Colorful Miner Shows Off Working Underground Placer Gold Mine

I thought I’d follow my recent exploring video of an abandoned underground placer gold mine with a visit to a working underground placer gold mine as the stark contrast between the two should be immediately apparent… John, the owner of the mine you see in this video, runs a profitable and very professional mining operation. You’ll undoubtedly notice how clean and organized the mine is when compared to the absolute disasters that many abandoned underground placer gold mines we visit are (the recent video I’m referring to, of course, is this one: bit.ly/38SO5iG).
This mine does have some advantages over other placer mines we’ve visited in that the material surrounding the placer deposits was like concrete in most sections. This is why only a small part of the mine needed timber supports. Furthermore, this mine is also not riddled with numerous faults. Faults can be a source of rich ore, but they can also be sources of great instability inside of a mine.
Even with these advantages, working with placer material underground can be difficult. That makes it all the more impressive to me how modern machinery and modern mining techniques (as well as John’s hard work) have allowed him to develop and operate this mine by himself. Doing this much work in the past would have required a large crew!
The first activity at this site that John is aware of dates back to the 1860s or 1870s when an adit was run into the mountain here. However, that adit seems to run too high and was run at a somewhat awkward angle in relation to where the channel and the gold are. If one looks across the portal where we entered from the workshop, it is still possible to see that old adit. John, of course, has run his adit in a good ten feet or so lower than this original adit and so it is difficult to see from where we entered.
I found John to be a fascinating character and was grateful that he invited us in to show off his mine. Fortunately, I had enough sense to shut up and just let him speak as he was taking us around! Unfortunately, though, as I’ll explain below, I had to remove some of John’s cutting wit, wisdom and color from the video...
The video started off rather choppily because I hacked off the first part of it where I showed all of the mining equipment outside. John requested that the location be kept discreet and upon reviewing the video, there were just too many distinctive landmarks visible in the footage shot on the outside.
I’m still receiving comments from viewers that simply can’t get their minds around the existence of ancient river channels and continue to believe that the river gravel is only from pyroclastic flows, from modern rivers (despite these deposits often being on the top of ridges or mountains) or simply are not possible. These viewers - some of them experienced miners - are failing to understand that just because geological conditions are a certain way in the areas that they are familiar with, does not mean that there are not different circumstances and conditions in other places. Hopefully, John’s detailed explanations in this video will finally put that to rest!
And for those of you that have no idea what all of this is about, ancient rivers used to run through this area that collected large amounts of gold over time. The movement of tectonic plates, violent geological activity and time conspired to bury these ancient river channels. Occasionally, the remains of these ancient river channels are exposed on the surface, but, often, miners must tunnel through large sections of rock to unlock the gold from these ancient river channels of countless millions of years ago.
*****
All of these videos are uploaded in HD, so I’d encourage you to adjust your settings to the highest quality if it is not done automatically.
You can see the gear that I use for mine exploring here: bit.ly/2wqcBDD
As well as a small gear update here: bit.ly/2p6Jip6
You can see the full TVR Exploring playlist of abandoned mines here: goo.gl/TEKq9L
Thanks for watching!
*****
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.
I hope you’ll join us on these adventures!
#ExploringAbandonedMines
#MineExploring
#AbandonedMines
#UndergroundMineExploring

[@TRx-oj5nw]

As a geologist- this miner knows his schist better than most professors! Bless this man for keeping a dieing art alive.

[@jakemocci3953]

Same here, and I was about to comment, this guy would’ve been a great professor.

[@cutthroat2273]

"for every dollar I put into this mine I made 3 or 4, thats because I didn't pay insurance or wages, I did the work myself" what a legend, and thank you all for the incredibly informative tour!

[@rickbauer7976]

I could help but to appreciate the knowledge of the miner. His ability to read the river was amazing!

[@TRx-oj5nw]

Facts

[@grandmamichelle6753]

John is tough as nails, but his intelligence is what impressed me most. He doesn’t just know the rock composition, but understands the ancient geologic history behind what he is mining. Very impressive!

[@roberthammond6942]

This is the best I’ve ever seen. I’ve been a geology buff 40 years. I’ve never seen anybody explain in such detail. This video should end-up in colleges classes.

