Relentless Hike To This 1870's Ghost Town (Part 2)

On this second video of this series, we head down to the ghost town and check out the remnants of the structures and mining infrastructure. The best find of the day was the 5 stamp mill which has been standing there for at least 130 years or so! We came across several cabin sites in varying condition, some with just the walls standing and some with almost the roof overhead. At the end I show the cabin we stayed at for the last night, which is very scenic and photogenic. As well as one of the mines which was associated with the site. Hope you enjoy this one!

[@blacksmithnc]

The buffalo forge was used by the blacksmiths to blow air into the coal or charcoal forge to get the fire hot. I'm sure there was a blacksmith on site to make and repair tools and also make shoes for the mules. I'm not sure how much air that would have blown into the mine but I guess it may have been used for that. The long piece you found laying next to the pick is one half of a set of blacksmiths tongs. I believe the cabin site was the home to the local blacksmith and all the steel and iron pieces were materials for him to use or re-purpose to make tools.

[@daddyphatsax304]

A lot of those tools around that forge blower appeared to be old blacksmith tools. Pretty bad ass. Thanks for sharing.

[@ShowCat1]

Thank you for no music or antics. The sound of the trek was just perfect with the great cinematography. I felt like I was there with you. So rare to get videos of this quality. Enjoyed every minute.

[@DowntownJulieB]

I agree so nice with out the annoyingly over played music. It's most often over done by everyone.

[@adventureor7621]

Nice to see a younger person with this passion and interest in the past and documenting what remains. These places will be completely lost in the future so documenting is important work - thanks so much for great videos and your work.

[@rickobrien4025]

As remote as this particular spot is , I think it's safe to say , it'll be around a lot longer than most . Too hot to go in summer (can't carry enough water) and too cold to go in the winter .

[@teresaames7902]

@@rickobrien4025it’s time and Mother Nature that effects the old artifacts and buildings people at times in the city

[@peteblum2143]

😎 GREAT JOB!!!!! From a 73 year old semi retired explorer!!! Thanks a lot 👍

[@CarswithNash]

Very brave to sit in that Outhouse, but now you can probably say you're the last person to ever sit in it! That cabin is really cool and I bet it was probably being kept up by somebody until 10 or 20 years ago, probably some people have a lot of special memories there and they just got too old to hike in there anymore. Excellent video!👍

[@leighsayers2628]

Amazing to think all that stuff was hauled up there ..tough men and animals back then ..poor mules and horses ..tough life ...great vision From Australia

[@BruceMBeals]

I have backpacked into this canyon twice from the New York Butte side. You missed the old cyanide vats and the tram bucket still on the tram cable at the tram terminus in the canyon.

[@Askjeffwilliams]

that metal mesh is an old bed spring the " Old Timers " would sleep on ..... really cool arial tram towers .... beautiful 5 stamp battery mill .... most mortar boxes are secured on concrete foundations this one has a wooden one with anchors ...really cool.... if you can get into the box there could be Gold in there to clean out ....steam engine would power the stamp mill.... the holes in the boiler are called flue tubes where the hot gases and air would be drawn through to heat the water in the tank before leaving out the front and up the stack. That is a very beautiful Cabin .... the forge blower was used on a forge to blow air into the forge to make the charcoal burn hotter ...like blowing on a campfire so the blacksmith could heat the iron red hot to make it workable ....like sharpening drill steel or making horse shoes.... the tall bar with square hole is for a tap and die set ...I saw an old Gold Pan in the blocked window... beautiful crystal formation on good looking ore.... the piece next to the miners pick is part of a blacksmith tongs.....sulfides in quartz ..... iron oxides and black manganese oxides ...definitely Gold in there ...really cool explore my brother. Keep'em coming

[@charlesdeilke8364]

To the south up and over ridge from the stamp mill there are more mines and another intact cabin. Hell of a hike.

[@Freedomquest08]

Seems like there would also be a larger mine very close to where this prospect is. The waste rock pile appears to be much bigger and has more color than the adit he explored.

[@Lemonarmpits]

I'm 55 and disabled it is nice to go into the mountains again thank you..

