Hiking Into a Gorge and Crossing a River to Explore a Pristine Abandoned Mine

[@paisliesplace3921]

Wow the condition of the wood on the floor and the timbers are in amazing condition. Must be very dry there not a lot of moisture in the air there. This has to be the most pristine abandoned mine you have come across Frank. Refreshing to see no trash and graffiti all over the place. Beautiful area. Glad to see you are posting again, been checking back every couple of weeks, was worried something happened to you. Thanks for the video! As always, stay safe Frank!

[@AbandonedMines11]

It’s nice hearing from you again! Thanks for checking out the video. Yes, the wood was in amazing condition. Despite the river being outside and down below, I guess the moisture never makes it into the tunnel.

[@roberttucker8129]

Beautiful location for a mine. Glad to see you're still out and about doing what you love. Always great seeing one of your videos pop up

[@AbandonedMines11]

Thanks for watching, Robert! I’m always out there looking for new mines to explore.

[@dougp2534]

I've been watching your videos for 10+ years. You are coming up on 500k. Great Job.

[@AbandonedMines11]

I'm glad you're enjoying the videos. Thanks for sticking with me all these years, Doug!

[@AnthraciteHorrorStories]

I've been watching for ten years or more myself. Frank is the O.G. YT mine guy!

[@phattzoo51]

Yep, he was one of the original ones sharing mine exploring. I only remember two of them. Now, there are a few. But he was one of the original OGs.

[@AbandonedMines11]

Thanks for watching for a decade! Yeah, I think I was one of the first ones on KZbin to start posting videos of abandoned mines.

[@AbandonedMines11]

Thanks, man! Yes, I do believe I was probably the first person to start posting videos of the abandoned mines onto KZbin. Back then I never would’ve imagined that my channel would become what it has today. All of those early videos are so cringe! LOL Low resolution, shitty camera work, lame-ass musical soundtracks instead of narration, and crap like that.

[@royjennison3916]

wow what a mine frank , the timber was in great condition , well done as all ways , stay safe .

[@AbandonedMines11]

Glad you enjoyed it, Roy. Thanks again for your support.

[@snailparty731]

I've been watching your videos for years, Frank! I am glad you are still finding mines and exploring. Love your channel, be safe!

[@AbandonedMines11]

Thanks, I appreciate your continued support!

[@desertrat8322]

Awesome video Frank , those wood beams in that section looked like they were ready to collapse . The scenery outside in that canyon was awesome

[@AbandonedMines11]

Sounds like you really enjoyed the video! Thanks for taking time to check it out and to write a comment - I appreciate it, as always

[@RockerRed]

I heard the squeak! This is a fun one to watch with the river. Catching up on videos. I lost my sweet Daddy in October😢 & I've been a wreck. Your videos are helping tonight. 🙂

[@AbandonedMines11]

I’m so sorry for your loss. I hope you’re doing okay. Losing a parent is rough, especially if you were very close to them. Sending good thoughts your way.

[@RockerRed]

@AbandonedMines11 Thanks Frank. 🙏

[@jamesriggsdds2337]

Take a short wave ultra violet light into the mine and if you find rocks glowing blue/white then you have found scheelite tungsten ore. That proves it to be a tungsten mine. The absence would tell you that they either found no tungsten or they were looking for something else. DanR., Tecopa Mines Deputy Chief

[@AbandonedMines11]

That’s good information to know! Thank you for sharing it.

[@richardwarnock2789]

Frank them Spirits just whistle on By!!!; )

[@AbandonedMines11]

Something was going on…! It’s funny that I didn’t hear it when I was there; I only heard it when I was at home editing the footage.

[@michaelpence468]

You can always go back!👍🏻

[@AbandonedMines11]

I may head back down there and do just that! There are some things further up the gorge that are worth checking out including an abandoned power plant as well as one or two more tunnels in the side of the gorge walls.

[@sez1742]

Great video as always. Always appreciative of the times you successfully walk past those spots in the mine where “your voice doesn’t echo”.

[@AbandonedMines11]

Yes, the non-echoing spots can be alarming especially if there is a lot of rock fall in the area. Best to duck and get through those areas as fast as one can! Thank you for watching and commenting. I appreciate your support and interest.

[@Irvine_Harper1919]

What an incredible find. The mine is in great condition.

[@AbandonedMines11]

It really was in great condition! The lack of graffiti and garbage is pretty rare. Thanks for dropping by and checking out the video!

