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Click here for the most up to date news and pictures on our Facebook Page January 2012: We headed back to the Imperial Valley to re-explore and map the Cargo Mine. We spent thirteen hours in the mine on our last trip and probably covered less than half of it. The Cargo Mine is deep, hot and humid. It's also filled with bats. Dave, Mike and Stacy drove out and met Lee and Robert at the mine on Saturday morning. After rigging the first rope at the collar of the shaft we proceeded down one by one. The first level is small and contains stopes going up and down. The upper stope connects to the surface in two places. After a quick survey we all descended to the large 200 level (and the end of our first 195' rope). This level (like all of the Cargo Mine) has very interesting timbering. There are several stopes going down and a few raises going up. The back of much of the level is at a steep angle. As in other parts of the mine, the back is timbered above are backfilled stopes. After finishing on the 200 level we rigged our second rope and headed down to the 300 level. This level contained more fascinating timbering and shoring, a large stope and a winze which we found connects to the 350 level. That level was more of the same and contained a tight winze which led down to the 400 level. Stacy and Dave descended through this winze and the rest of the team descended the main shaft. The 400 level had some very interesting timbering including some unfinished wood timbers that were literally folded in half. There was also a long, deep stope which contained more unusual timbering. Once we finished exploring the 400 level it was time to descend and rig yet another rope. This allowed us to descend to the 500 level. This level is quite large and contains a stope with amazing angled and braced timbers. There is a collapsed section with the remains of square set timbers and huge boulders which have collapsed from the cavernous stope above. We explored a winze and raise and discovered several small intermediate levels. We next descended to the 600 level but before exploring decided to bottom out at the previously unexplored 700 level. Access to the 700 level was difficult and we all had to climb around a platform that covered most of the shaft. Once on the bottom level we found we had about twenty feet of rope left in our rope bag. That put us right around 650' below the surface. The bottom level was (more) hot and humid than the rest of the mine and filled with bat guano. The level was quite small and we explored it rapidly and returned to the cooler 600 level. The 600 level contains some interesting features (such as rails which go around a curve with a stope descending on the outside) and a continuation of the amazing timbers. We explored and photographed this level for about an hour before beginning the long climb back to the surface. Ascending and collecting rope took more than three hours and the last explorer emerged onto the surface sixteen and a half hours after we entered. Talk about a long day! January 2012: We returned to the high desert to take Jeff and Stacy through the UEC-100 mine and to finish our exploration of the deep shaft at the UEC-101 mine. Dave and Mike were along too and the weather was much more accommodating than last time. We arrived at the UEC-100 mine around 10am and headed straight in. Mike rigged the rope on the "Harry Potter" ladders while Dave descended a short distance down the main winze and retrieved the flashlight he dropped on our last trip. Jeff and Stacy toured the rest of the adit and then we all descended to the 100 level. After looking around we tackled the "Chutes and Ladders" pitch down to the 200 level. Mike rigged another rope for the next pitch while Jeff and Stacy explored the level. We then headed down to the 400 level, making a brief stop on the small 300 level for Jeff and Stacy to take a look. We spent some time exploring, taking pictures and riding the ore cars on the 400 level and then descended the inclined winze to explore the wet passage we skipped last time. We rigged the rope and Dave descended, followed by Stacy. They found a short sloping drift that ended at the waterline. After taking a few pictures they both ascended back up the rope and we started back to the surface. On the way back up we explored a stope between the 400 and 300 levels and also explored the stope just above the 100 level. We also took some great pictures to illustrate the "Harry Potter" ladders before heading out of the mine. After a look around at the surface ruins we returned to the motorhome for a great dinner and good night's sleep. Sunday found us at the UEC-101 mine main haulage shaft. We'd descended to the second level, 200' down on our last trip and the shaft kept going. We were determined to explore the rest of the mine this time. Mike rigged the shaft and we all headed down to the first level (100' below the surface). Stacy and Dave explored a raise we'd skipped before. It was alongside a chute and had ladders for the first twenty feet. After that it rolled over into a steep, loose incline. Stacy climbed up and emerged on the surface a short distance downhill from the haulage shaft. This was the second air/access shaft we found (the other connecting to the second level 200' down). He walked to the main shaft and rappelled back down to join the rest of the group. While this was going on Dave and Mike rigged a rope to explore the vertical winze we peered down last time just off to the side of the drift. The first ladder was fairly solid and led down about twenty feet before connecting to a second ladder. This ladder was solid but it's connection was anything but, consisting of a single loop of yellow utility rope from the top to the ladder above it. The ladder was at a slight angle, resting against the rock of the winze. This is why we use ropes! The second ladder descended about twenty five feet though clear space into an enormous stope. The stope was something on the order of 30' wide by 60' long by 25' tall. There were several pits going down even further and all the material was very loose. After looking around and taking pictures, they ascended back to the drift level and derigged the winze. We all met up back at the main shaft and then descended to the second level. Jeff and Stacy explored while Dave and Mike rigged a second rope so we could descend further down the shaft. Dave headed down and found that the shaft below had large timbers dividing the manway and the haulage section. Due to all the wood, sound and radio signals propagated very poorly so communication was a challenge. Dave reached the bottom and Mike and Stacy soon followed while Jeff decided to stay on the second level. The shaft ended 400' below the surface with a level that branched into three directions. In one drift we found an amazing tipping bucket and a wooden trolley with steel wheels and trucks to ride the rails. The entire level was very warm and it became warmer and more humid the further one went from the shaft. The rib was clay-like in some places and there was significant collapse in areas along with rusted rails and rotted timbers. After exploring the drifts we all headed back to the second level. After collecting the rope, Dave and Stacy headed up the air/access shaft to the surface while Jeff and Mike ascended the main shaft. We all met topside where we derigged the shaft and then headed for home. December 2011: We headed out to the high desert to scout and explore new mines. Kurt, Dave and Mike camped in the motorhome which was a good thing because the temperature went as low as 27 degrees at night and the wind was howling too. We did a little reconnaissance late Friday night of the UEC-100 mine. This was a gold mine that operated from the 1800's until World War II. There are a number of remaining buildings and the ruin of a large mill and cyanide leach tank complex. The mine is surrounded by huge arsenic laden tailings. Access is via an adit and after looking at the buildings we went inside for a quick reconnoiter. Several hundred feet into the mine we were surprised by the sound of wood falling, followed shortly thereafter my loud meowing. A cat had wandered into the mine and was very happy to see us. After looking around we led the cat out of the mine and returned to the motorhome for a good nights sleep. We returned to the mine Saturday morning and got straight to work. The haulage level had a number of interesting features including several storerooms with doors. Several hundred feet in we encountered evidence of a fire. We also located a steeply inclined winze with significant damage to it's timbers. It was topped by a large pulley but the alcove behind it for hoist machinery was bare. We next located a small opening in the floor with a ladder. We discovered that the whole section of drift was a false floor over a huge stope. The ladders looked like something out of Harry Potter. They were at a slight angle and popped off the wall of the stope by six to eight foot timbers. We left the manway and proceeded further. We located another false floor which opened into the same stope. We also located the large, steeply inclined main haulage winze. It too had suffered fire damage. Near the top of the winze was a large machinery space complete with hoist, motor, battery bank remains, electrical panels and work bench. The main haulage winze contained a significant quantity of loose debris so we elected to descend via the manway. Kurt and Mike rigged the rope and sent it down. Mike hooked up and rappelled in. The ladders seemed to be solid but stood off from the wall at an angle and did not inspire confidence. The stope was huge and the ladder eventually met the wall at a platform. A newer ladder continued down and an older ladder descended in parallel at the other end of the platform. Mike descended along the newer ladder and ended up at the bottom of the stope. One section contained a false floor and a boarded passageway was above it. Dave rappelled down and noticed another ladder located in an adjacent portion of the stope leading down. Mike climbed down while Kurt descended and we all met on the 200 level drift next to a sign which read "Second Exit" with an arrow point up the way we came. We followed the drift under the false floor and discovered a number of openings leading down into another stope. We also located the main winze which again showed significant damage. Nearby survey tape indicated a main exit route up a short ladder so we climbed up to investigate. The ladder led up into the stope and to another series of ladders and platforms. Dave climbed up and determined that they likely led to the winze with the pulley. The ladders at the top of that winze were destroyed so we knew this was no longer a valid way out. We headed back the way we came and encountered more false floors and openings to the stope below. It quickly became apparent that the entire mine was essentially one continuous high angle stope with full or partial drifts at intervals. We also encountered another cat. This one wasn't so fortunate and was mummified. Some previous visitor had hung the poor thing from a handy nail. At the other end of the drift we located an opening into another part of the stope with a ladder. Dave headed down and discovered what we called "Chutes and Ladders". The stope was filled with ladders connected to each other by platforms, many of which were angled. It was slightly insane and we carefully descended one by one to the next level. It also contained a number of false floors and openings to the continuing stope below. We followed the drift to the main winze and found conditions much like those above. We located another ladder going down and Dave took the lead again. This