[@ervinslens]

Absolutely gorgeous cinematography my friend! This place is amazing and you presented it masterfully! Bravo 👏👏

[@deepwoodguy2]

at 17:59 you were sitting in the "best seat in the house".....to quote a toilet seat company from Palmer, Mass.....it was their slogan in bright neon lights to see as you drove by...a big white toilet seat in neon above the slogan.....good memories...........👍👍

[@mobiltec]

Wild Bill from Trona is a good friend of mine. Yep you will see his name all over the place in Panamint and Death valleys. He grew up and worked in Trona and owns a piece of the Argus Range. He was present when the Manson raid happened at Barkers Ranch. That man is a walking history book. When he's at his place in the Argus range he monitors 146.520 on two meters if you are a licensed ham.

[@user-ri2kc7pe3w]

I saw his name written on a timber in the San Lucas Mine near Cerro Gordo too!

[@mobiltec]

@@user-ri2kc7pe3w I show it in photos and on video on an Ore Bin at a small mine in the Argus Range and a few other places.

[@user-ri2kc7pe3w]

@@mobiltec That's interesting. I did explore the Minietta Mine recently, which was in that range

[@mobiltec]

@@user-ri2kc7pe3w That's a fun place to explore. Did you go up to the mines up high?

[@user-ri2kc7pe3w]

@@mobiltec Yeah, we did. We explored an inclined shaft below that head frame with some nice drifts, and found some 1930s/40s newspaper and a DuPont label.

[@rs2143]

That was an old bed spring not a classifier . Nice video .Thanks I allways enjoy your videos even if your to young to know what some of the old things are . But your young with energy to do the hiking . Thanks again.

[@RickNelsonMn]

Wow, that view from 1:06 🤩 Incredible resolution at 1080p!

[@drewconrad7093]

Amazing that a fire did not destroy the stamp mill in all those years. I think the blower might have been for a forge. The piece next to the pick looks like one half of blacksmiths tongs.

[@steven9541]

For sure, your right

[@user-ru1vo2mu7b]

I believe the blower is for a forge also

[@anthonycolbourne4206]

What amazes me is how in the world they were able to transport those extremely heavy/awkward pieces of equipment way up there... no expense was spared in any way that's for sure. Of all the places you've been, this one especially reminds me of the movie The Treasure of the Sierra Madre

[@nilo70]

We Don’t Need No Stinking Badges !

[@paulcooper7946]

My favorite movie of all time

[@realtree297]

The cable alone for the tramway must have been a bitch to get up there. I’ve got a 45’ 5/8 strap that weighs probably 75-100 lbs, they hauled hundreds and hundreds of feet up there

[@edwardaustin740]

I'm all about the history but those views are breathtaking.

[@bluwtrgypsy]

Great adventure and interesting finds. Trenton Iron Co, was in Trenton, NJ. Thanks for another great video.

[@boblister665]

The round piece at 24:50 is a clutch dog. There would be an identical piece the would interlock to engage a shaft or disengage. Imagine lugging all the parts up into the mountains

[@OldGeezerstoolbox]

21:14 the long thing with the square center is a die holder which uses square threading dies, usually for cutting pipe threads in that style. A blacksmith was important because picks, drills, and other tools require sharpening nearly daily--and often a new hard point is forge-welded on. In England in that era, the Miner had to pay to re-point and repair his tools, not the mine owner--so you were careful with them. Miner's pick will usually have the point on only one side like the example shown at 37:25. It is not that the other pick end broke off. Having a point on only one side allows work in tighter areas and without your back swing being dangerous to other people and things. Often there won't even be a stud remaining opposite the pointy end (that can be used as a hammer). Crystals as shown can be cleaned of the iron stains using oxalic acid, which is easily obtainable and cheap. Takes a long soak.

[@deepbludude4697]

Dang man your making me miss my youth, I used to explore those kinda areas just so cool thanks for taking us along!

[@SagebrushRebel]

You remind me of my younger years when I could hike like a mountain goat. Now I'm too old for that. Loved exploring this historic area vicariously with you. Keep on doing this!

[@retydeere1111]

27:00 the blower would have been connected to a wooden frame table with coal in the center. The set up would be for blacksmithing. We have one of the same in our family heritage collection.

