An Incredible Lead-Silver-Zinc Mine – The Deeper We Go, The Better It Gets

An Incredible Lead-Silver-Zinc Mine – The Deeper We Go, The Better It Gets

The most enjoyable explorations I’ve done are of mines that keep getting better and better the farther you go into them. These are mines that just keep on giving and each level you explore is more exciting than the last. This is one of those mines. From the headframe, ore bin, and incredible dry-stacked walls outside, we had a feeling that this mine was going to be neat, and that assumption was absolutely correct. As we descended into the depths of this mine, not only did the artifacts get better, the geology did too! This mine contained some of the most visually stunning geology I have seen. We saw a whole lot of calcite, but it wasn’t like anything we’ve seen before. The individual crystal grains were huge and there were clusters of it large enough to cover the whole drift floor to back. Inside the calcite were pockets and veins of beautiful mineralization. I can’t imagine what the ore they removed looked like. This was a lead, silver, copper, and zinc mine that was worked primarily from the early 1890s to just after the turn of the century. It was then worked on and off into the 1950s.

One thing to note, I am not sure if the last level we were on was really the 640 level. It may have actually been the 400 level, as it didn’t feel like we climbed nearly 640 feet of ladders. If I was mistaken, then one of those two winzes we saw may actually go down 240 feet. We plan to return to this mine to drop those winzes and explore areas we were not able to access this time, so stay tuned for that.

Link to Xavier’s channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtSTFGvu0wg4CyTuGEJWuIg

50 Comments

  1. chandana on November 25, 2022 at 11:18 pm

    3.30/3.35 minit

  2. victor arzola varela on November 25, 2022 at 11:19 pm

    Yo soy de Guanacevi Durango ,saludos !!🖐️

  3. Buster Crabbe on November 25, 2022 at 11:21 pm

    That paper was wrapping for gutta percha, used extensively in mines and industry in the mid to late 19th century as a water proofing agent, often coating blasting wires so humidity and dampness wouldn’t cause a mis-fire….

  4. Mark Brockman on November 25, 2022 at 11:23 pm

    An amazing mine. You hit the jackpot on this one. Not boring at all and thanks for taking a close look at those intrusions. A+

  5. jeffrey bail on November 25, 2022 at 11:23 pm

    very good quality vid, lots of petrified wood turned to stone in the segments. the chrystals is the wood sap that has petrified.
    I really do not believe that they used dynamite at 200 or 300 feet the whole mine would be extremley unstable after each detination.

    I think there is lots of decay of metal, wood and other materials the miners dug the sediment out of existing tunnels, those wooden bit of dynamite boxes look like they where laid there on purpose..

    it would be interesting to take samples of the "rock"

  6. Joy Sherwood on November 25, 2022 at 11:23 pm

    It is

  7. Rich Tyler on November 25, 2022 at 11:24 pm

    Wow this mine has the most unique geology I’ve ever seen. Very cool thanks for spending a little time showing us. A lot of guys just blow by and never let you get a good look. Really appreciate it. Great video

  8. Jean BurkeHTD4LIFE on November 25, 2022 at 11:24 pm

    I absolutely loved this video. I really enjoyed seeing the geology in the mine. Seeing all the artifacts what cool has well. Your camera did a very good job of showing the geology. Look forward to many more like this.

  9. Jeff Storm on November 25, 2022 at 11:24 pm

    Galena AKA Jack Ore contains Silver, Lead, Zinc, Iron and even gold or tungsten depending on the location of the deposit. The natural cave is not surprising at all since these deposited are found primarily in sedimentary rocks where quartz and the other minerals migrate up through the rocks strata. You are right to be cautious of entry into these mines because the soil itself can be toxic and being sedimentary rock, cave ins are a very real hazard. Nice video.

  10. John Morgan on November 25, 2022 at 11:24 pm

    I’m in. joking this gold mine just be careful guys were having fun
    watching

  11. Maheshwar Timung on November 25, 2022 at 11:26 pm

    Where is he

  12. Darren Beavers on November 25, 2022 at 11:30 pm

    I saw a northern exploration crew had the other half of that tobacco pipe

  13. Jokinmyass on November 25, 2022 at 11:30 pm

    Good God these videos of old mines keep me on the edge of my seat yelling at my cell phone. 😱😖

  14. Lermanator77 on November 25, 2022 at 11:30 pm

    The thin vein of the blue mineral at 27:16 , absolutely stunning!

  15. Robert A. Cook on November 25, 2022 at 11:33 pm

    A little mineralogy knowledge would really add some depth to your adventure. Be safe!

  16. بندر الحارثي on November 25, 2022 at 11:33 pm

    سبحانه ما اعظمه وما أعظم كونه

  17. Joy Sherwood on November 25, 2022 at 11:36 pm

    It is

  18. ozarkprepper1 on November 25, 2022 at 11:38 pm

    The shiny metal you found could be galena. SI’m milar to lead but smooth n shiny. Found near lead.

