An Underground Adventure in the Hidden Treasure Mine

[@Cryfield1999]

2:41 "This looks like a pretty collapsed and dangerous area... let's go check it out." This man has some guts

[@AbandonedMines11]

It was a calculated risk. We knew others had been in this mine before us, so we knew what we were getting ourselves into more or less. Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@surfshawnsurf9724]

@@AbandonedMines11 It would be cool if you could do a video with "Ghost Town Living" Check out his channel sometime. He really needs someone like you to teach him about mines otherwise he is going to kill himself, NO JOKE. I think someone like you could help educate him.

[@TheSWolfe]

LoL Bacon strips! I've seen 'em before but was unaware of their title. Sketchy but fascinating mine. Thx for the explore!

[@elanticuariochema]

Your hobby It,s amazing, New like 👀👍👍

[@AbandonedMines11]

Thank you so much!

[@neilurwin9670]

What A Fantastic Video All The Best Frank And Your Friend As Well.

[@AbandonedMines11]

Hey, Neil! Thanks for your recent comments! I appreciate your interest and support here on my channel.

[@Paulman50]

👍😊 got a ride in an ore bucket down a 900 foot shaft in WA. The shaft was about 1 meter square. This mine reminded me of that one. Thanks.

[@AbandonedMines11]

That must’ve been a great experience! That’s pretty cool that you were able to do that. Thanks for sharing the anecdote!

[@Davidautofull]

Frank, go to the "mart" and get some glo-sticks for the 1000 ft drop. put them on a 1000 ft string every 100 ft. that would look great.

[@AbandonedMines11]

That's a great idea! It would certainly light up the shaft somewhat.

[@garymckee8857]

The more I watch your videos the more I realize how dangerous these abandoned mines are. Thanks

[@AbandonedMines11]

Understandable. But as with anything in life, it's a calculated risk. Justin and I calculated that the near-vertical ladders just weren't worth descending without ropes and harnesses. Other explorers might've calculated differently and went for it. But honestly -- between abandoned mine exploration and driving home from the exploration, I think there's a greater chance of getting killed during the drive home. Thanks, Gary, for your comments. Always nice hearing from you!

[@Porty1119]

@@AbandonedMines11 Justin found a bunch of photos taken down the main hoisting shaft by folks who climbed down - there's some cool stuff down there and I can't wait to descend it with the right equipment!

[@AbandonedMines11]

I think I saw those photographs online a few years ago. I know that one of the Underground Explorers went down that shaft four or five years ago. Might’ve been his pictures. I’m not surprised that there’s equipment left down there. A lot of these mines with deep inclined or vertical shots usually have equipment in them from what I’ve experienced. I know in the Mohawk Mine up in Nevada, Paul and I found not one but two muckers down on the lower levels in that mine! There’s a video of it here in my channel with the phrase “exploring 5000 feet of tunnels“ or something like that in its title.

[@garymckee8857]

@@AbandonedMines11 I worked in Nevada in 2015 doing work at phone transmission sites out in the middle of nowhere. It gets scary out there at night.

[@jrosealmendras88]

this adventure is amazing

[@AbandonedMines11]

Glad to hear you enjoyed it! Thanks so much for taking the time to watch and comment - I appreciate it. More videos coming soon!

[@twinvideoproduction9662]

Interesting explore of this giant mine Frank and Justin. You wonder what damage a small earthquake could do to this already unstable mine. Thanks for posting the link to Justin's channel.

[@AbandonedMines11]

Thanks, man! From what I've been able to gather, earthquakes really don't affect a mine underground. The seismic waves get transferred to the surface where they cause all the damage. Someone said that if you were in a mine when a large earthquake struck, you probably wouldn't even notice it. I would think one would notice the initial shockwave (maybe) as it races through the earth. The shaking, however, would occur on the surface. Thanks for checking out Justin's channel via the link!

[@twinvideoproduction9662]

Thanks for the info. It is good to know to have peace of mind.

[@ABANDONED_UNDERGROUND]

Thank you for dropping by!

[@ricklohr909]

Always cheer me up, Frank! I’m here in Boston and just watching your videos helps me escape the city every now and then. Keep up the great work!