[@AnthraciteHorrorStories]

That river is so gorgeous. Desert rivers/streams are always so amazing to see. That mountain gorge is breathtaking. I'm so jealous of your scenery. Those wooden ties have to be worth a fortune if you think about it. Old growth intact wood like that, people would pay big money for that. A shame they just sit down there. I can't get over the pristine preservation. My mind is blown. 🤯

[@AbandonedMines11]

Yeah, that river has been cutting that gorge for eons. The hike down into where I went is kind of sketchy and a little dangerous. But it’s definitely doable. Very rare out here to find a mine that was as untouched as this one was. Survey marks and their related graffiti are often spray-painted in nearly every mine we explore, it seems!

[@AnthraciteHorrorStories]

@@AbandonedMines11 that's amazing. What is the source for that river? Snow?? Water warm? Next time you have to take your shoes off and raise your jeans!!

[@AbandonedMines11]

The flow of that river is controlled by a dam further upstream behind which there is a huge lake. Up until about 2010 or something like that, that gorge was bone dry! I guess some environmentalists or something like that complained and wanted the dam to release water into the gorge on a continual basis. They ended up doing that, so the river flows year-round. People fish in that river, and as I was crossing it I saw quite a few trout swimming around. Seems kind of strange they would totally cut off a river like they did for all those years before they were ordered to turn the water back on. Los Angeles has a big grip on all of that water and the surrounding rivers. You can see why they don’t want the rivers to run full of water - the water needs to go to Los Angeles to quench everybody’s thirst.

[@AnthraciteHorrorStories]

@@AbandonedMines11 & to water all the lawns and fill the pools! I just had to point that out 🤣. That's cool about the fish and all. So all those trees and plants must be pretty new lining the stream. L.A. had no water issues this past summer due to lots of snow from last winter up in the MTNs?

[@AbandonedMines11]

Yes, I believe last year‘s rainy season was pretty significant. Lots of snow fell up in the mountains. Record-breaking amounts of snow, in fact! I think we even broke some records for rainfall back in January here in San Diego! Yes, I would imagine all the greenery in the gorge is relatively new and would not have been there in the years prior to when they turned the water back on. I can’t remember the exact year that water started flowing through there again, but I think it was in the early 2000s or something like that. So those plants and trees have had a good 25 years or so of growth.

[@StirlingLighthouse]

Great stuff as always! Thank you 🙏

[@AbandonedMines11]

Thanks for your support!

[@olivei2484]

I have a few volumes of Transactions of American Mining Engineers. These books go back to about the 1890s. There are also the US Geology books from GPO that go back to the 1880s. These records often have these aquaduct and mines recorded in them. Most likely have to hit the library, as I think most are not online. I have updated a few wiki pages with information from these books. Hope that helps with the history.

[@AbandonedMines11]

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power has a pretty detailed history of the aqueducts they built in the early 1900s to get water to the city. I could find no mention of the aqueduct tunnel that’s on the other side of the gorge that I explored a few years ago nor anything about this tunnel (which I don’t think was part of their plans). The information was pretty detailed, so I was surprised to see nothing mentioned about this particular location. Thanks for providing the name of that book. I might have to look into that myself.

[@ZiaMountainAdventures]

Maybe the original idea was to dam the river up and re route the water elsewhere? Interesting. In Carlsbad where I am from they have a flume, a water bridge, reminded me of that. Maybe they were planning crops on the other side of mountain? Cool video as always.

[@AbandonedMines11]

I know that the other tunnel on the other side of the gorge that I explored a few years ago did have a large rock dam built up outside of it as well as a wooden water gate device leading to a small catch basin outside the tunnel entrance. That tunnel was definitely going to be an aqueduct. The question is whether or not they were going to build some kind of flume or bridge across the river to reach the tunnel I explored in this video. I don’t know. I still think the tunnel in this video is an abandoned tungsten mine. It’s all somewhat of a mystery because there is a lack of information about these projects. Good hearing from you, Todd! Thanks!

[@tetechicopapu5955]

it looks like time stoped there, Glad to see you're back whit mines.

[@AbandonedMines11]

I'm glad you're enjoying the mine explorations! Thanks for your support.

[@ShamvelKasabe-n3m]

I ❤️ 😍 your videos man

[@AbandonedMines11]

Thank you very much!

[@williamwintemberg]

What a hike! Beautiful scenery. This tunnel has left me with many questions as to how and why. Interesting! Thanks Frank!

[@AbandonedMines11]

The history of this tunnel is a bit of a mystery! Glad you enjoyed the scenery, though. It was one of my more spectacular hikes! Thanks, William!

[@williamwintemberg]

@@AbandonedMines11 I'm glad you did it for us.

