Awesome Color Show In An Abandoned Mine

This abandoned mine had more than one “most” and THAT is impressive because a “most” is, by definition, a rare occurrence. However, this mine was, in fact, the most colorful that I have ever explored and also had timber sets that were under the most severe pressure that I have ever seen before. Pretty impressive to have two “mosts” in one mine, wouldn’t you agree?
Now, I’m afraid that many viewers are going to ask me which minerals are creating those splendid colors inside of the mine. The short answer is that I am not a geologist and I don’t know. However, I would normally associate those blues with copper ores. The mineral that looked like chunks of gold scattered between the blues is actually pyrite (also known as “fool’s gold”). Trust me, miners would not leave visible chunks of gold behind! There were, of course, veins of quartz mixed in as well. Known minerals to have been extracted at this site include silver, copper, tungsten, lead, zinc and gold. As with many mines in Nevada, it started out as a silver mine though.
I don’t get rattled too easily when exploring abandoned mines, but those shattered timbers toward the end made me very uncomfortable. It was dry in this mine and so those timbers didn’t look like that because they were rotted, but because they seemed to be getting squeezed in from the sides with incredible force. I say that the intense pressure seemed to be coming from the sides rather than the top because the ties for the ore cart rails were snapped in half and it was, primarily, the timbers on the ribs (sides) of the adit that were snapped. The snapped timbers supporting the back (top) looked as if they were broken from being squeezed from both sides rather than from something pressing down on them. I am, frankly, amazed that those timbers have not caved yet as it seemed like just a bat farting back there would create enough of a disturbance to bring that whole section of the mine crashing down. I’m referring to the proverbial straw breaking the camel’s back and that section didn’t seem like that would need much of a straw to finish things.
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Thanks for watching!
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Growing up in California’s “Gold Rush Country” made it easy to take all of the history around us for granted. However, abandoned mine sites have a lot working against them - nature, vandals, scrappers and various government agencies… The old prospectors and miners that used to roam our lonely mountains and toil away deep underground are disappearing quickly as well.
These losses finally caught our attention and we felt compelled to make an effort to document as many of the ghost towns and abandoned mines that we could before that colorful niche of our history is gone forever. But, you know what? We enjoy doing it! This is exploring history firsthand - bushwhacking down steep canyons and over rough mountains, figuring out the techniques the miners used and the equipment they worked with, seeing the innovations they came up with, discovering lost mines that no one has been in for a century, wandering through ghost towns where the only sound is the wind... These journeys allow a feeling of connection to a time when the world was a very different place. And I’d love to think that in some small way we are paying tribute to those hardy miners that worked these mines before we were even born.
So, yes, in short, we are adit addicts… I hope you’ll join us on these adventures!
#ExploringAbandonedMines
#MineExploring
#AbandonedMines
#UndergroundMineExploring

[@ThomasConlon-Wind-Power-Pro]

The question you should ask yourself. Was the mine ordered closed at the start of the war? If so, short drifts filed with waste rock, or even ore especially near the mouth of the tunnel should be checked with a metal detector. Such mines quickly closed as the money quickly drained away. Miners, especially in small privately owned mines, would stash their tools safely before leaving. They were planning on returning very soon. Some thought the war would be over in a few months. Many never returned. Often, they placed their tools in a small drift and covered them with waste rock and sometimes under a few pieces of corrugated metal sheeting. I have found jackleg drills, jackhammers, small jaw crushers, winches, flasks of mercury, blasting machines, stationary engines and old carbide barrels filled with carbide lamps, small tools and even a beautiful old Brunton compass that I still use regularly! The old-timers were very smart and hid things very well for the day they returned. Also, sometimes much can be learned from claim papers if they are still in the location marker. Names of the locator and other details were recorded and these papers were often placed in a Prince Albert tobacco can (glass jars break) and rocks stacked up around the can. In 1967, one old mine I dug open the opening enough to get in had been blasted shut. I climbed in and found four old style oil drums filled with gasoline. I crawled across the top of the drums and dropped down inside the tunnel and found something interesting. Six cases of dynamite with wiles coming out of the tops of the boxes and wired to a big old car battery and then going to a coffee can with an old knife switch in it nailed next to where the tunnel has done had been. I turned seven shades of red as I figured out that the tunnel was very well booby-trapped and the target was me! I quickly pulled out my pocket knife and shorted out the leads from the cases of dynamite, testing them together. I found out later that the battery was completely dead. Had frozen and cracked the case and lost all its juice! All was safe. I was very impressed that the tunnel had been blasted shut without setting off the booby-trap. That was a real skill! I could tell a long story about this mine. A very long story, but I won't. Just be very careful! in old mines. Many were shut down by men who planned to come back and they didn't want others to know what they were leaving behind.

[@TVRExploring]

Well, even if you don't share your long story, your short one was very good... That's an impressive list of treasures you've found underground.

[@ChrisLarsen760]

You're an awesome story-teller - I had no problem getting a clear picture in my head of what you experienced. Thanks for sharing your story - good stuff right here..