[@AbandonedMines11]

Thank you, Rick! It's always nice to hear when a viewer is getting something out of my videos. Thanks so much for your great comment. I appreciate it. Cheers!

[@Miner49er1]

This was a cool mine. It was quite tall, and the strappings were an interesting feature. Sure do enjoy finding doors inside the mines! Can't wait for the next one. Nice video, Frank!

[@AbandonedMines11]

Thanks, Nick! You probably recognized the opening outdoor shot in this video. It was left over from this past summer. The mine, however, was in a different location altogether.

[@Miner49er1]

@@AbandonedMines11 I thought it looked familiar...but then you went inside and threw me off! :)

[@stevetabor4447]

That’s one massive mine, just love the look of all the bacon straps. 1000 ft straight down would make a mess out of box of rice aroni 😂😂 awesome explore guys as always be safe

[@AbandonedMines11]

Thanks, Steve! Yes, I don't think the box of Rice-A-Roni would enjoy plummeting 1000 feet to a certain doom.

[@hhawg1]

Thanks Frank. Another interesting video.

[@AbandonedMines11]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for your support!

[@billclaussen5255]

I get an Odd feeling when you were in the supported strip area, especially in areas that have broken free. Geez Guys, be careful!!! Thanks Frank...Peace!!! Bill

[@AbandonedMines11]

Thanks again, Bill, for your support!

[@rolfsinkgraven]

They should have called it the bad bacon mine, interesting place with some nice things in there, but getting a bit unstable, nice explore thnx.

[@AbandonedMines11]

Yeah I agree, Rolf! It definitely is getting a bit unstable in there. I wonder how much longer it'll take before there's a substantial cave-in? Thanks for dropping by!

[@frankgaletzka8477]

This is a amazing mine with a high potential for more adventures Thanks for sharing your exploring looking for more to come from this mine Stay safe take care best wishes yours Frank Galetzka

[@AbandonedMines11]

Hi, Frank! Good hearing from you again! Thank you. There definitely are some more adventures to be had in this mine, but that would require descending the vertical ladders in the shaft. Need to do that with rope and harnesses. Maybe some day....

[@desertrat8322]

Awesome video Frank , those tunnels are huge

[@AbandonedMines11]

Yes they are! Definitely made for large, rubber-tired mining equipment.

[@GoodsDell7]

Thanks for sharing this adventure, Frank. :)

[@AbandonedMines11]

No problem, Mike! Thanks for stopping by and checking out the video - I appreciate it.

[@adamwright1619]

Great video as always!

[@AbandonedMines11]

Thanks, Adam! Nice hearing from you again.

[@badassvader7904]

Thanks for saying the depth in meters!

[@AbandonedMines11]

No problem. I realized how annoying it was not having the metric equivalents stated when I was watching a video recently where they did not state the English equivalents. I know most of the world uses the metric system, but for some reason we here in the United States never made the switch. I remember learning the metric system, too, when I was in grade school. It is so much easier because it’s all based on the number 10. I don’t know why this country never made the switch....

[@badassvader7904]

@@AbandonedMines11 i dont understand that either its way easier... keep it up with the great videos! greetings from Portugal!

[@Porty1119]