ladder led through the stope to the next level. It was small and dominated by open stope sections spanned by boards placed across horizontal pillars. One direction was rotted and collapsed and the other led a short distance back to the main winze. After taking a quick look around, Dave climbed down the next set of ladders and called up that we weren't going to believe what was on the next level. Soon after a loud rumble filled the mine. It sounded just like an ore car being pushed on tracks!. Mike and Kurt descended to find not one but two, fully intact ore cars, on their tracks and movable over a large distance. The cars were numbered and one had a nameplate showing that it was originally in the Tropico Mine near Rosamond. It was an incredible discovery. We left the ore cars for a while and explored the rest of the drift. One end was damp and a number of cave formations were growing. Nearby was an inclined winze which led down about thirty feet to another wet area with significant cave formations and dripping water. After investigating the winze we returned to the drift and headed over to the main winze. There was less damage on this level with ladders leading up and down. Mike climbed down about thirty feet to the point where the ladder was interrupted by a rock covered platform. Dave came down next and descend past Mike. He was on his way down when a rock knocked loose and fell down the winze. It fall was terminated by a large splash. The mine was flooded sixty three feet below the 500 level (352 feet below the surface). Ash was floating on the water when pushed aside we could see that the winze continued down. Dave and Mike climbed back up and we all spent some time riding and photographing the ore cars. We had our first crash as well when the car Mike was riding (being pushed by Kurt) clipped a chute and detailed. It only took a few moments to set it back on the tracks and continue with our joyriding. Dave wanted to see what was up the main winze so he climbed up and unsurprisingly found himself on the level above. Kurt and Mike climbed up the the ladders in the stope and then we all ascended back through the mine in sequence. Once we were back on the adit level we cleared our rigging and did some more looking around. Dave noticed a ladder in the stope above timbers so we all climbed up to investigate, The ladders followed the stope wall up about thirty feet and then changed over to another ladder set perpendicular to the first. Dave climbed all the way up and discovered a small level with more stopes. We all returned to the adit, packed our gear and headed out after a fun and productive nine hours underground. We headed out on Sunday morning to visit more new mines. We had to drive up a rugged canyon and the abilities of the Jeep were essential for reaching our goal. We first stopped at the UEC-101 mine. This was another gold mine with a spread out series of shafts and adits, along with a mill site complete with more cyanide leach tailings. We first encountered moderate timbered shaft with a ladder. It only went down about twenty feet so we moved on. The next working we found was a small, wood boxed shaft with a ladder. We looked down and it seemed to go quite a way but we but decided to investigate it after seeing the rest of the site. A bit further up the road was a large, steeply inclined shaft, mill remains, a wrecked loading bin and a short adit. The shaft was large and had wood ladders in poor condition on one side and stout metal rails with ladder like crossbars on the other. It was covered with an unsecured metal grate which we moved aside. Mike maneuvered the Jeep into position and then rigged the shaft with our 200 foot rope. Dave had gone for a walk to explore the rest of the site and once he returned Mike got on rope and rappelled into the mine. He encountered the first level 100 feet down which extended on both sides of the shaft. After a brief look around Dave also rappelled down as well while Kurt remained on the surface. We found the west side of the drift partially blocked by a large pile or rubble. Past this the drift became hotter and more humid. It split into two branches, both of which ended shortly thereafter. The eastern side of the drift contained a stope above and a winze with ladder that opened into another stope. The ladder was in poor condition and since we hadn't brought our push rope we decided to leave it for another day. After walking the rest of the level Mike got back on rope and continued down. The rope ended just at the next level, another 100 feet down. What previously appeared to be the bottom of the shaft was actually a partial plug. The shaft continued down with no end in sight. Once Dave came down we began exploring. The western side was short on this level as well but the eastern portion continued for more than 400 feet and contained fourteen chutes down from the stope above. Near the end was a ladder going up with cold air pouring down. Dave discovered a few dead animals and plant debris on a platform about twenty feet up and we theorized that this winze might actually be the shaft we'd found earlier. We went back to the main shaft and called Kurt on the radio. He walked over to the other shaft while we walked back as well. Radio communications were clear as day and the link was confirmed. We knew we had to return another day to finish exploring the mine so we decided to head back up and move on to other mines. Mike and Dave ascended in turns, climbing the metal rungs on the rails and managing the rope so it didn't get snagged. Once on the surface we derigged the shaft and replaced the cover. We then drove to the next mine on our list, UEC-102. This was yet another gold mine and also had a huge cyandide leach tailings pile and mill remains. On the way over we discovered another adit of UEC-101 and another, partially collapsed shaft. We decided to save both for another visit. The workings of UEC-102 extended on both side of a canyon with the mill on one side and the major workings on the other. Since it was getting dark we had to leave the rest for another day. We headed back to the motorhome, hitched up and headed home. Important Notice:
It has come to our attention that certain groups and organizations
are utilizing information provided by the Underground Explorers to
act in a manner inconsistent with our goals of documenting and
preserving historic mine sites. Based on this information, we've
come to the unfortunate conclusion that we must change the way we
present information to the public. Therefore, it is with great
regret that we announce that we will no longer be able to publicly
identify specific geographic locations or mine names in our trip
reports and pictures. We will not purposefully mislead the public by
creating false names and locations. Instead, we will created a
catalog and each mine will be assigned a specific code. These codes
will not correlate in any way to real world information about the
mine or it's location. November 2011: We again ventured to the Shoshone Mines in Tecopa for another few days of exploring and mapping. Jeff, Ken, Mike and Stacy camped at the War Eagle eastern portal and met Lee and Robert who stayed at the Tecopa Hot Springs Resort. We started out Friday morning at the Columbia #2 Mine. We rigged a 300' rope to the Jeep and tossed it down the main incline shaft. We all then descended to the 365 level where the shaft is plugged. We took a short walk to the intersection which leads to the manway going down and in the opposite direction, the manway going up. We then returned to the top of the loose inclined winze and rigged a line. We descended one by one to the bottom and into the short drift. Mike rigged a rope and we all descended into the large stope below. After a quick look around, we slowly descend to the bottom of the stope and the 565 level. Lee started mapping some stopes he missed the last time while Mike and Ken descended another stope and moved down to the 665 level. The rest of the group soon followed and we converged at the incline shaft and evaluated ways to access the cutoff continuation of the drift on the other side. At this level, the floor of the incline shaft is at least twenty feet below the drift and the material is very loose and crumbly. There is a stope to the right which leads over the shaft and above and to the side of the drift on the other side. After some more looking, Ken and Lee rigged a rope and Lee was able to descend into the drift on the other side. The 665 level drift on the other side of the incline shaft was not very extensive and only extended several hundred feet. There were no footprints in the dust and it does not appear that anyone has been there in a very long time (probably since before the rails across the incline were destroyed). Lee found "Dead End Kid" written in carbide at the end of the drift. After mapping the drift, Lee ascended back up and across the incline. After a brief rest, we moved out to explore and map the rest of the 665 level and the connections down to the 765 level. Jeff and Mike went to the end of the drift and descended the ladders, stopping to explore a small stope along the way. There was a thick layer of dust in the stope and no footprints. It did not appear that anyone had been there in a long time. The stope contained a shovel head and two sticks of moldy dynamite. Once we finished in the stope, we descended down to the 765 level. Jeff explored the drift while Mike went back up an inclined winze which led to an intermediate level. He encountered Lee and Stacy who were exploring the stopes and then descended again via a different route to meet up with Jeff. Jeff and Mike then proceeded along the drift and met Robert at the intersection just before the main incline shaft which leads to the rideable timber car. Robert spent time taking pictures while Jeff and Mike descended the nearby inclined winze. The drift below was hot and humid. All the tracks were rusted and there is white salt crystal growths everywhere. After exploring the drift they headed back up to the 765 level to meet up with everyone else. Lee and Ken ventured down the winze that Jeff and Mike just vacated while everyone else went to poke around at the bottom of the main inclined shaft. We then headed down the cart drift to the headframe, bringing the cart along for yet another ride. Lee made further explorations of the hot and humid drift and then we descended the inclined winze. The pool of water at the bottom was more than two feet deep. Lee crossed while the rest of us waited, looking around and taking pictures. After Lee returned we headed back up to the headframe. Robert took pictures while Lee and Mike reentered the hot and humid drift to clear debris so a raise could be accessed. After clearing a great deal of material and rotted timbers (and creating a lot of dust), Lee was able to climb the raise only to discover that it only went twenty feet or so before ending. They returned to the headframe area and rode the timber car back out to the main drift to meet the rest of the group. We rested for a bit and then started the long 400 vertical foot climb back to the surface. We ascended the stopes back to the 565 level and then up the huge stope to our waiting rope. After ascended one by one, we derigged the winze and then climbed up the loose incline using the handline. After packing everything up we made the grueling 300 linear foot climb up the main inclined shaft and emerged on the surface after eleven hours underground. We met Saturday morning at the Noonday Mine and proceeded in with the goal of fully exploring and mapping the rear inclined winze. We stopped along the way to examine several stopes and then descended down the incline to the first level. We all branched off and started exploring the many