Great Mine At The Top Of A Desert Mountain

[@97-20-media]

This is the best mine that you have taken us to thanks so much

[@brucevanderzanden9638]

What a great mine to explore! Thank you for taking us with you Justin!

[@rh5563]

Those dials on that ore chute were amazing! Never seen anything like that, ever. 👍👍👍

[@TVRExploring]

Yes, we were really impressed by that as well and also have never seen anything else like that before...

[@lizzyfrizzy4969]

Machinists use dials like that on certain workholding mechanisms, so you can set up an angled cut, rotate until the dial hits a stopper pin, reset the stopper pin, make your cut, rotate again. Its great for keeping track of two floating point figures while your reference moves around. The man running that station was a machinist or a math geek, and i have seen that technique before.

[@Askjeffwilliams]

aaaah ...now you are in our backyard ....we know that mine and the owner well .... be careful out there ..... he can get a little upset sometimes.

[@russellsmith3825]

How cranky is he? Is he grumpier than Slim?

[@Askjeffwilliams]

@@russellsmith3825 only when he hasn't had his morning coffee

[@TVRExploring]

So, I've heard... It's a popular one on the exploring circuit (for understandable reasons).

[@russellsmith3825]

@@Askjeffwilliams so is it proper manners to leave some sort of peace offering, like Jameson's?

[@TimandLiamsEastcoastkoillc]

Absolutely love this this mine with all the different wins and Stokes and drops and lifts and the instructions on the outside amazing thanks for sharing guys

[@brucevanderzanden9638]

What a great mine to explore! Thank you for taking us with you Mustin👏!

[@markattardo]

The boggle your mind mine....WOW!! Incredible workings and remaining artifacts. The amount of labor to set up the infrastructure is crazy when you think about it, never mind carving out the mountain. It was an extremely ambitious exploration and video production too! 👍👍

[@TVRExploring]

Thank you. Yes, this was an impressive mine!

[@volktales7005]

That was a very sweet mine, both inside and out. I envy you guys that can see this stuff in person. Thanks for bringing it to those of us that can't get out to places like this...

[@jason9169]

Damn dude that might be the best mine I've seen. I was geeking on that headframe too! Modern homes aren't built as well as that mine in the remote mountains. Thanks for a great video!

[@TapRackBang72]

Love a good mountain mine video to get us through hump day!

[@paulcooper2897]

Wow! Not much for artifacts inside, bot a LOT of workings, and incredible structures outside! Thanks for sharing 🇨🇦

[@rolfsinkgraven]

Well that was a very interesting big mine wow a lot too see aswel loved this long explore Justin.

[@jerryfrohn9894]

Just think of it,this whole mine started out as just a rock face of a rock formation,blows your mind the work that went in to these mines,love your videos thank you.

[@davegrummett1263]

Neat mine. That had a lot of great features and a few bygone relics. Definitely looks like it doesn't get explored a lot. No spray paint tags or ribbons from surveyors either. Definitely a good solid looking mine that should be around a long time if the BLM doesn't close it up. Thanks Justin and friends. Stay safe and all the best to you and yours.

[@Korey47]

Was this mine dug by the slaves or something? What would BLM have to do with the prices of eggs in china?

[@davegrummett1263]

@@Korey47Hello, BLM as in "Bureau of Land Management" division of the U.S. Department Of The Interior who in part are responsible for closing, remediating and/or limiting access to abandoned mines.

[@nadeemnadaf843]

After I watch these amazing sites on your channel, I always end up thinking about how the hell these old-timers built these amazing mines. it gives me goosebumps every time Love and respect from India

[@spencersutton7486]

I look forward to your videos so much! Thanks for taking us along. Your videos are the best!👌

[@TVRExploring]

Thank you very much.

[@georgeyandell323]

Wow, this explore started out slow, then boom all kinds of cool things to see. nice video.

[@TVRExploring]

Some of the best explores seem to go that way...

[@archstanton9206]

That was another amazing site. I would imagine all of your team slept well that night. I was stunned by the amount of material that was moved out of that mine, and then when we saw the outside, the waste rock piles made it even clearer. I don't think I have ever seen a Union carbide Can that well preserved. It was really something. Alot of men worked their tails off up there, I wonder where their camp was. These journeys you take us on raise more questions than answers sometimes...but I am hooked for sure. Thank you, Justin. Perhaps one day this winter we can make that cup of coffee happen...