The stope at 5:35 intimidated me since my lighting is not as good as yours and it was hard to see exactly what I'd come across! It goes down to at least the Shamrock 200S level if not further. Since the 100 level shaft station didn't have an ore pocket, I think that opening on the 100 level was an ore pass done as a drop raise from the 200. Come to think of it, I think it actually goes down to the 300 level - I recall a conversation with the old superintendent to that effect. If I remember correctly, a 90-degree double slusher arrangement was used to load the skip. A similar arrangement was used a couple years ago in another mine nearby. Note that the stope before that ore pass was done "blind", with no upper access sublevel, which requires loading powder from the lower drill drift against gravity. That whole longhole stope deal was borderline experimental technology at the time. They brought in a crew from Boart Longyear to do the drilling with what I believe was a BCI-2 pneumatic buggy drill. Boart Longyear sells a product-improved BCI-2 as the Stopemate, it'll set you back a cool quarter million which is actually cheap for new narrow-vein equipment! Powder loading was done with a high-pressure pneumatic prill loader versus a cartridge loader - definitely had to cut down on costs since grades there aren't that good (~10opt Ag, minimal Au). I've seen references to an ANFO prill product that incorporated styrofoam to get it to stick in upholes - that could have been used here. Funny thing is that they got it all done with old-school pneumatic equipment. I've heard that an LHD was used on the 600 level, it was reportedly disassembled and caged back topside after the mine shut down. I have no clue what model it was - there's been an ST-2D running around this district for a while and there was a larger Elmac machine show up at one point too. All I know is that it wasn't a 911. Lastly - at least one Young Buggy was run in the decline-accessed workings there. I know a guy who ran one at this mine right out of high school. There's a photo of one next to an ore pass with a grizzly but I've never found that spot, unless it was the 100 level ore pass and the grizzly isn't there anymore.

[@AbandonedMines11]

Thanks, Jim, for the detailed comment! Lots of fascinating history at this particular mine, that's for sure. I appreciate you taking the time to write some of it down for everybody here.

[@royjennison3916]

great vid frank , i love that steel bacon holding the roof up. looks so cool .

[@AbandonedMines11]

They certainly used a lot of bacon strips in this mine! I was reading an old mining report about this mine, and it said that they did have a lot of problems with the instability of the rock in certain areas. I think Justin and I found some of those areas as we explored this mine! Thanks for watching and commenting, Roy!

[@royjennison3916]

@@AbandonedMines11 i love your vids mate , they are so cool

[@SueGirling68]

Hi Frank, I don't think I have ever seen a mine that was that heavily strapped before, there were so many which just goes to prove how dangerous and unsound the rock actually is. That shaft was just crazy deep, it gave me vertigo just thinking about how deep it was, wow. The double ore chutes were pretty cool to see along with the bell signals, I think the wire to the right there would have been connected to the bell. The big tank was a cool find hidden right at the back there, thank you for another awesome mine explore, it was great to see you and Justin do a collab together, he's a great guy who really knows his stuff and I have been subbed to him for a few years too. Thank you for sharing, much love. xx 🙏💖

[@AbandonedMines11]

Hi, Sue! I did not notice the wire next to the bell signal chart. I'll have to go back and take a look at the video. Thanks for pointing that out, though! Yes, I usually can't get too close to those vertical shafts because of a fear of heights and getting dizzy. I'm surprised I got as good a shot as I did on this one in this video! The shaft certainly goes a long way down! That tank was one of the biggest I've seen in a mine, too. Definitely a hidden treasure! Thanks again for all of your support over the years! I'm glad you're subscribed to Justin's channel as well.

[@SueGirling68]

@@AbandonedMines11 I did think at the time boy Franks getting brave over that shaft lol, I'm also subscribed to mines of the West who is Justin's exploring buddy, Justin does scare me a lot with some of the sketchy stuff he checks out though. xx

[@AbandonedMines11]

Went back and re-watched my video and, yes, you are correct - there is a wire there at the bell signal chart which was probably for the bell as you pointed out. I missed seeing that when I was there in person. You have a good eye for having caught that! I think you might getting mixed up on the Justins. The Justin I was with in this video is a new guy who has the Southern New Mexico Explorer KZbin channel. I think you might be thinking of Justin of the TVR KZbin channel.

[@SueGirling68]

@@AbandonedMines11 Ahhh yes I did mean Justin from TVR Exploring, I did think his voice sounded a little different but figured it was your audio lol. I will have to check this Justin's channel out. xx

[@AbandonedMines11]

Yes, the Justin I was with does have a voice that sounds somewhat similar to Justin’s voice of TVR Exploring.

[@hotrodandrube9119]

Ever think about getting a gopro on a rope to wind down into some 900 foot shafts? Love the videos, strong work!

[@AbandonedMines11]

That's a great idea but one I'm not set up for at the moment. Thanks for suggesting it! And thanks, too, for dropping in, watching, and commenting!

