Exploring an Abandoned Mine and Homestead in Luna County, New Mexico

On this trip we explore an old abandoned manganese mine in Luna County, New Mexico. We have made several trips to this area and seem to never finish exploring this place! The main haulage adit and a small portion of the lower level is explored as the majority of the workings on this level is obstructed due to backfilling. There is another entry point on the upper level through a huge open stope, but it appears that much of the upper level at this location has been mined out and the stope continues down dip to undetermined depths. I didn't feel confident rappelling down that stope at the time, so I didn't enter. I will go back and enter the stope when I have some more experience on rope and see what's down there.
On the way out of the area, we stop and visit another abandoned mine that has been safeguarded by the AML. The bat cupolas that were installed were some of the largest ones I have seen so far. Farther down the road to end the day, we stumbled upon an old ranch that seemed interesting enough to explore and get some quick video of the place. I hope you all enjoy this experience that has yet to be concluded!
#ExploringAbandonedPlaces
#ExploringAbandonedMines
#MineExploring

[@Kennerunderground]

Love seeing these mines over in NM, I’m over in NV. Looks super cool! Video quality is unreal 👌

[@ABANDONED_UNDERGROUND]

Thank you so much! I really enjoy exploring these places and sharing them. Thank you for the compliment!

[@SueGirling68]

Hi Justin, wow that was one hell of an open stope, almost like an open pit kind of deal, very weird. Times must have been tough living out there although that homestead looked pretty substantial, it even had it's own underground storage, a pretty cool find and an awesome adventure. Thank you for sharing, much love. xx 💖

[@ABANDONED_UNDERGROUND]

I am compelled to get into that stope one day! It will happen! That homestead was kind of a bonus coming out of the mountains where the mines were.

[@hokepoke3540]

That old machine by the ranch house is a deep well pump jack for when the wind wasn't blowing for the windmill.

[@ABANDONED_UNDERGROUND]

Thank you for the information! There was a hand-full of vintage equipment lying around out there. I had never seen a pump jack like that before!

[@davidsul7052]

Tornadoes occur in every state except Alaska every year. But they aren't as frequent as in Tornado Alley and the South. Most tornadoes in New Mexico occur in the far eastern plains during late Spring east of where the dryline sets up on any given day. That's where most of the big supercell thunderstorms occur. And supercells are the tornado producers.

[@ABANDONED_UNDERGROUND]

I suspected that severe winds from monsoonal storms were the reason for this. Tornadoes do occur here, but are rare.

[@toplistcrew7645]

Very cool location. I’ve been meaning to get out so I can explore some sites out here. I live in Alb NM. I just want to make sure when I go I bring my metal detector. I want to see what I can find as far as any lost caches the miners left behind or forgot about.

[@ABANDONED_UNDERGROUND]

Thank you! Good luck finding hidden treasures of the past! The only things I've found with my metal detector are spend rifle cartridges and a weed pipe! Lol

[@AbandonedMines11]

Great video! I don't know if I'd be able to cross that winze on that metal ladder you brought in. That looked like a substantial drop underneath the ladder! Had to chuckle at 7:29 in the video: "Yeah, you can see that many people have been in this mine." Then you pan across "Adrian Unknown" in black ink. LOL AT 8:46, it looks like there are buried ore cart tracks coming into the winze from the right. At 12:27 I was wondering if you were walking on a false floor as you made your way back down that inclined stope. I've been in narrow stopes like that before where there was a false floor with many more feet of stope underneath it! That stope had that look to it. That shot into the open stope was amazing! I've never seen that many bat cupolas so close to each other like you showed at 16:55! What's up with that? Definitely is overkill! And a waste of money. Nice job on this video!

[@ABANDONED_UNDERGROUND]

That was a fun trip with the ladder! I still don't have a definite estimate on how deep that void is. I wanted to rope down there, but there was no solid anchor point, so it was a no-go. I may go back there with the better lights I have now and take a look. As with the "many people," I rest my case, LOL. The drift on that level was filled up to the back near those winzes. I'm assuming the last of the work was done down in that stope those winzes connect to and they just simply dumped waste in the drift, leaving the track buried. As for that narrow stope, it was all rock, the acoustics can be tricky sometimes with certain types of rock where it has that bass sound that resembles a hollow floor. It apparently was a prospect for the large mine, exploring the parallel veins running with the main vein. That large open stope is still on my bucket list to get down. I'd like to get more training on the ropes before I attempt that one! As for the bat cupolas, I believe that project was the first time that particular contractor had done a mine safeguard project. This was the result. The shaft was obvious, but those other cupolas were covering several areas where a stope day-lighted. I'm sure it cost a penny for that project. Thanks for the kudos!