[@TVRExploring]

Ha, yes, that one was a good workout... Indeed, I hope that we can make that coffee happen. I should be back in the U.S. by December.

[@RussellNelson]

12:55 WOW! Double tracked mine! Amazing.

[@cortrichards8179]

Lol! I remember those Dolly Madison Cherry Pie's with Charlie Brown on the label, like the one you guys found in the mine. They date from the early to mid 1970's, if anyone is interested. It definitely brings back memories of that time period. Thanks for sharing, as always! Keep up the explorations and find more cool, old stuff!

[@ChurchOfTheHolyMho]

It's always awesome watching a video, and recognizing parts of the explore... ...and then watching you continue and show sections that I've not seen before. What a fantastic mine - and great watching it with your documentary style on it. Great explore as always. Thanks for sharing!

[@canastasiou68]

I would have loved to see some of those old mines in action, really amazing. Thanks for sharing guys.

[@RustandDustExploration]

I'm so disappointed that we didn't see that note for the skip guys. That's pretty funny. Great find! This is still one of our absolute favorite mines.

[@TVRExploring]

Yes, it was a good one. The underground workings combined with the setting would make it one of my favorites as well... Definitely a popular one on the exploring circuit though and so I was surprised by even the few artifacts that were left (such as the note for the skip guys).

[@sideburngthepeacebringer27]

@@TVRExploring What is your number 1 favourite Mine?

[@olspanner]

Wow, that was a fabulous video. Thanks for sharing Justin. Stay safe guys.

[@worldtraveler930]

Well Justin you have really spoiled us this time, definitely worth the watching keep up the good work as always!!! 🤠👍

[@rogersmith7396]

In modern times COOP was a trade name for Farmland Industries since merged with Land O Lakes. They produced food products and owned Kansas oil wells and refineries and marketed oil, gas, batteries etc. I worked in their test labs in KC for 3.5 years. They had full engine test facilities.

[@TVRExploring]

Thank you for the additional details and background information.

[@67volksrodder]

It's amazing how they removed all that material from that mine. Wow. To think they didn't have the modern day stuff we have today. Great video. 👍

[@thanatoslives343]

10:47 - 10:48 below square cardboard maybe a stick of dynamite? And 10:52 - 10:57 looks like old battery cells perhaps for a lantern? To the left of the Hercules box there are still some cells sitting inside a rusted out container. Great Explore!

[@Dave_9547]

I was thinking that at least some of the workings were from the 1970's because of the cardboard dynamite boxes. I think that is about the time they transitioned from wood boxes which are plentiful in the mine. It is possible this mine was shut down in 1942 and reworked later? The Champion Blower and Forge relic is likely the remains of a drill press, commonly referred to as a camel back drill press. They were extremely common in early machine shops and were flat belt driven.

[@TheGophernutzz]

The wrapper at the 1:17 mark is from the 1970s. It can't be any older than the late 1960s because the company didn't use Charlie Brown on any its products until then.

[@larrykluckoutdoors8227]

Those old timers sure knew how to do things. I can’t even figure out they could dig shafts to different levels Thanks for filming it

[@bretthumphries7911]

That was fascinating. So much cool stuff. I always expect more candle burns on those ore chutes. Thanks for the ride along.

[@markcantemail8018]

" Such a Clean Mine " . Too bad the tram is not working . They could truck in some muck and mire for you ? Thank you for climbing up there for us . Neat Place .

[@raydunakin]

Wow! This is a really fascinating mine, particularly the layout of the surface structures! I can see why they had to put the hoist in such an odd place. The way the mine is situated on the cliff, there is simply no place else to put it. I never cease to be amazed at the ingenuity and determination of those old-school miners.

[@TVRExploring]

They were indeed a very tough and resourceful bunch!

[@stevebaseley]

What a amazing mine cool video nice and long thanks for sharing 👍 🇬🇧

[@roberttindale9012]

That was great explore. Thanks to you all. ;^)

[@cameronmccreary4758]

That indeed was a very nice mine; thanks Justin. I hope all is going well with you and your family and I'm glad this Covid crap is almost over with.

