Absolutely Loaded Abandoned Gold Mine
Absolutely Loaded Abandoned Gold Mine
Where do I even begin with a gold mine that is THIS loaded with artifacts and equipment? I had no idea what we would find and I certainly had no idea that I would see anything like what you see in this video… I have seen impressive mines before and mines that had a lot of mining artifacts and equipment, but never anything that had this much in one place. Normally, as my dear viewers know, we’ll see a cool compressor here (that Chicago Pneumatic compressor in this mine would have been the highlight of a video at a normal gold mine) and an impressive ore car there, but to have all of that in one place was pretty mind-blowing. We should be grateful for remote locations!
Unfortunately, that remote location didn’t do anything to save the mill from the forest fire. That was a recent forest fire as well… So, we just missed seeing the mill by a year or so. Of course, that grow operation was probably thriving before the fire and, public land or not, the growers likely would not have welcomed mine explorers tramping around with cameras. To have a setup like that on public land is fairly bold and would suggest that they were not overly concerned with access rights for everyone. This is why some friends of mine go armed to every abandoned mine they visit!
On a completely unrelated note, I don’t understand how sketchy grow operations like this are still around and competing with the sophisticated players that can mass produce huge quantities of higher-quality marijuana in warehouses. How are the sketchy operators not seeing their profit margins destroyed? The operation at this site was, obviously, for a lot more than personal consumption.
Back on track with the mine… It was actually fairly difficult to track the history of this gold mine because it was consolidated within a group of mines. So, separating its individual history from discussions of the activities of the broader group was nearly impossible. What I can say for sure is that this was one of the earlier mines in the district and what I can say with some confidence, but not full confidence, is that this mine appears to have shipped its last gold not long after World War II.
Of course, I am, regrettably, holding some information back as this mine is a real treasure and I don’t want to move it up the priority list for the Forest Service to destroy. For those of you that don’t know, one criteria that the Forest Service (and other agencies that destroy mines) use in prioritizing closures is how much attention a mine is receiving with its real name and location on social media. In other words, more traffic = faster closure/destruction.
I’m sure that some of you are wondering about the other levels and workings at this mine. Our crew split up and the others were exploring outside while we were underground. As you saw, this wasn’t the best ground and so the other portals and workings they located were not accessible.
The possible points of access on the underground level we explored in this video were sporty, but hypothetically doable. Returning with the climbing gear is in order, but given the state of collapse throughout the mine, I am not optimistic about those lower levels.
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All of these videos are uploaded in HD, so I’d encourage you to adjust your settings to the highest quality if it is not done automatically.
You can see the gear that I use for mine exploring here: https://bit.ly/2wqcBDD
As well as a small gear update here: https://bit.ly/2p6Jip6
You can see the full TVR Exploring playlist of abandoned mines here: https://goo.gl/TEKq9L
Thanks for watching!
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Growing up in California’s “Gold Rush Country” made it easy to take all of the history around us for granted. However, abandoned mine sites have a lot working against them – nature, vandals, scrappers and various government agencies… The old prospectors and miners that used to roam our lonely mountains and toil away deep underground are disappearing quickly as well.
These losses finally caught our attention and we felt compelled to make an effort to document as many of the ghost towns and abandoned mines that we could before that colorful niche of our history is gone forever. But, you know what? We enjoy doing it! This is exploring history firsthand – bushwhacking down steep canyons and over rough mountains, figuring out the techniques the miners used and the equipment they worked with, seeing the innovations they came up with, discovering lost mines that no one has been in for a century, wandering through ghost towns where the only sound is the wind… These journeys allow a feeling of connection to a time when the world was a very different place. And I’d love to think that in some small way we are paying tribute to those hardy miners that worked these mines before we were even born.
So, yes, in short, we are adit addicts… I hope you’ll join us on these adventures!
#ExploringAbandonedMines
#MineExploring
#AbandonedMines
#UndergroundMineExploring
By looking at the amount of Equipment and Materials left in situ is worth Hundreds of thousands of $$$’s ! Must of been a catastrophic event occur or dwindling Mine worthiness . . . .