[@Ronaldalan114]

Do you have a channel? I wanna follow you haha

[@GetFaithified]

Hey i know im late could you make a video about the full story? Or write it here? It sounds interesting

[@outkast0424]

@@TVRExploring do you check seismometer information from local geological surveys before you go on your explorations? Watching you come up on that half collapsed set of timbers made my heart jump into my throat and my stomach to turn... I don't even get that from watching people do parkour on skyscraper ledges...

[@richardrobertson1331]

So glad you were able to photograph the active process of stout timbers in compression failure and be alive to tell about it. So dangerous, but so interesting at the same time. Because of that alone, I consider this to be one of your best videos! This video should be shared with everyone with even the slightest interest in mining and minerals. Truly a rare glimpse reminding all of us of the massive forces at work. A short video of that segment, alone, with a brief discussion highlighting our need for minerals and the dangers involved would certainly go viral. Excellent video, thanks for sharing. Stay safe, my friend.

[@TVRExploring]

Thank you very much. Yes, I have never seen timbers stressed to that point before complete failure before. It was sporty, but I'm glad I had the chance to see it. Like you said, certainly massive forces at work... Those timbers don't stand a chance against the entire mountain around them.

[@RICDirector]

@@FingerinUrDaughter If Louis L'Amour had it right (and he usually did), timber collapse was a common problem in the Comstock silver mines, but that was from clay pushing in--they were very wet mines with a chronic drainage and mud problem....so I don't know for sure if that would apply here, it looks pretty dry. Suspect you are more correct on this one. :) LOVE this stuff!!

[@nickbeam5432]

@vin 950 EARTHQUAKES

[@michalhowling3702]

@@RICDirector holy smokes.. Louis lamour, I don't know anyone else who has actually read his books. I have read at least 70 of them myself.

[@c103110a]

27:07 I didn't think he was going for it - and he did. Amazing stuff.

[@chrisackerley1842]

Justin - I've watched most of your videos. You've explored some truly scary mines, but the drift you tiptoed down at 27:59 is by far the scariest! I would have been afraid to fart for fear the whole place would come down on me! My compliments! It took some big brass ones to keep going down that passage!

[@TVRExploring]

Trust me, I felt the same way squeezing past those splintered timbers! I swear you could feel the tension they were under in the air there...

[@pauloneill9965]

It's amazing wats under our feet them minerals wow. Them tunnels was long how they know to go the ways did to find wat ever material orr chasing. Cool explore mine didn't look as old till saw them timbers that was used from something else. Stay safe look forward to nxt vid take care from Ireland👍☘🇮🇪

[@TVRExploring]

Thank you for the good wishes from Ireland. Today, miners use drilling, aerial surveys, etc. to plot out where to find the minerals they are after. The old timers didn't have those benefits though and so a lot of it came down to reading the rock properly to know how to proceed. And, of course, a fair amount of luck... This mine dates back to the 1800s, but it was obviously rehabbed more recently as could be seen with those timber supports that were in good shape.

[@oxskirra]

Wow , thats a impressive mine both in colors and timbering, glad you could share that.

[@TVRExploring]

Yes, I was pretty impressed with this one as well. There was a lot going on!

[@kathyculwell1282]

Ooooo-M-G!!! I need a piece of that gorgeous blue rock in my life!! What a thrilling life you live!! Thank you for taking us on these amazing adventures with you! I'm so happy I found your channel.

[@TVRExploring]

Thank you, Kathy, for the kind words and for watching. I'm glad you found the channel as well!

[@richardbidinger2577]

One of the best videos so far. I was surprised you went through the bad section. We've watched you go through some bad mines, but that one section in this one was crazy. I'd have turned around at that point. That went beyond sketchy. Glad you made it out. Makes me a lot more aware of the kind of danger, you and all the others that do this, face each time you go in one of these places. Out of all honesty, at one point, I realized I was holding my breath while you were going through that bad section, had to giggle a little at that one. Keep these great videos coming.

[@TVRExploring]

As always, thanks for a great comment... Yes, this mine instantly became one of my favorites as well. Those timbers toward the end were very sketchy, but I have a problem with always wanting to know what is around the next bend. Haha, and, trust me, I was holding my breath through that section as well!

[@kevingarrett8403]

I would have never gone past that "sketchy" section. Who am I kidding? I'd have never gone inside at all! That's for sharing. Glad you made it out to post this.

[@leesherman100]

One of your best "works" that I've seen. This vid has it all. Magnificent colors, terror, early and late timbering, and those ladders that must travel to the stairway to heaven, or is it hell? You are one bad hombre! Ya got me hooked on this.

[@TVRExploring]

Haha, thank you! Yes, this mine instantly became one of my favorites.

[@grantrennie]

That mine has been explored between 1999 and 2002, the white 8 hour lightstick on the floor at 2:04 next to the rails on the tunnel floor (brownish liquid inside) went out of production around early 2002 and was replaced by a different tube type/model, the few manufacturers that there are in the world only make lightsticks with some type of plastic hook or another nowadays (glowstick, snap light, chemlight, lightstick - chemical light in a plastic tube where the second solution is in a glass tube inside and bending it breaks the glass and mixes the two chemical blends resulting in a bright glow)

[@ChaiTheDruid]

OMG! I came across your video's and totally amazing! I have never seen an abandoned mine from this viewpoint! Thank you so much for this learning experience! I look forward to watching new videos. Maybe one day, I will get enough courage to go exploring the caverns and mines. Thank you again!

