Mining A Silver Mine For Gold! Cerro Gordo Exploration and Adventures!

Join Jason of @mbmmllc Brent from @GhostTownLiving and @Danhurd in the thrilling conclusion of our series, where we answer the burning question: "Is there gold in a silver mine?" In this exploration and adventure-packed video, we take you deep into the heart of Cerro Gordo, one of California's historically rich silver mines.
Jason and Brent descend into the depths of Cerro Gordo, exploring hidden passages and bringing back promising ore samples to the surface. The excitement builds as these samples are shipped to Jason's processing plant in Washington State. Watch as Jason takes you through the meticulous process of crushing and concentrating the valuable ore, isolating the precious metals from the raw material.
The question lingers: will Cerro Gordo become a future gold mine, or will Brent continue his pursuit of high-grade galena and silver ore that the mine is renowned for?
Join us on this extraordinary adventure, exploring the intersection of history, geology, and the thrill of discovery and mining. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and hit the notification bell to stay tuned for more exciting content and future mining adventures!
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Keywords: Cerro Gordo Exploration, Silver Mine, Gold Prospecting, Mining Adventures, Ore Processing, Precious Metals, Geology Exploration, Mining History, Smelting Gold and Silver.
Hashtags: #CerroGordo #GoldMine #SilverMine #MiningAdventures #OreProcessing #GeologyExploration #PreciousMetals #MiningHistory

[@davejones9499]

That gold rides an iron horse and wears an iron hat so the redder the better is how an old timer explained it to me 50or so years ago. Liking your channel, I'm too old and weak to chase it anymore so I live through you young bucks. Good luck it's just a foot farther in there.

[@geraldbrunckhorst8291]

Yep, always just a foot farther, like my fly fishing these days. Only 3 more casts, 20 casts later, only 3 more casts!

[@mshorter888]

It’s not about the size of the button, it’s about the adventure… that’s what my lady tells me anyway. 😂 Love the collab with you all you guys. Great content!

[@billbradley2480]

The old timers did a good job of finding almost everything. They didn’t leave much.

[@user-ih3zd6bu9z]

..все нашли и утащили!🤣

[@ChrisRalph]

Interesting results. The spongy stuff was likely pyrite that fully oxidized. Not all sulfide minerals oxidize at the same rate. Pyrite oxidizes faster and more readily than galena and a lit of other sulfides. The high grade gold reported in some of the materials Brent had were likely pockets of rich gold that were uncommon at Cerro Gordo.

[@gorillagoldhunters]

Absolutely loving your channel Jason!! Too cool too see you now!! 5 years ago watching you, allll the way to now. Epic Jason:)

[@UncleBildo]

I'm with Dan, to hell with being underground! Maybe in my younger healthier whole bodied days, but I'm old fat and crippled! Have always been fascinated with old school mining. Some tough old bastards.

[@oqwazyme4616]

Jason, tell Brent he needs to buy one of your crushers !!

[@WhyamIstillwatchingyoutube]

Possible royalty deal or donation. Even just a loan until some silver comes out.

[@geraldbrunckhorst8291]

Hello from Montana!! Thanks for all the information and your adventures Jason. The materials at Sero Guordo are so different than here in Montana. Dan’s explanation of the metal detector will potentially help me pass up all the nails, wire and pull tabs😂. Keep up all these amazing videos, we all respect your hard work and skills. I have access to a 300-400 foot (maybe taller) wall of brecciated/conglomerate in proximity to an old volcanic zone. I located it while mountain climbing. It’s remote yet accessible by old abandoned, closed roads and some bushwacking, not unlike one of your older videos. Much of my samples will probably need to be obtained while rappelling or ascending climbing ropes. After sampling I’ll need to begin with understanding the basic principles of beginning a portal in such material. One of my initial discovery samples, taken at the wall’s base, shows promise!😮

[@coldwarveteran6211]

Death Valley is one of my favorite places. Been to Cerro Gordo 3 times now. I am looking to get up there again in late March or April depending on weather.

[@4seasonspix]

Brent might be needing all the help he can get if the road to Cerro Gordo is being destroyed again by the atmospheric river event (Pineapple Express) that's about to hit us in SoCal. Expect heavy winds, torrential rainfall, and snow, starting Sunday (Feb 4) and lasting until about Tuesday or Wednesday. We've received several flash flood warnings here in the Hollywood Hills and throughout LA. Stay safe, Californians🙏🏼

[@coldwarveteran6211]

Right. We are also under an atmospheric river in Santa Cruz and similar flash flood alerts. I can get up the road on the Honda Cub Trail 90. After the big flood years ago. I bet the narrows get washed out close to bedrock again. Dan Hurd might dig that (pun rrrr). A series of culverts in the narrows might be a partial solution. The county guys replaced gravel and graded some after the last one me thinks.@@4seasonspix

[@ZoonCrypticon]

He should put emergency provisions and extra ropes at certain points inside his mine if some things should go wrong one day.