Someone could make a lot of money on just scrap metal from that mine. I know it takes away from the history but at the same time it would be removed if the mine were to ever reopen and it would clear up the mine for future exploration. You could always leave behind examples of different equipment for future visitors. You would just have to find out who owns the mine before starting such a project.
How did they get all the Machinery there? How old was this Mine?
(pans past a chunk of gold, a dead body, a pile of diamonds and a rolex)
"As you can see, there’s some clamps."
great video but i never seen pipes coming out of a transformer , this is possible a gas generator
A new meaning to " If there’s a will, there’s a way"
Incredible to say it mildly.
💯💯💯💯👍
Hell of a lot of good old fashioned steal there
the locomotives are electric and the arm is held against an overhead wire as a collector…
Why not salvage what you can and start mining museum.
I think the old parts,compressor and the shops tells a story of their own. I can just visualize someone going through those bins to fix a machine and the daily lives of those who worked here.
We love it when you show us everything, you do a great job. Thank you ever so much.
Low radiation metal is valuable.
W/ the toilets being VERY NEW and some of the cables, cords, motors, etc. and the beams in general. Wouldn’t surprise me if it was still operational until a few years ago. W/ the clothes and gloves being very recent along w/ the equipment and the fact of steel pipes for ventilation didn’t really hit until the 80’s/90’s. So, given that information wouldn’t surprise me if it was operational until the major fires started kicking in. Then they shut it down. But holy cow WHAT A MINE. Could you at least give longitude and latitude on the place or at least somewhere near it? Or some information of the mine itself? Who owns the land etc.? Seriously though, this is REALLY cool! 💙💙💙
Looks like a Fallout game level.
Excellent! Great video!
👍👍👍👊😎
When was this mine in operation?
There is a fortune in Iron in that mine if you wanted to carry it out.
I’d hide my gold in the bottom of a grease bucket. Last place most ppl would look 😉
The pink rooms were brothels and the holes leads to glory ….keepet the miners under ground to work longer shifts
Didnt read all comments but the backside of the compressor is a generator, Im not positive but it looks like one I saw in Kinzers Pa at their steam room.
Awesome find but what a mess!! So much stuff! What’s all the yellow stuff on everything? Sulfur?
This is one of my favorites, great video, thanks
Thank you for the video it was great watching on a rainy evening.. I must say you have some nerves of steel to go into these mines and bring us the footage you do it’s amazing. You should think about making documentry type videos or something of this nature this is lost forgotten history that would be lost and unseen forever if not for you. Be safe and thank you for risking everything..
I would be VERY interested to see photos of this mine when it was in operation. You should make a video showing some stills of then and now, if you can find them 🙂
i’m on the edge of my seat cause while i admire what you do … i am hoping you find boxes labeled dynamite… and also afraid of a cave in 😳😳😱😱😮😯
I’m not an expert and not 100% sure, but I think, this could be underground.
I would like to know where that is I want to see.awsome mine
Is that a ghost or your partner standing at the end of the corridor @35:21
Is it still there to this day? Have you been back there? Hope you respond because this is the first time I’m seeing this video!!!
I dont know if anyone has commented before but those rooms you were unsure of were bluish and pinkish, I want to say showers from the hole position?
Idk if you realize but that little turbine box could be rebuilt
Where you by yourself? Was that a persons hand running up and down at the crack of the door at the 40:55 ish mark? Or a rodent? Or what? I’ve been watching too much Nuke Top 5
where’s the gold ?
There’s a mine that’s allot like that in Colorado! If you ever make out this way I’ll have to show you!
you guys dont know what anything is. geez, such ignorance in youth of today. nothing personal. but get educated guys
Possible living quarterers due to Sierra winter snow fall , the temps in a mine shaft stay consistent,
Awesome video
I would say it’s safe to assume Nor Cal Mine company
Thats a glory hole
Awesome
I’m happy you didn’t explore first. Your reactions to the things you were seeing made the video even more enjoyable. Felt like I was right there with you…
FANTASTIC! Thank you!
20:10 that’s what she said lmfao
Man, the company mining this out must have been hell’a rich.
A little work and would make a good place to get out of the weather.
Im still watching at 48:11 and this must have been the richest mine or our Government jumping into the game.
Simply amazing!!
Should have brought some wd-40 or other penetrating fluid…😎
cool