stopes and passages in pairs. We all wound our way through different passages and met up on the second level where we repeated the process. From there, Mike worked his way through a stope to an intermediate drift and ended up on a level that parallels the incline, just above it. Everyone else climbed up from the winze and we explored the small level. After resting and taking pictures, we moved back into the winze and descended to the level which connects to the "cavern" stope. We proceeded along the drift and descended the stope which leads to the cutoff level with the ore car and winze down to the War Eagle Mine. We spent some time looking around and taking pictures and then took a break for lunch. We were all pretty tired and were ready to climb up and out of the mine. Since Ken had his push rope with him, Mike rigged the winze and he and Ken descended into the War Eagle Mine and made the mile hike down the adit back to our camp. The rest of the group retrieved the rope and made the climb back to the main tunnel. They spent some time at the trestle in the canyon and then walked back through the mine to the cars and headed back to camp. We all split up and headed our separate ways on Sunday morning. Jeff, Mike and Stacy drove to the Ibex Hills and proceeded off-road to scout new mines. Our first stop was the Rob Roy Mine. This is a lone hard rock mine in an area of talc mines. The road petered out about a quarter of a mine from the mine itself so we geared up and headed west across the wash. The collapsed remains of an ore bin greeted us as we approached the mine. Above the ore bin were the remains of a short loading trestle and a wide ditch cut out of the hillside with rails. It appeared that a large adit just beyond had either collapsed or been backfilled. We split up to explore. Stacy went up slope to examine a tailing pile high above. He found several small adits and one larger adit which branched several times but had no stopes. Jeff and Mike examined another short adit lower down and also located a steeply inclined shaft that seemed to be fifty to seventy five feet deep. There was also evidence of another collapsed or filled adit. We also hiked over to an old abandoned Ford dump truck. It was in remarkable condition for it's age and very cool to see. After hiking back to the Jeep we headed further down the road towards the various talc mines. We encountered the ghost town of Ibex Springs and stopped for a while to look at the ruins. Almost everything dates from the 60's but there was evidence of older dwellings as well. As we drove out we noticed a huge can and bottle dump. We stopped to rummage around and eventually located more than a dozen small unbroken bottles and jars. By this time it was getting dark so we headed out for the long drive home. October 2011: We returned to Midland California for another trip through the Victor Mine. The primary purpose of this trip was for Lee to survey and map the mine. We also wanted to take more time for photography. Mike, Jeff, Lee, Robert, Troy, Dav and Katie all headed out for a weekend of exploration. We made a short detour on the way out to revisit the Old Channel Mine Shaft. We had briefly investigated this deep vertical shaft on our last trip to the Victor. With our new MineCam 2.0 in hand, it was time to see what was really down there. We rigged the camera and sent it down in it's 30 degree configuration. The shaft ended up being about 230 feet deep with a pile of debris at the bottom. There were no drifts and it was hard to tell if it was really the bottom or just a plug. We retrieved the camera, rerigged it into a straight down orientation and sent it to the bottom again. This view was also inconclusive but it appears that it might actually be the bottom of the shaft. We headed out early Saturday morning and made our way into the Victor Mine complex. The single remaining access point in poor condition but stable so we all proceeded inside. We headed straight down to the bottom level and worked out way from there. Mike and Robert took pictures while Lee surveyed and Dav filmed video. We then ascended back to the second level and proceeded to explore the three ore chutes that still had gates down below. They were all filled with dirt, dust and random debris. We got a thrill when we located the mythical stop sign at the bottom of chute one. It had fallen over so we stood it back up where it belongs. We then spent some time taking pictures at the cart flipper before heading into the civil defense drifts. We split up with some of us exploring the stopes while others went with Lee to map this extensive portion of the mine. After meeting back for lunch, we ascended the haulage winze to the top level, pausing to take pictures at the unique mobile ore hopper. We surveyed the upper level and took pictures at the hoist before descending to the intermediate level for more mapping and pictures. After that is was off the cover the remainder of the main level which including ascending on rope over a "bridge" and up a stope, the last remaining portion of the mine still unexplored. We returned to the surface after ten hours underground. Sunday found us back in Midland to explore the remains of the Brown Mine. The Brown Mine as reclamined at the same time as the Victor and the damage inflicted on the workings is extensive. Access is only possible with a lifted short wheelbase 4x4 vehicle. The surface is so torn up it's hard to determine what used to be where. Backfilled and blasted workings were all around. After a great deal of searching we were able to located remaining complex with intact underground workings. We entered through a hard to find adit and descended a winze with nice steel ladders. We found ourselves in a drift we'd seen pictures of before and located the ore cart jammed into a winze. The drift led to a 400 foot long tunnel that had been backfilled at both ends. Lee mapped the workings while Mike and Robert took pictures. We then returned to the surface and scoured the are for another few hours before heading home. September 2011: We were contacted by the TKM Corporation, current owners of the Mission Mine in the Joshua Tree area about our willingness to assist their potential buyer with a survey of the mine. After some discussion we were hired to take their geologist into the mine to assess it's current condition. Dave and Mike drove out to Palm Springs on Sunday night and met the geologist (Case) in the morning. We proceeded to drive out to the mine and get setup to descend. Case had never been in a mine before, or on rope so we took extra time to go through everything and discuss safety and procedures. Since the mine had a large fire in the last two years we were concerned about the atmosphere being contaminated. Our clients provided a four gas detector that would supplement our O2 detector (we were especially concerned about carbon monoxide). The main shaft is burned out and the collar is eroding at a rapid pace. We hiked to the air shaft and found the ladders to be undamaged. Dave descended first, followed by Case and then Mike. At the bottom of the first set of ladders we rigged a rope before continuing further. We descended in series again and soon after found ourselves on the 125 level. There was extensive smoke and heat damage and everything was covered with soot. Several structures that used to be in the drift were gone. After spending some time taking notes, pictures and samples, we rigged a rope and descended the 200' winze to the 319 level. There was even more smoke and heat damage on this level (and more soot). The air was filled with particulates as well. There were also "growths" in several places that appear to be (toxic) condensed zinc that vaporized off galvanized metals during the fire than then condensed into hair-like formations. There were large steel beams in the main shaft that fell from above but they did not block the shaft. Case took more pictures and samples and we examined the clear ore vein running through the end of the drift. We opened the hatch to proceed down to the 400 level and found the ladder rungs covered in soot. Dave descended to the first platform and found he was kicking up a could of ash in his face with each step. We decided that we did not have the proper protective gear to continue any further. The soot could (and likely does) contain a host of chemicals (everything from vaporized organics to chemicals used to treat timbers). Safe access will require high quality respirators, abundant replacement cartridges and goggles. We reluctantly reversed course and headed back to the surface. We emerged late in the afternoon after spending five hours in the mine. We were dirtier than we ever remember being. Case did a great job descending and ascending the ladders (while also on rope) and certainly got the full experience on his first mine survey. Starting off with the Mission Mine is certainly starting in the deep end. After some cleanup we dropped Case off at his hotel and started the long drive home. September 2011: Even though it was over 100 degrees during the day, we couldn't pass up the opportunity for another trip to Tecopa and the stupendous Shoshone Mines. Dave and Mike headed out Thursday night and we were met over the weekend by Lee, Robert, Troy, Stacy and Stacy's brother (also Robert). Most of us stayed in the motorhome but Lee and Robert decided the Tecopa Hot Springs Resort was more their speed this time. Dave, Lee, Mike and Robert headed into the War Eagle Mine on Friday morning. Our first stop was the bottom of the raise which connects the War Eagle and Noonday Mines. Lee located this connection in July and even though the rest of us had seen the raise before, we had no idea where it went. There was a strong breeze flowing down and evidence of water intrusion on the floor of the drift (more on that later). We then moved on to explore a raise that leads to an unconnected and unstable stope. Due to the conditions Lee went up on his own while we waited below. He was trying to map the stope and see if it might connect to the north Grant Mine. However, the stope was so unstable he was forced to abandon the survey and return to the adit. Our next stop was a seemingly inaccessible raise with timbers visible high above. We took a ten foot section of downed heavy duty steel ventilation pipe and stood it upright below the opening. Lee affixed a rope to the far and and was able to climb up. He then threw a line up and over the timbers above and was able to climb the wall with the line for stability. Unfortunately, the raise was a dead end so he returned to the adit after a quick look around. We next headed up a raise to another unconnected stope. It's very large with two chute complexes and no apparent connection to other parts of the mine (or any other mines). It's also quite hot and steamy. After exploring and mapping the stope, we descended back to the adit. We took a short lunch break and then headed up into the Grant Mine via a steep partially timbered chute. It's about a 100' climb to the lowermost drift. The drift was not very extensive and led to a bare, very steep chute back down to the War Eagle adit and also to the Grant main incline shaft. This shaft is fully timbered and ascends at a steep angle to the surface. The timbering was laid with load hooks so the entire structure would be in tension from the top down. However, many of the hooks have now been removed so the timbers are in compression and some damage has resulted. One side of the shaft has a ladder and we ascended well over 200 linear feet up to the next level. This level was also quite small and we spent some time walking around and taking pictures. The surface was another 150' further up the incline but we decided to skip it as there are no more levels and the large