[@OGRocker1]

Hey all, .... love the collab's, sub to all three of you, morning Jason.

[@rolandjohansson7428]

2:02:06 Don't forget to reinstall the cover on the terminal box of the electric motor.

[@joannmonahan7229]

I've been looking for this for over a month, thanks, finally hopeful good outcome !

[@thescarlettbandit5542]

58:21 😂 Dan sitting in his favourite Pinkerton hat, just like an old timer... hilarious. If he’d have had a candle and turned off all the other lights... he’d have given us all quite a ghostly fright! 😂 😄🕊🇬🇧

[@shucksful]

Or, sitting there with a double barrel shot gun. lol.

[@jimbobf8017]

The maps are very helpful and are not a distraction for me. All information is interesting and highly appreciated. Great work 👍 Awesome channel

[@Orbacron]

Super interesting, Jason. You always bring good luck, and great examination skills to all your expeditions🙋💫

[@offroadjunkie303]

Love the channel my man great content

[@user-gr3us9bh6j]

Superb content as always. Thank you too everyone involved 👍

[@deannacalef3513]

It is so interesting to watch your process. Kudos to your bravery and ability to coax out the tale of mining there.

[@ITSFUNZ]

Wow I was really expecting a different result LOL ! As always great content ! Thanks again 👍

[@thineownentity]

I'm so very grateful to you, Jason for making more collabs* with your pursuit of the good stuff. I also enjoy your host, Brent @ Ghost Town living. making one very adventurous recon for what could be a potential new use from an old mine. Very cool! On with the testing !

[@krakhedd]

Been waiting for this video, AND more on your own mine, AND more with Mine Operator - about time one of those things happened!!!

[@no2thenwo737]

Yup, and we're waiting for the many ore bags from his own mine to be processed. I'm thinking that maybe his team don't want us seeing how much gold is in this ore?

[@josephcormier5974]

Thanks Jason for sharing this wonderful video with us six stars brother

[@DJtheDad]

Love the Cerro Gordo work with Brent & Dan. Looking forward to more work from your mine operation.

[@BrettHoustonTube]

Weow. That was an amazing adventure, with a comical ending. Which is how most of my gold seeking experiences have been... Thanks for the great info!

[@user-yl8sy8fn1c]

Thanks for making me smile when i WATCH YOUR VIDEOS...AWESOME JOB

[@jamescball55]

Nice to see you show negative results as well a positve ones! Nice job.

[@generationalmolehill7674]

always learning!

[@PistachioVentures]

Love it. I've followed Cerro Gordo since Brent bought it and glad to see you out there mining. I hope to make it there myself one day.

[@FiveStringCommando]

1:59:59 You missed out on the nails, but you also missed that old Colt 1873 SAA buried in the dirt.

[@robertbevill5085]

Hands down one of my all time Favorite videos ever. I love how you describe the geology down there and the history and explain the veins it’s so damn cool ! I swear I was a miner on my past life ! Always been so Interested In mines since going to Virginia city as a kid and going in the ponderosa mine tour probably why I’m a wellsite geologist and mudloggin engineer now . I could watch 24/7 videos I need to get my hands dirty in one !

[@brianz367]

Jason, I really enjoyed this video. The length of it was awesome. Then, there were so many good stories and varied areas to look for gold. Just really alot going on in this video. My knowledge is pretty limited here, but just from watching you and Dan in the past, these areas looked really promising. Anyway, keep up the good work my friend! I really enjoyed this video!

[@phillipblindenbach6978]

Such a satisfying sound on the rock crusher!!! I am late to the channel, but I love the maps (especially when paired with prospecti)!

[@scotthultin7769]

91 👍's up mbmllc thank you for sharing 😊

[@matthewl.5059]

I love the maps, it shows me where you are going and your plans. I can follow along with you and understand it

[@barkburton1]

This is awesome! Would love to try this someday for sure!

[@michealklonowski5267]

awesome stuff thank you for sharing the adventure and information that's what it's all about the search and research. you'll find it there somewhere.

[@IIIIlIIIll]

Oh NO! Best smelt reveal ever! Hahaha.

[@turbokadett]

Absolutely, I laughed out loud in surprise myself. The ore looked really promising but them's the breaks!

