Solo Adventure to a Remote Mine Perched on a Cliff

This mine has been on my radar for a long time and I was excited to finally check it out. I completed my trip solo, which is always an interesting experience, especially in a very remote part of the U.S. A steep hike through a rough wash brought me to the base of the mine's waste dump. One final scramble up the scree got me to the mine. The mine workings are perched high up on a cliff with an amazing view of the surrounding mountains.
This mine was worked for lead and copper primarily, with some reported silver and gold recovered as well. The ore body was exploited through a single massive stope, that opens up to daylight at the highest point of the mine workings. The stope was impressive to see, and it was easily explorable due to its shallow decline angle.
Due to this mine's extremely remote location, ore could only be reliably transported via an aerial tramway. The tram towers remain standing precariously atop the steep, rocky cliffs. Additionally, electrical service was provided for this mine (miraculously). The electrical towers were similarly constructed on the cliffs, high above the canyon's bottom. It was astonishing to see these structures positioned in such perilous locations.
Despite the likely harsh conditions this mine endures, the equipment and artifacts left behind by the miners have faired relatively well. I'm sure there are more artifacts than just the items I show. Remnants of electrical infrastructure, the tram systems, and structures are evident throughout the site.
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[@Askjeffwilliams]

aahhh yes we remember that mine from years ago ....filmed it in 91 on VHS and then again in 2001 ...... could tell you some stories about that mine ....good area ... never go there in Summer time. keep'em coming and be safe out there

[@MinesoftheWest]

I wonder what all changed since then? I bet summer would be brutal, the weather was perfect in January!

[@mineadventures7938]

Ahh. Nevada Jeff. i love your videos. I may be onto a good one soon. hard to keep finding good ones.

[@richardwarnock2789]

Nice to see something is left must have been a lot Shiney Lol!!!; )

[@Askjeffwilliams]

yes it has changed a little and they mines lead zinc and a little copper out of there @@southernoregonprospector9074

[@ArmoredDC]

Guess you could say its a Highline up there .Most of that copper ore is actually radioactive 😅 same deposition as the Boss right on the other side 😉

[@paulcooper9135]

Your photography is Top Notch! I watch a few different mine explorers, and your photos are the nicest by far! Thanks for sharing 🇨🇦

[@MinesoftheWest]

Thank you so much!

[@davegrummett1263]

There is something so very satisfying hearing the wind blowing in the background as you're exploring the equipment outside the adit. It's one of those "feeling like I'm there" things. Thanks for sharing.

[@cipher2]

1926, almost 100 years since. Awesome exploration man thank you for sharing!

[@MinesoftheWest]

Thanks for watching!

[@NPC-mt1cz]

The sound of the wind blowing through the canyon adds so much ambiance. Cool video

[@TheShornak]

According to Google, Frigidaire was part of GM from 1919 to 1979. I had no idea, you learn something new everyday.

[@barryross8382]

Loved the construction near the staircase, Great footage and editing. Well done.

[@MrMiron42069]

Awesome video. Love all the old stuff you come across and seeing some of the items they used in those times.

[@Latsaaben]

Amazing mine! Love your videos 👌😎

[@ronstanek2851]

Great solo exploration and remnants of history,nice job!

[@-r-495]

Beautiful setting, stellar videography. Jesse and you are my favourites, I can watch your content on a 42" without vertigo 😉

[@zerofox7347]

I love that place. Just those levers alone are really cool to see. I can imagine people thinking if I don’t take this someone else will, Until there’s just nothing left for anyone to see. It’s a very unfortunate part of human nature.

[@DeathAngel465]

Babe wake up, mines of the west posted a new video

[@MinesoftheWest]

👀

[@slimwantedman6694]

Good afternoon from Southeast South Dakota

[@ccjensen4670]

Camped at my dads mines in early 50's..near Moab..I was six years old at the time. He and my moms cousin who was a geologist living in Moab. They struck the claim to the Lisbon Valley Rio Algum mine..biggest strike on the westetn slope at the time..and my dad gave his share away in 1962...never saw a dime😂

[@bebeandjohnnotsonomadiclif5287]

We really do like your video's. Thank you.

[@MinesoftheWest]

I appreciate it!

[@chriswenberg4823]

Phenomenal camera work as always!

[@MinesoftheWest]

Glad you enjoyed! Thanks for the recognition!