[@TVRExploring]

Thank you very much. Yes, it was great to have John sharing his knowledge with us.

[@PlasticAssasin8]

and his explanation of being "rich as snot" is so cool

[@TRx-oj5nw]

Agree 100%

[@ChurchOfTheHolyMho]

...and when he showed the river fault thing on the ceiling, I thought "of course it's on the ceiling; the crevice where the gold would've settled is exactly where he's removed the ore body." This guy's description of the channels, sediment, lahars, and faults was beautiful - and I think I followed and learned quite a bit. Great knowledge share. Another great episode. Thanks!

[@IHUTCHI]

That's the kind of guy you want to take on all your expeditions just to narrate what you are seeing. Knowledge in the form of a colorful human. Priceless!!!

[@tarf1a]

It is interesting to see an active mine and he is a very proud owner. You can hear it in his voice as describes what we found while mining. Seeing him point out the various geologic features such as the smooth rock where the water ran All very interesting! Thanks for the first rate video.

[@Randrew]

I've just learned more about placer formations, river beds and lava / ash flows than I suspected there was to know. Thanks, John the Placer Man.

[@Porty1119]

I'm strictly a hard rock guy but learning about that particular subset of mine geology was fascinating! Several college geology professors I had would likely love this video.

[@donaldsillence6853]

This has to be one of the best mine videos yet. It is great to have someone able to explain in some detail why he is doing certain things and not others. Thanks.

[@TVRExploring]

Thank you very much. Yes, it was great having John share his deep knowledge.

[@robertfwalsh4625]

I could listen to that man all day imagine walking on ground directly from twenty million years ago!!

[@brucevanderzanden9638]

Very good video Justin. Letting the owner talk was the right decision. His knowledge of his mine is amazing. Thank you for sharing with us and protecting his location!

[@gerardange]

JH is a walking legend, He is knowledgeable amazingly hard working and one tough Hombre.. He mucked out that entire tunnel with his own hands! And he knows that mountain from top to bottom and from one end to the other!!! Glad you are filming John! Thanks Jason! Great Video!

[@TVRExploring]

Well said! He is indeed a walking legend and I was grateful he agreed to be on camera...

[@illeodavinci]

This mine is absolutely amazing never seen so much mineralization, and the guy talking really brings the mine to life with all his knowledge.

[@richardlovins6222]

That was great to have the man who mined the mine telling his story about how he did all of the work there very cool 💯👍👍👍👍

[@bigcozysnek]

I just got here, and this video already deserves a like!

[@Askjeffwilliams]

Lava in a Pot hole ....now that was interesting to see..... love to bring a Minelab GPZ 7000 down there good video sonny Jim

[@chrisackerley1842]

Any time you're ready, John, Justin & Jeff, I'll spend as much time as it takes going through John's mine with my GPZ 7000. I'll do it solely for the experience of using a good detector in this type of mine. Every time Justin documents one of these ancient river bed placer mines, I am blown away by the incredible geology that brought the gold here.

[@jettyeddie_m9130]

Hey you get back in that mine and look for gold ya gold hound ! 🤣 , jk hey mr. Williams !

[@TVRExploring]

The geology of those dead rivers is fascinating to me... And given how much gold is in parts of them, I'd imagine a Minelab would be real noisy in there!

[@alpineflauge909]

you know what im going say...

[@TRx-oj5nw]

That's bull schist you weren't there Jeff.

[@SkooledINC]

Really interesting geology! I read your description about how some people might not understand/believe it, so maybe as a geologist I can help. What seems to have happened here is that an ancient pyroclastic flow, or lahar, trapped gold-rich gravels that had settled out of old streams/rivers onto bedrock. It's actually quite common to see volcanic flows like lahars following river channels and depositing in them. It leads to something called 'inverted topography' where stream channels that were once topographic lows become topographic highs as softer rock around them is eroded, leaving the harder mixed volcanic/mud/seduments ('volcaniclastic') behind. I will say that this kind of placer, or perhaps more correctly paleo-placer, is quite rare, and as a mining/mineral exploration geologist this is the first I've seen of such a deposit. Some unique conditions conspired here to preserve an ancient placer deposit. Very cool! Also, we can see here how placers are attractive deposits for artisanal/small-scale miners as grades can be good, and the material is easy to separate through gravity methods (as apposed to the gold being locked in sulfides etc.) Probably not enough total endowment of gold to make a major company interested, but perfect for small scale.