[@W7DSY]

10:01, "You wouldn't want to accidentally fall into this shaft." Actually Frank, I wouldn't want to ON PURPOSE fall into that shaft.

[@AbandonedMines11]

Thanks for commenting, Stan! I bet there's a sign at the bottom of the vertical shaft that says, "Stan was here." LOL I still crack up about that sign you staged in the Big Eye Mine. Too funny!

[@xonhobatera]

Very nice adventure! Greetings from Brazil!

[@AbandonedMines11]

Hey, Jonathan! Nice hearing from you! Thanks for watching and commenting from all the way down there in Brazil.

[@tinas4838]

🤣🤣🤣🤣 Bacon strips!!! I love it!!!

[@AbandonedMines11]

Everybody could use some miners' slang terminology every once in a while. LOL Thanks for watching and commenting, Tina!

[@adamwest8711]

I think I’d find those bacon strips both reassuring and worrying at the same time.

[@AbandonedMines11]

They are reassuring when they’re still tightly attached to the sides of the tunnel. They are not reassuring when you see them partially hanging off the wall with the bolts that held them in place partially or completely dislodged. Thanks for your comment, Adam!

[@foxythunder481]

I saw this comment BEFORE I watched the video, and I thought he found actual bacon strips for a second lol

[@Cj-bw3hn]

@@foxythunder481 lol

[@mikenike-zd9zp]

@@foxythunder481 if i were to find actual bacon strips in there i think I’d only be a lot more than reassured :)

[@dancjr2]

Excellent exploration Frank, the number of Bacon Strips needed in this mine is cringe worthy, I never realized how long the bolts are. Hope all is well, stay safe and thanks for sharing.

[@AbandonedMines11]

If I remember correctly, I think some of those bolts can even be around 20 feet long or something like that. They can go in pretty far! I’ve only seen them used a few times, and one time was in a talc mine. Some of those bolts had become dislodged and I think they were closer to 15 or 20 feet long. I’d have to go back and rewatch my videos, though, to be certain. It would make sense that the bolts would be a lot longer in a talc mine due to talc being very unstable.

[@worldfilmclips1]

Being in the Electrical Mechanical Trade, I would love to put some power⚡on that old ventilation fan and see if it would run. The water table must be low in that mine with that deep shaft although they may have had pumps down there once. Is that mine on a hill maybe? Great video👌. I'm viewing all your older one's👍.

[@JoshPadgett]

Hey, Justin and I have the same gloves (Mechanix)! Haha

[@AbandonedMines11]

Cool!

[@ABANDONED_UNDERGROUND]

They do their job! lol

[@JoshPadgett]

@@ABANDONED_UNDERGROUND Yes indeed!

[@haroldishoy2113]

Air tank with rivets, dates the tank to around 1930s. It probably had been used and moved and reused many times over in that mine

[@AbandonedMines11]

I think you're right, Harold! They probably did move that tank around somewhat. Thanks for the info on the rivets and how that correlates to the 1930s.

[@miqotelover]

Amazing exploration, you do an amazing job at documenting these mines. Please stay safe!

[@AbandonedMines11]

Thank you for your comment!

[@gtfkt]

Always nice to see one of your videos appear into my notifications list.

[@AbandonedMines11]

Thanks, man! I really appreciate that! Glad to have you along for all the adventures. Thank you for your support.

[@richardwarnock2789]

Yes the uneasy feeling those 🥓 strips were thinking those human seem so Tense When They see Us Just hanging about lol!!

[@Niklas1611]

Wow really looked like an interesting mine :D

[@AbandonedMines11]

Definitely a more modern one but still interesting nonetheless. Personally, I prefer the smaller and older mines from the late 1800s that have the smaller tunnels with the narrow gauge ore cart tracks, the wooden timbering, and things like that.

[@Niklas1611]

@@AbandonedMines11 yeah you are right but I personally have never seen a "newer" one which made this videos much more interesting 😁

[@Partekal]

This is awesome. Would love to explore this myself!

[@AbandonedMines11]

Thanks for your comment, man! I appreciate it.

