I Found A Long Forgotten Wooden Chest With Artifacts In this Cave. But Why Is It Here?

[@monsterhog1118]

The most shocking thing in this video is that you don't know what Dinty Moore is 🤯

[@MSGill645]

Haven't eaten it in awhile

[@SurfCityBill]

I'm familiar with it, but probably haven't had any in 50 years.

[@candyphillips2642]

I still eat it. LOL

[@VSFilly]

He's young. ❤

[@newwavepop]

i was genuinely stupefied by that. I work at Wal Mart, we still sell it now. i also would not call that thing they were using as a table a chest, or cans that may only be 19 years old artifacts. frankly i feel a little clickbaited and wont click nest time.

[@usmcmustang2972]

This place is called "Hermits Cave" by the locals. JW Crowley lived there until in his eighties. He died in 1953, in the cave. He built the road. The corn cobs were his T P. The food cans were left behind by him and the box was his table ... The model T truck parts and trash were his dump. He also left his mark on many places in Utah and Colorado canyons as he cowboy'd his way around the area. Some of those places are on canyon walls in Rabbit Valley, Dutchmans Flat, Cisco, Bookcliffs, Loma, Mack, Escalante and Bad Rock.

[@Derekcheuvront]

Thank you for solving that mystery … was JW Crowley just a hermit or was he also a prospector of sorts ?

[@martkbanjoboy8853]

I found a final resting place for a JW Crowley who passed away in 1953. Said he Slipped away in Montana though, & the age was younger. Who knows if he even had a birth certificate, though. His marker loooked very nice, which may indicate it's somebody else.

[@jeffjohnson1302]

What state is this place located?

[@beammeup1701a]

@@jeffjohnson1302 Looks like Utah. A Cisco is located in SW Utah silver fields

[@didymushouston9851]

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS INFORMATION ON MR. CROWLEY. ONE PONDERS WHY HE CHOSE TO LIVE IN THIS CAVE. HOWEVER, I AM CERTAIN THAT SUCH A MAN WHO WOULD DO SO LOVED HIS FREEDOM. DO YOU KNOW IF HE WAS THE ONE WHO ETCHED IN JOHN 3:16? IF SO, IT HAS CERTAINLY LASTED THE TEST OF TIME. FREEDOM. IT IS AN EVER DEPLETING EXPERIENCE AS THIS GENERATION FACES THE ONSLAUGHT OF POLITICAL DEGRADATION AND TOTALITARIANISM BY THOSE WHO WEAR "THE BADGES."

[@ColtonMills-k6v]

From what I remember of my time in the area it was called the hermit cave. A man lived there for some time back in the fortys or fiftys.

[@TheTrekPlanner]

Well that would make sense! If you see him, tell him he left his lunch still there

[@random22026]

@@TheTrekPlanner kzbin.info/www/bejne/mXzSeniJrJanmq8 'Oh, cinnamon and gravy! Oh, PEACHES!' ⛏🫘

[@richardclark.]

He is probably still around there somewhere.

[@brettbigham8420]

This makes a lot of sense to me. It looks to be an ancient site that was lived in again (maybe multiple times). I am not an expert but have not seen roads like this leading to anything I have seen or read. (Most places seem to want to hide, not create a nice wide path for visitors to use. This made me think it was later and more of a pack trail than a road. Having done dry stack walls before, I know what kind of work was involved this. One person could do it, but it would take a years of dedicated work to create a trail like that.

[@kathylammers8360]

He might have had a lot of time on his hands or it was mental therapy for a troubled mind, as in after a war.

[@lennyburdick3192]

Love that you get curious and fascinated by stuff from the recent past as well as the ancients.

[@Montana_horseman]

Dinty Moore beef stew is common camping dinner, even to this day. I have a few cans in my food supply right now. Corn is commonly wrapped in foil and cooked over an open fire when camping. The road looks to be a jeep trail built up to allow access for camping. It was super common in the late 1940s-50s to go out four wheeling/camping. Many people purchased surplus military jeeps after WW2 and took them out camping, rock hounding, hunting etc. I have photographs of the man who taught me to cut gemstones (1950s-60s) out in the deserts in the 1950s and 60s with his surplus jeep, he was gem hunting/camping. That cave appears to be a once destination for such outings.