[@erikjacobsen9861]

they call that the "Stope a Dope". Lol Funny miners. Thanks for ALL you Do!

[@tutekohe1361]

The machine at 59:00 appears to be the engine for driving the hoist winch, looks like an old ‘hit and miss’ type engine. The machine at 59:20 is an air compressor, probably drove off the same engine. Great mine, great video.

[@million_heir5298]

Good call. That’s definitely the engine.

[@rogers3134]

Thanks for another amazing mine exploration!

[@ronaldhatch8859]

Awesome explore loved watching it. Thank you

[@jasonfitzpatrick414]

I'm glad I did not work there. Based on the tunneling which I know they blasted out of solid rock, they did a lot of hard work in those days. I'm glad we have heavy machinery. Thanks for the tour. I'm glad we still have some mining history sites out in the wilds.

[@jasonbaily1707]

A well ran mining operation, looked neat to explore.

[@wayneiona]

Another excellent mine exploration video. Look forward to the next one.

[@Le_Comte_de_Monte_Felin]

Very cool. Thanks for sharing!

[@williamwintemberg]

This explore was really worth the trip up the mountain! What a nice mine! The location of the winch, engine and air compressor? Was different to say the least. Very, very nice! Thanks Justin and Crew!

[@TVRExploring]

Yes, it was. "Different" is a good way to put it!

[@sarahpovey6368]

These miners were genius builders amazing❤

[@Oldguy-k3t]

There's a good one called Defense mine, near minnetta mines. Hard adventure just driving there!

[@russellsmith3825]

That hunk of iron that said champion I think was a drill press

[@TVRExploring]

Thank you.

[@chuckgibson1274]

Nice filming guys !!

[@slimwantedman6694]

Good afternoon from Southeast South Dakota

[@SueCooke]

Really interesting. Thank you.

[@autotek7930]

This is one of the most impressive explores I've seen from you. There's still good looking material left in there and my God just think how much they took out. Must have been really rich

[@kasnitch]

Very impressive locale, workings and explore . Well done Justin and company .

[@oubliette862]

I learned a trick for driving big nails usually without splitting the wood. Not sure about rail spikes but it may work on them. Turn the nail point up and blunt the tip really good with the hammer. Then drive it. Maybe your spikes are too sharp.

[@Ed_in_Md]

Cool mine. Love that ore car counter!

[@TVRExploring]

That was pretty amazing, huh?

[@barrybarber4924]

The Charlie Brown cherry pie dates back to the 1970 era...

[@Firedad4132]

You beat me to it. Around 1973-1975

[@darrenbeavers8099]

Dolly Madison apple pies

[@TVRExploring]

Thank you for dating those.

[@rshutterbug47]

That's Cool That You Got All That DONE 👍👍👍👍👍

[@codykrehbiel5073]

You can see on the skip cart where it hit the rails sticking out and flipped it

[@Seat1AJoe]

Whoa! What a mine! Mind boggling.

[@brittanylee4591]

I missed your videos! Wasn't seeing any notifications. Hope all is well keep trucking!

[@robertquast9684]

That champion forge and blower part was cool. I have an old flat belt drill press made by them that is still used. The amount of work the old timers had to do just to make the job easier is impressive

[@diggindiggenit6540]

That was a fricken cool mine 4 sure

[@johncarold]

Hi Justin WOW ! This is one big mine. I just wonder if the wood in your mine will look like that shout in 100 years. That's a really neet counter. I like the writing on the bears body, Cool find. That piller was interesting, I could spend a day just going through the oar ben and equipment that was leftover. Thanks again for a great video.

[@scottprather5645]

FYI silver is often associated with and in the Galena And is refined as a by-product of the lead mining.

[@VegasCyclingFreak]

Wow this one is a good one!

[@ralphpatrick3071]

The waste rock pile outside the portal was huge. I remember you pointing out some gobbing but no close up. Did you explore that area? It’s an amazing explore, so much to see. Thank you!

[@bigmoney3405]

Freaking amazing,Thankyou for this!