[@TVRExploring]

Thank you.

[@gingerbread6614]

This was a great video, your great handling the camera & walking along. Thank you

[@TVRExploring]

Thank you!

[@ancientexploringarizona]

YIKES!! The section of broken timber's had me yelling at my phone, "Don't go through there"!! LOL. Seriously though, another amazing video sir, I'm envious..

[@cutt1293]

@TVR Exploring, I was curious about the paper from the film and found this.-- "Introduced around 1940 in sheets rated at ASA daylight 200 and tungsten 160, it was one of Kodak's first high-speed (for the time) black-and-white films. Tri-X was released in 35mm and 120 in 1954." Love your videos!

[@TVRExploring]

Thanks for looking up the details... That's interesting.

[@MinesoftheWest]

That was a really neat mine! Loved the geology and the nice timber sets. The section of timbers at 27:00 was pretty wild, I wonder if an earthquake caused all that damage. Great job man!

[@TVRExploring]

Thank you. This one is not far from some of the mines you and I have checked out... I was also wondering if an earthquake caused the damage to the timber sets toward the end as the pressure on them was different than what I am used to (which is material coming down from above rather than from the sides). I'm usually looking down when I go through a mine so that I don't take an unexpected trip down a winze. So, when I looked up and saw all of those colors directly overhead, I was pretty impressed.

[@RICDirector]

@Frank Roberts Now that's a thought. Wonder where this one was...

[@vapormissile]

"No WAY I'm going up that," when ten feet back @ the scary timbers, I had just finished literally saying "No WAY he's going through that."

[@tangledshoelace4726]

Wow!! That was a nail biter!! Amazing colors!!!😁😀💗💙

[@TVRExploring]

Yes, those colors were phenomenal. Haha, and, yes, I assure you that it was somewhat tense squeezing between those splintered support timbers!

[@cjsoutdoors4412]

Wow!... What a neat mine! Especially all the nice timbers in the beginning. Awesome blue rocks and crystal too!

[@TVRExploring]

Thank you. Yes, this turned out to be a great one...

[@solohoh]

Thanks for documenting this mine, videos like this will be all we have soon.

[@TVRExploring]

Yes, unfortunately, you are right about that.

[@BluAngel53]

Thank you for the amazing video. All the beautiful colors and I must admit I was holding my breath when you went through the bad section! Thanks again and I look forward to your next video.

[@TVRExploring]

Thank you very much. Ha, you weren't the only one holding their breath when going through that sporty section!

[@UpcycleElectronics]

Dude your crazy for going through that mess. Be safe. Thanks for the upload. -Jake

[@markrobinson6848]

Great video. The blue mineral is Azurite. It is a soft, deep blue copper mineral produced by weathering of copper ore deposits. In the early 19th century, it was also known as chessylite . Azurite is one of the two basic copper(II) carbonate minerals, the other being bright green malachite. Cheers and keep up the great work.

[@TVRExploring]

Thank you.

[@philhohnen6193]

A beautifully timbered mine in unstable, fault-affected , highly jointed rock. Plenty of gypsum crystals, azurite with some malachite and was that chalcopyrite you panned past? Great vid thanks! No groundwater either...

[@BigSkyBowler]

dude... props to going through that section under pressure. Brave!

[@johncarold]

Hi Justin love watching this episode over again and finding new stuff and this time is no example, Growing up in high school I studied electronics and after I worked at Payless TV as a repairman for RCA. and in the news paper, RCA is asking for engineers, back then that's what I studied, funny.

[@QuaaludeCharlie]

Thank You for taking the Risk to Show folks these Mines . I Hope you found Gold and Gems , Thumbs Upand Shared :) QC

[@TVRExploring]

Thank you.

[@nhragold1922]

Azurite is so beautiful! Looks like great mineralization! I'd sample that

[@stanleystrycharz2572]

What an awesome mine! The variety of minerals is amazing. Some of the ground in there looked soft and unstable. Gypsum is often prone to collapse. You did a great job documenting this one for sure. Every video you post is a new adventure. Thanks so much for making these. This mine looks as if it was worked fairly recently with what type of materials are in there and how good all the left over equipment looks. Plus the plastic buckets are a dead giveaway! The splintering timbers gave me chills. I can just imagine the pressure that they are under. You are quite brave going into that section!! Keep up the great videos.

[@TVRExploring]

Thank you! This mine is pretty old, but has been worked off and on for decades, which is why you have the mix of new and old workings and equipment. Ha, yes, I wasn't a big fan of being in that section with the shattered timbers!

[@thedigitalmoezone]

Amazing views from within and just slightly below the surface... reminds me of The City of Angels..Carlton smokes, the spray paint brand, the results of ground shift on the timber sets... incredible what one can find on this beautiful planet called home. Fortunately, you seem to enjoy and make time to bring the earthly veins from below to share with us surface dwellers. Well done Good Sir and Thank You!!