[@morelenmir]

Interestingly while 'winze' is a word I have heard English miners use once or twice, the feature you describe as a winze would be more commonly called a 'blind shaft' here. That is a vertical passage between man levels that doesn't have an outlet to above ground so cannot 'see' daylight. The moment such a 'winze' does break through to the surface it is no longer blind and becomes a standard mine-shaft. In my area there are also the relative terms 'rise' and 'sump'. Any shaft from where you are currently stood that goes up is a rise and any that goes down is a sump--although the latter you might expect to be purely a term for a shaft filled with water, but it isn't. Obviously if a miner is stood next to the same shaft but on a higher level then your 'rise' would be his 'sump'... Rather confusing but somehow the lead miners still understood one another!!!

[@AbandonedMines11]

Thanks for the information regarding the differing terminology! Here, a sump is the very bottom of a vertical shaft. It's where the water and other debris collect. A raise is a vertical shaft going up in a tunnel ceiling. They tend to be large, timbered, and have a ladder in them. They are a main access. A winze, however, is a smaller vertical shaft going down in a tunnel floor. They are small, have a ladder, and are not meant to be a main access. They often are only big enough to accommodate a miner and nothing else. It is confusing, as you pointed out, but also very interesting. So what do you call a Tommyknocker? LOL

[@Porty1119]

I've been looking forward to this one! I wish I could have gone down with y'all but I needed to be up at 4:30 for work the next morning.

[@AbandonedMines11]

Yeah, missed having you there. Justin and I decided against descending those ladders. They were just a little too vertical for our comfort. You might've noticed that I "combined" a lot of footage from that site into this one video, if you know what I mean. It was easier that way. Good meeting up with you, and thanks for that tour of the equipment facility! You got a good thing going there, Jim. Hope to see you again soon!

[@markhansen3593]

balzy as heck. In my native Utah growing up sometime my boy scout troop would break into an abandoned uranium mine.

[@AbandonedMines11]

I hope you didn't spend too much time in the uranium mine! Thanks for watching and commenting, Mark!

[@ronniecardy]

Very big tank . Really old also

[@AbandonedMines11]

Definitely one of the larger tanks I've seen in an abandoned mine, that's for sure! Must be lots of lower workings down that 1000-foot vertical shaft for there to be a tank that big in there. Thanks for watching and commenting, Ronnie!

[@PirateAdmiral-bx6sx]

0:39 I kinda wish we have that in minecraft. Cause we have a mineshaft in minecraft but the kind mineshaft isn't what you expect in real life.

[@AbandonedMines11]

You know, I’ve never played Minecraft but I’ve heard it’s a pretty cool game.

[@stabbincabbincowbboy3770]

That’s One Big Mine.. Whats Behind White Door #1 / 975’ DOWN.. HeeHawww 🤠🍺 Cheers Frank Danger

[@AbandonedMines11]

More like $975. Here, let me show where it is..... LOL

[@yenJamestv1976]

keep safe , its looks nice view but inside is look scary , any way new friend here sending full support hope to see u around.

[@AbandonedMines11]

Thank you for your comment! And thanks for your support, too. Both mean a lot.

[@yenJamestv1976]

@@AbandonedMines11 you’re most welcome.

[@RooftopRamble]

I would love to see an uncut video of you guys exploring a mine

[@AbandonedMines11]

I'm afraid it wouldn't be that exciting. Just a lot of walking and stumbling through tunnels. Others have made that request, though, so it's something I might consider doing as a perk for becoming a channel Member. Still thinking about all of that, though.... Thanks for your comment!

[@haroldishoy2113]

975 feet of ear popping fun, be sure to take your O2 meters

[@AbandonedMines11]

Most definitely! It was a shame these ladders were too vertical to free-climb. Better safe than sorry, though!

[@JeffCowan]

That's one of the bigger intact tanks I've seen that deep in a mine, Frank.

[@AbandonedMines11]

I agree with you! This is one of the biggest. The question is how did they get it down there. Being that these tunnels we were in were designed for modern, rubber-tired vehicles, it might’ve been brought in by one of those. Or it might’ve been brought down in pieces and reassembled on the spot. Thanks for watching and commenting, Jeff!