[@CaptApple]

I stopped doing Dinty Moore when they went from chunks of real beef to balls of hamburger like substance. About 10 years now.

[@Montana_horseman]

@@CaptApple That's really odd to hear as I recently had a can of it after a long day of felling trees/logging and was in no mood to cook. It had the typical cubes of beef just like it always had. makes me wonder if there's more than one style. "Balls of hamburger like substance" does not sound good at all! 😒😅

[@danoconnor3720]

If it's readable, food cans have a date on them.

[@mhughes1160]

Interesting to know that cavemen ate dingy-moore beef stew. Now I know why they all died off. . LoL 😂

[@RAJohns]

In the 1800s? No.

[@Ron-d2s]

When he walked in and said "Hello" it would have been hilarious if a voice deep within said "COME IN!!!!!!"

[@carlcantrell4781]

Big ranches used to build small houses miles from the main house for cowboys to sleep in called line shacks. They probably used the cave for a line shack. They used them when a long ways from home watching the cattle or doing fence line maintenance.

[@Rocksider2525]

Phenominal place. I'd camp there. I'm not into destroying ancient stuff but that place looks like it's been visited many many times. Not everyone thinks like we do and will destroy everything. At least it's semi preserved as the corn cobs show. Great find

[@Miningpastpresentfuture]

Prospector camp while looking for Uranium deposits in the 1950-60s. Easier than setting up a tent camp.

[@MrWillBison]

Uranium prospecting is my guess also. Very common at the end of the war.

[@DavidRiske-g6i]

Good thought. I thought prospector the whole time- but didn't connect to the boom in uranium prospecting during the 50s. I like this solution, but to be fair, there are other ideas, and the case is not closed.

[@FlashInYourPan]

I thought it might also be some prospectors' base camp.

[@martkbanjoboy8853]

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​@@FlashInYourPan The level of capital and effort obviously put into building the road does not seem like the casual creation of a weekend hobbyist. That was a serious endeavour. And you would think a 1950's prospector base camp would have a larger area and more conventional look, esp. when you consider the resources that went into building the road. I get the idea the road is very old. It is all relative though. Even if the road was built say in 1900, this still leaves the observer with so many questions. One observation: the 'road' looks too narrow for even a jeep. Someone reminded me about the tribal violence in certain US SW areas was going on as late as the early 1930's. If you look at the lay out of the site, the road or path is in line of site to the cave shelter for a significant distance. the entrance to the cave overlooks the canyon from a sheer cliff that would be negotiable with difficulty. A sentry could sweep or cover the approaches to the cave with any typical big game hunting rifle. With a spotter they could give interlopers a real mad minute.

[@Acer_Maximinus]

“Easier than setting up a tent camp” Sure, after one spends years creating that road.

[@RedRose4141]

That's scary when you not only seen cougar tracks but when your walking alongside cliff edges. Because so often attacks happen from above like that. Be Safe

[@TheTrekPlanner]

That is great to remember!!

[@randomgrinn]

One cougar death every 4 years. Meanwhile, 42,000 Americans die in cars every year. Are people afraid of cars No! They are afraid of lions. Humans are LITERALLY insane.

[@endeeray4295]

​@TheTrekPlanner listen for the odd bird chirps too.

[@MikeC-ry1dk]

The scary thing is to see the cougar tracks on top of your own footprint.

[@firewaterforgeofarizona4304]

Cougars are ambush predators. One ambushed me and I wound up married to her. 😂

[@rogermartin404]

I remember Grampa's stories and pictures of this cave from the 20's. Was a large mining shaft in the back of the cave used for collecting copper from the veins. From his picures the floor of the cave has been filled in by way over 30 feet of mining debris and dirt.

[@TheOttomann64]

Thx for sharing. That nature could not be more different that in Denmark...I love your vids and looking how your part of the world looks like. Stay safe out there...!!!

[@rickbaamonde8188]

When I was a kid we had a song, "Dinty Moore, Dinty Moore, some people call it a stew. Stir it around and mix up the flavor, You'll be sick forever, it's true."