[@FL70NJ]

The blue is simply amazing!! Damn, around 26:45 and up it sure does get ugly!! Then at 29:10 you have one hellova ladder!! The best of luck to you and happy trails!!

[@MaryOKC]

The “drill steel” ☺️ is a Drill bit for pneumatic jack leg...used to drill holes for blasting...they pack those holes with dynamite and at the end of the day they “blow the hole” ... then in the morning they “muck” it into the chutes ....also had “grizzlies” (metal RR type grates) there they beat the big rock down through into smaller rock so they could haul/rail car it out...which they still mine the same way today. When you see a mess like you saw that’s usually a caused by a “rock blast” which happens in even modern mines today...the pressure builds up and literally will explode like dynamite went off...”rock blast”. My older brother worked all jobs in the silver mines in North Idaho, the Silver Valley ... I left another comment in this video and also one on your previous video. Good stuff! Brings back memories for me! I actually took a Mining Class in high school 41 years ago (only in Idaho) and have been down in the Lucky Friday, Galena, Sunshine, and Bunker Hill mines. Back in the day this was when men became men through hard work and they were and are still paid very well if your a “miner” ...as not all men/women who work underground are technically “miners”.... When the mines closed a lot of people moved away...the entire city of Wallace, Idaho is now on their historic register. Man...now I’m homesick.

[@Seat1AJoe]

Love the colors in this mine!

[@ltr4300]

As much as I enjoy vicariously being a part of something sketchy and amazing, I truly hope that you do this because you WANT to, not because you feel any kind of false pressure now to outdo yourself or because you feel like the viewers expect it now....like when I watch storm chasers I do so without guilt because given the chance, I would and have done it myself, I have a fascination with severe weather and tornadoes but I wouldn't say that I'm fearless of it, quite the opposite...it's just that my curiosity about it overrules my sometimes weaker than average sense of self-preservation.

[@TVRExploring]

That's an interesting comparison to the psychology of the storm chasers. Your last sentence sums things up perfectly for me - "my curiosity about it overrules my sometimes weaker than average sense of self-preservation." Very well said...

[@strietermarinesurvey1415]

Had to watch it twice great footage! Keep up the awesome work! Be careful that looked real sketchy! Thank you!!

[@ExpeditionTech]

Wonderful colors. Great job on your videography.

[@TVRExploring]

Thank you!

[@garrettsalter8338]

Fantastic. Little bit on the sketchy side going past that one area. Pucker factor 1000 percent. Glad you made it.

[@paigelee6321]

Beautiful blues awesome interesting thank you 😊

[@TVRExploring]

Yes, the colors in this one were awesome.

[@olivei2484]

Very nice find. Glad you is safe.

[@AbandonedMines11]

Nice shot at 21:36 or thereabouts showing all that classic timbering! This looked like a pretty extensive mine. I couldn't believe the snapped timbers that you showed towards the end. I saw something similar to that when a couple of us hiked out to the Carrizo Gorge railroad trestle. We went into a dis-used tunnel along the way that suffered earthquake damage in the early 20th century and saw timbers in the tunnel that looked exactly like what you showed except on a much bigger scale. So I would guess the snapped timbers you showed suffered a similar fate. I chuckled when I saw your reply to a comment below where you mentioned about the "haters who weren't home from their miserable 9 to 5 jobs yet" (or something like that). LOL Yes, there are a LOT of jealous bitches out there, unfortunately. Great video here, though! Looks like you were by yourself, too. Hopefully you got to camp out somewhere nearby.

[@TVRExploring]

Yes, those timbers looked different from what I am used to seeing with failing or failed timbers. Usually, the damage comes from the top rather than the sides... So, I think your earthquake theory makes sense. Indeed, there are a lot of jealous bitches out there. They rarely get under my skin though because people spew hatred and troll people online only if they don’t have a real, happy life offline. As you and I have discussed before, these are sad people with zero control; losers in every aspect of life. Yes, fortunately, I was able to camp within feet of the portal on the waste rock and it was a great spot - awesome views, sheltered from the wind, etc.

[@jonesfactor9]

Awesome blue! Wish I could find big mines like this to explore

[@TVRExploring]

Yes, those colors were awesome. I had no idea that I would encounter something like that...

[@markcantemail8018]

That is some Yummy Color ! Thank you for the video of the mine with the most mosts . 536

[@TVRExploring]

Ha, yes, this is the mine with the mostest.

[@rosemarykasper4001]

That was maybe the coolest mine explore I have ever seen! Thanks for sharing and stay safe. 😮

[@TVRExploring]

Thank you!

[@nadeemahmed640]

Good job man.appreciate your efforts.Really enjoy

[@hangfire7588]

The intensity of the color is incredible. As others have mentioned Azurite and Malachite have their strong blue and green color due to their copper in their atomic structure. Have you ever picked up or broken off a sample of the blue mineral to see the depth of the color? It reminds me of blue azo dye in powder form that I saw splashed over the walls and floor of an elementary school that had been abandoned and visited by vandals. The intensity of the color was the same but of course, only on the very surface. And I wasn't one of the first vandals. It's becoming difficult to chose which of your videos is a favorite. Thanks for sharing.