[@rogersmith7396]

Deposits like gold are found at the top of mountains because they are stratified by weight when the earth was molten. Lead, gold, uranium being the heaviest sink to the bottom. The earth solidifies then continental drift create wrinkles in the surface we call mountains. The stratified layers push upwards above the plains. Eons of weathering expose the ore and typically carry it down stream with water which is what people pan for. They follow the stream uphill to the mother lode.

[@2002MX5]

Nice logic.😃

[@jeffreyallen3796]

Thank you Brother these are fun.

[@jamesfohare]

Thanks Justin good video Cheers Guys ✌👍

[@million_heir5298]

When I saw an hour long video, I thought “wow! This is going to be great” and I wasn’t disappointed. Thanks for sharing this amazing adventure. When looking at all these stopes I’m left wondering just how the heck they attacked this stuff. They must have worked from the bottom up for the gravity assist in most cases. However, the exit of the mine isn’t always below the inner workings, hence the elaborate main shaft and skip car system. I really wish I had a time machine so I could see this place in action. You can tell this was a serious undertaking in its heyday.

[@SueGirling68]

Hi Justin, one amazing looking mine so far but at 10:52 what were those cannisters for to the left of the I assume dynamite box ???? Wow, I've never seen anything like those dials either to tally the loads, that's a very cool, neat find. That was one fantastic mine, not the normal type where they are very clear cut of drift, winze, drift, this one was way more interesting to look at and I imagine fascinating to actually clamber around. The ore bin and combined headframe showed some great craftsmanship in it's construction, very impressive looking too. A brilliant tour and as always you were a great tour guide, how on earth do you manage to narrate for that long lol, amazing. I haven't seen anything from Graham in a while, is he okay ???. Thank you for sharing, much love. xx ❤

[@TVRExploring]

Thank you. Yes, this was a good one - both for the setting and the extensive workings underground... Also, like you said, there were cool little features like the dials that made it special. Haha, I can assure you that sometimes narrating and filming for that long gets very old. Yes, Graham is doing well. He started a new job recently and hasn't had as much time off. We're plotting out a couple of trips in the coming months though...

[@SueGirling68]

@@TVRExploring Good to hear Graham is okay, it will be nice to see him back in the saddle so to speak. xx

[@Teeveepicksures]

As a kid, driving up around Scottys Castle in the summer with my grandparents, I vividly remember staring out the back window at these black dots that littered the ridges and cliffs and always wondered what these caves held inside.

[@IHUTCHI]

Wow this one was a big mine! Love it! And here is an interesting thing but the RPM motor oil can at 22:22 is exactly like one i found at a 1942 crash site of a B-18 bomber last year. So i can date that to at least the early 1940s for you.

[@gwynmwyn]

Awesome explore, thanks for the trip

[@rvman3359]

Man, that was a cool mine. Thanks

[@uwillnevahno6837]

Assuming there's no collapse, what might the presence or absence of tracks mean for a mine? If tracks are present then is it likely the mine was shutdown due to WW2 and therefore still have value? Perhaps it's equally like the mine was played out and it wasn't cost effective to pull up the track/these weren't recovered as part of the war effort? Maybe track presence/absence isn't a good indicator of anything in particular?

[@Mis73rRand0m]

I wonder if a haul that big nowadays would just be strip mined instead. Very productive mine regardless!

[@TVRExploring]

It depends on the structure of the vein. Also, this one is in a location that would be logistically difficult to strip mine.

[@Mis73rRand0m]

Makes sense, lots of factors are relevant. I live near Bagdad and was amazed at the terrain they had to traverse in this area!

[@mickking5913]

This is a great explore,easy to get lost.Thanks Justin,enjoyable mine this one.

[@chrisackerley1842]

It's amazing they hauled all that equipment to the top of a mountain. How much do you suppose that drill sharpener weighs? That must have been a ball breaker!

[@TVRExploring]

They would have hauled the equipment up in pieces with the aerial tram and then assembled them on site. Even with that being the case though, that drill sharpener in pieces would have been insanely heavy.

[@stevenhigby3512]

Great video a lot to explore in that mine. Looks like the mine raiders have not been there yet.

[@joeveinot5642]

Awesome stuff

[@davidsnider1703]

Wow great mine. I wonder how long you worked there before you knew your way around. Wow.