[@jeffchandler3390]

I really appreciate you taking the time to show the artifacts outside of the mines.! That Stevens-Adamson Mfg Co is still in business.

[@EraX52]

This reminds me of one video, I think that TVR Exploring did, beautiful mine, that stope was huge.

[@jesperjohansen6047]

The classifier is the kitchendoor, the skylight is the chimney & the building might be the worlds coolest smokehouse 38:15 Could be a tramticket, conductors used to punch holes in them

[@chrisj2848]

Love the photo @29:13. Great video👍

[@ladanivadriver1578]

Minute 16 crankshaft not camshaft lol but awesome adventure man👍

[@paulwollenzein-zn1lh]

You know that there is more workings above because the third (?) Adit only had the bottom of the ore chute. You use gravity as much as possible in the movement of the ore inside the mine. The third adit was a bit on the large side for an exploratory dig. The extra space made for easier coming and goings in and out. Just looks like someone removed some of the rails and ties. Haulage adits are very useful for mining. Just dump your ore down the ore chutes and it stops at the bottom. Where you can collect it for the mill and processing.

[@jeffchandler3390]

BTW, GM owned Frigidaire for 60 years. The AC compressor on my 65 Malibu has the Frigidaire nameplate on it.

[@rogereade4950]

by the look of it and the timbering, it must have been a successful mine to put such workmanship and effort into it.

[@oldmanriver4839]

The hike to that mine was much easier a few years ago. The August and September storms in 2023 really tore up the washes in that canyon. I too go solo but I don’t go into the mines. I just enjoy the hikes. Keep up the good work and stay safe.

[@MinesoftheWest]

Not surprised, the wash looked very rough! Thanks for watching!

[@danosmixedgrill6067]

Hi, Where I am in Australia, my familie's mines are all very wet ( tungsten, lead, gold, zinc, silver ) which is a stark contrast to alot of yours, i'd prefer your dry mines though. .The object at 13.40 is a huge multi speed backwards forwards switch. You can see a steel cam on the shart that lifts or drops copper contacts together, these are copper oxide green. The motor speed is not resistive but instead exites more or less segments of the motor (so many contacts) The speed is stepped not linear. Love the video, Cheers Daniel.

[@27life]

Reminds me of my grandfathers mine! Great video.

[@pondwater2]

Thanks!

[@MinesoftheWest]

Thank you for the tip!

[@scotts3938]

Enjoyed the mine explore.

[@mysterycrumble]

ah. excellent timing. i just got home!

[@AZRob56]

That's a mine trommel there at the tram terminal. Mostly used in gold mines.

[@MinesoftheWest]

Thank you for the insight.

[@AZRob56]

​@@MinesoftheWestEnjoyed the video. 👍

[@DGgraphicsNY]

Yes…not part of the tram…its a trommel

[@mineadventures7938]

reminds me of the mine near jean. like an alternate universe. same steep rock waste pile, cool old gear to see. almost the same kinda of terrain. cool, i am sure you seen it.

[@aleks_jones]

i think thats the crankshaft of the engine... those straight 6s make a ton of torque

[@MinesoftheWest]

You’re right I made a mistake while narrating. Thanks for watching

[@dankingjr.2088]

Interesting mine. That infrastructure cost some money, but that mine is plenty big to pay for it if they were on good ore. Thanks for the look.

[@davidhuckaby7806]

Awesome!

[@sirmonkey1985]

the swiss cheese mining was strong with this one.

[@macfilms9904]

Interesting mine - big stope, but looks to have been a very compact ore-body. They pushed out a number of directions and don't seem to have hit anymore worthwhile ore. There's a lot of mineralization, but not a lot of obvious vein material. Given how small the overall ore body was, it seems amazing that they recovered enough to cover the super extensive infrastructure and utilities. That first "adit" seems like it may have been a living space - cool in summer, warmer in winter (plus stove) - the screen you saw may have been a screen door, rather than a classifier. The 2nd opening may have been exploratory, then reused as explosives storage. That wood box with dividers looked like an explosives day-box, where you put what you need for a blast that day.

[@alancoker1459]

I dont recall subbing to this channel but apparently i did. Guess its been awhile.

[@Dwendele]

The wind at the beginning is a trip. It's obvious you were sheltered where you were walking around, no grass/bushes waving like crazy and your mic wasn't getting washed out, but it sounded like you were seaside with a moderate surf!

[@ExploringCabinsandMines]

Nice!