[@1961Duane314]

The blower was not for mine ventilation it is for a blacksmith forge to pump air into the coals and increase heat. We had one on the farm years ago. Awesome hike in, very tough.

[@rickobrien4025]

I had to chuckle when he said that...

[@bigkings.8804]

I enjoyed your video very much. I definitely added myself to your following. Look forward to more adventures with you. Thank you.

[@L4M858]

Yep, pretty cool area and that hike getting in, wow!

[@richardplunk3910]

thanks for the hike 👍🍺

[@richardbeee]

Awesome place.

[@anthonycolbourne4206]

24:49 Some sort of shaft coupling, like a very crude clutch to engage/disengage the engine 26:37 I would say that is a fan (ie bellows) for a blacksmith's forge, and with all the odds and ends around, that was likely the shop/forge cabin 37:15 Half of a pair of blacksmith tongs... like a very extended pair of pliers

[@MichalOlender]

Those views! Great job guys!

[@wreckclues]

Horizontal Firetube boiler and the tank atop is the steam dome where the safety valve and the main steam pipe would have been attached.

[@kevinbrennan2004]

Now, that's what i like to see. So much history, artifacts, cool hike etc.

[@mikebrown0262]

that's an excellent site, glad you made it in there!!. Thanks for sharing.

[@jeremydiamond8824]

Your awesome keep up the great adventures love the vlogs and mines 😎👍🏻🇺🇸🦅

[@patchmack4469]

wow your spot on - relentless definitely! almost an understatement - these mountains are ridiculous, steep, so rocky in all sizes, damn right dangerous, and very easy to slip on and bust an ankle, let alone the possibility i guess of the unwelcome surprise in the shape of a hissing snake of two - it's proper goat country, about the only thing (and the snakes) that live there - but still amazing to see the odd spot of human activity from the past incredible to see such things last so long from an age when things were build to size and riveted together, no welding, anything like this in the UK would have either rusted to nothing or been eaten by critters, when you say how old stuff is, the timber looks brand new, like its just been put there amazing place to get to - if you have goat legs and can get there - keeps you fit though

[@dayhikedave]

Awesome as always. Thanks for sharing. Be safe. 👍🙂🙏🥾🥾🥾🥾

[@jonsymmonds1120]

Beautiful! Thank you for taking me to place I will likely never see first hand!

[@BurgundyKRO]

Dude! That outhouse is sketchy! Literally shitting on the edge ;)

[@DeAnn909]

Lol..imagine having to use it in the middle of the night. Did the crap just go into the canyon?🤔

[@johndemeen5575]

That’s not like walking on a sidewalk in St. Paul,Minnesota. Million thanks. From St.Paul,Minnesota.

[@citizen4power]

Awesome video, thanks for sharing!

[@stephenmiller5023]

Makes me wanna have a cold “ Beverage “…..😏. That’s a grueling hike to that town , I recognized the place from the one seater outhouse …. Looks WAAAY overgrown now from brush from when I last saw it . Pretty cool video here , and ask Johnny if he’s in anyway related to Lucy Garcia , the Bar maid who used to work in the bar on west side of Highway 395 in Lone pine . I remember her saying she had a couple of sons , and was just curious. Thanks,& stay safe guys 😎👍

[@monicarust2383]

So cool!❤

[@Donaldperson7]

I would take the pick and buy a new handle!

[@gracepeterson7483]

Fascinating.

[@boblister665]

I think the hand crank blower was used to heat a blacksmith forge,

[@MeagainIA2011]

Good Lord, I'd be at the bottom of the canyon in a blink of an eye! No wonder this is an 1870's ghost town!

[@gonsolop2429]

36: 37 copper will be blue to light green & bluish green, as it will certainly have aged & oxidized by now.

[@TomandJulieMineExploring]

Great job on the video, Jerith and Johnny. Nice accomplishment for you both to get up to those remote areas.👌👍

[@gonsolop2429]

21: 16 Big slab above fireplace is a Mantle. Most home owners everywhere else had a wooden mantle. Good observation.❤

[@user-yo9yg8jl6b]

Just came across both videos of this adventure. My Dad moved our family to Nome, Alaska and when all of us kids would become too much my ,at the time had been Chief of Police, he would take me my two brothers and two sisters and our mom all out to go hunt wild blue berries and explore the old mine dredges and cabins. Pretty cool stuff. Thank you for sharing this and bringing back some childhood memories. Stay safe and keep bringing the Cool finds and adventures

[@CricketGirrl]

I'm so jealous! Such an incredible place. Thanks for the video!