[@randybrandon2656]

instablaster...

[@Fit4Expedition]

I'm glad I found your channel friend. I have some property in Deming. That looks like a cool find. I shoot some similar things on my channel. How low was the ceiling in that entry tunnel?

[@ABANDONED_UNDERGROUND]

Thanks again! There's some cool places around Deming that are relics from the past. I am out in that area fairly often. I'll check out your channel! The adits in this video are about 7 feet tall, enough to walk comfortably.

[@jackyblue67same10]

I do hope yal covered that hole back up at the 20 mark so no animals fall off in there & they would never be able to get back out now that would be awful .

[@ABANDONED_UNDERGROUND]

I like to leave things the way I found it, so yes it was covered back up.

[@gregwarner3753]

How do you know the air in those spaces is still breathable? Please explain the mining language. What is a winze?

[@ABANDONED_UNDERGROUND]

I have a gas meter. If levels get below a safe level, the meter goes off. Kind of like a smoke detector! There are all kinds of mining jargon out there. In this case, a winze is an internal underground shaft that connects other levels. It doesn't reach the surface. Many winzes are actually "raises" because raises are easier to achieve due to gravity assisting miners clearing muck. A winze goes down, a raise goes up. I can definitely see some perspective issues identifying which is which (if you're at the top of a raise, is it a winze? If you're at the bottom of a winze, is it a raise?).

[@felipemares3669]

Where is it located in the Florida mountain

[@ABANDONED_UNDERGROUND]

Just look for the "eye in the mountain." It's in the video.

[@SamsPursuitOfHappiness]

You do any detecting friend?

[@ABANDONED_UNDERGROUND]

I have a cheap detector, but usually it stays at home due to the fact that I carry up to 50 pounds of equipment climbing up and in a mountain! I always try to bring what I want, but always end up taking what I need.

[@SamsPursuitOfHappiness]

Southern New Mexico Explorer I get it! Trying to do a little more detecting though I don’t feel comfortable going into mining caves because I don’t know enough about them or repelling in them. The only cave I’ve actually gone into is the Sandia north of Albuquerque and that was a fairly beginner. Cave. Thanks for the content. Feel free to check out mine as well. New to the KZbin community!

[@u.s.reclandllc9142]

$5,000 5.0 acres in Luna, NM. kzbin.info/www/bejne/gneuY6xjipx4n6c

[@ABANDONED_UNDERGROUND]

50/50 on the commission, lol!

[@arvonjohn7364]

You close to Alamogordo?

[@ABANDONED_UNDERGROUND]

I'm closer to El Paso!

[@arvonjohn7364]

@@ABANDONED_UNDERGROUND If you make it over that way I know of a great little copper mine I never got to fully explore. I tried to PM you but I can't figure out how?

[@ABANDONED_UNDERGROUND]

@@arvonjohn7364 I do plan on getting out in that area soon! I'm not too sure how to PM on KZbin either!

[@arvonjohn7364]

@@ABANDONED_UNDERGROUND It's in the Sacramento mining district outside of High Rolls. Called the "Ady" mine. I only went a few hundred feet in. My partner got cold feet. I don't know how extensive it is? But it looked like there could have been a few adits.

[@ABANDONED_UNDERGROUND]

@@arvonjohn7364 I'll definitely look up the mining report and get back to you!

[@michaelkaiser4674]

GEOLOGY ROCKS DATIL NM

[@jackyblue67same10]

Aint yal ever scared of snakes being in those places or even wild animals like moutain lions coyotes or anything like that ?

[@ABANDONED_UNDERGROUND]

Those types of animals really have no interest in human interaction. Have come across many rattlesnakes, I just leave them alone. I'm mindful of mountain lions inside, careful not to corner one, but haven't come across one yet. It's always a good idea to go protected.