[@eyeswideopen6492]

these are brilliant to watch

[@goldfeverdude]

Good video mate, was good to watch👍👍

[@tinkering123]

Always a good show. Can't wait for summer, gotta see how your mine is doing.

[@jimgriffiths9071]

Great content. Just love your proprietary equipment. Let's go back for another try!

[@paulineriley1336]

Love this video! Soo interesting!

[@alexober]

2:08:00 don't forget the old wooden spoon over the pot trick to keep it from boiling over lol

[@johnhenry6009]

The maps are cool; appreciate you showing those with the footage of you then traveling along those map lines. Pretty sweet.

[@richardhughes3994]

loving the maps! great to see that provenance from the past

[@Rennrogue]

I love these videos! Thanks again Jason!

[@Rennrogue]

Sorry it was so small! 😔🤥

[@IberianCraftsman]

31:00 it would be cool to have a cave of that and some UV lights, imagine coating concrete walls with it... although for that glow in the dark paint might be better, but if you have it so readily available...

[@Akira_781]

Dude when you were relaying the “buckskin bag” technique the clouds behind you formed a visual halo 😇 . Thanks for a virtual lesson in geology sir. 👍

[@markpashia7067]

In all areas of science a negative result is a win. It firmly answers the question one way or the other. An inconclusive result is the bane of science. We hate "unsure" or "uncertain".

[@carroll-w7wxv]

I heard from Pauly once that a good indicator for gold is ... gold LOL.

[@danielflinn3571]

Thanks from Australia

[@ecks_marks_the_spot]

Great adventure. Thanks.

[@dalejross548]

You need Jeff Williams 🎉 I watch all your channels and impressed . I'm almost ready to retire and looking for something to do instead of just sitting on the couch

[@OCTAVIANO5]

A great video! An exploration of an old mine. Only for miners who love the hill. Metals oxidize at different times and that makes the mineralization you find seem strange and draw attention.

[@christcommanded7097]

You've gotta use the Carlin type deposit extraction I'm telling you that it's golden this mounds of it it's just so small.

[@jeremytuggle6424]

Great episode!

[@sdelling1]

Oh man! That's insane!

[@dyannejohnson6184]

Absolutely love the maps

[@glenbalk8350]

Another great video thanks for sharing your adventures! My wife and I are hoping to visit the UK from Australia, we hope to get our boots muddy one day, take care

[@frantiseklaluch6605]

That was fun to watch...

[@dwightpickens2895]

I really enjoyed this one

[@Orbacron]

15:44 Jason, he needs a ladder built right there for sure👌

[@susanturcotte3176]

I am shocked, Jason! I thought at least a larger, visible 'silvery gold' button would be in the cupel! Very interesting, but I hope Brent keeps looking. I would bet there is more silver, maybe gold, in his mine. He just has to prospect more into other places. In the original video, the ore sure had all the indicators. Thank you for sharing with us, although it was not the best news. That's how the cookie crumbles. In the meantime, I'm sending warmth and blessings from Alabama ❤️

[@aebemacgill]

Wow. Looked into a caretaker job at Cerro Gordo in '86, wound up being a single father and had to give it a pass. Had been working at Bodie, had to leave after the woman ran off screaming through the sagebrush. When the Long Valley quake went off in '86, the Lent shaft gave up a big puff of dust. Given the history of quakes on the east side of the Sierras, you guys are nuts for going down that mine. Hope you do strike it rich in there.

[@tedzehnder961]

Slicing it up like a gem stone would really make those colors pop!

[@connifilteau2678]

Great video, forever learning more. Maps are great, and maybe they moved ore in the Winter on sleigh down that pipe, ha....kind of like moving pianos over frozen lakes....you wouldn't do it in a boat in the summer ;] What an epic mine, thanks for sharing.....always wonder a bit about the red water and how small a gold particulate could actually be, as it can be in solution altogether and drops out chemically, literally yellow olive green. Maybe sreetips... Love the fun collaborations.

[@BigMac-jr4th]

Should do a video on where to find gold in all 50 states(50 videos!😁)

[@d.t.4523]

Thank you, keep working.

[@jwcinc12]

I really enjoy your adventures. Jim from Skagit County. The maps break up the content in a good way. Looking at the maps and talking about the rock types and why you think rocks and minerals will be in a spot is nice.

[@Yngvi_Barran]

I wouldnt be too sure about gold at Cerro Gordo. The newspaper article could have been placed to lure in more miners for cheap.

[@beepseatsfindingfoodtreasu8756]

You have to remember. The old timers knew the mineralization and took advantage of every seam that bore ore. So don't be surprised if the pickings are slim. They weren't there for the fun. Just look at the infrastructure that they hauled up that mountain. They made sure to get every pennies worth for their efforts.