[@TVRExploring]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge... I hadn't realized how rare these placer deposits in the ancient river channels were until I learned more about mining in other areas. I was surprised because the majority of the mines in the northern "Mother Lode" region of California are underground placer gold mines that are chasing/chased the ancient river channels that cut through the region. So, I assumed that they were common around the world. I'll post a link below that gives good information on these specific ancient rivers: nevada-outback-gems.com/gold_rush_tales/california_gold_rush-tale65.htm And if you're interested in these placer deposits, check out the video I linked to in the description below this video. It is, I believe, the best example of placer deposits from the dead rivers that once ran through this area that I have seen.

[@AGDinCA]

Steve - I do hope you continue to visit Justin's videos. So many times I have wished for a geologist to help me understand what I am seeing in these mines. Justin is a very smart guy, but there's only so much geology/mineralogy that he can speak to. 😁

[@SkooledINC]

@@TVRExploring thanks for that link! Really good read.

[@EthanBonardel]

@@SkooledINC thank you as well for the terminology and knowledge.

[@NoCantsAllowed]

It's pretty amazing that one guy could dig out that whole mine all by himself!

[@stephanb.3342]

Very nice visit and organized mine. Thank you for the tour John!

[@remcovanvliet3018]

Cool! Most captivating and educational golf mine video I've ever seen, by far. Please thank John for me whenever you see him again. That man has a true treasure trove of knowledge hiding up there in that old noggin of his! How very generous of him to share some of it with us! Best mining and geology lesson I've ever attended, that's for sure.

[@m.e.l.9335]

Excellent video TVR, thanks. Old John there knows his geology, a fascinating listen.

[@glendadalejones3753]

Proud fella,but quite cocky too ,but he’s allowed,it’s his mine and he is of seniority age 👍🙌 Lots to be learned from this video actually. Well,I would think so. Hopefully to help the viewers that don’t get certain aspects,as you wrote . Excellent,informative,educational and most enjoyable watching 👏🏻

[@feraloid]

I love learning the details of the geology to follow the gold! Thanks for sharing!

[@martyparsons8395]

This was some if the coolest underground geology I've seen.. Very cool stuff

[@PSBEadventures]

Absolutely fascinating!! John is better than any geology class I've ever taken!

[@philliphall5198]

It must be enjoyable to work for such a smart miner as the owner and he is teaching us all for nothing but the joy of sharing his life

[@giuliom8520]

Pretty unique to hear from the Miner himself explaining the workings.

[@SueGirling68]

Hi Justin, I loved the detailed description you gave under this video, I too find it odd why people cannot accept the fact about ancient rivers, after all a large proportion of the world was under the ocean before parts of the land broke apart and made continents etc, you can still find fossils from millions of years ago of things such as Trilobite's and nautilus and also Ammonite's that once were in the ocean and are now on the tops of mountains. A very cool tour, the owner really knows his geology and history, a very intelligent and clever guy. Thank you for sharing, much love. xx💖

[@TVRExploring]

Thank you, Sue. I agree with you and I was surprised by the pushback I received from such individuals about the ancient river channels... As I understand it, they are fairly unique to this part of California. So, I suspect that the majority of these individuals are simply ignorant of conditions outside of their own areas. And, yes, the owner really knows a lot about mining and geology. I would love to have spent more time with him.

[@SueGirling68]

@@TVRExploring He is definitely an interesting guy, I bet he has some pretty cool stories. x

[@dfriendperc]

I took a few geology classes in college. Successful mining requires an understanding of geology. One professor took our class to an abandoned ancient riverbed mine. John in this video obviously knows his geology and geologic history, which is why he was successful. People that ignorantly dispute facts are just that, ignorant. This doesn’t apply to just mining.

[@SueGirling68]

@@dfriendperc A great reply, I totally agree. x

[@TVRExploring]

@@SueGirling68 Yes, he does! I would love to hear more of them...

