A Small Mine and Mill in the Desert Mountains
Вставка
- Опубліковано 7 лют 2025
- This is a small mine and millsite that I happened to spot while driving to another location. It was surprising to me because I had studied this area before and had not found any mention of it. It is only marked as a prospect on topographic maps and it is not noticeable in satellite imagery unless you already know it's there.
I still do not know anything about this mine's history. It probably dates to the 1930s at the earliest. There are several small mercury mines in the area but I do not believe this was a mercury mine. The mill seems suited for gold mining rather than mercury but I am not 100 percent sure what the miners were after here.
I also explored a nearby flooded adit. I have no info on this mine as well. I originally thought it was a water tunnel to support an early 20th century encampment, but I now believe it’s just another prospect.
really cool explore .....would have checked the ball mill for Gold and sample the second ore bin ....chances are there is another mine higher up and yes that was a shaker table in the gulch ....keep'em coming because me and Slim love watching them
Thanks for watching, Jeff! There's no mine higher up but a lot of small prospects in the immediate area. Maybe I'll have to go back and sample that ball mill.
Good job Nick...nothing like a Pine tree Forest in the midst of barren waste lands...😎...Keep safe out there...👍
It is awesome to have you back Nick and your best friend Xavier!
Thanks Mitchell!
@@forgottenmininghistory You are very welcome, Nick
Thank you for touring this interesting mine powered by BUICK!
Great video! Really enjoyed it. We're all glad you went back. The scenery there is spectacular. Thanks
Glad your back. Thank you for the great video.
nice to see some activity again :) love your content :)
yepp!!!!!!
This was interesting in several areas. Buick was known for inline 8 cylinder motors, but a search told me that they made an inline 6 cylinder between 1914 - 1930 and you found one. At first I thought there was a cable leading up the slope, but it was probably a pipe for water as there was no indication they had a compressor for air tools. That grey rock strata was a water source, I have no idea why looking at your video, but the trees prove its existence even before you looked in the adit.
Glad you went back. Appreciate it because I've never known anyone to die of anticipation, but I nearly did when you said you weren't going to go forward 😂
That was super interesting. It looks like they went in 150ft or so and hit a fault. Which is good news. Went left and right and found dead veins. Had a nice little set up it's too bad it didn't play out for them.
Thanks for going back and into the water. I really wanted to see what was back there.
It wasn't appealing at the time but almost as soon as I'd left I knew I had to go back.
VERY COOL..-16 BELOW THIS AM HERE IN MAINE..WOW,BLUE SKY,WARM AIR.GREAT VIDEO AGAIN.THANK YOU..STAY WELL
Nice to see all the old stuff , great video
Hi, a cool look at what the site contained, the Buick engine was awesome to see as was the ball mill.
I'm glad you went in that wet mine too as I would always wonder whether it went on or not.
Thank you for sharing, much love. xx ❤
Glad you liked the video, Sue!
Just a heads up, there's a mineshaft directly across the canyon from that first mine you explored. It's hard but not impossible to access. I can send you cords if you're interested.
I believe I have seen the adit you're talking about. It's on a very steep slope about 100-200 feet above the canyon bottom. Anything interesting inside? I am also aware of a few other small workings nearby.
@@forgottenmininghistory I haven't had a chance to check it out yet. Planning on taking a look at it on my next trip out there. I'll reply to this thread and give you a good answer soon.
Side note, have you visited the Bryan Mine in the piutes? It's not easy to access but there is a ton of artifacts left, including a 5 blade mill/crusher that's completely intact. Hard to tell when it was worked, I've found steel equipment stamped with dates from the 1880's, but there's also signs of newer workings on the site (depression era). There was clearly extensive underground workings. Huge waste rock piles, air lines, mine cart rails, a long ore slide made of tin sheeting, etc all on site still. It's also the only mill that I have seen in the area that's practically ready to get back to work. The adits seem mostly collapsed but excavatable. I suspect there is an open adit to access the workings, but I only explored about half the site today before being chased out by a bear.
I can send photos and more info if you're interested. Probably one of the cooler sites I've found by simply looking for waste rock piles on Google earth. Doesn't seem like anyone ever gets up there.
@@N4007-k8o I haven't been to the Bryan Mine and didn't know there was so much up there. I will definitely check it out someday.
If you get the chance you should check out the Jeanette-Grant Mine below the old Bright star mine. There's lots of equipment still there. There also used to be an intact three stamp mill at the French Meadows Mine north of Claraville. The forest service reclaimed the site and now the mill is sitting at a museum in Lake Isabella.
Great persistence in going back to the mine...What are the odds that the valve would actually work?..And that steel in the ball mill, is probably some of the best steel ever forged...Great Job!..Enjoyed watching!