[@ArdcoreGaming]

I would love to go on a hike with you and your friends some time. My wife and I love exploring old areas, especially when it comes to mining.

[@user-RustyBill]

Great job of documenting all the old rusty stuff. you didn’t spill the beans on the name of the town.

[@Johnketes54]

Wouldn't be so "nasty" if it was wet and windy outside unless it'll be "cosy" in your tent

[@scottrobertson5639]

Imagine the sight,sound and smell of that thing banging away! Somebodies hopes and dreams right there

[@pariariver302]

We appreciate your dedication and efforts very much. A big thanks to you guys.

[@TnTMyers2010]

What an incredible journey Jerith and Johnny. Kudo's to both of you. Thank you for sharing such a grand history with the rest of us. And, yes, the 5 stamp mill was unbelievable! ♥

[@brodiemyers3987]

Rusty iron sometimes looks like good targets metal detecting. Anytime you see horseshoes or axe heads conveniently on the trail someone probably dug them up and set them aside.

[@redlight722]

26:46 the Buffalo Forge hand crank fan, is for a blacksmith forge. It’s too small to provide air into the mine. The blacksmith would only crank on it a short time to get his fire hot.

[@steven9541]

Great video, was it cold when you were hiking? I was worried about snakes. Then you went into that cave and I was worried about bears, mountain lions and snakes., same with the cabin...love the beauty and awesomeness of it all❤

[@MrBlue024]

dam son; so totally amazing how well that stuff preserves in the desert. I appreciate all the effort, preparedness and knowledge; looks like a lot of fun.

[@jakeforrest]

Too bad the cabin was too nasty to sleep in, it did look cosy from the outside though. Your friend did not appear to have slept well during the night 😏 Hopefully somebody with craftsman’s skills will visit the cabin occasionally, as the windows could need some fixing. Besides that, it appears as if someone has maintained the cabin during the years. Interesting trip 👍🥰

[@rickobrien4025]

The BLM makes frequent trips to assure it's not destroyed . Didn't you see the bright yellow sign ?

[@jakeforrest]

Who knows how old that yellow sign is? One day it will be stolen, because it has become an antique 😏

[@rickobrien4025]

@@jakeforrest I think that anyone that has the mettle (balls) to make the arduous trek to the most isolated mining site in the state won't be stealing anything .

[@jakeforrest]

@@rickobrien4025 That is also the reason that the most intact cabins always seem to be far far away from everything.

[@Cnsalmoni]

So cool, I had to look up what a stamp mill did. Found an awesome video of the Cossak Twenty Stamp Mill demo . How brutal it was to bring that up the mountain and keep all the parts in working order.

[@vincenthackett7771]

That blower is for a blacksmith forge

[@jimpantle3780]

What you were calling a steam engine looks more like a large hit and miss engine they were very common back then.

[@jjsvtown1]

I can’t believe you didn’t go in any of those mines. If that much artifacts were still out in the open I imagine there would probably be more in the mines.

[@user-qf1it8jc9y]

Another great video! Not the ghost town I was thinking of, but I do know of. Heck of a hike into and out of that little town for sure, hard to imagine all the work involved getting the heavy equipment up there back in the day! Keep up the great work.

[@gonsolop2429]

39: 45 yes, pyrite. Excellent example & all still intact in the wall. Good observation.

[@patruddiman4228]

The blower is to feed air into a forge

[@chirelle.alanalooney8609]

Man, I have Never seen a Cast Iron Skillet ever get that destroyed before. That is incredibe.

[@drakeybryter5997]

34:08 - seriously, that cabin - with it's mold and packets and mice gives you the exact taste what living there was like - I love old bothys/cabins/gites/refuges in the wilds - so very interesting.