[@fredfarquar6709]

All I can say about this video, the tour, the geological information, and the guide showing us how it was developed, what was found where, the equipment.... Gneiss! Gneiss! Veddy gneiss!!👍👍

[@kengamble8595]

Lots of knowledge gained from the school of hard knocks! Thanks for sharing and take care. 👍

[@m.e.l.9335]

Hard knocks or hard rocks?!!

[@UKAbandonedMineExplores]

Wow, always fasctinating to hear from an actual miner, I learned a load of great geological lessons just in the first 5 minutes! Never seen a lahar from beneath before. I could listen to him talk geology all day, very nice of him to share all this.

[@TVRExploring]

Yes, I would have loved to have spent more time with him!

[@archstanton9206]

Amazing geology lesson. the man knows his mine, that is for sure. Thanks for taking us along, it is nice to see an active mine now and then. A rare treat to see an active underground placer operation.

[@JustAnotherPaddy]

Ppyroclastic flow... holy crap this is looking way back in time. This was the perfect drop from last week. Amazing! Thank you Justin!

[@tombratton3196]

Amazing what a wealth of knowledge this owner is! Great video as always!

[@c103110a]

Damn ! This guy is a rock whisperer ! Very interesting to watch him read the channels.

[@gravityzero2179]

Your content keeps getting better and better

[@TVRExploring]

Thank you very much. I do try to keep learning and improving... Not always successfully, of course, but I do try!

[@RTLichable]

Many moons ago I snuck into a closed down open pit conglomerate placer mine in CO. At the tail end of their processing plant they had left behind in the collection trough around a 6 inch layer of black sand, which was still submersed in a cyanide solution. Upon returning a couple years later the solution had evaporated. Out of curiosity I sample panned it. The solution had condensed the gold in the sand, there could have easily been 10 ounces of gold in the remaining sand in that trough! I left it there because I knew of the family-owned mining company and they looked tooled up to reopen someday. For whatever reason they hadn't processed that final run when they shut down. That was hard to walk away from!!

[@AdventuresRUs]

You can tell John is very proud of what he has accomplished!! Great video.👍Edited: It’s also great to see a happy puppy enjoying himself too! We’ve had some negativity bring our husky on some mine adventures. Great channel guys, stay safe! 🐕⛏

[@TVRExploring]

Thank you. Yes, John is living the dream of many, no? Yes, some mines are fine for dogs to visit... A certain segment of the population seems to struggle with nuance and the idea that many things need to be taken on a case-by-case basis. They see a world that is full of gray in black and white terms. And then, of course, some people just delight in being negative. I used to argue with those attacking me or others in the videos. Now I just delete the comment, block them and never think about them again. No reason to let them take up any of your time...

[@wes11bravo]

This reminds me of how much I loved a few geology classes I has as an undergrad. Totally fascinating how he points out the scars of geological history.

[@LolPepperGate]

Awesome geology lesson. Thanks for great video Justin. This mine and John seems really cool. Love hearing old timers talk about passion and knowledge

[@TVRExploring]

Thank you. I feel the same way about the old timers!

[@karmoneyjust-do-it3583]

I happy for him I hope his nearest and dearest stays close and they will live happy and well.

[@twinvideoproduction9662]

Awesome video from an active placer gold mine. Enjoyed the tour and meeting John who shared his knowledge and stories from the geological past. It was a privilege to visit his mine. He is a legend.

[@tomsmith5088]

And you can learn so much from this man right here not just mining electrical engineering mechanical block tackle rigging all those valuable trades I'm sure he knows how to weld too a man is a world of knowledge very interesting to listen to that man

[@richardhardaker4586]

Amazing rock striation/formations with the twigs and branches/layers beautifully explained by the owner. great video

[@morgansword]

I did work in a coal mine as a kid. Later on I worked some hard rock tunnels and it was interesting. Then I came to alaska and where I was working on the pits, we had earthquakes every day and some would last a while. I got to where going underground would have to be saved for the undertaker as I wasn't going below anymore. We got trapped for about two hours one day and most of the miners just sat down an waited for rescue and for me, I was scared bad. It was no more for me at all. To think as a kid, thats all I wanted to do and now they might just have to burn my carcass and scatter it in the mountains/LOL. Got more courage than me, I can't stay with you guys to the end of these videos cause it makes me hyper as heck.