[@rintintinification]

My God, how much manpower was put into this mine!? Unbelievable. Must have been tens of thousands of man years to tunnel all that.

[@user-me6oy4er9r]

When are you going to run stuff from your mine?

[@surfinsilver]

It's pretty interesting but half of his comments are literally just asking him to do something from a past video

[@no2thenwo737]

Yes, because we were waiting for the ore from his mine to be processed and we haven't seen it yet. People are a little disappointed. @@surfinsilver

[@leroyc179]

Jason will you ever be doing a production run of the ore you collected from your mine?

[@no2thenwo737]

We haven't forgotten. His team maybe want to keep the results to themselves, I'm guessing.

[@jimsens805]

Maps are always good!

[@dog68north36]

If you have concerns about going down 900 feet. You must have never gone down into the Homestead Mine in S.D. The main shaft bottomed out at 11,500 feet. It would take you 7 to 10 minutes a free fall to get to some of the lower workings. You would drop at approximately 750 feet per minute. It was my first mine to work in out of college.

[@matthewmartinez1091]

I've seen on one of your videos that sometimes the gold is so fine that you cannot smelt it. You have to do a chemical leech. You ever put a lighter to steel wool? Imagine micron Gold. I've used your recipe with 50/50 lye/ borax with a little silica sand but some of the gold was left in the Slag because micron gold takes a good minute to settle in water but almost impossible in glass.

[@rexfreshwater5634]

I once found a nob to a lampshade. It was a solid gold acorn.Well 14 KT... It looks brand new and I've had it as long as I can remember.

[@svenp6504]

Good lord those collapsing tunnels are scary... that would be a not-so-great way to go.

[@nativeflight7079]

So freaking cool

[@budrohammbone2806]

Jason ! Good Vid. I think You need to get a collaboration going with one of the handheld 'XRF' manufacturers................. It would have been interesting to see results for the micro-bead.

[@TheFudorin]

Damn, would love a chance to trek through any of the levels!

[@AuProspecting-Scotland]

Dan has the right idea as always lol, Jason is not so sure but Brent is through there like a rock worm 😂.

[@johnstuart8511]

Looking at the sloop area. Looks like a floor had given away. Collapsed. And has made a big hole. That's just my opinion Thanks for risking your life and making this video. Very exciting and nerve racking. Regards 🇿🇦.

[@woodwoman9130]

Fun vid thanks

[@richcollins513]

The maps are very helpful, I have all of them but they are very relative and I think you should use them often. Nice to see power ran and lights and internet and things :)

[@jaratt85]

Try using mineral spirits to wash off the mineral oil.. water and soap have a hard time with oil but mineral spirits should wash it right off. Wow.. that was smaller than a piece of bird shot.

[@nopelindoputraperkasa5869]

Nice sharing Vidio 🇮🇩❤

[@user-ih3zd6bu9z]

Вы просто большие энтузиасты!💥Вам большой Лайк!🍷🍷🍷Россия.

[@richardharris9797]

Awesome video

[@charlesritchey9866]

First time I have seen you and Dan Hurd prospect together.

[@nicholassholey9844]

That deep red is a good sign of arsenic in nature I live in Butte Montana aka the copper city and go mineral hounding when I can. I brought a good quartz sample with minerals like that to my dad that works in the mill at the stillwater and it was definitely on the arsenic sapphire side of mineralization and trace gold amounts

[@bricelamey4358]

Mr Brent needs to tie up his 608’s… Great boots those wings….. Amazing spaces you get to work in.

[@philmoore71]

i enjoyed this walking geology tour. It was surreal, when you were near the chimney top - in nowhere, and the modern plane flew over is this a compilation... i think i've seen bits of it before?

[@rikspector]

Jason. If it wasn't for you and your great mechanical and geological abilities we wouldn't be here to laugh at that tiny speck of gold or whatever it is. Thank you, Rik Spector

[@seanb3516]

That Hoist is really Spooky. The Fall Potential is unbelievable. I have had to climb very long ladders however I had FallPro on so it made it easier.

[@dougjones9750]

Fyi: mining from the top down in a underground stope to a haulage audit (purposeful collapsing above) is called blockade mining.

[@r.gillis2245]

Damn it's tough to find gold find yourself a good crop of gold sometimes you find niece Crystal vein of gold and some quarts, thanks for the entertainment I really enjoyed your show

[@jamest.5001]

33:25 ruby and Sapphire glow those colors! It would be cool to find gems in there also!