobbing " originated with the Cornish tin miners who immigrated to the USA . they brought with them several mining terms .
every term used in Mining today comes directly from the original terms used by European miners some German, Cornish, ect . Terms like adit , drift, stope
winze, footwall and hanging wall for example .
We use the terms to this day in modern underground mining.
However some folks mistakenly call backfilling gob , The difference being Gob refers to the practice of stacking rock for walls , stoppages , or ground support and backfilling is just like it sounds using waste or concrete mixed with waste to fill an opening . Does it really matter ? depends on what group of miners you working with and how much of a noob you want to look like .lol
I am heading back to a consulting project in October and Im planning on video taping some of the operation . Drilling, loading and blasting, slushing , backfilling , gobbing ,bolting and timbering . Im not a video editor or poster however if you would like a copy let me know.
cheers
BTW bigwallrog and rob roy were the same guy . lol bigwallrog is my avatar here and rob roy is my gmail avatar.lol
cool video, very cool
love that word "sketchy"
It's a pretty useful, colorful word when describing something that looks unsafe or dangerous.
Must be a couple of adits on the other side of the mountain allowing the wind flow.
Pretty neat how that mine was worked. Seems like an older style.
+jittychitty Yeah, I think it does have that older style of working in it. For as extensive as it was or is, it was difficult to find information about it in old mining reports for some reason. Not sure why that is. I do think that recent mining companies have been interested in maybe turning the area where the mine is located into a large, open pit mining operation. However, I don't know if that will ever happen because the area is pretty rugged and mountainous to some degree. I think the pink survey ribbons that are hanging in the mine are evidence that some companies possibly had been looking at it within the last decade or two.
Awesome vids!
12:58 That is the main reason why I always use a helmet when exploring caves or mines. No matter how much I pay attention to my surroundings I always hit my head on stuff.
+Alex939 Graham is 6'4" tall, so he tends to hit his head more often. Nonetheless, you are right - helmets are a must!
Damn you are one of the few UA-camrs who actually read through most of the comments. Have you ever heard of caves in Bulgaria? There are about 4.500 caves. After I get a new bike I will start exploring them. Do you have any tips as far as video production?
+Alex939 I have never heard of those caves that you mentioned. I will have to look them up. Sounds interesting! As far as video production goes, you want to get a camera that works well in low light, for obvious reasons. I did a lot of research four years ago or so when I first purchased a camera. I wanted one that was rated best for low light situations. Back then, the Panasonic video cameras seemed to be the ones
that were the best for low light. I have not been disappointed with the two or three Panasonic video cameras I have used during that time. Of course, having awesome lighting is also important. I use three Fenix LED flashlights. Two are on my helmet and the other I hold in my hand. I hope this information helps!
Love your videos!
+Charlotte Moore Thank you, Charlotte! Really appreciate hearing that.
Super vidd
Shear on the back, can you tell beyond the back fill if tow in or tow out ?
hi frank,what a massive mine,another nice vid.a question,what are the red ropes hanging on the sealing for?belgian greetings!
I believe those pink ribbons hanging from the ceiling are survey markers of some kind left behind by a mining company who was considering re-opening the mine.
okay thx frank,have a nice Saturday evening and a goodnight from Belgium,
kamandalu Thanks! Have a good week coming up!
I seen a mouse run into the rock at the 1:55 mark :) Do you run into may critters during your explorations?
Dang! Good eye! I had to watch that part of the video a few times before I saw the mouse myself. Mice are common in these mines. And bats. Those seem to be the main residents I've encountered. Saw a gopher snake in a mine once a few years ago. Also saw a black widow spider just inside a mine's portal a couple years ago, too.
ok ok no entiendo nada de ingles pero de todas maneras gracias por tus excelentes videos eres el mejor!
What are the pink ribbons hanging from the ceiling for?
Those are survey markers left by a survey team at some point in the past.
If you guys are ever in northern Utah I know of at least 2 mine near the copper mine.
It's like the miners left the rock in place where the rock wanted to stay. Do we know when this mine was active?
It was initially discovered over a hundred years ago. I can't remember when it was last worked. I want to say that it was in the 1950s, but I'm not sure. I do think that a modern mining company was looking to possibly dig an open-pit mine at this mine's location, but that was quite a while ago. I think the pink ribbons inside the mine are their leftover survey markers.
Have you consider to go again to the horton mine?
Have you ever considered looking at their other videos? lol....
please come back to the mine HORTON?,more records in...
Silver, mining every in they could , looks that way,dead air sound? Big ballrooms. Overburden outside large dumps?
WOOOOO!
nice
Hey Frank, have you ever think of going into the Jarvis mine?
Others have been asking me about that. I don't know where it is. Would have to research it some more.
Why would they hang all the pink/red ribbon from the ceilings in the mine? Just curious.
Those were most likely survey markers left by a team.
Looks like asbestos central in that cabin!
Nice one! Better you doing it than me!! =)
That's what we're here for! haha Thanks for your comment!
+Exploring Abandoned Mines
The only reason why you don't have 1 million+ subscribers by now, I think it's just a matter of awareness to this channel, countless hours of fantastic, immersive content here. In any event, you're well on your way to full-time UA-cam status, I love this, and all abandoned mine exploration channels!! Yours is the best!! :)
All that gobbing looks like WWI trenches
I can see the resemblance that you're talking about.
Do you ever carry chalk in case you get in a large maze?
No, I don't carry chalk. I know these videos make the mines seem very confusing and maze-like. However, it really is only one way in and one way out. It would be very difficult to get lost in this mine. There is more of a danger of falling into one of the deep pits that have no ladders in them nor any tunnels at the bottom and becoming trapped in it with no way to climb out.
Will there be a part 3? That was some amazing footage! I bet all of that bat shit starts to smell LOL
No, there won't be a Part 3. There remains a lot of underground workings to see in that mine, but I don't have any plans to return to it anytime soon. Glad you liked the video! And thanks for your comment!