  19. Fatima AL ED on November 25, 2022 at 11:41 pm

    😱😱😱😱😱😱

  20. Forgotten Mining History on November 25, 2022 at 11:42 pm

    This is the first video I’ve posted that was filmed with my new camera! Let me know what you think of it. Personally I think it’s a big improvement, especially in regards to stability.

    I still have a few videos to post that were filmed with the older one.

  21. KA7EII on November 25, 2022 at 11:44 pm

    Amazing! Love the geology in that mine.

  22. Adventure Sam & Fam on November 25, 2022 at 11:44 pm

    Copper makes the blue green make sense. I wish I could get a sample of it!

  23. Rajaram Rajaram dawar on November 25, 2022 at 11:44 pm

    Rajaramdawar

  24. SnapCracklePapa on November 25, 2022 at 11:46 pm

    @7:00 Go for it, Bro. What’s the worst that could happen?

  25. Barry Campbell on November 25, 2022 at 11:46 pm

    Exciting explore. I’m personally fond of climbing safety gear tho.

  26. Mark Brockman on November 25, 2022 at 11:47 pm

    Hydrothermal stuff

  27. Paul Spickernell on November 25, 2022 at 11:47 pm

    Blown away that was amazing

  28. بندر الحارثي on November 25, 2022 at 11:48 pm

    في الدقيقة 12:22
    تاريخ إصدار الجريدة 1911 ميلادي يعني ب الهجري 1329هجري
    قبل توحيد المملكة العربية السعودية

  29. GABRIEL ALVARADO on November 25, 2022 at 11:48 pm

    12:24 Wow! I just returned back in July from a trip to Guanaceví mining district! We sold a small core drill.

  30. Joy Sherwood on November 25, 2022 at 11:49 pm

    Awesome

  31. Shane on November 25, 2022 at 11:50 pm

    I must be good exploring them mines if you think about what it was like when it was running and the closed for 100 years and no one has bein down there really cool

  32. More Best on November 25, 2022 at 11:50 pm

    Corajosos

  33. Glenn Conley on November 25, 2022 at 11:51 pm

    wonderful trip thru the mine. i really was impressed with the geology, so many colors. i can sum up that trip with one word….WOW!

  34. Jayson Crutcher on November 25, 2022 at 11:51 pm

    Soo cool I work at a mine and is so interesting very good video

  35. Dutta Gopala Krishnan on November 25, 2022 at 11:54 pm

    I don’t know the mining engineering.but it is nice..GOD bless you

  36. GoPleX on November 25, 2022 at 11:57 pm

    just tink about it when thay whas mining that thay dident have anynear that ligth you guys goot. tink how cloustofobik it wood be if you whas running with a smaal flame torks

  37. Peter Johnson on November 25, 2022 at 11:58 pm

    This is a classic hydrothermal deposit. There’s a lot of ore still there. Some silver is visible in thin ribbons. I’d test that limonite for Au content. I’m sure there’s some.

  38. PEDRO MULLINS on November 25, 2022 at 11:58 pm

    Thank you for a wonderful tour of that mine 🙂

  39. Justin on November 25, 2022 at 11:59 pm

    Nice video, but it would be WAY cooler if you had shots with candle and lantern light. It would be cool to see the mine as the miners would have. I doubt they had LED lamps.

  40. Richard Byrd on November 26, 2022 at 12:00 am

    I think you done a great job of discripshipion and photos, this mine is allsom wish i was in your play ground keep up the good work be safe

  41. Rongxiang Liu on November 26, 2022 at 12:01 am

    两位勇敢的探险家,竟然进入如此荒废的矿山里,没见到有可开采或有用的价值,但是发掘出你们两人的精神令人钦佩。

  42. daniel j 8711 on November 26, 2022 at 12:02 am

    It’s really fun to explore historical places👍👍

  43. Darren Beavers on November 26, 2022 at 12:04 am

    You had Prince Albert in a pouch

  44. Michael Coker on November 26, 2022 at 12:04 am

    Gutta percha is a form of hard rubber

  45. Rajaram Rajaram dawar on November 26, 2022 at 12:06 am

    Rajaramdawar

  46. Hunny Bunny's Heavy Metal Music Mining & Machining on November 26, 2022 at 12:07 am

    Would totally love to reopen this mine! (^_^)/

    But I’m a po bunneh, so that ain’t never hapnin. /( -_-)

  47. Michael Mouse on November 26, 2022 at 12:09 am

    … those old time miners must have had balls of steel working down there with just a pick axe and candles for company

  48. Lil Lucille on November 26, 2022 at 12:09 am

    I’m glad I found this channel cos I really like mine exploration. Your voice sounds like a man and the guy on the mine explores channel, well let me just say, it makes me cringe 😬!!!!!! I like your channel and I’ll be watching it now

  49. Muhammad T on November 26, 2022 at 12:10 am

    Yes please, talk more about the geology of the formations we’re looking at. It would be pretty cool to know how these minerals and things were formed!

  50. Nelson Fisher on November 26, 2022 at 12:10 am

    That roller came from Youngstown steel in Youngstown ohio was one of the biggest steel mill’s in America

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