[@simontay4851]

It must've been assembled there from pieces brought in. I didn't see any rail or any evidence that there ever was any. It would be far too heavy to move in one piece. It must weigh 100s of KG, maybe over a ton.

[@kevio6868]

those old mines terrify me unless someone is outside with a communication device

[@AbandonedMines11]

I agree that they can be intimidating. When I first started exploring abandoned mines 14 years ago, I was too afraid to even go in them! I would only stand outside the entrance and film them from the outside. Later on, I got more experience and it wasn’t such a terrifying thing to do. I found out some of those first tunnels that I never entered ended up being only 100 feet long and that was it. Imagine being afraid of something like that! LOL Anyway, it’s a hobby best done with other people until you get enough experience and knowledge about what to avoid and things like that. Thanks for your comment!

[@kevio6868]

@@AbandonedMines11 makes sense tnx for the reply love your channel!

[@luminoussoundsyt]

Enough awesome Explore bro , those support bracing ( bacon strips) look very intresting and i bet they were heavy to bolt into the walls cause just by the size of them.

[@AbandonedMines11]

I have no idea how much one of those metal straps would weigh. Probably were somewhat heavy. Would've been interesting to see how they were actually affixed to the tunnel wall and how the bolt was driven in. Must've been noisy and dusty as heck! Thanks for dropping by, Alex! I hope all is well with you.

[@johnsmart964]

An impressive mine, a lot of artefacts which were of interest. The tank looked quite old as it appears to be rivetted construction. What is the best form of stabilization, would it be the 'bacon strips' or the wooden bracing or would it depend on the environment which they found themselves in? Many thanks for a terrific video.

[@AbandonedMines11]

Thanks for commenting, John! I think the type of stabilization and support that’s used depends on what kind of rock they are blasting and drilling through. If I’m not mistaken, I think I’ve been in abandoned mines where I have seen all three types of support being used throughout the mine.

[@joshweickum]

I don't think I could make it down/up 1000 foot ladder. I went down like a 100-200 ft ladder in a shaft and that was one of the most intense experiences of my life.

[@markhonea2461]

I gotta wonder what valuable minerals they discovered that would compel them to make a nearly 1000 foot vertical shaft downwards, as was found. Imagine the effort that would take. I really can't.

[@matthewcarlos2008]

Great Vid keep up the work. 😁😁👍👍👍👍Btw how did you start your hobby?

[@AbandonedMines11]

Good question! I began 14 years ago by exploring the small abandoned mines near where I live. After that, it basically snowballed. Thanks for your question and comment!

[@matthewcarlos2008]

That’s awesome

[@nebraskanassassin6058]

God damn Frank thank u for the great video

[@AbandonedMines11]

Thanks! I appreciate you taking the time to watch and comment. Thanks for all the support you’ve given to my channel recently.

[@nebraskanassassin6058]

And thank you Frank for responding back to me, you always do and that is awesome. I have to tell ya you are the best out there and I mean that from your theme song which I love to the closing....amazing content and passion my friend.

[@bro.weaver1282]

Going....down? oOOH...

[@Benson_aka_devils_advocate_88]

2:35

[@andrewjowsey1333]

Great video as usual Frank..you need to get Paul out of retirement so he can climb down those winze's like he did in past videos...LOL

[@AbandonedMines11]

Thanks for dropping by and commenting, Andrew! Much appreciated!

[@simontay4851]

Theres no way anyone's manually climbing down nearly 1000ft, let alone back up even with a harness and rope. You'd need a powered winch. You'd be absolutely bloody knackered manually climbing down/up that far.

[@AbandonedMines11]

That’s true! However, there are platforms every 20 or 30 feet or so that you can stop on to rest. Also, there are probably drift levels every one hundred feet that you could get off and explore and take a break in as well. But yes - climbing all the way down and then climbing all the way back up without stopping would be a killer! It’s too bad these ladders were just a little bit too steep. Had they been more gradually inclined, (45 degrees or so) we would’ve gone down them with no hesitation.

[@peterals5532]

I am wonderiing all the colapses we see in this video, and also in many of the other abandoned mines you have been in. Don't you think many of the colapses has happed when there have been some kind of an earthquake in the area ?