[@scottthomas7147]

Hi Jeff So interesting! The presence of the 4x4s to me, indicates a mine shaft. They didn't need them to make shelter, they had a cave with plenty of building stones. The presence of that chest for food meant a long stay and they wouldn't have carried it up there for a couple of days camping. There's more there! It would be so fun to scour every inch of the surroundings, I got a buck that says there's more there. Another great video! Thank you!

[@etainafuzz]

In one of Desert Drifters videos he discovered a cave that had wooden support structures that looked like they may have been to tie off a horse. Perhaps the wood could have been used in this cave in a similar manner?

[@scottthomas7147]

@@etainafuzz You might be right!

[@podunk_woman]

​@@etainafuzz I commented elsewhere that the road seems more like a pack mule trail. Hitching posts would make sense if that's the case

[@joangordoneieio]

Your sense of adventure is palpable & infections. Its what keeps us coming back! This one made me want to know more! That road!

[@TheTrekPlanner]

I'm looking into this one to get more info!

[@skyeseaborn1170]

This was fun! Thanks so much!

[@EmilyHothkins]

2:35 love love love the close up of the pine. 🥰 Any adventure you’re on is so very interesting!

[@whitetiger1008]

Way cool, Jeff!! Maybe the road was for frequent ancient visitors to a big center. Like a ceremonial center. Cowboys came in later and left their trash.

[@brendanreilly601]

Aloha, I love what you present. I spent over decade in southwest and we didn’t have drones or Google Earth. I hacked with my father-in-law through many areas by Los Alamos, New Mexico also southern Utah and I just love what you’re presenting especially that you keep things secret and respect. much respect to you keep doing what you’re doing, and I love that you’re bringing smile to me and making me, getting back out there thank you so much Mahalo Bishop

[@okami36]

Very interesting. Those Dinty Moore cans date to the 1950s. The Tang can is from a Spam knock-off, not the orange flavored Tang drink we know today. It dates from the late 1940s and into the 1950s. The other can styles point to that time period as well. Could've just been people who used that place to go camping or ranching. My other thought was maybe it was some sort of hideout and that last little area you looked at was a lookout's post.

[@johnt.848]

Probably not a hideout as they wouldn't have made an obvious trail leading right to it.

[@esbliss13]

Thanks for the info about the cans. Looks like it was a great camping spot.

[@Galiuros]

Probably not from the 1950s. Ingredient labeling on food cans was not mandated until 1967.

[@usmcmustang2972]

It's called Hermits Cave ... an old man lived there until he died in 1953. He was in his eighties.

[@abcdestuvw4234]

Thank you for taking us with you. ❤

[@jimellison3358]

During the late 60s and early 70s there were many groups of returned a nature hippie communes. Throughout the west and the south west looks of the cans and the road that could be a good possibility in our area. At that time we had a group called the mining claim living in an old mine and several other groups in the area ..

[@random22026]

Yep--that was my thought, also. Hippie hangout. Torn bits of newspaper and magazines, used for TP after perusing the contents! From the eco graffiti to the 'Tang' and the 'Band-Aids' in a metal tin--it feels like that era took over a more ancient site.

[@gabrieldee345don5]

Thanks to you I manage to see all this realms that I will never get to see other ways. Thank You!

[@TheSamknu]

Miners wiped their arses with corn cobs. The green running down on the wall around the corner the opposolite direction from the road is copper ore. I'd say multi generational multi use cave- in reverse chronological order: trip spot for college kids and locals, miner's temporary shelter/meal spot/bathroom, native American shelter with some crossover between each and never long consistent use over the whole time.

[@S-Jq8ob]

Very fun TREK, Jeff! It's so rare to find ANY artifacts left behind in the ancient places, and every piece is a clue to this cave's past. There are no doubt LAYERS of history attached to it, including cowboys and even the Dinty Moore Stew, which could be traced back to the 1930's or 40's. It's still very popular canned and they also make it as microwave meals now. I love seeing details; every little thing or cave is a curiosity in itself. Thanks for 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙘𝙪𝙧𝙞𝙤𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙮, which brings us these great treks! 🙂

[@lindarider4525]

Thank you for the great adventure 😊

[@EFTProf]

Thoroughly enthrauling!! Please keep us informed of further developments!! Thank you... 😎🤓

[@dorinclarisa2732]

Love hiking with you. Wish I was younger would love to do something like that . Thank you for saving my legs.❤

[@emmettrobinson9708]

What's up, my young friend?This is Emmett from the panhandle of florder.Glad you have a new one out.My wife and I really enjoy it.Be careful. Keep up the good work

[@RAJohns]

Emmitt Smith from Pensacola?