Excellent video my friend. Always fun when you find something you don't expect.
Thanks man!
Thank you for the adventure and the tag along on your discovery ⚖️⛏️
Wow. You are living my dream. Love exploration.
Great little exploration in this one
I really enjoy your videos. I think this is one of the few times that me being 4 feet 9 would be an advantage lol.
I'm 6'5" so I'm stating out of this one lol. Good video. Must be more close by to have a mill there
@@davidsnider1703 I remember being told when I was a kid ( surprise, I've always been short lol ), that fertiliser makes things grow. I stood in a bag for an hour or so !! Sadly doesn't work on humans !! My dad still loves repeating this story !!
Excellent post, thank you for sharing.
I always love to see the candle poke holes. It tells about the age of the mine, and is a reminder that an old miner poked his candle holder in the post and went to work. In Delamar there are posts in the hoist room with large depressions from all of the candle pokes. Love the history!
Thanks for watching. I would like to see Delamar one day.
@@forgottenmininghistory We should meet up there and do a couple of days of exploring! There are some real gems there and areas that I haven't been back to in a few years.
Nice site! Thanks for the video & your hard work!
Thanks for the comment, Ody!
Enjoyed the episode 👌
Looks very peaceful up there where the pine trees are
It was
Looks to be a 1928 -30 Buick Master 6 Engine,also used in GMC trucks at that time,someone would love that exhaust manifold
Good stuff, thanks for the time and effort. There is so much garbage on YT yet there are Gems also. I guess we are all prospectors in a way.
Very interesting video, thanks.
Me gusta el respeto que tienen estos dos jóvenes a la naturaleza ya olvidada y abandonada.
The almost cave entrance looked very cool.
Good stuff!
👍👊😎
Yea, that looks like a higher density calcium carbonate limestone they were digging in, which is pretty soft and modestly lends itself to a pick and shovel excavation. Not much to blasting. You can see at 1:57" the introduction of low grade metallic sulfides into it's matrix, introduced by superheated deep earth waters pushed upwards. These waters rise to the surface following points of the lowest resistance, which is easy to do in this type of rock--as it is soft and flakes to a soft edge. Anyway, these are good places to metal detect if there is adequate color. Here, not so much. This was probably all low grade sulfide silver with a bit of gold. (I only write this because I use to see quite a bit of it, and would constantly have it asseyed). I see Jeff wrote below. Tell him for once to stay out of trouble! As for you, stay safe, especially as you go underground!
All of this is great info. Thanks.
Those holes in the timbers? Powder post beetles. Their larvae turn the interior of the wood into dust. Many post and beam barns have collapsed because of them.
When you gotta know, you've gotta go.
Did the dust go down to a water source? If it was gold they were looking for ! There was a channel there.
Nice video.
I always amazes me how those pick ups get where they are? Sometimes in the strangest places like in a box canyon that has 12-15' dry waterfalls! Its weird how it changes instantly from parent rock to schist.
They may had to stop because of the War. Or because the vein doesnt look that prosperous.
Yes the chassis is a Buick, my friend drives a 28 Buick and describes it as a truck with a Car body on it , My 26 model is similar
Well done
Awesome!!~!!!!! didnt you stop filming for a while to go to the miliatry or was that another guy? anyways great explore!!!!!!!
That wasn't me. Thanks for watching!
Nah that was me mate. Cheers 🍻
@@WesternMineDetective how's that workin out for you i did like your videos!!!!!!! thanks for your service!!!!
@@imzackson Pretty well actually, can't complain. Can't wait to be back on the West Coast. And thanks for the support!
At 6 minutes I think your hinged piece was a belt tensioner.
Water? Okay I'll be out here keeping an eye on the entrance for you.
Cool video thanks
Nice find. Keep up the explosions.
I definitely need more explosions in my videos
Sorry, I meant explorations, but explosions are good too.
Below the ball mill it looked like a" buddle" for processing " slimes" Considering the fine produce from the ball mill, its not unusual for the processing plant to bet set up before the lode was properly tried, the second mine ,holes in the timbers, classic woodworm.
Thanks for the info!
Dope shit dude
I might start making videos again and maybe some gold mining idk
Not every firing order has two ones and a zero.
Looked like the Inyo Mountains.
It's a good ways south of there
Not willing to get your feet wet? Really? Unsubscribed.
hey bubba, you been hittin that bong, he not only got his feet wet, he took a big ol swig of that mine water. You missed it son! shoulda stuck around. shoulda coulda woulda. cheers
.🤦🏻♂️
Dope shit dude
Thanks man!