[@TVRExploring]

Thank you. I've seen some impressive blues underground, but this one was definitely the best...

[@PlanetMojo]

This one looks like a movie set with perfect timbers and all of the color. Very cool looking mine.

[@TVRExploring]

Haha, yeah, this one looked almost too perfect to me in the beginning. Just like a movie set, as you said... Thanks for the comment.

[@tinahhhsorondo8398]

Awesome videos 👍🏽love seeing them crystal hope ya dug sum for yourself!

[@johncarold]

The blues reminds me of a different mine you were at and it also was in Nevada. Beautiful rocks and it sure is cool to see what you find there.

[@briangilson2818]

You sure are a very brave man going into that bad area ,many thanks for sharing your adventures underground with us ,best wish's.

[@markattardo]

I recently found your channel. Amazing stuff you come across in the dark places of the world. I'd be lost in wonder and photographing for days in some areas you pass. Not sure how you fit your giant brass set through the busted timber section, hope that's not a common thing.

[@Seat1AJoe]

Thanks for the great show!

[@ymagrandpa1887]

I think that beautiful blue rock you found is called "Owyhee blue opal". It has come to the forefront of mineral "gems" fairly recently. It is now a very desired mineral & the value & price has been increasing dramatically. This mineral follows the Owyhee river starting in Nevada but the best deposits so far are primarily in Oregon.(None has been found so far in Nevada).

[@braaptism6297]

I would be filling a bag to take home. Beautiful minerals.

[@keirakain]

Awesome mine love the blues have you been to any flooded mines lately or are you going to post a video of one sometime? Love them! I’m sure you Hate them though lol

[@TVRExploring]

Haha, yeah, I'm not a big fan of the flooded mines... I'm definitely willing to tackle them though. Not sure why, but I've had a long run of fairly dry mines this season... I can only think of one that had waist-deep water and I, unfortunately, had to turn around on that one because I need more specialized gear to explore that one. The others haven't had water over my knees. I just looked at the backlog of videos to see if I could give you a nice wet, flooded one this coming week and I only have five mines with waist-deep water left. Unfortunately, they are videos that will take longer to edit and I don't have a lot of time in the next couple of weeks. However, since I know you like them, I'll try to get out a nice flooded mine video soon... You sadistic bastard. LOL.

[@Big_John_C]

You know you wanted to see what was at the top of that manway...... lol. Thanks for your dedication and hard work, take care.

[@TVRExploring]

Haha, you know me well! Fortunately, I did find access from the outside to the upper level. To my surprise, it was small and quite dull. The only feature was the top of the manway. If there is interest, I can post it in the future, but it doesn't make for compelling viewing. Thank you for the comment.

[@worldtraveler930]

This is a Wicked Cool mine!

[@sharonlegnon427]

Mother Earth is awesome in her colors. That blue is sooo beautiful. WOW there is a lot of pressure going on in there!!!! LOL on the want ads - luckily it changed because I was an engineer/senior draftsperon. I can tell you that there were 'men' who disapproved until I proved myself. Worked for Ingersoll Rand. Nice find.

[@TVRExploring]

I was certainly impressed by those blues myself! Yes, I couldn't believe the pressure those support timbers were under. I probably don't want to know how little was still keeping things together. Ha, that's funny about the want ads given your perspective. I'd love to know the date on that newspaper. Northrop purchased Grumman in 1994, but it obviously dates to well before then... I applaud you for your choice of career. Even today, there are disappointingly few women that go into the hard sciences and they have it a lot easier than pioneers such as yourself.

[@philsergent1913]

In the very sketchy bowing-in section, weren't you afraid that the clanking of your brass balls might cause a cave in?

[@Danzoid61]

28:59 A mount for a windlass on the right side of the timber set. Ground covered in debris so cannot see a winze. Perhaps there was sheave at the top of the tool shoot and the windlass was used to crank the tools up by the rope seen lying along the tool shoot at 29:08 ?

[@TVRExploring]

You have good eyes... I missed that mount for the windlass when I was there, but no question you're right about what that is. Given the proximity to the tool chute/ore chute, I believe your explanation about them cranking the tools up with it seems the most likely.

[@jonesfactor9]

Timber section near the end was very cool

[@TVRExploring]

Haha, yes, that was sporty.

[@Tom-cy5em]

Good video those timber squares look pretty new alongside the old tree supports in their along with the pink fluorescent paint on the walls probably worked off and on through the years. It would be nice to know what year the mine was started. Thanks for taking us along.

[@TVRExploring]

I don't know the year it was started, but it has definitely been worked off and on over a long period of time.

[@jameschang8122]

the rock colors and the other stuff is very cool do you have any other video's that have a lot of color in them let me no with a link thank you

[@DFDuck55]

The air tank was riveted so pre 1920. Most of the rails looks like they were reused, then you got into older sections where the rail had been removed, so that kind of verified they were reusing the rails. The phone number on that bit of newspaper was a clue to it's age; REpublic 2-6261. Not that I remember when they quit using words like that for telephone prefixes. I remember them still being in use in the 1950's. Carlton cigarettes were made by American Tobacco Company and were known as having the lowest tar and nicotine of any cigarette. I "think" Carlton was acquired by R.J. Reynolds in the late 1980's. Another clue to it's age, if someone really wanted to dig that deep, would be the wordage of the warning label on it. -- Awesome mine explore. I could have probably spent some hours just photographing the gypsum crystals and the blue stuff. Then my mind drifted... similar to the tree falling in the woods conundrum..., is it still blue if no one is there to see it? Since color is the reflection of light, and there is no light in there when there are no people with flashlights.