[@patbowers4180]

Surprised no bird noises! The trail seems like stair steps! Thanks for the trip!

[@mikeogden5256]

The uranium drives them off

[@goldcountryruss7035]

Probably last used by prospectors, maybe looking for uranium instead of gold. It might be interesting if you added a cheap ($25.-35.) Geiger counter to your pack. You will find lots of hot zones in your travels.

[@jcee2259]

I recommend a Wyoming Mining Camp knows as ARMPIT. Which had one resident during my visit (not counting the pet rattlesnake). Recommend the walk-in mine entrance to obtain a breath that makes any Geiger-counter excited.

[@beebumbling]

For the mining - maybe check out the area on mindat which will show mines and mineral records.

[@mhicaoidh1]

The only reason to build that road would be to move something in or move something out. Likely moving in mining equipment and some kind of ore out. I suspect they found something in that little alcove, and build the road to exploit it. From the aerial shots, there does seem to be a slope of tailings (now over grown with trees and shrubs) going down the hill from the mouth of the alcove. Whatever they found there, the vein was probably unexpectedly small.

[@bajajoes1]

You make most sense to me. I agree.

[@johnhart125]

I believe was base camp for prospectors, chest looks like grub box of back of chuckwagon, road was built to use wagons to supply prospectors and mine

[@caroldorsett8170]

And early pot hunters.

[@thefred8481]

Very interesting multi-user cave…Great find Jeff!!! Thanks for another learning adventure…

[@johnt.848]

That "road" was more a trail suitable for a pack mule or a horse and the "chest" was a rough made table that probably doubled as the guys bed at night with fires lit to keep predators at bay. It's too large and square to be a chest, nor did it have any door or hinges on it. It's hardly a mine either due to the lack of any indications of digging or chipping away anywhere.

[@ram1brn]

Think jeep or model A or T not narrow for one of those

[@edhazlewood124]

Well done. Another fine video that was fun to experience with you.

[@lindapowell917]

Loved this one, your photography is very nice, a real feast for the eyes...

[@Janer-52]

What an interesting cave! Not what I expected at all. Thanks for taking us along.

[@JamesJones-cx5pk]

I think many petro art was broken by conquering tribes and lay broken at the base of the rock face.

[@1nvisible1]

*Tang incorporated in 1957.*

[@TheTrekPlanner]

Thanks for coming with me! 🙂

[@junkyardsearcher6407]

When the miners were using that cave, that access trail was probably put together to make access easier for equipment.

[@karenfromva]

I can't get enough of your content 😊😊❤

[@doloresvelez3243]

Very cool. Stay safe and Thank You.❤❤🙏

[@billvanantwerp3658]

My parents had a big cave close to their house in Kentucky. The local community put a level floor in it and had plays and church services there in the early 1900s till the 70s and 80s. It was a very very small town and they built the town park next to the cave.

[@lindacumberland7046]

What part of KY

[@billvanantwerp3658]

@@lindacumberland7046 Sharon Grove. Outside of Elkton/ Hopkinsville

[@billvanantwerp3658]

@@lindacumberland7046 Sharon Grove. North of Elkton, which is by Hopkinsville

[@PatriceBoivin]

The ripped magazine pages and paper sound like what someone starting camp fires would use.

[@CountryB4Party]

One of the ways cowboys and miners made some extra money in their spare time was looting archaeological sites and selling artifacts to collectors and museums. But the existence of a road suggests there was something more substantial going on there. Uranium prospecting would be my guess.

[@drwho5437]

There's no such thing as looting. The same people who tell you to leave everything where it is are the same museums that harvest and sell artifacts and only tell you the history they find relevant. They have buried far more history than people realize.

