Exploring a Flooded Uranium Mine

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

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[@benknrobbers]

As someone who worked with radioactive materials for years. You are partially correct. There are 3 elements in safe handling. Time is the first but distance and shielding are the other two factors that can be controlled. Assuming the background radiation levels are within safe ranges you can further protect yourself from samples by storing them away from areas you work/live in and storing them in containers that are appropriate to the type and relative radioactivity involved.

[@TheRogueRockhound]

Pretty awesome man. Cant say I would have gone in with ya though. Contrary to popular belief, Rogues don't typically hang out in caves.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Hahaha you would have loved it!

[@milmaxleo7268]

Awesome video, always love to see boots on the ground stuff related to radioactive minerals, It is one of my favorite hobbies. The sheer amount of smaller Autunite reminds me a lot of when I did some collecting at Pine Mountain In Spruce Pine NC. They do a mine tour of the quarry, which is about the only way one should get in there, you could take whatever you could fit on the tour bus. As you would dig through the dirt and rubble from where they had blasted, if you used a UV light the ground would light up with green specs. Found some really interesting specimens during that tour, well worth the cost of admission. You may want to look into the "Better Geiger S-1". Despite the name, it's actually a scintillation counter that has spectroscopic compensation, so the dose measurements are useful unlike most units in the same price range. It responds to Gamma and High energy beta, so it wont tend to over respond to beta like the M4011 tube in the GMC units. This makes it less useful for prospecting, but much more useful for assessing risk. They are about 120$, which is lower than any other scintillator on the market, especially one with spectral response, and are made in Colorado.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Thank you for the tip on that unit! I will be sure to look into it.

[@sandmaker]

That was fun and lots of glowing bits all around. This was different. Thanks for taking us along.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Thank you for coming and watching!

[@SomethingDifferently]

Absolutely loved this one! Was a very memorable explore, and I still went silent as soon as the wall of autunite showed up in the video! Thank you so much for having me along on such an excellent explore!

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

I'm looking forward to exploring many more mines to come with you.

[@MtFull]

Really great video! Fascinating adventure and beautiful scenery. Thank you!

[@inraviratious6418]

Okay, that's sick! I love this type of "in the field" kind of videos! Just be careful, I know you are no moron, and likely don't even need the advisory, but mineshafts are dangerous and unpredictable. Out in New Mexico where I live, even the area I go hiking in has huge 500-600 ft vertical drops, and other really deep and dangerous caves and mineshafts.

[@gerbilfav3959]

very cool to see all the colors and love watching you go on these adventures

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

I'm glad you liked it!

[@tortugalisa4748]

Rockhound for life, I've been subscribed for a long time, bout time I check more of your content out🤙 Late to the premier but I really enjoyed it 💯 Thanks for the advice🤙

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Welcome! I have lots of content here and on my website for you to enjoy!

[@alyssonrowan6835]

Awesome mine! Those flow crusts are probably worth looking at under a microscope. Thanks for the book plug!

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

The book that you wrote is amazing and I have recommended it to many people. Thank you for putting it out as a free resource for everyone to learn from.

[@alyssonrowan6835]

The book started as a series of responses to questions and worries raised on the Mindat forum. Given the lack of advice anywhere between internet rumour and advanced physics text book , somebody had to. I'm still amazed by the fact that it is the only book of its kind out there.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

I'm so thankful that you put it together.

[@alyssonrowan6835]

You are all most welcome. Oh, and we use counts per second over here in the UK. Worth remembering if it sounds as if our stuff isn't as hot as your American stuff. 😉

[@virginiahudson3827]

Thanks for sharing the adventure!

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

I'm glad you liked it.

[@graemero5532]

Thanks for another great video of a fascinating mine site. You Rock, literally 😁

[@CaptainAiryca]

Wow this was so cool!!! I'd LOVE to just take a bunch of photos in there, it's so magical! Thank you for bushwhacking, researching, and sharing!

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Thank you! It was fun to explore it.

[@michaelcastaldo7744]

That was terrific. It's not something I could do but glad you did and took us along.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

I'm glad you liked it.

[@largent45]

Wow! That was awesome! What a unique and amazing experience! It was like being out in space, or on another planet! It was amazing! Something like that is not something that most of us will ever get experience in our lifetime, so thank you! It should probably have signage posted. Can you imagine someone coming to explore the cave who doesnt have a black light of a geiger counter, and comes to just explore deep into that cave with no protection? They could be in there for hours and breathing in that dust and not know what they are getting into. It definitely needs signage to warn the uninformed. Thank you jared for this exciting and surreal video, and for doing it as a premier! So cool!

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

I really love seeing places like this. A lot goes into things like this such as three visits to produce the content...etc. It can be quite the undertaking. A sign would be good but at the same time this is in a part of the state with the fewest people, in an area no one goes to, and you have hike out to it, and there's no real clear path to do so. I think its safe to say its not visited often.

[@largent45]

@@CurrentlyRockhounding It was a fabulous location! Thank you for all the work it took to create this video! It truly was amazing and a one of a kind experience.

[@RagnarRocks]

Most excellent adventure! That green is super rad! Ragnar Green!