[@AbandonedMines11]

That's likely but probably not the cause of the collapses. The rock tends to fail over time and come down.

[@ryanmartie1244]

What a cool explore! Did you find any gold? Also, I've always wondered if anyone has ever commented that has worked in any of these mines you have explored?

[@AbandonedMines11]

Thanks for your comment and question, Ryan! No, I'm not into metal-detecting while in these mines. There probably is some gold and silver left in the mine, though. My video ten years or so ago of the Billie Mine had a bunch of miners who found each other in the comments on that video. They all had worked at the Billie Mine during the 1980s or something like that. It was cool that they found each other in the comments and were conversing back and forth.

[@Porty1119]

No gold in this one, but there's plenty of silver left!

[@Mike-tg7dj]

Another awesome video documentary! If gold and silver were mined there when will it be profitable to reopen the mine? If ever? You know that there are mines like the Bingham Canyon Complex in Utah that don't see closing anytime soon. Just asking as to how long before they rip that 200 or so feet off the mountain and processing it for ore?

[@AbandonedMines11]

Thanks for watching and commenting, Mike! I think there are talks about re-opening this mine, but I would bet it would never happen. Nearby, though, are some big mines that have been active for several years. So this one may get the green light one of these days.

[@GlobeExplore]

Great interesting discovery Sir. no wood but strips?why

[@AbandonedMines11]

This was a more modern mine dug in the 1970s or so. The use of metal strapping was more common then, I guess.

[@Porty1119]

Timbering is expensive and labor-intensive to install. Bolts and bacon strips are cheap and easy.

[@AbandonedMaine]

Almost cave like. With the size of the tunnels, the waste rock outside must be mountainous.

[@AbandonedMines11]

There wasn't a lot of waste rock outside. Not sure why. This mine is literally right off a major highway, so the waste rock might've been hauled away.

[@AbandonedMines11]

Another thing - the opening shot in this video was filmed in a different state many hundreds of miles away from where the mine featured in the rest of the video is located. Needed to use that outdoor footage someplace, so I stuck it in this video.

[@davidcote1597]

Any thoughts on just how they bent those “bacon strips” to follow the rock faces so tightly ?

[@AbandonedMines11]

That’s a good question! I’m not sure how they would have done that. I’m assuming that when they drilled the bolts into the rock, that may have had some kind of compression effect on the metal strap. Perhaps a miner or former miner who watches these videos will let us know. Great question, David!

[@jesterjoe8377]

@@AbandonedMines11 I am an ex coal miner from the UK. Once the hole has been bored, the nut and plate would, as you say compress the metal. It is virtually impossible to pull the rock to the bolt when tightening, so the "bacon" moulds itself to the rock because it is weaker than its surroundings.

[@AbandonedMines11]

@@jesterjoe8377 Thanks, Joe! I appreciate the information. Always like when you miners and ex-miners chime in with correct information when I don't know something or get something wrong in my videos.

[@Davidautofull]

@@jesterjoe8377 so, Joe, how did they get that huge tank in there?

[@Davidautofull]

@@AbandonedMines11 how did they get that huge tank in there?

[@eliotheasman5378]

Hi I really like your work very many thanks

[@AbandonedMines11]

Thanks for letting me know, Eliot! Nice having you onboard.

[@michaelpence468]

I need to speak with my uncle who was a geologist in Nevada county for 30 years. Would be interesting to pick his brain on unexplored mines in the area. He even owned a couple mines in that area. Would you be interested in his experiences?

[@AbandonedMines11]

I’m currently backlogged with a list of abandoned mines to explore that spans six or seven different states. Being that I semi-retired from this hobby back in May 2017, I have more than enough projects to keep me busy - and that includes reading many more old mining reports, too. Thank you, though, for thinking about me and for the offer about the potential mines that your family owns or used to own. I appreciate it.

[@crixter8061]

You have a amazing channel! I just have a little suggestion, it's more like a favor :) Can you activate the automatic subtitles? English is not my native language so it is very hard to follow your voice, but with subtitles it is a lot easier to me understand you. You have very interesting content! :)

[@AbandonedMines11]

Done! I added in close-captions. Let me know how it works out for you. I hope it helps! Will try to do this from here on out. Thanks for the suggestion!