[@wokyerdogatlunch]

I think it maybe an ancient dwelling site that cowboys used it for overnight shelter and very possibly looted it like you say. Then in the 20th century used as a hunting camp. The road was started but not finished so they could get ATV's or dirt bikes etc up there to carry their junk. The roads may have been partially dismantled to discourage future use too.

[@MarSchlosser]

@@wokyerdogatlunch No, that road was made by hand long before Columbus showed up. If so, then the place was used for scared purposes. To sing and dance, to meditate and to fast. The cans were ancient, WWII, maybe.

[@TheTrekPlanner]

Yeah the road makes this even more odd

[@wokyerdogatlunch]

@@MarSchlosser I didn't think of that? Reason being, I'm under the assumption the ancients used paths not roads. Why would they need a road? They didn't have the wheel and they didn't have horses. Everything had to be carried by hand? Just a convoluted uneducated question on my part.

[@johnlord8337]

This sandstone rock roadway is truly an enigma. Why would anyone, haul up the smallest width of a horse-wagon or chuckwagon, ... and all of the human labor in making the terraced stone walls of the roadway. And yet, there is no viable valley region for having sheep or cows. The fluvial valley bottom, and showing the erosion of flash floods, and no flowing stream or creek, makes one wonder why they would have made such a stone roadway. There would be no valid mining of any metals or minerals in this iron-rich red sandstone. The 2 dates of commercial products - Dinty Moore Beef Stew (1935) and Band Aids (1921) puts this place into the post-Depression (1920s) and into the 1930s-1940s-1950s of World War II and Korea. The metal can of Band Aids would be post-WW II, and the same can of the 1950s-1960s. If one could dendrochronology those 4x4 timbers and the other wood boxes there, one could also get a further dating scheme. Who the hell would make such a stone roadway of such narrowness, and haul up 4x4s into a non-existent residency. The vehicle tire, rusted cans, and decayed shoes all appear to be part of earlier flash floods washing them down to lower elevation, where they would be further up the valley elevation. There is a lot of something that just doesn't make sense to this whole enigma.

[@podunk_woman]

It could be a pack trail rather than a road

[@karenneill9109]

I think it’s not someone running to, but running from. I think it’s a hermit cave.

[@halyoung388]

There are many possibilities and one that I thought of is that it might of been a post WW2 home for a shell shocked soldier suffering from PTSD who just couldn’t be around people so he made a small pack road for his mule so he could haul in monthly supplies. Looks like he might of got religion and may have staked a claim just to be able to stay there, assuming it’s federal land.

[@CarrieHackler]

That was sooo cool 😎😎 I haven't seen Tang and Dinty Moore since I was a kid in the 70s

[@latigomorgan]

I bet it started out as an old Spanish mine. The road was built for burro-drawn carts or just pack animals. There are a lot of places with such roads all over the West.

[@pattymcdarment1395]

I was kinda thinking the s ame. Could have have also been sheep herders or mustangers.

[@CaptApple]

"Keep the scene clean" A late 60's admonishment to not litter.

[@random22026]

EXACTLY, Cap App. Exactly.

[@kathylammers8360]

Sounds like you've figured it out! Thanks!

[@notgiven9362]

Awesome as always

[@karendavis7988]

Thanks! Love your energy and videos. Keep it up.

[@mathewkulczyk1645]

As a fan of jeeping, that road would not be a good idea to try. It looks too narrow in most places. I'd say it's much more suitable for horses or mules. Maybe the people who used this cave would ride in with a pack horse or two and stay for a while while exploring the area for gold, hunting or rockhounding. It's hard to say. They did a lot of work on the trail and cave to make it easier to get to and more comfortable while there. Seems like a base camp of sorts for months at a time

[@gnatpiz]

Jeff, I watched the last drone scene and had an idea. You ever consider a small LIDAR? My bet is there's lots to see under all that vegetation below the cave...

[@jimalbrightsr8448]

Im thinking the road could have been built for 50s and later cowboy pictures.... I noticed some of the places you have visited were on older cowboy pictures. Love what you do Thank you and Be safe!!