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

I'm going to start calling it Ragnar Green.

[@RagnarRocks]

@@CurrentlyRockhounding Perfect! There may or may not be a full size glow in the dark ragnar in your future 🤣

[@DanFarrar]

Dogs are great at following small animal trails and are helpful finding your original path. As for blazing through new trails…nope. They become in the way lol. Great episode.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Exactly!

[@lisac5287]

Wow, that was beautiful and a little unsettling.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

I'm glad you liked it.

[@samerickson5767]

Awesome video. I've always wanted to explore the mines I stumble across in utah and wyoming but I never have the equipment or a mine buddy lol.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

You do need some basic understanding of mines, equipment, and a friend.

[@bentationfunkiloglio]

That was truly an amazing sight! Seems like the miners left quite a lot of Uranium. The ore that they took must have been really high quality.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

This material isn't really worth extracting from a monetary standpoint.

[@jmsdvs5]

What a treat … two videos in one. As Tony would say, “This was Grrrrreat!”

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Thank you!

[@BackcountrywithShaughn]

doh, get to finish watching when i get back from work. thx for sharing`

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

It will be here waiting for you! :)

[@jmsdvs5]

With it being dusty maybe a respirator or some kind of mouth covering would be best. I don’t think you want to inhale the dust.

[@oregonaje4827]

Very interesting!! Wow you guys are so professional!👍 I wish I want to do that too!!

[@seastheday2020]

Very interesting exploration!

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Thank you!

[@slrphotography]

Video quality is …. But the story and background very cool, and yeah I wouldn’t be worried about stuff like this. If you haven’t yet you should try to do the Hanford B reactor tour, I’m quite the history buff, so I love stuff like this.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Filming underground in a flooded mine with mist in the air isn't exactly a simple task.

[@cailinanne]

Has this open/flooded mine contaminated ground water in the area at all? That’s a big issue with abandoned uranium mines in AZ/NM on the reservation. Over time it has caused a lot of issues for the people living with them.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

This was contaminated naturally long before the mine. Thankfully no one lives around this location being that its on public land.

[@cailinanne]

@@CurrentlyRockhounding oh good! That makes me happy!

[@keithcunningham7925]

That is very cool thanks for sharing

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

I'm glad you liked it.

[@offyarocka]

That was seriously fascinating and a thrilling adventure!!!!

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

I'm glad you liked it.

[@BubuH-cq6km]

13:48 but why 🤷🏼‍♂ don't you want green 💩 ❓

[@patriciamckean4186]

Mines are interesting, although tight spaces really freak me out.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Yeah it's not for everyone.

[@rockprincess]

What an amazing adventure! Very cool!

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

I'm glad you liked it.

[@puliendopiedrasdecostarica]

Amazing place ⛏️⛏️⛏️⛏️

[@TarnishedViking.]

I'd say there is enough to turn your brain into a Tool video! 🤣 Awesome guys! 🤘👍

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Ha!

[@mctron22rd]

When you ask a question, in a pitch black tunnel, with only one other person with you, and you get 2 seperate answers, is just a little disturbing to say the least!

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Haha such is the world of mine exploration. :)

[@spetkovsek57]

Although I have done some spelunking of a lot of the lava tube in the Bend OR area and the Ape Cave in WA, I don't think this would be on my bucket list. I know you like minerals and micro mounts so this would be fun for you. I don't think it's something I would do.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

It's not for everyone.

[@Romania_Rockhound]

Ha, ha, feel like you are in the Fallout game. Really cool.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

I'm glad you liked it.

[@valsummers5330]

HOLY Homer Simpson. !!!!!! Pretty cool

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Ha, thank you!

[@jmsdvs5]

Get to the end of the mine and you trip over a skeleton. 😂🤣😂

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Ha! I always thought it would be funny to leave a Halloween skull in a mine.

[@mattrichards1492]

Not one for the underground myself, so I appreciate these videos!! Cool stuff

[@vance7354]

Man do you want to get eaten by a Wendigo? Cause this is how you get eaten by a Wendigo, just sayin. I have watched Supernatural, man always avoid old mines!!! lmao

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

I didn't know what a Wendigo was until this comment. I feel like they wouldn't want to be in a mine due to the lack of comfortable places to relax. :)

[@vance7354]

@@CurrentlyRockhounding Oh no no, According to the alot of the lore, they den in abandoned mines and caves. The lore varies from Location to location and tribe to tribe, some say its a man, who due to a harsh winter and starvation turned to cannibalism to survive and some say excessive greed turned man to Wendigo.

[@Nobluffbuff]

I'm confident that, not only have I spotted these rock formations before, I have a lot better idea of what I am looking at. I worry about my dog in some places, not knowing what's on the ground.

[@Nobluffbuff]

I'm from the Northern Idaho/Eastern Washington area, and I've come across this kind of rock numerous times but never knew it was Uranium.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Out here in NE Washing we have many Uranium mines but far less in North Idaho. I wouldn't worry too much about you're dog unless its a place just like this and the main issue would be from them drinking the water coming out of a mine.

[@hawaiiguykailua6928]

If you get to "88" comments I see Radium in your future:)

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Ha!