boulder suspended in the shaft is quite treacherous. After climbing back down to the War Eagle adit we started the mile long hike back to the portal. We'd spent about eight hours in the mine and were ready for a good meal and some relaxation. It was near sunset and it had cooled slightly but was still quite hot outside. The high ambient temperature highlighted the cool air flowing through the mountain and out the portal. It felt like air conditioning and you could feel it blowing forty feet from the portal. We headed over to the Noonday Mine in Saturday morning with the full team in attendance. After gearing up we entered the main tunnel through the portal located on the hillside below the main workings. After a short walk and some looking around we arrived at the rear inclined winze and started down the ladders. We descended most of the way down and then headed down a drift, across a collapsed area and down a stope. The stope led the raise from the War Eagle. According to a retired mine manager, the raise was driven in the late 1950's, just before the mines were closed. Looking at the Noonday side, it looks like the raise may have intersected a winze driven down from the Nooday at an earlier time. There was strong evidence of water flows in this area and a large pile of debris at a constriction near the top of the winze. It looks like water flowed into this area via the large "cavern" stope at the end of the valley between the Noonday and Grant Mines. It must be quite a sight (and quite scary too) to see the water flowing during a flood. There was a short drift at the level of the winze that branched a few times and led to dead ends. One of those dead ends used to connected back to the inclined winze but has now collapsed. There's a beautiful intact ore cart in this area along with a bench and near work area with shelves made from dynamite crates which have been nailed to timbers. After talking some pictures we headed back to the winze to make the journey from one mine to the other. We rigged the winze with a 100' rope and several of is descended the upper inclined portion to where it became vertical. The air flow in the area was amazingly strong and some of us actually got cold. The lower portion of the winze (actually the top of the raise) was filled with debris. Dave and Stacy had the honor of descending down to the War Eagle main haulage adit. Making this connection is a huge accomplishment in our understanding of the Shoshone Mines. It's possible to enter the Noonday in the west and exit the War Eagle eastern portal several miles away ever returning to the surface in between. The interconnected Noonday, Grant and War Eagle Mines make for an unbelievably large complex that we still haven't fully explored. After a short time in the War Eagle Mine, Dave and Stacy ascended the rope and returned to the Noonday Mine. We packed up our rope and climbed back up the stope to the drift. We then traveled through the mine to another steep raise which at first glance seemed impossible to climb. It wasn't. Lee scampered up, secured a rope to solid timbers at the top and the rest of the group followed. The winze lead to a short incline and then to a short timbered vertical section. The drift at the top was crushed and damaged but an amazing sight to behold. Just at the top was an intact ore cart, still on the tracks and able to roll. There was considerable collapse in the drift and we took extra care not to disturb the timbers or piles or rock. One of the stopes glittered golden and strongly reflected the light from our headlamps. The timbers had oozed sap and the effect was stunning. In another direction, the drift was mostly collapsed and led to an debris filed stope. Access to the rest of the mine was possible through this route but extremely dangerous. In this area was a cardboard tally sheet, still nailed to a timber with a date of 1941 written on it. It appears that no one had been in this part of the mine since it closed in the 1940's. It was truly a privilege to be there and we had Lee's tenacity to explore every nook and cranny to thank. After taking time to look around and take pictures, we descended back to the drift level and then over to the inclined winze. It was a long hot climb back to the tunnel level. We exited the mine about eight hours after we entered just as the light was fading. It was a long, tiring but incredibly rewarding day. Sunday found some of us back at the Columbia #2 Mine (Stacy and his brother had to head back in the morning). We entered through the inclined shaft and descended through the burned section to the 365 level. We began examining stopes, searching for an alternate route to the lower levels. Lee located an very loose inclined winze that led to a mostly filled chute. To one side was a short drift which led to a vertical drop. We rigged the shaft and Lee descended. He found himself in huge stope and the rest of the group quickly followed him down. The stope was very broad and intersected portions of a at least two collapsed drift levels. There were large sections of cribbing supporting the roof and many collapsed timber structures. There was also ample evidence of large rock falls from the back. The bottom center section of the stope contained square set timbers that looked familiar. After fully exploring the upper portions of the stope we descended and found ourselves on the 565 level. The connection we'd sought had been found! The stope we had entered was one and the same as the large collapsed stope we'd been through on the 565 level so many times in the past. We spent some additional time mapping the stope and then moved into the drift system for further exploration. Lee ventured back up the rotted raise we checked out last time and made his way into the stope. It crossed over the drift system and he was able to pass through and emerge from a chute several hundred feet away. He also descend a stope to the 665 level and then returned after mapping the connection. We then crossed over the incline shaft on the 565 level and proceeded to examine the drifts and stopes on that side in more detail (Robert stayed behind to take pictures). Lee headed up a stope while the rest of us walked the drifts. We came upon a winze with solid ladders and headed up for a look. At the top was a loose and dusty inclined winze and we proceeded up to find ourselves in a short drift. There were a few chutes and another winze that contained a solid ladder. Interestingly, there was also a sign near the winze which read "Exit" with an arrow pointing up. Near one of the chutes was a crate and cardboard box, both filled with moldy and swollen dynamite. We ascended the ladders, went up another short inclined winze and found ourselves in another drift. There were stopes above and below the drift. Critically, there were no footprints in the ever present grey dust of the Columbia #2 Mine. None in the drift and none in the stopes. The floor was completely undisturbed. It dawned on us that were were likely the first people in this section of the mine in more than 50 years. We started to examine the level and soon Lee joined us, having ended up at the top of the last ladder by climbing through a stope. There was a great deal of collapse evident in the drift and in all the stopes heading up. We found another exit sign pointing the opposite direction of where we came. We searched extensively but it appears that all access points to the rest of the mine have collapsed. Much of the damage may have occurred during the fire which resulted in the collapse of the main shaft. Disappointed that we didn't find another connection but thrilled with our discovery none the less, we returned to the 565 drift level and then across the incline to where Robert was waiting. It was getting late and we had a long climb out so we started back up the large stope and ended up at the bottom of the winze a short time later. We ascended the rope one by one, packed up our gear and made the climb back to the 365 level and the main shaft. Using a rope we'd dropped on our descent we ascended the 300 linear feet back to the surface. We'd been in the Columbia #2 Mine for twelve hours and were ready for a late dinner and bed. On Monday, Lee and Robert returned to the Columbia #2 Mine to take pictures and map the 165 level while Dave and Mike headed west to scout new mines (Troy had left the night before). We first visited the Gladstone Mine which was accessed by an hour long drive on a very rough road. The mine site had several shafts. One was merely a pit with an adit for access as well. Another was inclined and partially timber. It descend about 50' and seems to basically be an open stope. The third shaft also had an adit and contained a drift system with rails. The shaft itself was only about 30' deep but the drift extended for several hundred feet and branched into two parallel drifts. There were partial crosscuts and an inclined winze that led nowhere. The surface workings contained several stone buildings and Cousin Jacks (all mostly collapsed). We next headed to the Paddy's Pride Mine. The mine was visible for quite a distance and had a huge tailing pile which had obliterated the lower road. The road to the top was so bad and washed out that we had to leave the Jeep partway up and walk the rest of the way. Unfortunately, the mine workings appear to have be bulldozed and blasted. We did find one shaft with strong air currents flowing down it. It was very small and steeply inclined. Mike descended about 50' but had to stop where the shaft became vertical. It looked like it might lead to a stope or drift level. However, it was getting late and we had a long drive home so we were forced to postpone further exploration to another day. We returned to the motorhome, ate lunch, hitched up and headed home. Our latest trip to Tecopa was filled with discoveries and we can't wait to come back again. May 2011: After more
than a two year absence, we were finally able to return to Tecopa
and it's spectacular mines. Mike and Stacy met Frank, Lee and
Robert on Thursday night and camped at the eastern portal of the War
Eagle Mine. Friday morning found us in the valley between the Grant
and Noonday mines. We decided to enter the previously unexplored