[@purpherder]

have you guys ever found a gold occurrence inside of any of the mines youve explored? i just think that would be the coolest thing ever. thanks for another great and very interesting video!

[@Ed_in_Md]

The outside is as awesome or more so than the inside!

[@denisnelson4250]

if there was no upc bar code on the back side of the fruit pie wrapper it would have been pre 1975

[@w6krg]

That was a fun one! Any idea of what they took out?

[@daveg2104]

Check the description under the video. Justin always provides extra info there.

[@dereksmith1803]

How do you keep from getting lost in big, multi layer mines like this? I would be so turned around after a couple hours and a few level changes that someone like you would find my body a few years later. 🤪

[@TVRExploring]

It's a little easier when you're there in person. There's a logic to the layout.

[@TheSilmarillian]

Great explore hello from Australia

[@theogdirkdiggler]

Found this on Printerest..... (1970s Dolly Madison Pie - Cherry - Charlie Brown....) Old timers would use gobbing to hide their tools when they would leave, learned that from BC Jeff

[@cbonz7734]

The silver market collapsed before 1920 so my guess would be this mine suffered the same fate as most of the rest by 1920. Charlie Brown didn't come out until 1950 so the wrappers were probably other mine explores or surveyors. If the mine had been originally silver but changed to lead, the mine would probably have closed right after WWII, which would have prevented the steel salvaging seen during the war on earlier mines, which had closed before or right at the beginning of the war. If that's the case that puts it closing 80 or so years ago which seems consistent with some of the artifacts you saw. One great clue is the cardboard dynamite boxes which might put you in the correct time frame. I also noticed modern nails which dates some workings later.

[@Charlie-wq1gi]

What is the longest period of time you were in a mine exploring it? Have you stayed overnight? A few days under ground exploring?

[@TVRExploring]

18 hours so far. Mine exploring is physically exhausting. So, I was extremely worn out after that 18 hours. We have one that is even more intense that we're working on and when we return again, it will likely require an overnight stay. Given how physically demanding it is to get out, I don't know how feasible a multi-day trip would be.

[@cmpe43]

I can't afford to be a patron yet but adding the mundane would be cool.

[@thomasbritton3376]

The cherry pie was of 70s vintage

[@TVRExploring]

Thank you.

[@wes11bravo]

I can't think of a mine exploration channel I dislike but TVR is definitely my favorite. I'm possibly wrong but I get the suspicion that at least a few of you guys are vets or are active military, perhaps USAF? And yep, I say it every time, the 80+ year old timber that looks virtually new in some of these mines is amazing.

[@TVRExploring]

Thank you very much, Wes. Yes, none of the guys that I go out with are currently active duty, but there are several vets. While never formally in the military myself, I spent a lot of time on the front lines in most of the world's conflicts when I was working as a war journalist.

[@lorrinbarth1969]

Great explore! They had to have something other than a pull cord bell to command the hoist. Did you see any evidence of a phone line? Also, what do you think drove the hoist, steam or compressed air? If steam, where is the boiler? If compressed air, where did the compressor live?

[@worldtraveler930]

I am also curious to know?!? 🤔

[@TVRExploring]

I saw no evidence of a phone line... Your question about steam versus compressed air is a good one and I didn't see the infrastructure for either. Maybe some stuff went tumbling down the mountain? Maybe some stuff was hauled away? I wish I could tell you.

[@tutekohe1361]

The machine at 59:00 appears to be an old ‘hit and miss’ engine. They ran on gasoline. It looked big enough to drive that hoist winch and the air compressor.

[@michaelanthony8780]

Ive worked in many, many mines, and though there are underground phones, mine shaft conveyances are signaled by pull rope, or cord buzzers or bells.

[@philliphall5198]

Wonder how many times a day would they blast out ??? Any ideals ???

[@davefredericks6133]

A great explore 👍👍

[@hunnybunnysheavymetalmusic6542]

I bet they LEFT a lot of good stuff in there, looking at how soft, mottled and textured the edges of those stopes are. Admittedly, they may have considered it too poor to justify digging and just stopped at that point, but NOW those minerals could be worth well more than break-even and fully justify reopening the mine.

[@hazelboyer8223]

Awesome video