[@brockshields9336]

Excellent exploration! Loved the mill and cabin. I bet the spring right next to the cabin was really appreciated back in the day and still sweet to drink from. The mine though small was filled with beautiful colors. I would've been sorely tempted to take the pickaxe just outside to some of the formations and it would've been fun to gather up some of the pyrite granules. But then it wouldn't be there for the next explorer to see. Picking up souvenirs outside amongst the tailings is considered acceptable.

[@iainpaton1865]

Second time watching your videos and I subscribed your videos are very interesting please keep the great videos coming friend from Scotland and happy new year friend 🎉🎉🎉

[@rapson672]

At 28.00 the base of bottle is a Warners safe kidney cure bottle from N.Y.

[@thevintageaudiolife]

That's amazing, i will do a hike like whit with the family soon! thanks for posting!

[@user-tn7hc4ww3j]

That looked like silver ore in that last mine you entered.

[@nancyhansen1634]

well done

[@dougatdesertdemongarage7777]

The blower is for a forge that's probably where they made their tools had nothing to do with blowing air into the mine 777 And you got that right but it was the blacksmith shop

[@patruddiman4228]

Pipe vise in the cabin

[@bobwestinicky8447]

Good stuff. Thanks!

[@gonsolop2429]

Cool tram towers! I need to move some old metal around on my property. Host, can you please provide a rough schematic of these tram towers, building materials, & what was usdd to power it?

[@cWatts-zv3oo]

Bravo! Well done! Thanks for taking us along. What a treasure!

[@koningbolo4700]

37:20 That is a half of a set of forging tongs. As in at one time a smith dude would hold a workpiece with that set of pliers and to put it into the forge to heat up...

[@stevehandy-ck2vd]

Nice vid guys. I liked the still shots added. It would be a good idea to bring a gold metal detector to this place. And take a few samples from that mine.

[@stuartclark7766]

Now that cabin is cool as hell. I appreciate y'all sharing this video with us.

[@shirleyrichards2514]

Thank you for sharing your video. Wow what a hike. Wow so awesome. ❤😊

[@zerofox7347]

I’d love to have seen these back in the day when they were new. I wonder if it was a decent home……

[@kansas_off_grid]

History at its finest. Wow what a site. thx for sharing, specially for ppl who cant hike or see this in person. Just an awesome find. Keep on doing what you do.

[@cobbleup]

Thanks for sharing this 👍. My guess is that all that machinery was brought in piece by piece and assembled on site. That generation was certainly an amazing bunch. 👍

[@John-tu5vh]

Very nice video ❤thanks for sharing

[@davidtettleton2732]

They run the stamp mill in mariposa now and then like 4th of july. Great to see isolated up there....kinda concerned about thecwater and mercury contamination. I used to go to a working mine in southern , quartz...not old like this ...more luke 30s to 60s....but of the same cloth

[@chrisk28]

Amazing scenery, wow. You guys are awesome. These videos are really interesting and educational. Keep up the great work!

[@donnahouser3142]

Awesome find!

[@youaregodspursuit]

As others have mentioned the blower is for a forge ... using added air allowed the heat of the coal fire to increase a huge amount. Therefore any metal that needed to be worked for tools could be malleable and hammered more easily into shape like a stiff clay. Smaller ones were used as portable blowers ... air into the mine if needed would have to be forced by a larger device resembling a fan with a ducting or pipe to get air further into hole/tunnel. Great work kids. Considering the age of the last stone building it should be "Nasty" and yet is is very intact. Plug some gaps, cover the windows and you could spend the winter. The vice there is to hold pipe so that the ends could be threaded. The long piece that you found next to the pick at the rock pile is 1/2 of a blacksmiths set of tongs to hold metal he worked. The handle needed to be long to allow holding red hot metal and to create enough force to hold heavy pieces firmly. The other half is shaped in the reverse of what you held, thereby creating pincers. The drift you went into was exploratory. There are surely dozens of those in the area.

[@toddrodgers5108]

Bad ass tour thank you. Blessings

[@user-eo1os8gy7u]

Thanks I really enjoyed the out door people like you

[@ohya2759]

I watched this twice because I forgot I watched it last night lol. Great video bro

[@pamgrillo3084]

Very cool. I love the old steam engine. You scared me walking into a rocky brush. Snakes

[@Mike-yu4pq]

That was a lot of fun thanks 👍