[@crixter8061]

It worked!! Thanks a lot. Don't worry if you can't do it manually, the ones that automatically generate KZbin help me too! :D

[@AbandonedMines11]

I went through and cleaned up the auto-generated text file. It didn’t have any punctuation or things like that. Tried to clean it up the best I could. Took a little bit of time but it wasn’t that bad.

[@punisher3607]

Hey Frank, do you think the ''bacon strips'' were stronger than wood timbering? Thanks.

[@AbandonedMines11]

That is an excellent question! I don’t know. I don’t have any kind of background in physics or engineering or anything like that, but I would tend to think that the metal strapping would be stronger. This is one of those questions that requires a very detailed, scientific analysis before an answer can be given. Any mining engineers out there that can give a halfway decent answer to this great question?

[@punisher3607]

@@AbandonedMines11 Ok, thank you!

[@Notkey03]

Have you ever thought of going through an abandoned coal mine?

[@AbandonedMines11]

That’s a good question, Quentin! Unlike hard rock mines that I am accustomed to here in Southwest, coal mines are extremely dangerous due to the increased probability that gases that can develop because of the presence of all the coal. Without the proper air monitoring equipment, it’s best to stay out of them. Also, I don’t think there are any coal mines down here in the southwest. They all seem to be back east. If you’re interested in coal mines, check out the KZbin channel titled “NJ Underground.” That guy and his buddies have explored a lot of coal mines in the eastern United States.

[@Porty1119]

@@AbandonedMines11 There are some in Utah, Colorado, and northern New Mexico. Like you, I won't venture underground at them because of the gas issues.

[@clintonyoung6205]

You keep calling them rock bolts the correct term is roof bolts and the ones in the wall of the mine is called rib bolts (14 years of coal mine experience)

[@AbandonedMines11]

Thanks for the clarification, Clinton!

[@x.anthony.x6920]

Almost at 369k subs

[@AbandonedMines11]

It's growing exponentially!

[@OneBaldingWookiee]

2:17 those aren’t jeans right? If so then that’s a pretty penny laying there.

[@AbandonedMines11]

No, those weren't old jeans. Probably just a cloth or tarp.

[@markhonea2461]

Why would they install a door? In any mine?

[@specter6633]

I’m so lost. Need a virtual map so I can get out.

[@AbandonedMines11]

This mine was one way in and one way out. No way to get lost in this one. I guess the editing makes the mine layout seem complicated. It really isn't. Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@KasualBeast]

On my way to grab a sandwich after a 2 mile walk but saw this pop up! gonna watch when im back!!! cant wait

[@AbandonedMines11]

Thanks, Jay! I appreciate the enthusiastic support!

[@bigshow5173]

Down an incline or up a decline how is it determined? Just wondering.

[@AbandonedMines11]

An incline is a sloped tunnel. A decline is something you do when you refuse something. 😂

[@PirateAdmiral-bx6sx]

Minecraft can be realistic sometimes but Not really. I wish that someone would just reconstruction the mineshaft in the game to look more realistic.

[@AbandonedMines11]

I hear you!

[@jg1093]

One of these days.... one of these caves is going to have a problem while you're in it.

[@paulniblock]

well that's sketchy as all hell...

[@AbandonedMines11]

Paul Niblock. Now there's someone I haven't heard from in quite a while. Nice seeing you here!

[@brendanwood1540]

mmmmmm..... b a c o n... mn mnnm nnm mnm

[@kalipiana3880]

have you ever ran into a mask wearing serial killer (jason vhoores / leatherface / mike myres) in any of these mines ??? as its the perfect place to kill someone without getting caught because its so isolated.......................

[@AbandonedMines11]

That's a great question! Thankfully, I haven't run into a serial killer deep inside one of these mines. But don't worry -- I'm always armed.

[@kalipiana3880]

@@AbandonedMines11 that's good to know, its always good to have a gun just in case leatherface (with his chainsaw) shows up lol !