[@horatioyen256]

thanks for putting the work in to write a good description it really is appreciated

[@YELLOWVETTE]

I could listen to this old man all day.

[@bctrails7206]

Many legends and lost mine stories about those ancient buried or hidden gold bearing river channels in B.C. Canada! Facinating vid thank you for sharing!

[@TVRExploring]

Interesting! I didn't know BC had deposits like that...

[@bctrails7206]

@@TVRExploring Either did i untill recently watching a few vids on the liberty gold deposits and researching the geologic similarities in occurance through Nick Zentners you tube vids. One similar deposit in B.C. is the Eldorado Lost River Gold Mine.

[@OutdoorAdventureTV]

Great video! I love to talk with old miners, especially someone like John who really knows what he's talking about. I'm going to have to go back and watch again just to try to absorb more of the info that he presented. What an amazing geology lesson!

[@TeslaTales59]

Cool to see a working mine!

[@GoldenNorway1]

Am I right to understand that this is a one man mine? In any way, it's very impressive. I run a small mine myself, only working with one other guy on rare occasions... it's alot of work and hard labor. It's really interesting to see stable placer mines, and really just placer mines in general.. I'm not familiar with them at all, even though I understand how they generate. I'm also very impressed by the knowledge of the miner. Safe to say he's experienced and for sure knows what he's talking about; interesting from the start to finish! Great video as always, keep it up!

[@lennardperry5184]

i sure hope there is a part 2. that was very interesting.

[@TVRExploring]

Only one part... I wish we had had more time with John so that we could have a part two.

[@HollywoodGraham]

Very informative... Nice organized and clean mine operation. Keep networking with these miners with vast knowledge and show us more.

[@TVRExploring]

I try to connect with them as much as possible. Every chance I get...

[@leighsayers2628]

What a great bloke ..full of knowledge..awesome !!

[@katherinekinnaird4408]

That was so interesting and packed full of information I watched it twice thanks so much

[@eggrolls3335]

So much knowledge standing close together

[@Forests444]

You can tell this man has changed his mind many many times and has moved things around and back and forth allot. I would also if i was older and sitting in my dream.

[@Ian_P]

I like how John points geology out and explains what's going on in its history. It's moments like this that I wish I understood better what his mind is verbalising. Fascinating nonetheless. Thank you.

[@daleskogman3306]

Great educational video!! Geology in the mine is amazing!! Thanks for the tag along!

[@cjsoutdoors4412]

What a fascinating drift mine, can't get over how high the ceilings are, easy to walk and move around in. Would be fun to metal detect in there. This is one of my favorite trips you've taken us along on. Thanks Justin! ⛏🇺🇸

[@dennisjamieson3328]

Came back for another look and listening.

[@TVRExploring]

I understand completely... I ended up listening to it several times when I was editing the video and picked up something new every time.

[@kimbra1132]

Great Geology in that mine. Never seen a mine like that, good job Justin. Lots of gold in that mine for sure. Thanks for the tour.

[@DestructiveBurn]

I really liked this mine video for these reasons. It's an active mine, the guy talks about it. Super amazing to see a dog in the mine with you guys. I gotta find more like this. I really like seeing dogs go into mines and check things out. Super cool. I find this one of the best Gold Mine videos out there. Just as cool as the other current Mine I saw with a dead man under a bolder where you can only see his boots.

[@kennethr2906]

What a great video! So much knowledge ... love your channel!

[@DaleDuffy]

Excellent, real nice mine, and a learning experience too, thanks again....!

[@meboyd7796]

You did it again. Great job and very educational. Thanks for sharing.

[@jackpualder1522]

one of my favorite channels. thanks for the journeys.

[@TVRExploring]

Thank you for the kind words and for coming along...

[@ronniecardy]

Love it what a hard worker in his 70s

[@Porty1119]

I know a 78-year-old who still works as a mine superintendent. Old-timers didn't get to where they are by being lazy.

[@gingerbread6614]

Great tour. Thank you

[@ralphpatrick3071]

That’s a tight placer mine! Use to seeing tons of river rock and sand. Great explaining of the lava flows, bedrock and loose gravels. The man really knows his stuff! Was the mine for sale? He eluded to the Canadians..