[@rossmacintosh5652]

When you say "cowboy pictures" are you referring to movies? 🤠 🏇🎥

[@prophez23]

The landscape looks identical to land behind my house in northern New Mexico. I live in the wilderness mountains of New Mexico and behind my house is miles and miles of mountain wilderness exactly like that. It's so beautiful I wouldn't want to live anywhere else but in that type of landscape.

[@tylermercer4423]

That retaining wall from the road took some serious work! Floor of the cave almost looks like stone mining. Collecting paving stones. And the scraps built the road

[@SheilaAdkinson]

Thank you for sharing your adventures, fun, informational 💯👍✌️

[@Mr.Smith101]

Your efforts to preserve history are commendable, thank you!!

[@rainmancw9022]

I think the chest is more like a makeshift table. The level area on the floor probably contained the high sleeping spot where it was also easy to look out. There has to be one heck of a bottle dump there somewhere. This was very cool.

[@magdatorruellas9122]

A dusty cave with no dust on stuff sitting on top of wooden crate… Amazing!

[@paulapridy6804]

Now I'll go a little nuts imagining what in the world was the great interest there. Thanks for the trip my mind will now be taking. Always an adventure❤

[@jennifersiegrist8440]

What a cool cave, highly used. Very interesting, wonder why there was a road to it. Thank you for taking us along ❤❤❤

[@katep23]

Fascinating mystery! Thank you as always for an amazing adventure and a puzzle too!

[@davidkotras7147]

Jeff, If you can pinpoint the location you should try to locate it on a topographic map. You might find a designation number or a name for that cave then you can go from there, regarding the history. I agree with you that someone took alot of time/money to shore up that road with a wall. Most likely for mining as many have said.

[@jackiemack8653]

Careful Jeff. Lots of whackos around.

[@janettetippetts7942]

Dinty Moore Beef Stew. It's still on the market, I think. But obvously, That one has been around exposed to the heat/cold. Thanks for taking us along!

[@JamesWoodring-mu2iz]

i love that stew! yes its still around!

[@jackiemack8653]

Amazon Fresh has it for 4.19. I bought lots of these cans for my son for future food shortage possibilities

[@valleygirl4161]

You can still buy Dinty Moore beef stew in the grocery stores. I think you should buy one and try it.

[@MouseMotes]

Thank you, that was a fun little trip!

[@gdroege44]

Another great adventure! 👍

[@JeannieHamilton-wm3cn]

I love the desert. It is so beautiful. I am so thankful I live in the desert of America. I’m from the Midwest and it is a real treat to live in a desert.

[@danielfmyers]

Dinty Moore beef stew. About 30% grease. I have some fond and not so fond memories of eating it on a 3 day hiking and camping trip in the Cohutta wilderness around 1985 or so 😂

[@brendanreilly601]

Aloha, maybe completely guessing but I don’t think he had some outlaws that were living there they had friends in that cave. They said they were mining. There is nothing there mine they were digging for pots and they covered all their evidence. They did not build the retaining wall a great area they just happened to find it, something to consider odd pieces of plastic magazines keep sharing your journeys. I love it so much and I’m sharing it with many other people. Thank you.

[@leeweatherly7659]

Really enjoyed this, Jeff. One of my favorites of your adventures so far. You didn't mention the handprints on the cave wall beside the more modern graffiti -- could they be ancient? Clearly a cave that's been in use one way or another for hundreds of years. Glad you spotted it!

[@mr.miyazaki5082]

What's a natural material that's always been mined from caves and fetches a steep price? BAT GUANO! You'd need a wagon to haul out the guano, hence the road. My best guess, thks!

[@zacharyvieck8607]

Great job. Thank you for sharing this adventure

[@JW007100]

The words on the wall said , Keep the scene clean.

[@timhuffman5311]

Great video, it looks like the kind of place you need to spend some time with to figure it out. Do you know if it was a mining claim? Strange combination of old and new. The stew can look's to be from maybe the70's or 80's. Very cool. Keep it up.

[@WormsHere]

I used to buy Dinty Moore stew all the times back in the early 60’s for my hunting trips in NorthEast Washington. Good stuff!