northern inclined shaft of the Grant Mine. Our next target was the large cavern like stope at the end of the valley. It's below a tunnel which extends from the very end of the valley around to the western slope. There is a small stope above the tunnel and the huge stope lies below it. We had previously noted similar rock formations in both this stope and the lower levels of the inclined winze in the Noonday Mine. Our goal was to locate a connection between the two. We rigged a short rope to access the stope and then a longer one to descend to the lower reaches. Lee went down first and discovered a passage very far down the eastern side which appeared to lead into a drift system. Stacy and Mike followed him down while Robert and Frank decided to explore above. At the bottom of the stope we crossed a large fallen boulder which acted as a bridge and then descended below it. We had to pass through a small vertical opening that was about 5' tall and lined with loose rocks. There were several larger interlocked rocks at the lip of the passage making for a very dangerous descent. Once clear of this obstacle we had to remove our packs and crawl through a very narrow opening which led to a drift system. Survey tags seemed to indicate we were in the Noonday Mine but it was not any portion we recognized. We explored the area and found several stopes, drifts and inaccessible raises. Stacy descended a short winze to find a 10' dead end drift while Lee ascended a stope only to find it went vertical and was inaccessible. We regrouped and explored the rest of the area, finding no obvious connections to the rest of the Noonday Mine. Our last stop was a stope that ended with vertical drop. Someone had tied nylon rope around a stull so we suspected it led somewhere but did not know if it could be accessed safely. Lee rigged up several lengths of cordage and peered over the lip to discover the floor about 15' below. He also discovered a ledge just five feet below the edge but off to one side. Climbing down and using the cordage for safety he was able to reach the ledge and then descend to the bottom. Mike went down next, followed by Stacy. We ended up in a large stope with an ore chute below. After exploring the stope, we dropped through the ore chute and shortly thereafter recognized that we were in the Noonday Mine. We'd ended up on the second level from the bottom of the winze. Thrilled with our success, we made the almost 300' climb out of the Noonday and met Frank and Robert back by the cavern. After derigging the stope, we packed up and headed back to camp, arriving at almost 11pm. Dav, Kevin, (another) Mike and (another) Robert arrived on Saturday and we decided to explore the Columbia #2 Mine and ride the ore cart. Of the group, only Mike and Stacy had been down in the lower levels of the mine. Frank wasn't feeling well and decided to leave on Saturday morning (rather than that night) and Kevin, (another) Mike and (another) Robert decided to explore the Noonday mine instead of the Columbia. With everything sorted Dav, Lee, Mike, Robert and Stacy headed to the Columbia #2 mine and entered via the southern portal. We descended down the inclined shaft to the first vertical manway. Since we knew the ladders were in excellent condition we decided not to rig a rope. This turned out to be a bad decision. Mike and Stacy had forgotten that the ladders were nailed directly to the wood timbers lining the manway. This means one can't curl your hands vertically around the ladder and also leaves limited room for your feet. Climbing up or down on these sorts of ladders is extremely tiring and really wears out your arms. In addition, the ladders are located in the corners making for a tight squeeze to stay on the ladder. Everyone made it down the 150' winze with sore arms including Kevin who came to check out the scene. He returned to the surface and rigged a rope for the rest of us to use on our ascent. We spent some time looking around the first level. Lee sketched out the main drifts, the incline shaft and a raise and drift that's unconnected to the rest of the mine. We then gathered at the second manway. Mike rigged the shaft and Dav was the first one to head down. He stopped in the first drift, located about 90' down. Mike followed, then the rest of the group. We took a few minutes to explore this small level. The end of the drift was quite warm and humid and all the timbers were rotted and crumbling. Stacy came last and went straight past the drift and all the way to the bottom. Everyone followed in sequence and we began our exploration of the lower portions of the mine. Mike examined a raise with rotted timbers at the top that led to a stope. Lee also went up but didn't see a safe way into the stope so he came back down and we continued on. We spent some time in a large stope with square set timbers and a large degree of collapse. We then proceeded further down a drift which leads back to the main incline shaft. There was a fire in this shaft and then a collapse. The plug is located at the level we descended from. The drift continued across the shaft so Lee and Stacy worked their way down and back up to explore it. It extended more than 1,000' and contained several stopes and raises. Stacy observed a bat in the drift which indicates that it may have a connection to the upper levels of the mine. The group next moved back into the drift and descended a stope to reach the next level. The lower levels of the Columbia #2 Mine are all linked by a continuous huge (and steep) stope. The miners left a number of pillars and supports but the amount of rock removed is incredible. We spent a small amount of time on the next level exploring, including a look up a 20' raise with rotted timbers at the top. This led to yet another stope which seems to be disconnected from the rest. After that we moved down the stope to the next level and proceeded to the area of the mine near the main incline shaft where the ore cart and track is located. We took turns riding the cart (which is actually a pipe or timber cart) and examining the underground headframe perched above yet another inclined winze. Lee and Stacy decided to venture into the long hot and humid drift just past the winze while the rest of us took pictures and examined all the amazing artifacts and features in this area. Lee and Stacy also descended the winze and discovered that the pool of water at the bottom had become much deeper since our last trip. Once we were all back together we decided it was time to start our egress from the mine. We moved rather quickly back up through the stopes and to the bottom of the second manway. We ascended one by one, stopping at the first drift again to rest and facilitate communications. We then proceeded through the drift to the top manway. Having the rope made the ascent easier (and safer) and once everyone was at the top, we derigged the shaft, ascended the incline and emerged on the surface. It was 2:30am and we'd spent 14.5 hours in the mine, a new group record. We all went to sleep as the sun was rising. We slept in on Sunday and then decided to explore the south adit of the Gunsite Mine. Lee and Robert headed to the Noonday Mine but punctured the gas tank on Lee's car and had to make emergency repairs and then head for home. The remainder of the group took the long, bad road to the Gunsite Mine and headed inside. The adit extended for a long distance without any turns. We passed a raise with ladders which Stacy ascended. He couldn't go all the way up though due to the condition of the ladders. We then continued down the adit until It came to a junction and just past that was a winze with ladders and a headframe. We continued past and at the end of the adit was a large ore bin. All the wood was rotting and brittle. We reversed course and explored the other arm of the adit which came to a dead end. There were no stopes at all. We went back outside and put on our harness and grabbed ropes to explore the winze. Dav, Kevin and Mike rigged the winze, which appeared to have very solid ladders. Mike descended first and found a drift about 50' down. The rest of the group followed and explored the short, featureless level. Mike got back on rope and descended another 40' to find a second level. That too was featureless and short (and also very dusty). Stacy descended to look at the drift after Mike returned and then the whole group ascended in sequence back to the adit. After derigging the shaft everyone headed outside and back to camp for an (relatively) early dinner and campfire. On Monday morning we decided to take it easy and spend some time in the War Eagle Mine. We proceeded down the adit from the eastern portal and spent several hours taking pictures and examining features near the double track inclined winze in more detail. We emerged around 2:30pm, packed up all our gear and headed home. It was an excellent trip and everyone had a good time. April, 2011: We returned to the Blythe area to explore the amazing Victor Mine once again. Mike, Jeff and Jake met Dav, Dominik and Kevin, experienced explorers from the Los Angeles area. We entered the Victor mine on Saturday morning and spent about seven hours exploring. We discovered two drifts we missed on our previous trip and another mid-level that appears to be inaccessible. We spent a lot of time photographing the mine and generally having a good time. On Sunday we headed across the border into Arizona. Our first stop was the Israel Mine. There was one short adit and a clean vertical shaft. We rigged the rope and Dominik headed down to see what was there. The shaft was about 150' deep and had no drifts. There was a great deal of rubble and debris at the bottom and we're not sure if it's a plug or not. After Dominick ascended to the surface we headed over to the Goodman Mine. This is a large complex with surface ruins and extensive workings. There are signs of more recent activity at the site but it's currently abandoned. The main tailing pile is huge. The first adit we entered was full of bats (and guano). There were so many we had to abandon this portion of the mine. We climbed the steep hillside to a second adit. This one also contained bats but there were far fewer. It was filled with amazing rough timbering and features several winzes and stopes. Kevin and Mine ascended a stope and proceeded out an opening to the surface. After connecting with the rest of the group we headed across the mountain to the main workings. There we found a large inclined shaft. Kevin headed down and immediately encountered a minefield of cholla spines. He had several well embedded in his hand. After extracting them he and Mike headed down to explore. The shaft was only about 75' deep and contain two drifts. The upper drift led to several stopes. Kevin and Mike ascended through a stope and out another opening to the surface. The whole group then carefully descended down the mountain and back to our vehicles. At this point we split up with Dav, Dominik and Kevin heading home. Mike, Jeff and Jake proceeded to explore the area on the surface. Near the Goodman Mine we found an abandoned International stake bed truck in pretty good condition. There was also what appeared to be a large sifting rig in the streambed nearby. We found the ruins of several mines and one seemingly recent claim (which appeared abandoned). Just above a wash we located an interesting prospect. It was a vertical shaft about 50' deep with a wooden collar and two doors (like cellar doors). The shaft had a very stout ladder but we could see the bottom and there were no drifts. After clearing the area we started home along Highway 78. We stopped at the Old Channel Mine Shaft for a look and we're glad we did. It's a clean vertical shaft and appears to be at least 400-500' deep. That's far longer than any single one of our ropes so we plan on returning in the future to lower a camera and see if it's worth obtaining more rope and descending. We then stopped to explore an unnamed mine a little further south. It had a gated shaft at the top of a decent tailings pile. There was also an adit that had once been gated and barred. The mine was very strange... There were low wood and chicken wire walls against the rib and an observation platform constructed above the shaft. Speaking of the shaft, it was a beauty, inclined about 30 degrees and sporting a solid ladder. Mike descended and discovered a small drift with one bat residing inside. There was a strong smell of rotten eggs in the drift and the end was quite yellow in color. Since this smell can be an indicator of hydrogen sulfide gas, Mike quickly exited the drift and returned to the upper level. After cleaning up, we got back on the highway for the long drive home. March, 2011: We headed all the way to the California-Arizona border to explore a mine that just won't die. The Victor Mine is a huge gypsum mine owned by U.S. Gypsum. Underground mining ceased in 1948 and open pit operations stopped in 1966. When the mine was closed the company town of Midland was demolished. The mine was also used as a Civil Defense shelter and survival cache for the city of Blythe in the 1960's. U.S. Gypsum sealed multiple portals and open stopes when the mine closed and hired contractors to seal and demolish the remaining openings in 2003. Despite these efforts some access points have remained but