[@richardbrobeck2384]

very nice video I love that old mine !

[@AbandonedMines11]

I’m glad you enjoyed the video, Richard. Thanks for watching!

[@morelenmir]

Hey Frank!!! It feels a while since i have come across an upload. Very nice to see new material! I must admit I saw the extremely good found-footage/mockumentary sequel 'Horror in the High Desert 2' the other day and immediately thought of you! I wondered if the mine that appears in the second half was one we had seen inside at some point.

[@AbandonedMines11]

Hey, thanks! I don’t think I’ve seen the movie that you mentioned in your comment. I noticed the title, though, had the numeral 2 in it meaning that it was a sequel. Was there a part 1? If so, I might’ve seen part 1. Wasn’t that movie based loosely on the Kenny Veech mystery? I don’t recall there being a mine pictured in the movie I saw.

[@morelenmir]

@@AbandonedMines11 Yep, the first was very much a sort-of dramatisation of the Veech disappearance although the character and the real man were completely different. The sequel is only loosely connected to the first and covers the investigation of the disappearance of two girls in different times, likely at the hands of the same... entities? Mutated humans? Desert loners? It is never clear whether there is a 'The Hills Have Eyes' type of situation going on or if the creatures are not human at all. Going from something that is said it begins to appear there may be more Lovecraftian goings-on than at first appeared to be the case. The second girl vanishes close to a large area of surface workings at night. A search-and-rescue guy ends up lost in them as well. It is a very effective scene--rather similar to what happened to Clarice Starling at the end of Silence of The Lambs. On the whole I thought they were both very good. I like the mockumentary format a lot and it was used convincingly here. There is already a third and supposed to be up to five or more according to the director. They are all up on Amazon Prime, in England at least. I haven't seen the most recent yet and I am not sure how well it has been reviewed. Just going from the 'teaser' at the end of part 2 it looks like they may be borrowing from the Peralta explanation of the Lost Dutchman mystery. But that is just a guess. Anyway--if you liked the first then you should definitely give the second a try. You may even recognise first-hand where they filmed it!

[@christopherjq7414]

Yup I heard the whistle, pretty creepy but also very cool

[@AbandonedMines11]

Thanks, Christopher! Glad you enjoyed the video.

[@Luminoussound2024]

I heard that noise as well frank , almost like beep noise from a machine etc , very strange though, that mine is truely amazing to see inside and interesting that there is no graffiti or markings etc. thank you for sharing this amazing information Frank and what ever that noise was is anybody's guess.

[@AbandonedMines11]

Hey, Alex! Thanks for dropping by! I appreciate it. I hope all is going well with you.

[@Luminoussound2024]

@@AbandonedMines11 No Worry's at all frank and yeah all good thanks 👍🏻. I'm still wondering what that noise was u heard in that mine

[@GICK117]

Very cool and what a time capsule!! Not much color to the minerals but the lumber looks like it was cut a week ago. Now it appears we get tungsten cheap from other countries. All that beautiful work for not. Have a great day!!

[@AbandonedMines11]

Thanks for the comment! The timber is really beautiful, no doubt.

[@W7DSY]

Strange. Like a tunnel to nowhere. Could it have been a haulage tunnel for another mine? Unusual in that much of the 'trimming' of the shaft is so square. Must have been tweakers that dug it.

[@AnthraciteHorrorStories]

Hahahahaha. Your comment made me laugh for real dude.

[@AbandonedMines11]

As I mentioned in the video, this reminded me of other tungsten mines I’ve been in. There doesn’t seem to be any information anywhere about this mine or the aqueduct on the other side of the gorge. Fun places to hike down to and explore, though! Thanks for checking in, Stan!

[@LostinRestoration39]

A passage way to the unknown, what a feeling of unease

[@AbandonedMines11]

Great comment!

[@michaelpence468]

The gold nuggets aren’t passing by you. You’re walking on them! All you need to do is reach down and pick those nuggets up😂

[@AbandonedMines11]

I probably should’ve stooped down and grabbed a couple handfuls.

[@casedoumasr656]

Hello Frank the sound might be from the end of tunnel might be a animal but the sound is to far in side for that and looks like no air flow to make any movement sound either makes me think maybe from camera but it sounds further away ? Heard that type of sound before but just can no place it.well maybe 2 rodent mating 😀 the list goes on any way. So where you parked must be real close to the stream so easy access for the miners. I'll check the other video across the way next ⛏️😀

[@AbandonedMines11]

After listening to that sound a few times, it almost sounds like the beep that my oxygen meter or hydrogen sulfide gas detector would make. However, those are attached to my backpack, and I was wearing my backpack. If they would’ve sounded, I would’ve heard them because they would’ve been right behind me on the straps and I would’ve said something. The sound in the video seems to be coming from a distance. A strange anomaly. Not the first time we explorers have seen or heard such things! Thanks for stopping by, Case!