[@sorensteiniger6465]

Hi, I really appreciate your channel and all of your videos. I am really into exploring different locations too, so I am really happy everytime I see a new video is online. I live in Germany so of course it is very different what you can discover here so I really enjoy this ancient world full of beauty and secrets you share with us. Greatings from the other side of the atlantic ocean and stay as you are!

[@michaelschuenemann3505]

Wow - what a Great Hike to that Cave - Modern Road build up to it - Ancient living their - Modern Man may cleaned out that Cave of Artifacts etc - just a Thought ! Brilliant Valley and Adventure - Just Loving it ! Many Cheers from Australia !

[@harrytruax5195]

Very cool video! Loved the music towards the end, very Bjorkish.

[@katheyjberry]

This was a fun hike. Many of the comments referred to miners which could explain the road for supplies. My guess: the cave was utilized by native Americans, and later a hub for prospecting.

[@JeannieHamilton-wm3cn]

I had to watch an enjoyable video thank you for providing Jeff. I can’t take the shenanigans of today. I need R&R.

[@spacexrocks1041]

I am always so glad you don't pretend as if you know it all. I like the mystery of these places.

[@Materialworld4]

Jeff, whoever built that road most likely built it for a 1950s or 1960s Jeep to haul out pots and artifacts. It looks like the guys disturbed the area a great deal because they didn't care about the historical significance of the site. No they were probably concerned only with what artifacts could bring when they hauled them down intact. One other crazy possibility is that whoever built the road was thinking of turning the cave into a personal cave dwelling/house. I know crazy, but people get crazy ideas and then discover they are out of money, or in over their heads. I can't tell you how many historic homes on KZbin I have seen where someone starts crudely fixing up a 150 year old house, and then drops everything and walks away. Having restored several homes to perfection, it takes knowledge, extensive experience, and a lot of money. Even then if you lack a very keen eye for aesthetics you're doomed because what you create has to fit the neighborhood, that exact market, and be timed perfectly. You really have to know what you are doing, and be willing to go all in to the very end. Thanks Jeff, that was a real brain teaser. Take Care Jeff.

[@rossmacintosh5652]

In the cave where the "chest" was, there is a partial flagstone floor. To me that's a fairly clear indication that someone had been trying to make the cave more habitable. The might have been planning to erect walls and ultimately fully enclose the cave for use as a home.

[@caroldorsett8170]

Spot on pot hunters!

[@TheTrekPlanner]

I think you are right about he pot hunters. There was probably so much here that they though tit was worth making a road 😞 But I think someone wanting to make this into a home is a possibility too!

[@candyphillips2642]

Thank you! Great vid. This was used in the recent past.

[@JohnBassDunnahoo]

Yes Sir that is definitely a head scratcher. Thanks for sharing.

[@garygreen1757]

Very cool stay safe. good luck

[@reneebarlow1077]

Ah dude! The lost Dutch man mine. Just kidding. They made a lot of westerns in the 30's, 40's, and 50's. Who knows. Love your work, keep treking!

[@elrobo3568]

This a Anasazi granary. It was used to store Maize (corn) . You are also on protected land and you cannot remove artifacts.

[@Dale-v6o]

Isn't it amazing how people leave their garbage anywhere? That is so sad.

[@J_C_Orobono]

Thank you for this wonderful adventure;)

[@OneStrangeJourney]

Very Cool!

[@connielipp8648]

Thank you for sharing : )

[@sc2824]

The county courthouse will have documentation of the mining history in the area - search the historical claim locations. The cave would be a great longer-term campsite for prospectors. The 4x4s may be the corner monuments for claims - typically propped up in the middle of mounds of stones. Any native artifacts were likely removed long before prospectors used the place.

[@scoon2117]

That is awesome

[@alienallen2983]

👍 THANK YOU 🙏>>>💚

[@sharonstuebi8181]

Great find. Fun adventure

[@paulcarey6793]

I live in San Juan Counry Utah. Looks like mining to me. Our local magazine has whole sections on mining. Perhaps you could ask a local museum or archaeological society. Locals can also provide information, particularry old timers. Love the old road. Possibly used to haul ore.

[@nterracall]

Love every one of your explorations !

[@gazoo-pl4nx]

these areas are fascinating