[@TVRExploring]

Thank you for the breakdown on the various clues you saw like the air tank and the phone number. This is an old mine, but, obviously, there has been some off and on activity over the decades. I thought this was a cool one too - there was a lot going on! Interesting observation about the blue... A tree falling in the woods makes sound waves even if no one is there to hear them. However, you're absolutely right about no light = no color. So, yes, I'd have to say that technically it does not exist without someone there with a flashlight to see it.

[@wygold]

The pack of cigarettes looks to date around mid 70’s. There is no bar code on the pack of cigarettes and the warning label on the side of the pack which tobacco companies voluntarily started putting warning labels on in 1971, even though the federal government mandated warning labels on all tobacco products in 1966. It wasn’t until 1973 when the federal government again mandated warning labels to include “toxic substances”, which by that time all tobacco companies were putting warning labels on all tobacco products and were banned from advertising on T.V. & Radio the same year even though they continued to advertise in newspapers and magazines until the late 90’s. So if it that pack said “toxic substances” then It dates between 1973 thru the first part the 1980’s. Carlton Cigarettes was made by Brown & Williamson during the late 1890’s and sold to British Tobacco Company in 1927 which also acquired American Tobacco Company in the early 1900’s, and continued to operate under American Tobacco Company until it was restructured in 1969 at which time the company formed into American Brands, Inc. and continued to operated American Tobacco. The Carlton Cigarettes brand was then sold back to Brown & Williamson in 1994. Then R.J. Reynolds merged with Brown & Williamson in 2004. I have tried this brand before back in the late 1990’s when I couldn’t afford to pay $1.50 for a pack of Marlboros and all I remember about this brand was it was to difficult to smoke. And yes I did do a little research on this pack before commenting.

[@tomkenney5365]

I remember them using words in phone numbers in the earliest ads I remember, so, mid-60s, but I'm pretty sure that was out of use by 1970.

[@tomkenney5365]

My dad bought a small Texaco bulk oil plant in 1965 and opened a Texaco service station in '69. I would put that Texaco can as late '60s to early '70s. And boy, do I wish I had all the Texaco toys he brought home for me.

[@TVRExploring]

That old Texaco gear would be great!

[@annadaugherty9622]

The yellowish-brown mineral is copper and the blue is oxidation. Seems to be an interesting old copper mine. The notched beams are cross ties. My dad was a railroad section foreman for the old L&N Railway for many years. I saw my share of those ties when I was a kid.

[@handbyl]

You ... are .... nuts! :-) Great video - this must have been an old mine rejuvenated in the 20th C. That would explain the mix of old and newer timbers.

[@TVRExploring]

Yes, many abandoned mines go through cycles of being worked and then abandoned and then worked again depending on technology and commodities prices.

[@linall2345]

Probably one of the most beautiful mines I have seen on your channel yet and one of the scariest!! Would faults moving cause that much pressure? I was yelling at your to NOT go through but I figured you would. Lol

[@TVRExploring]

LOL, yeah, I'm always curious what is around the next bend... So, yes, as you noticed, those shattered timbers did not look like the normal failed timbers. They were being crushed from the sides rather than the top (which is what usually happens). To my mind, there isn't a lot that explains that other than seismic activity.

[@Lalunabreeze]

👍🏼🧨❤️nice. Great video. Ty. Lonnng tunnel. Wow. Cool crystals. Go back, safely first 🗝🗝🗝

[@TVRExploring]

But then I won't know what's around the next bend!

[@theslimeylimey]

You're a brave man going through that failing timber alone. You can feel the tremendous forces being held back. Just watching was uncomfortable.

[@TVRExploring]

Yes, I could almost feel the tension when I was carefully easing my way through that section.

[@Merkenau]

I'm speechless......... I can imagine me laying on the floor, spending hours of staring at the coloured ceiling

[@TVRExploring]

I was pretty impressed too!

[@rickbeckham4401]

Of all the marking on the wall of the tunnel, there seem to be orange spray paint. At what time was that in use?

[@TVRExploring]

It's modern. From surveys or geologists in there taking samples...

[@kingwalkthrough8885]

Best yet. Big cahunes to pass that busted timber. 👍👍👍👍

[@ancientgoldfinder]

The blue rocks and other colors of rocks in this video looks to me like Azurite, Malachite and copper rock . The decomposed quartz rock that I have seen in this video is known to have gold in it, I have crushed that type of quartz rock and I have gotten fine gold out of it. Thank you for sharing this video, you have capture some amazing stuff and it is one my favorite videos that I have watched from you. Looking forward to seeing more and stay safe.

[@TVRExploring]

Thank you very much.