[@America-qp3sp]

Nice video..the wood is in good condition..amazing 😮

[@AbandonedMines11]

Yeah, the wood was in great shape. The mine was pretty pristine. Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment.

[@Hyperion-5744]

10:28 it kind of sounds like rocks sliding against each other.

[@AbandonedMines11]

It’s hard to say what that was.

[@Luminoussound2024]

@@Hyperion-5744 it sounded more like a machine beep but who knows what it could of been.

[@frankgaletzka8477]

The timbering is called Deutscher Türstock because the miners notched the timbers out when they roundet the timber out it is calked polnischer Türstock. Maybe some German miners build this timbering. Greetings from Germany and the Harzmountains Yours Frank Galetzka

[@AbandonedMines11]

@@frankgaletzka8477 Hi, Frank! Nice hearing from you! It’s been a while! Thanks for sharing the information on the different names for the different types of timbering. I was not aware of those.

[@abomination482]

Long time no see my friend, how r you doin

[@AbandonedMines11]

Doing great! I hope you are, too! Thanks for dropping by and checking out the video.

[@purenatural5736]

Interesting find and it does not look as old as other mines. Also, damn you’re courageous getting inside that hole. To be honest it looked unwelcoming.😅

[@AbandonedMines11]

Thanks for dropping by and checking out the video!

[@purenatural5736]

@@AbandonedMines11 it’s always nice to see uploads from you. You remained original from the start, deserve every you. Thank you for keeping on uploading new videos and give us the opportunity to see those mines through your camera!

[@exlimey1417]

No way that timbering would survive water rushing through that tunnel. Seems like a lot of labor to build a tunnel to get to the other side of the mountain but it definitely doesn't look like they were looking for anything or following a vein.

[@AbandonedMines11]

The only thing I can think of that kind of makes sense is that they were going to use a large pipe inside the tunnels if, indeed, that is what they intended. I still think this particular tunnel is an abandoned tungsten mine, though. The tunnel across the gorge, as mentioned in the video, definitely was going to be an aqueduct.

[@OdySlim]

Hey there buddy. How many miles are on your Toyota these days? Thanks for the video!

[@AbandonedMines11]

Hey, Ody Slim! Yes, the old Corolla is still rolling. I don’t drive it nearly as much as I used to because I have a newer car. It has just over 430,000 miles on it. Video of the Corolla coming soon! Thanks for dropping by and checking out the video - I appreciate it.

[@bobpace5464]

Any idea what that whistle was?

[@AbandonedMines11]

Not really. It’s just one of those weird, anomalous things we mine explorers sometimes experience in these mines.

[@mike-vo8im]

🤔Interesting was it a mine? Was it a auqaduct we may never know.

[@beetlepimpfan3065]

That whistle sound almost sounded like a bell? Interesting.

[@AbandonedMines11]

It also sort of closely resembles the sounds my oxygen meter and hydrogen sulfide gas detector might make. But those two devices were attached to my backpack which I was wearing as I went through the mine. In the video, the sound seems to come from some distance away. If one of my meters did go off, it would’ve sounded much louder being that it was on my backpack. So I don’t know what to think….

[@beetlepimpfan3065]

@@AbandonedMines11 I agree with you. That was a faint almost distant sound like you said, almost coming from the other side. Do you know if miners ever carried hand held bells , in case of emergencies or for any other reason? Thank you for you content! Keep on rocking and rolling. I heard bells keep demons at bay?

[@cacaualbert]

❤

[@i1KiCK1BUTT]

I live in one of the best places, california, to find this kind of stuff. I'm trying to catalog every mine not blocked off. It would be cool to have an experienced person check some of them out.

[@AbandonedMines11]

There are hundreds of thousands of abandoned mines of all sizes in California. That should keep you busy cataloging for a long time! LOL

[@i1KiCK1BUTT]

@AbandonedMines11 yea 100% especially in the foothills. My entire county map is one big blip, but I'm gonna try and do some more exploring so I can catalog open shafts and learn more about the history.

[@NitroTheWolf]

Really cool mine. Any idea why the miners would keep digging straight and not attempt to branch out in other directions? Nice to see the narrow gauge mine cart tracks inside, guess those were too far deep to remove. Also, it's nice someone built a wooden door on the front, nicest mine door I've seen.