[@Ed_in_Md]

Stephen’s and adamson specialized in conveyor systems.

[@danaj9336]

Nice. Were you able to find any history of the mine you could post? And the destruction of all the equipment looks deliberate, like they blew it all up when they left. Thanks.

[@DaiElsan]

Drum controller. The handle on the top of it was used to switch in and out resistances to increase and decrease the motor speed. DC controls.

[@MinesoftheWest]

Thank you for the insight!

[@danosmixedgrill6067]

At 15.38... If there were transformers there, they were probably generating 600 or more volts & outputting to your 110 I think, I dont know what yoiur 3 phase voltage is. Ours is 240 single, 415 triple. I imagine this mine is too remote for this power to be coming from town, either way they have to re transform from transmission voltages to a useable amount. Cheers Daniel.

[@gmoneypower]

Fantastic video!!!! Do you have any merch to buy? Love your still pics! We need a coffee table book for those! Long time fan! Great work!

[@MinesoftheWest]

A coffee table book is a good idea. I’d like to sell prints too, but I don’t know how popular they’d be…

[@gmoneypower]

You’d be amazing man. Absolutely stunning pics!!!!!!!!

[@ApacheBob41]

I have seen this location a dozen different times from a dozen different channels.

[@garywarren-gh8os]

Have you ever been to the good mine on mount Baden Powell in the San Gabriel Mountains in California. I working with the Department of forestry helped map out the main level. It only took about 5 days and about 20 people

[@HellNoMoreBiden]

Westinghouse sold out some years ago.

[@samuelgilbert9734]

28:55 The staircase going up to the left with the collared declined shaft going down to the right looks familiar. I think I saw another video of this mine, but I can't remember who had made it. Abandoned and Forgotten Places, TVR Exploring? I don't think it was Tom and Julie...

[@markhooper5824]

That was ace mate.

[@alancoker1459]

I saw a left side profile on the hill

[@samuelgilbert9734]

11:57 I'm guessing it's "PRIMARY CUTOUT". Looks like it would match with what's left.

[@VikingExploration60]

That bulb you found in the Stope was a flash Bulb for photography

[@trevorlykstad7860]

pretty kewl mine, Eh? Did you happen to visit the "other" mountain top mine in the area (the one to the house with beautiful buildings outside) ?

[@ExploringCabinsandMines]

@ 16:00 Crankshaft not camshaft! 🙂

[@MinesoftheWest]

Oops

[@craigbrowning9448]

I don't know if GE sells any appliances for consumers anymore? Maybe light bulbs? I think the mostly do contracts for other industries or the government, mainly the Military-Industrial complex. Similar to Raytheon, who used to make vacuum tubes for radios and other consumer electronics that require them.

[@robertlyman9789]

GE appliance division got sold to,Haier of Korea, many years ago!

[@StillFightingItRoundHere]

People in the area will fly you up there so you don't have to hike up. It'll cost ya though!

[@myhificloud]

@49:00 Miners daycare.

[@shawnmichaelwallinakaSWUB]

I am disabled cannot mine. You really need a buddy system I am a small person not afraid to explore a mine as long as I don't have to have heavy ropes or mining equipment to move I would be able to help you with the exploring of cave's mines.

[@robertdixon6536]

Enjoy the radon.

[@MinesoftheWest]

Thanks will do

[@royreynolds108]

The device at 13:47 is the electrical controller for the tram.

[@mangopog9814]

Self preservation says to this guy, I ain’t going in there by my self, anything could happen and you’d be in a pickle all alone with no help.

[@oldmanriver4839]

Jeff. I would imagine you were able to see buildings and more “stuff” in and around the mines 30 years ago. Did vandals cause the fires? Maybe the governments bulldozed a lot of it ? Thanks.

[@jameshaliday1929]

caution and gas meter ,death inside rotten rock mountain.

[@DIGGER19860]

lol camshaft i bet you will never mix up and crankshaft and a camshaft again

[@MinesoftheWest]

The embarrassment is immeasurable

[@DIGGER19860]

@@MinesoftheWest mistakes are how we learn best.

[@stevemiller6766]

learn the names of mining equipment before making stuff up. you go to some cool places but your unfamiliarity with the equipment is frustrating.

[@MinesoftheWest]

Care to share some examples? Not very helpful feedback.

[@JTube571]

People like you should not have access to a keyboard.