"would you go down an old mine, cave or drain pipe"

[PBK]

Re: "would you go down an old mine, cave or drain pipe"

I did a fair amount of caving in years past— mostly crawls, not vertical— back in the Arkansas Ozarks. It's easy to get lost or disoriented unless you pay close attention, and of course there are all sorts of potential problems: falls, entrapment, sudden flooding, and (near the entrance) copperheads and rattlesnakes. (The threat of rabid bats is overstated, although it shouldn't be ignored.) I love caves and have explored my share, but I also have a healthy respect for them. If you go alone or unprepared, or don't stay totally focused, things can go wrong in a hurry. For the most part, I'd recommend staying out of old mines, as they're often very unstable, and some have pockets of lethal gases as well.

 

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[slowreaper]

Re: "would you go down an old mine, cave or drain pipe"

Just wanted to clairify my previous post a little, I have confined space training and worked mines, mines are dangerous and I do take chances I know better then. Anyway, in thinking about this thread it did bring up something that has been over looked and is a real danger in old mines.

A lot of the old mines have been wild catted, meaning support has been cut out to get the mineral that the mines originally left to keep the whole thing from caving in. If you do not know about mining and tech of mining, that nice sample you hammer out of the wall could get you under a bunch of rock in a hurry.

Simple fact is that people are going to go in, are going to get hurt and are going to die. So, if you can't stay out of them at least learn some things to minimize your chance of pain.


Brad

 

[djui5]

Re: "would you go down an old mine, cave or drain pipe"

In a "Heartbeat"

MB

Me too climb in old mines all the time. I know it's dangerous, so I'm careful, and admit to myself that I'm taking the risk.

 

[OldBillinUT]

Re: "would you go down an old mine, cave or drain pipe"

For me the corrugated steel large diameter pipe makes a big sluice. A bad place to be in wet weather though. I agree with the others about the many lethal hazards. Sometimes dumb stuff can trip you up. I had not secured my eyeglasses and watched them fall off my sweatin face and go bouncing down the cliff face I was climbing down below a cave. That was fun and became even more so when a group of people began target shooting off a ways and I was downrange but up out of sight I guess. I heard a sound like a yardstick hit hard on a table and wanted outta there.

 

[gollum]

Re: "would you go down an old mine, cave or drain pipe"

Just in one two weeks ago. Never been hurt or scared. Nervous yes.

Best,

Mike

 

[EDDE]

Re: "would you go down an old mine, cave or drain pipe"

dont forget histoplasmosis or hanta virus

 

[DANGLANGLEY]

Re: "would you go down an old mine, cave or drain pipe"

I have been about a half mile into a cave that I don't want to name because I still want to metal detect it. One place you have to lay down in water and slide through a small opening. It gets bigger after that. Back in the 70's I found some nice mussel shell Indian beads on a ledge not too far back in there. I found a few very nice arrowheads in there also. I have only seen one cave that I didn't go in and it was because I didn't have the right equipment to do it safely. Some kids had to be rescued from that cave because they went in not knowing what they were getting into and it was too muddy for them to get back out wearing their tennis shoes. I have been in plenty of caves but not in the last several years. Never go in alone and never without letting someone else know where you are going just in case you don't make it out.