[@AbandonedMines11]

That door was pretty nice! Very rare to find something like that still intact. I've been in quite a few mines where the drift was straight like this. Might've been searching for a vein or intending it to be a haulage tunnel for other branching workings that were never developed. Thanks, man, for watching and commenting!

[@rolfsinkgraven]

This must have been a quick operation perhaps not too much profit but a very nice explore, have taken a bath in one off these rivers once (green stones)

[@AbandonedMines11]

Thanks, Ralph, for watching and commenting! Yes, crossing that river was a little dicey in some spots where it was a couple feet deep. I managed not to slip and fall, though. I’ve never bathed in a river like that but I’ve gone swimming in some. Really can’t find any history on this mine, so it’s a true enigma.

[@N4GW]

Looks like a door at the end of the tunnel

[@ExtremeFieldTripEntertainment]

We need to get together with Todd and Justin and go do another exploration

[@AbandonedMines11]

Hey, Joe! Good hearing from you! I was talking to Justin a few days ago, and he mentioned something about a possible trip in early November.

[@phattzoo51]

Did you make a 1/2 million miles on your Toyota yet?

[@AbandonedMines11]

Getting close!

[@AnthraciteHorrorStories]

​@@AbandonedMines11 that's awesome man. Love that Frank. What year again? 06?

[@AbandonedMines11]

2006. I bought it on Halloween of 2005.

[@AnthraciteHorrorStories]

@@AbandonedMines11 hell ya!

[@richardmcgrew2167]

How do you find so many mines? Using Google or topographic maps? Research

[@AbandonedMines11]

Thanks for watching and commenting, Richard! I do a lot of research whether that’s reading old mining reports, looking at other peoples’ trip reports, looking at topographic maps, and looking at satellite imagery from Google Earth. Can never be too prepared when doing something like this, that’s for sure!

[@PiperFishing]

What river is that?

[@Mike-01234]

That wood looks like 1980's or 90' those look like modern 4x4 posts

[@richardmcgrew2167]

The graffics are informational. A lot of work done, but dont know the reason.

[@AbandonedMines11]

Thanks for your comment! I was trying to be informative, so I hope the graphics help.

[@timetogodoug]

Hi Frank, that screech was a friendly bat following you! Just kidding, your guess is as good as mine?

[@AbandonedMines11]

I've been wondering the same thing. It's funny, but I never heard it until I was editing the video. Thanks for watching and commenting, Doug!

[@Exodia1986Necross]

Can you please go back to the old mine where the wierd hissing took place 🙏🏻 ? We need to see that ghost .

[@AbandonedMines11]

might be fun to go back there for Halloween!

[@broodofvipers]

Excellent. Great request

[@urbanAngler_Bigfoot]

That whistling noise sounds like your camera

[@AbandonedMines11]

I was filming with my iPhone. Now that I’ve heard the sound a couple times, it sort of reminds me of the sound my oxygen meter or hydrogen sulfide gas detector would make. However, it sounded distant; my detectors are attached to the straps on my backpack, so if one of them momentarily sounded I definitely would’ve heard it because it would’ve been much louder. Who knows…..!

[@urbanAngler_Bigfoot]

@@AbandonedMines11 Weird, but did sound more electronic, great video once again

[@malcwhite]

Nope didn't hear anything weird

[@kappy77788]

I don't know why but this video looks like kane pixel video (3D comuputer made video😂)

[@1KMeterEyes]

Naration is plenty enough for your videos, the graffics just distract from enjoying the viewing of the video. Great mine find though 👍

[@AbandonedMines11]

I appreciate the feedback, I'll keep it in mind for future videos!

[@BigTurtle976]

That is weird that there was no graffiti of any kind in there.. do you remember if there's any graffiti in the aqueduct tunnel on the other side?

[@AbandonedMines11]

Yes, there was some graffiti in the tunnel on the other side of the gorge. Someone drew a picture of a cat in spray-paint and had written the word “meow“ and stuff like that. Of course, that tunnel is a little bit easier to get to because it doesn’t require crossing the river and climbing up the waste rock pile like the tunnel in this video does.

[@AbandonedMaine]

I can see why you thought it was an aqueduct. You don't see any mineralization or quartz. Its just bare rock.

[@AbandonedMines11]

As I mentioned in the video, the rock inside the mine reminded me of other tungsten mines I have seen. And there are some tungsten mines in the general area of this gorge. I don’t know - I wasn’t able to find any info about the old aqueduct on the other side of the gorge or this tunnel that’s featured in this video. Forgotten history. Thanks for checking in, Drew!