[@Porty1119]

Quick lesson: when it comes to mining, there's almost always a Canadian junior company somewhere in the mix. They tend to be more adept at mining investors than ore.

[@TVRExploring]

Yes, "tight" is a good word for it. I'm used to seeing much thicker placer deposits as well... It was my understanding that John leased the mine to a Canadian firm for a period of time. Headframe Hunters is entirely correct, by the way, about the Canadian firms that specialize in mining the investors. The story of Canadian junior mining firms is actually quite fascinating to me, but I'd never "invest" any of my money with them.

[@markattardo]

Fantastic tour!!

[@mds19238]

Fascinating. Thank you.

[@briannave7326]

I’m a new subscriber and scrolled back to find this great video. I’ve always thought there are old mines that could still be worked.

[@planetwisconsin9901]

I recognize these guys from earlier videos good dudes! 🤠

[@GregBird]

That was amazingly educational. What a spectacular mine.

[@larrykluckoutdoors8227]

Very nice mine tour. Dam he has moved a lot of rock

[@TVRExploring]

Yes, he definitely has!

[@nefariumxxx]

Very cool and I hope he is able to pass on some of his extensive knowledge to whoever works that mine in the future. I liked how he pointed out the Chert stone. It was often used to make sparks to start fires and knapped into arrow heads/tools.

[@scotts834]

Fascinating, great video.

[@williamwintemberg]

Knowledge on top of knowledge! What an education!

[@echogary]

Probably the best mining video I've seen! Thanks!

[@TVRExploring]

Thank you very much for the high praise.

[@saltybugger]

This is the best video I've ever seen of an underground mine. The knowledge this guy has should not be lost. Nicely done. Would love to see the machines outside if you could figure out how to eliminate landmarks. It would really be cool to see the machines that support this. Very very neat.

[@davidmicheletti6292]

Another great explore

[@MrYAMAHA32177]

Awesome video Tvr@!

[@s.d.iprospecting4359]

Man that guy knows his stuff.

[@rdamp2374]

Fantastic Video. The owner of the mine tout me a lot about how gold is mine in placer mine .

[@richardwarnock2789]

John Thank's Sharing your Fantastic Mining knowledge and Life work with these find Folk's and Us I really enjoyed this Video on ancient rivers cover with lava an volcanic ash!!!; )

[@fireshark254]

Wow...what a geology lesson !

[@Adventures_with_Sog]

Your man there certainly knows his stuff. 👍

[@TVRExploring]

No doubt!

[@s.d.iprospecting4359]

This must be a patented placer mine,very cool and the biggest drift mine ive ever seen.

Very nice mine. Awesome owner to.

[@zoltanbozzay3797]

@TVR Exporing what a beautiful mine dude! the bedrock and ash layers are awesome, and that guys knows his geology well!

[@garyanddoris6022]

Love watching these highly experienced people who definitely know there geological layers ......

[@TVRExploring]

Yes, I very much appreciate the opportunities to spend time with such individuals.

[@ccjensen4670]

I'M 74 now...when I was five I camped with my dad and my mom's cousin when they were prospecting and mining deposits of uranium near Moab. They staked the claim on what became the site of the Rio Agum mine...my dad gave his share away in 1962...by 1967 they began mining for 17 years 24-7 with the refinery built next to it...the ore from all the other local mines was brought to this location....I moved to Las Vegas 3 years ago and the desert is still in my blood

[@TVRExploring]

I would love to have seen that area as it was when you were visiting with your dad and cousin...

[@oldschoolmoto]

great tour fellas

[@jasonmeaty8036]

The geology is superb in this video 👌

[@wideyxyz2271]

Brilliant video really interesting stuff....

[@EthanBonardel]

Like the idea of the jig sluice! Right after that he talks about determining the elevation based on his pump flow calculations...smart... A couple of important pieces of knowledge were cut out but what you did share was much appreciated! Thanks for the tour. Put me down for an apprenticeship, I am rdy to muck away! Thanks

[@dennisjamieson3328]

Lots of great info. Lots of equipment invthectunnells.

[@thomasfrye8996]

This was great