[@chtisponytail538]

Well i know your not completely crazy when you said.... looks like a cave in there, thats alittle UNNERVING, LOL ! Keep up the great vids & this one is my fav so far !!

[@chtisponytail538]

That was cave-in, not cave in, plus timber under pressure was most impressive !! 👍 👍

[@TVRExploring]

Haha, yes, even I have my limits...

[@danishnative9555]

The Cu precipitates are are my favorite shades of blue and green. Doubt they are used in paint anymore though.

[@TVRExploring]

They make for awesome colors.

[@matthewjeschke]

God I love your vids. If ever in southern arizona let me know. Fyi, your in camera stabilization sometimes fights your gimbal. I just turned off in camera stabilization for my setup ;)

[@TVRExploring]

Thank you very much. I'm working through the backlog of videos right now, but I'll have to give turning off the stabilization in the camera a try... As you said, they do come into conflict at times.

[@BirdShotIV]

Just discovered this channel, fun stuff!

[@larryspringston1292]

Great video! I like all your posts and you sure don’t shy away from potential disaster to get the best shots. How do you deal with going in far enough to get into bad air or Co2 gases? Seems you would need a backup for that scenario.

[@TVRExploring]

Thank you. I carry a gas meter to cover the risk of bad air...

[@JustAnotherPaddy]

For an abandoned mine, it sure has a whole lot of contemporary flo orange and pink spray paint every 10 feet. Someone has plans.

[@TVRExploring]

Those are surveyor marks or where samples were taken. A lot of abandoned mines get a fresh look whenever commodity prices tick up...

[@davidmichaelheavenlymusic]

I love your videos, Thank you for sharing. Many of us will never be able to go where you go and you sharing your experiences is extremely appreciated. I'll write your "Explorical Fiction Novels based on your videos. LOL :) ...."as we paused to admire the timber work and contemplate the effort it took to erect, we heard a faint sound like the clink of two pieces of metal together echoing throughout the body of the mine. We turned to each other in bewilderment and surprise. Is there someone else in this mine? Certainly we are here alone? There were no other vehicles outside and no was no indication that others had been to this site within recent decades? There it was again; the clink of metal echoing. I imaged in my mind what would produce that sound........

[@davidmichaelheavenlymusic]

Just a thought

[@TVRExploring]

Thank you very much. Glad you're enjoying them... I like where you're going with the writing!

[@davidmichaelheavenlymusic]

@@TVRExploring..... as I rehearsed the sound that I had heard through the knowledge banks of my mind, there were more than a dozen images that posed themselves as possibilities.....

[@donaldpowers3314]

Your opening picture still looks like an old(ancient) map..... its the best picture of naturally occurring mixing bowl things under ground...

[@TVRExploring]

Some pretty amazing geology in this one...

[@w000mbat]

hi, one of the best mines, in terms of excitement level. You sir are a nut job. the way you jumped into those fractured timbers, it was just great. after a moment one can realize it's not as dangerous as it seems, just have to move like a pro circus acrobat :)

[@Cjchass77chassagne]

Awesome video like always!!love you guys 👍

[@KathrynsWorldWildfireTracking]

31:14 Remember, somebody could find your camera and post the footage! (On whatever platform they have in the year 2098!) It's amazing what you film, but stay safe!

[@TVRExploring]

Oh, yes, I always try to keep in the back of my mind that my final moments would likely make for interesting viewing. Memory cards are pretty tough (I recall that some survived the tsunami in 2004) and so I am hopeful that it would make it. Thanks for the comment.

[@janewayseer9656]

If I were you, I'd get me a bunch of that azurite blue mineral! It's got great healing properties and is highly sought after! You could sell it online even.

[@539Productions]

That blue was really amazing! Make me really want to know if it was indeed copper!

[@TVRExploring]

Me too!

[@gothic7821]

I feel like you would very likely find gold, palladium silver and platinum in that mine. I wish you could go back to the big overhead quartz area adjacent to the azurite and malichite, and get a wall sample.

[@TVRExploring]

You have a good eye. Those were all found here.

[@gothic7821]

@@TVRExploring Cool! I'm glad you made it out safely! That mine looked super sketchy. (Full well knowing the obvious, because otherwise you couldn't have posted your video) I was so, "in-the-moment" watching this, I was honestly worried for you. Wow! That was a very risky adventure! Great vid. Please stay safe.

[@priscillaross-fox9407]

I was impressed at first by the amount of 'ancient Indian beer cans' but when I saw the matches, cigarette pkg. and spray paint from the same I knew you hit the jackpot! LOL I think I had seen some greenish and/or olive colored epidote near the beginning, often associated with silver. BTW, I would have turned around when I saw those bulging timbers. Did you check to see if there had been earthquakes in that area?

[@TVRExploring]

Yes, it is an archaeologist's dream! Ha, no, I didn't check if there had been earthquakes. I'm just glad there weren't any when I was there.

[@IntelestateNetwork]

What is the significance of the spray painting lines and numbers?. How long ago do you think they were sprayed?

[@TVRExploring]

Those are marks left by surveyors or places where samples were taken. It's difficult to say how old they are because everything is preserved so well underground. They could be from 5 years ago or 35 years ago.