these are now all collapsed or covered with the exception of one very hard to find opening. This access point is undergoing severe erosion and likely won't be around much longer. The roads leading to the mine have been purposefully destroyed. Were were able to navigate one obstruction but had to hike a significant distance to reach the access point. After locating the opening we descended one by one into a large, steeply inclined stope. After traversing the slope horizontally we came to a large inclined stope and descended to a main level. The drift we encountered was huge, easily 30' across and 20' tall. Every 75-100' was an inclined stope which bisected the drift. Each was gigantic. Unfortunately, many of them used to be open to the surface and were filled with rock debris that had been bulldozed in. We walked the entire length of this first level in one direction, encountering countless inclined stopes and evidence of backfilled portals. We found areas where water is seeping though the loose rock into the mine at floor level. Once we reached the end we returned to the area where we entered and continued past. Not far along there was evidence of a fire. We entered a burned area which contained huge wrecked machinery. To one side was a conveyer system with three ore chutes leading further down. On the other side was an incredible rotating ore cart dump machine. This area was significantly damaged, either from the fire, blasting to seal the mine, or both. After scampering around the equipment for a while we proceed further down the drift, passing one steel door and one chain link gate until we found ourselves in the Civil Defense storage area. Unfortunately, this part of the mine has been badly vandalized. Hundreds of biscuit containers were burned along with many other artifacts. There are also hundreds of metal drums which once contained water. Many of these have also been vandalized and most of the remainder are leaking. We did find some that were still sealed and totally intact, filled with forty to fifty year old water. Incredible. There were also a good number of another type of biscuit container but most were opened or crushed. After spending some time looking at the Civil Defense stores and eating lunch, we proceed to explore the remainder of the level. Huge inclined stopes led upwards from this level. They were spaced about every 75' and each had a large wood chute at it's base. We left the stopes behind and proceeded further into the mine. The drift was large and meandered and split in to multiple passages, some rising or falling below the mean level of the drift. All along we found evidence of backfilled portals. In one area there was water dripping and a spectacular formation of cave popcorn on the back. After completing our exploration of the level, we ascended one of the inclined stopes which had remains of a double track rail system. Halfway up was a huge ore hopper mounted on a platform. It was off the remaining rails but the trucks were still installed. All along the stope were openings in the rib leading to the other huge stopes. Looking behind us we saw another level cut above the stope but there seemed to be no way to access it. At the top were rollers and a large hoist which was used to move the hopper up and down the winze. The drift at this level was absolutely huge. It extended for quite a distance with the stopes falling away on one side and more huge stopes rising up on the other. We walked the whole level and then started examining the other stopes that led down to the chutes. We descended one and found a metal ladder leading up to the level we'd seen before, We climbed up and explored a relatively short drift with one side passage. The end of the passage was sealed with wood, foam and foam core. It looks like it used to be an adit. The drift also contained a false wood floor over one of the stopes. Our exploration of the level complete, we climbed down the ladder and descend back to the level below. We walked back past the supplies to the machinery area. One stope over from the conveyer system were wooden stairs which led down to a wood platform. This extended over the stope in one direction and to the conveyer system in the other. We crawled over to the conveyer and examined it's remains which included a large electric motor and chain drive system. After finishing there we made our way back to where we entered and descended one of the giant stopes that had (huge) rails running down. This led to the lowest level where all the stopes from above ended up. Moving on that level back towards where the machinery was located led us past the remains of a metal wall and door into a huge loading area. The drift in this area was truly gigantic. It contained four massive loading bays, each with a huge ore chute. The gates were operated by a large hydraulic ram. The area was designed for trucks to drive in from the surface and load up with ore. One chute had collapsed to the floor of the drift. The last loading area had a metal ladder which led up to the chute. We examined the mechanism and then went up an inclined winze with clear evidence of removed rails. The top was crudely sealed with wood and rails and looked to be quite old, probably from reclamation efforts in the 1940's. We headed back down to the drift and walked the rest of the way through the truck area to where the portal used to be. It's now backfilled with tons and tons of loose material. There was also a huge stope in this area. We walked back past the winze we descended through, past all the others and to the end of the drift. That spot marked the end of our exploration with our team having covered the entire remaining accessible portions of the mine. We climbed back up the stope, using the rails to aid our progress, and then up and out the way we came in. We'd spent a total of nine and a half hours underground. The loss of the Victor Mine is a monumental shame. The mine is simply incredible. It's huge, mechanized and was once fully electrified. The Civil Defense stores are the icing on the cake. It's very depressing to see all the damage done by vandals and U.S. Gypsum. The mine will likely be inaccessible in the near future and a big piece of California mining and Cold War history will be lost forever. The thought of all those drifts and winzes sitting buried underground, empty and unseen for eternity makes us sick. Our depression at the loss of the Victor Mine wasn't helped the next day when we drove south to examine other mines. We headed to the area of the Arlington Mine, stopping briefly at Inca which was a railroad loading site for the local mines. When we got to the area of the mine we saw several travel trailers and a semi towing a large flatbed. We first thought someone might be working claims in the area. After a little driving around we discovered the horrible truth. A BLM contractor crew was in the process of sealing mine openings. They'd already gated the Black Jack Mine and were closing up several stopes and shafts of unnamed (and unmapped) mines on the other side of the hill. Soon after we discovered that the Arlington Mine portal had been blasted and filled. Almost all remains of the mine were gone and the road was destroyed by ditches and blocked with piled rocks. About that time we also tore a sidewall, ruining a very expensive 35' tire. Not the best of days. This was a trip of highs and lows. From the wonder and excitement of exploring the Victor Mine to the depressing reality of it and other interesting mines being destroyed and lost forever. It's a sad state of affairs when the government is so short on money that roads and education are neglected in favor of sealing mines (including a harmless adit that only went back 30'). Something for all of us to think about as we explore (and vote). March, 2011: Unfinished business called us back to the Joshua Tree area for yet another exploration trip. Dave, Jeff, Mike and Stacy headed out Friday night and setup camp in our usual spot off Gold Crown Road. We were met by Troy, an avid off-roader and mine explorer on his first trip to the area. Saturday was another beautiful winter desert day. We got up early and headed straight to the Ivanhoe Mine. This complex is very remote and accessed via extremely rugged and rocky roads. Reports pegged the Ivanhoe at around 350' deep. Since our longest rope is 300' we joined two together and sent them down the shaft. A strange metal and wood headframe (all the wood has now been burned away) had been built at some point and it provided an excellent anchor. Dave headed down first and encountered a drift about 75' below the surface. Mike and Stacy quickly joined him and the exploration began. The level spanned both sides of the shaft but one side was quite short and had been burned. The other side extended about 100' and contained an inaccessible raise and a dangerous winze with a very loose collar. There were the remains of rails and some timbering but otherwise the level was barren. We got back on rope and continued descending. Not far below the first level was a burned drift which may have connected to the winze above. About 80' below we came across another drift. It too extended on both sides of the shaft but one side was filled with debris. The other was severely burned and filled with soot. It extended less than 75' and contained one winze, divided between a ore chute and manway. The lower ladders were gone but Stacy managed to climb up to where they started with Dave's assistance. Unfortunately, the ladders only led to a small area on top of the chute that had been chipped away. With the second level cleared, we descended further into the bowels of the Ivanhoe Mine. We found the third level 270' below the surface. We also found that the main shaft had become plugged with debris just ten feet further down. The plug was substantial and the final levels of the mine are likely to now be permanently out of reach. The third level also extended from both sides of the shaft. On one side, right next to the shaft was a large ore cart. It's dump mechanism still functional but sadly someone had removed all the wheels and broken the nameplate as well. The stripped base of another cart lay discarded nearby. Continuing down the drift on that side, we found several areas of collapse. The air was very hot, stagnant and humid, however we received no alarms from our gas detector. There were obvious signs of water intrusion and all the rock was soft and crumbly. The drift extended for about 250' before ending just past a winze. The winze contained a rotting ore chute and ladder and the floor below was littered with rotted and collapsed timbers. Two rusted metal pipes headed up but the area was extremely unstable so we left at once. We crossed the main shaft and headed into the other side of level three. There was extensive evidence of amateur miners working in the Ivanhoe. Artifacts included rope, twine, boxes from gas lanterns, candle remains and even a Radio Shack wired intercom! On the right side were ten ore chutes and two manways. The chutes extended most of the way down the 250' foot drift. After reconnoitering the entire length of the drift we stopped and took a break for lunch. When lunch was finished we headed to the first manway and Dave went straight up. The manway was very tight and the top six feet of ladder were missing. Dave was able to climb all the way to the top and Stacy soon joined him. The area above contained a drift which led back towards the main shaft and contained a connecting chute. The other direction was a stope that fed many of the chutes below. There was an interesting steel block and tackle supporting a rail hung inside one of the chutes as well as several blasting caps and a stick of dynamite. Dave and Stacy returned to the main level and