[@Toddis]

You should bring a blacklight into the mine and see if anything glows, that blue stuff looks pretty wild!

[@TVRExploring]

We have actually gone through several blacklights. We keep breaking them because exploring abandoned mines is really hard on gear.

[@cowboygeologist7772]

Beautiful minerals. Some day, I am going to count how many times you say "Uh" in your videos. LoL

[@TVRExploring]

Well, these aren't scripted unlike most documentaries or reality shows. So, it is no simple thing in processing things being seen for the first time, keeping track of where one is in a complex underground environment, looking out for potentially fatal hidden dangers, monitoring the gas meters, keeping the camera and lights focused and attempting to narrate in a smooth, interesting manner all at the same time without saying "uh" as a filler.

[@ThriftStoreHacker]

Cool video. The blue stuff may be copper sulfate. Looks like a mine that could make someone a good amount of money copper mining.

[@montananative2414]

I agree with nhra gold..... the blue is azurite or possibly bornite (copper ore).

[@christianbuczko1481]

There's alot of sulphides around, and that may be reacting with copper to make copper sulphate, that's a blue crystal very similar to those blues in the mine. Also, Was that a rat i saw in the distance at 16mins25ish btw. Something seemed to dart from right to left down the tunnel.

[@TVRExploring]

It looks a lot like copper sulfate and it probably is. They mined copper here (among other things) and so there is no question about the presence of copper. I tend to shy away from making declarative statements in the videos so that I don't look foolish in hindsight if I get something wrong. Yes, that was a bat crossing from one passage to another...

[@olivei2484]

Agreed. looks a lot like copper sulphate. The yellows mixed in with the blues look like Iron sulphate. Kinda a flat yellow color.

[@RICDirector]

How awesome is that!! :) Looks like further copper exploration might be worthwhile, but in the meantime--wow! Those gypsum clusters actually made me say "Golly! That's Pretty!" (and I'd normally rather swear but they're so delicate and light...just didn't fit.) for the first time in ages. Have you ever considered hitting some of these adits with a black light, just for fun? I'd love to see that..... :) Please? Love your videos! Note: They may have repurposed old juniper timbers from outside; as you noted, they're pretty weathered, not like they'd been scaled of bark for use in the mine, or had the bark fall off in the mine. What is your plan if you ever do get stuck behind a rockfall?

[@TVRExploring]

Yes, there are definitely some interesting minerals present. We keep breaking our black lights. Mine exploring is hard on gear! Not much of a plan for getting stuck behind a caved section because it is hard to predict all of the variables... If possible, I'd push enough dirt aside to get out. If there was a raise present, then I would try taking that up to see where it went. If neither of those were possible, I'd probably just hope that the falling rocks killed me quickly because that would be better than slowly suffocating.

[@anniegaddis5240]

That was fun! Thanks!

[@patdenney7046]

Good job I used to bring pickup truck loads of that green and blue Rock home people sure love to put it in their Rock Gardens or in their collections Aerosmith wrote that song for you!

[@TVRExploring]

It's a beautiful rock. I'm not surprised people like to have it around them...

[@destravlr]

Chalcanthite (kal-can-thite) is copper sulphate, as someone below stated. Not uncommon in mines with copper mineralogy. Sometimes it forms in relatively stable crystals or forms. Most often it dries up to a blue powder. Nice to see this occurrence. Would like to have seen the sign on the large "explosives box" for contents and age. Surprised that you risked your life to go into the area with broken timbers. Good place to have become trapped.

[@jamesfohare]

Thanks for the video and taking the risk to get it.I have worked in some pretty holes underground but I still find those old mines interesting, especially when someone like yourself is taking the time to film them. I could be wrong but where the newer timber had broken and the rock behind the planking small and lose. It looked cut like and fill, so they did'nt have cart the wast all the way outside. Like someone has already mentioned there may have been a earthquake and it has shifted. So thank you again great video enjoyed it .

[@TVRExploring]

Thank you. Yes, it did seem as if the miners might have stashed waste rock behind the timbers.

[@jasonasselin]

Kodak Tri-X: The Best Black-and-White Film Ever Made? - It came out first in 1940, when Europe was plunged into war but America was enjoying the dying days of calm before the storm. It was Kodak’s new black-and-white film, designed to be shot on location. The only problem was, it was only available in large format. Fourteen years later, it came out in 35mm and 120 and quickly became a staple of news photographers and photojournalists; a monochrome film that could be pushed and pushed and pushed again, creating atmospheric pictures on overcast days and in gloomy interiors.

[@TVRExploring]

I miss it...

[@jacobmosher5924]

Great video man!!

[@LAMaurer]

Sorry, this maybe a silly question but what is right hand rule? Is it so you'll know how to get back out? I recently came across this channel in find it fascinating!

[@TVRExploring]

Thank you, Lisa. Yes, the right hand rule is in case one gets turned around underground. Every time you get to a fork, go to the right. If you get confused, turn around and go to the left at every fork on the way out and it will return you to where you started.

[@LAMaurer]

@@TVRExploring Make sense! Thank you for responding. I know zero about old mines but watch several of your vlogs, super cool!