the group moved to the second manway. Mike climbed up and discovered a small stope which fed the ore chute. There was a well used hand steel and an array of interesting mineralization. Once Dave and Stacy got a look we returned to the main shaft and prepared for our ascent. Stacy went first, frogging his way 270' to the surface in just seventeen minutes. Mike followed and made the journey in twenty five minutes. Dave came up next and had the second fastest time of twenty two minutes. We had spent seven and a half hours exploring the Ivanhoe Mine. While Dave, Mike and Stacy were below, Jeff and Troy explored the area around the Ivanhoe Mine which included several shafts. Jeff descended down two shafts with ladders but couldn't fully explore either without ropes. They also found a spectacular path carved into the hillside which lead to another small shaft. The path used to contain pipe rails and some small sections remained. There was also a small trestle and the remains of the cable used to haul the cars. We all headed back to the trestle in the dark for a look and then back to camp after a long and productive day. Sunday was another beautiful day. We headed straight to the Vail Mine and it's spectacular wooden headframe. Mike rigged the slightly inclined shaft and Stacy headed down. The shaft was wood lined for about 80% of it's length. There was debris everywhere including parts of the ladder that used to be nailed to the wall. The shaft was plugged about 75' below the surface, right at the level of the first drift. Stacy explored the drift and found it to be quite short. Dave followed Stacy down and they went about seeing if the plug could be passed. The debris was quite loose and passage appeared possible but dangerous. They could see the bottom and it appeared to be just a pit located roughly 30' below the plug. With all that in mind we decided that it wasn't worth the risk so Dave and Stacy headed back to the surface. We next drove across the valley to the OK Mine. This is a huge mine complex with shafts and exposed stopes everywhere, along with surface ruins. Right next to the road was a short shaft with a makeshift aluminum ladder installed. Mike and Troy headed down and discovered a narrow passageway leading into the mine. Mike slipped through and found a short shaft which led to a rather extensive drift which also contained a winze. He returned to the surface and the whole team geared up and headed in. The drift wound around and past a main OK Mine shaft. The shaft was plugged at the drift level (which was about 50' below the surface). We could see through the loose plug and the shaft extended for more than 100' below which made for a very dangerous place. The drift continued past the shaft for only another 50' and ended in a small stope "supported" by crushed timbers. We returned to the winze and decided to descend. It contained another aluminum ladder (which started about six feet down) and rudimentary rigging from amateur miners or explorers. Mike rigged the shaft and Dave and Stacy headed down. The shaft was about 50' deep and contained ladders all the way to the bottom. Troy had never rappelled in a mine before and the ascent would be mostly ladders so he decided to head down as well. We waited until Dave and Stacy came back up and switched Stacy's gear to Troy. Mike headed down first, followed by Jeff and then Troy. At the bottom of the shaft was a dirty winze. We crossed on sturdy boards and found our way back to the main shaft. We could look up and see the plug looming above us... very scary. The shaft continued down at least 100' and was filled with timbers and ladders which had fallen from above. After a look around the rest of this small level we all ascended back to the first drift and then out to the surface. We surveyed the rest of the OK Mine complex and located the main shaft. According to published documentation, this was once a 900' deep dual compartment timber lined shaft. It's now an eroded mess. The collar isn't too bad so we plan on taking a closer look at some point. We finished the weekend by taking a walk around the Vail Mine mill ruins and following a rough road to a prospect about two miles away. We also located the second Vail Mine shaft. It's wooden headframe has been burned and there is substantial collapse in the shaft. It appears to be less about 30' deep at this point but may undercut. We plan on taking another look on our next trip. January, 2011: We returned to the Joshua Tree area to
explore several mines we had scouted on previous trips. The
whole Mine Team was together again for the first time in more than a
year. We were met by Ken, an avid mine explorer with
significant rope experience, who drove down from Bakersfield.
Our base camp was on the north side of the Dale Mining District off
of Gold Crown Road. December, 2010: We traveled out of our usual territory to southwest Arizona in late December. The goal was to scout the historic and popular mining towns of Tombstone and Bisbee. We expected the Tombstone mines to all be filled or gated but found a number of excellent shafts with only hinged (and locked) covers. The hillside above town is covered with shafts. Many are just prospects but a good number are prime for exploration. The mines that are actually in town appear to be inaccessible. Bisbee is about as impressive of a mining town as we've ever seen. Freeport-McMoRan Copper and Gold are the current owners of all the Bisbee mines. There is no mining going on at this point, just caretaking, reclamation and some small scale extraction of ore from the huge mine dumps which dominate the town. There is a giant open pit mine just outside town and other nearby. The real attraction are the seven large shafts which dot Bisbee, each topped by a massive steel headframe. Five of them have full complexes built around them with large buildings and ore bins. The shafts are supposed to extend over 4,000' down but are reportedly flooded at around the 1,500' level. According to former workers they're all connected with haulage drifts. The shaft hoist equipment is in place but needs complete refurbishing. Our information indicates that they each have manways. There are also the remains of a huge mill complex with gigantic concrete foundations and in-ground tanks. However, access is virtually impossible. Freeport-McMoRan security is highly active, as are the local police. Each site is well secured with barb wire topped fences and copious no trespassing signs. November 28th, 2010: The episode "Mojave Mystery" of the Discovery Investigations Channel show Disappeared featuring our search for April Pitzer has aired. Here's an excerpt of the show featuring our search with the Mojave Underground.
November 22nd, 2010: Mojave Underground has produced an excellent video documentary about our search in the high desert for missing person April Pitzer. Using their HD footage and our photography that have created a very professional and informative piece.
October 29th, 2010: Underground Explorers stickers are now available. These high quality, professionally printed 3"x5" oval stickers feature the Underground Explorers logo on our signature orange background. Stickers are only $5.00 each (shipped) and can be ordered by sending payment via PayPal to "stickers@undergroundexplorers.com". You can also order Underground Explorers shirts directly from our web store by clicking here. August 26th - 29th, 2010 (Owens Valley): We returned to the Owens Valley for the third time determined to conquer the Santa Rosa Mine. A blizzard thwarted our previous attempt and at first it looked like the weather would defeat us again. Heavy rains had flooded Highway 395 and we had to wait several hours until the road was open. After that we had beautiful weather for the rest of the weekend. Jeff, Mike and Stacy headed up to the mine on Saturday and spent some time exploring the mountain which is pockmarked with pits and two adits. Jeff rappelled into one pit and found that it only went back about 20' We then geared up and entered the lower adit which was partially collapsed. The main level was quite extensive and we proceeded to survey it, always keeping to the right. We descended one small inclined winze, explored that level and then ascended another small inclined winze back up to the main level. We eventually came to a huge cavernous stope and a large, steeply inclined winze with a headframe, ladders and skids. We rigged the shaft for safety and descended about 175' to the next major level. There was a stripped and upended ore cart right at the bottom of the incline which made for a good lunch table. We then found a large room in the drift with a second level accessible by ladders. This lead to several large stopes and ultimately back to the winze we descended. We continued exploring and found a gigantic cavernous stope. It was easily 100' tall, 150-200' long and 100' wide. The drift continued past the stope and we explored the whole area before returning to the main drift. We then came across another inclined winze with an intact incline cart still on the track and suspended by cables. We descend this winze and discovered that it passed through the bottom of the stope we had just been in. It continued down a total of 150-175' and concealed yet another large cavernous stope. After exploring everything we ascended back up to the previous level to continue our survey. We found some amazing cave formations growing in the mine with clear and blue crystals plus a stalactite. After finishing the second main level we ascended the main winze, stopping to explore several small levels and stopes along the way. After reaching the main level we circled back around and came across a crosscut which lead to a door. Rather than concealing a typical storage room the door lead to a huge traditional angled stope. It was 200-300' long and 100-150' high. We explored the lower areas and felt that it likely connected with an adit Stacy had found in the morning. We threw a glow stick up high and continued our exploration of the main level. Our last task was to explore another inclined winze. We roped up and descended to find more stopes and several small levels. Stacy descended to the very bottom (about 125' down) to find yet another small level and a short dead end inclined shaft. After ascending the incline we exited the mine, stowed our gear and walked up the mountain to the adit Stacy had located. It only took moments to determine that it did indeed connect with the stope and after a little more exploring we found our glow stick. Sunday found us back in Talc City looking to explore several vertical shafts we'd found on our last trip. We first stopped at the Alliance Talc Mine where we used the Jeep as an anchor to drop a shaft with missing and damaged ladders. Mike headed down and discovered that the mine was in terrible condition. The bottom of the shaft was filled with dangerous debris but there was a drift about 30' up. One side was almost completely collapsed. Stacy also descended and we explored an inclined raise which lead to a mostly collapsed level. The timbers were crushed and we could see where the drift was filled almost to the ceiling by falling debris. After a few pictures we got out of there and returned to the main shaft. Stacy examined the debris and retrieved the rope bag from below. Mike ascended the rope and Stacy soon followed. On the surface we noticed a long sunken area which likely formed when the first level collapsed. Scary! We took a brief tour of Talc City and then headed over to the Viking Mine. We rigged the shaft and Stacy rappelled down to check things out. The shaft was filled with debris and except for one small level went nowhere. After packing up we took a brief look at an unnamed shaft nearby but decided it was too dangerous to descend. We finished the day with a quick trip out to Darwin to take another look at it's famous mines. We also located a number of additional mines nearby that we'll have to survey on another trip. Once again we had a great time in the Owens Valley. We've seen everything there is to see at Talc City but mines near Darwin, east at Panamint Springs and north towards Independence beckon for another trip. July 2nd, 2010 (Cripple Creek, CO): We stopped by the historic mining town of Cripple Creek to tour the world famous Mollie Kathleen Mine. Mike had toured this mine in 1976 and couldn't wait to see it again. The tour did not disappoint. It starts with a hoist ride down to the 1000' level. There, a former miner demonstrated a number of pneumatic tools along with pieces of pneumatic equipment. He also explained about blasting, mining methods and mine features. Visitors also ride on a pneumatic powered tram from one section of the mine to another. The tour is highly informative and a great deal of fun. We also took a little time to explore mining ruins in Cripple Creek. Everything we found had been reclaimed. There were a number of great ore bins and headframes still around however. If you're ever in this part of Colorado, the Mollie Kathleen Mine Tour is highly recommended, even if you've spend weeks underground like we have. April 15th - 18th, 2010 (Calico): We met up with another group of Southern California mine explorers for a trip back to Calico. Ken, Matt and Scott were great guys and we had an excellent time exploring. They hadn't spent much time in Calico so we took a trip to the Bismark Mine for a tour. We rappelled into the main shaft just for fun and spent a few hours going over all the drifts on the main level (including the card room of course). We also made it a point to check out an area none of us had ever been to east of town. We whet our appetite on the Burcham Mine and it's multiple adits. One was gated but we were able to access it anyway. Others were wide open and had a range of interesting winzes, timbering and track. Our main goal however was the Waterloo Mine. The haulage tunnel has been closed and all of the shafts are capped with steel cages. One had already been dug out and we wasted no time exploring it. Ken rappelled down about 100' only to find the bottom absolutely featureless and devoid of drifts. We then located a mostly filled adit and squirmed inside (after a bit of digging). It was just above a large tailing pile and must have been quite significant but the inside was collapsed and impassible past 100'. We refused to give up and found another vertical shaft late in the day. It's covering grate had been comprehensively torched off leaving easy access and anchor points. It was wood lined all the way down and we could see a ladder and divider as well. After a quick reconnoiter with a video camera we decided it had to be explored. About 100' down the ladder started and we could see a drift there and another 60' further down at the bottom. We returned to camp for dinner and arrived back at the mine around 9:00pm. We had the shaft rigged in no time and Mike headed down at 10:00pm. The rest of the group quickly followed. The mine proved to be very interesting with several levels and an incredible fault running down the entire main drift. The highlight was a huge stope braced with over 12 frames of square set timbers. It was over 100' from top to bottom and in excellent condition. Ken and Scott descended on the timbers and explored another level below. They found more square set and a winze leading further down that we'll have to explore another day. We climbed up the ladder to the next level but it was just a short drift that connected to a rough shaft leading to the surface. We ascended the rope one by one and were all back on the surface by 4:30am. It was a great trip and a thrill to explore someplace new. The Waterloo Mine is easily the biggest mine in Calico and the square set timbers were a real treat to see. Thanks again to Ken, Matt and Scott for a great time. March 20th - 21st, 2010 (Joshua Tree): With the search complete we headed to the Dale Mining District to explore some mines. We first headed to the Supply Mine but found the shaft too unstable to explore. We then located an adit that led to the shaft and the mine beyond. We decided to visit another vertical mine first before continuing our explorations. We drove over the Gold Crown Mine, which was a huge operation. The mine site is littered with foundations, shafts and tailings. We found two deep shafts and rigged them for rappelling. Miah headed down one while Stacy descended into the main shaft. Miah found his shaft to be about 250' deep with just a short drift at the bottom. Stacy descended 300' to the end of the rope and found nothing. The shaft continued down as far as he could see. We decided to save the rest for another day when we were equipped with better communications gear and headed back over to the Supply Mine. The whole group entered the adit and encountered another group heading out. The false floor and rails that once crossed the shaft were gone leaving just a small ledge. We rigged a rope and crossed the shaft without too much trouble. Further down the adit was a very small winze with a ladder, The whole group except Mike headed down. They found another drift below that led to yet another winze. This one had very poor ladders however so a rope was rigged and everyone but Robert descended. The air was becoming quite hot and humid at this point indicating that there were no further connections to the surface. Part of the group descended further and explored all the accessible portions of the mine while the rest headed back up. Once everyone was back to the adit we re-crossed the shaft and called it a night. The Mojave Underground Mine Team headed back to Utah on Sunday morning. Dave, Jeff, Mike and Stacy took a ride to explore some mines we hadn't visited yet. We first stopped at the Imperial Mine which has two short adits with a winze connecting them. We then drove to the Gypsy Mine which has a few small shafts and one more interesting 75' or so deep shaft. With time running out we decided to head back to camp and pack up for the drive home. March 18th - 19th, 2010 (Ludlow): The search moved east and south to Ludlow on day three. We were also joined by a videographer from the Discovery Channel show "Disappeared". Our goal was the mines in the Steadman and Ragtown area. We started with the Bagdad Chase Mine. Stuart cleared a short incline shaft while Mike and Crystal rappelled into a 300' long steep incline. It connected to a number of drifts and seemed to have been largely untouched since the 1970's. They were deep in a hot and stale part of the mine when their low oxygen detector alerted. They cleared out and left that section alone. After a few hours searching they both ascended back to the surface. While they were at the incline the rest of the team setup the mobile mine hoist. Stuart and Fish descended into a 150' deep shaft. The drift at the bottom was almost completely blocked by debris from above. They searched and found where the drift connected to the main incline (about 15' up from the floor). They also located an inclined winze. Meanwhile Jeff and Robert were searching yet another shaft east of the main complex. When they were done Jeff, Mike and Crystal descended on the hoist to join Stuart while Fish came to the surface. They rigged a rope so Crystal could descend the winze and at the bottom it connected to the drift by the main incline. She came back up and everyone cleared out of the fully explored mine. The next morning started with Mike and Jeff rappelling into a 60' deep wood lined shaft near the road. It led to a 75' loose and dirty inclined winze. After searching the prospect they both ascended back to the surface. The group then headed over to Old Pete's Mine. It was mostly open stopes with one wood lined shaft. Mike rigged the shaft and Stuart rappelled in. While he was searching the bottom several others walked to the top of the mountain and examined a short adit. After Stuart ascended out of the shaft we drove over to the Red Dog Mine. The Red Dog has already been extensively searched with cadaver dogs but everyone wanted a look inside. It's a rather small mine with an impressive metal and wood headframe. We all headed down and were treated to bizarre timbering made from home improvement store landscape ties and welded metal plates. We searched for a short while and then exited the mine. After a group photo and many goodbyes we packed up and headed down the road to Joshua Tree. March 16th - 17th, 2010 (Barstow): We met the Mojave Underground Mine team in Barstow to conduct a search and recovery operation for a missing woman. April Pitzer has been missing since 2004 and is presumed dead. Information uncovered in their investigation had led homicide investigators to believe that her body may be located in a high desert mine shaft. With that in mind we were given a list of locations to search by the volunteer coordinator working the case. We started off searching the mines and prospects on Lead Mountain. We encountered several shafts, one of which was filled with water. We rappelled into all the shafts and then came across an adit on the south side of the mountain. This mine was very dusty with no airflow. Inside was a very loose incline which lead to a deep winze. Rather than descending we decided to lower a camera down. The winze ended up being about 250' deep with no drifts. The bottom was surprisingly free of debris. We cleared out of this mine, checked Lead Mountain off our list and called it a night. The next morning we headed to an area just north of the Yermo Annex. There are several shafts concentrated in a small area. There was also a large collapsed stope. Next to the stope was a small wood lined shaft. Miah rappelled in to check it out while Stuart and Crystal searched the stope. It ended up connecting to one of the other shafts. Lastly, Miah rappelled into another shaft and cleared it as well. After finishing up it was off to the Waterman Mine north of Barstow. Gloria Denton, April's mother also came out to the site to observe our search. The Waterman is a large complex with very red iron rich soil. There are numerous shafts and stopes that connect to the surface. There is also an adit which we entered while Miah and Derek rigged a large shaft for searching. The adit was filled with the usual trash. However, we also found several articles of women's clothing. We searched further into the mine and found a deep winze. It had ladders but they only went down about 50'. The winze appeared to continue at least another 100' down. Since it was very narrow we decided against rappelling in. We the continued further into the mine and found where many of the shafts and stopes connected to the adit. We also had to cross a stope on support timbers where a false floor had been removed. At the very end of the adit we came to a large shaft and found Miah heading down from the surface. He continued to the bottom of the shaft (which was about 300' total) and searched the short drifts at the bottom. He then ascended to our level and cleared off the rope. We all headed out of this section of the mine and some of us entered another series of shafts nearby. Stuart rappelled into one while Jeff, Robert and Mike climbed down into another. This area was filled with even more trash and ultimately connected to the shaft Stuart was searching. Jeff and Robert continued down a drift and found huge additional sections of the mine located under the valley floor. It was impossible to search however since many false floors had been removed. We cleared out and called it a day.
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