What Could be Found in This Abandoned Gold Mine We Stumbled Upon?

[russian_bot]

Hello, all. I live in Georgia near Dahlonega (home of the first US Gold Rush and former site of a US Mint).

A friend of mine and I were recently out in the woods up on a very steep mountain metal detecting around what he said used to be an old gold mine. There are no entrances or exits to this mine on the mountain. I guess they all caved-in many years ago. Anyway, we were up near the top of the mountain where the slope was pretty extreme and noticed a place where some dirt had collapsed off the slope. My friend took his small army surplus folding shovel and started poking around and a hole appeared. He was able to move enough dirt that he exposed a small tunnel leading to an old mine shaft:



This is what the hole looked like after we crawled down inside leading to the mine shaft:



Here are some pics of the mine shaft once we got inside:





Close up of some of the timbers and roof:







Some pick marks:



Cave-in we had to crawl over:







Anyway, we didn't stay down there too awful long because it had been raining the previous days and I was freaking out about being buried alive in a cave-in under there and my body never being found since we hadn't told anyone we would be in some abandoned mine that day. Now that we have gotten out in one piece we are thinking about going back and looking for some stuff, but I'm not sure if it would even be worth it. The most we would probably get MIGHT be some rusty old tools.

What sayeth the Treasure Net? Should we go back? What should we look for if we do?

Thanks for any advice!

 

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[Toecutter]

You say pry worthless and burred alive and wonder if its worth going back.....pretty sure you answered your own question.

 

[mh9162013]

My ultimate fantasy adventure! Oh so dangerous though, even if you prepare and distribute a flight plan.

If you get a rush on living dangerously (both legally and physically), then go back! But if you just want to find interesting stuff, then I say it's not worth it. I wouldn't be surprised if you could find some gold nuggets with the appropriate metal detector. Maybe search outside the mine for some gold nuggets or flakes? Don't know if that would be legal, though.

 

[CoinHunterAZ]

You never know what you might find in there. I have some very old dynamite boxes that I found in a mineshaft in Central AZ. Thanks for sharing the pictures, the "timbering" is very cool. You should do a video of your next exploration...I've love to see it.

 

[weekender]

Hello, all. I live in Georgia near Dahlonega (home of the first US Gold Rush and former site of a US Mint).

A friend of mine and I were recently out in the woods up on a very steep mountain metal detecting around what he said used to be an old gold mine. There are no entrances or exits to this mine on the mountain. I guess they all caved-in many years ago. Anyway, we were up near the top of the mountain where the slope was pretty extreme and noticed a place where some dirt had collapsed off the slope. My friend took his small army surplus folding shovel and started poking around and a hole appeared. He was able to move enough dirt that he exposed a small tunnel leading to an old mine shaft:

View attachment 1704730

This is what the hole looked like after we crawled down inside leading to the mine shaft:

View attachment 1704731

Here are some pics of the mine shaft once we got inside:

View attachment 1704732

View attachment 1704733

Close up of some of the timbers and roof:

View attachment 1704734

View attachment 1704736

View attachment 1704737

Some pick marks:

View attachment 1704739

Cave-in we had to crawl over:

View attachment 1704741

View attachment 1704742

View attachment 1704743

Anyway, we didn't stay down there too awful long because it had been raining the previous days and I was freaking out about being buried alive in a cave-in under there and my body never being found since we hadn't told anyone we would be in some abandoned mine that day. Now that we have gotten out in one piece we are thinking about going back and looking for some stuff, but I'm not sure if it would even be worth it. The most we would probably get MIGHT be some rusty old tools.

What sayeth the Treasure Net? Should we go back? What should we look for if we do?

Thanks for any advice!

Nice job on the pics!

If you go back, you might consider some oxygen
or mask, caving is exciting, but if you hit a pocket
of bad air, it could be dangerous or fatal for both of you.
Keep us informed if you go back and be safe!
-Weekender

 

[BillA]

go back? hard to say
can you determine what was the extracted ore? samples?
if the vein can be determined, try a detector

the timbering looks (?) kinda ok, ??
there is another thread on "most scared" and I came up with nothing, this thread caused me to remember going through mines in CO - alone in the '70s and '80s
every single moment I was deathly afraid, I held a iron grip on my thoughts and actions -> never again
do be prudent

Bill

 

[mrwilburino]

WOW, that looks dangerous!

 

[RustyRelics]

Abandoned mine = old bottles nearby.

 

[huntsman53]

Considering the cave-ins you showed and some pics of rotted timbers, I would say stay out of the mine to live another day. It just appears too dangerous! Besides, the miners either followed the pay streak in the Gold Mine and abandoned it when it ran out or they abandoned it due to cave-ins. Make sure to cover the entrance hole well with plenty of large rocks or boulders and dirt so no one will step into or crawl into it and get hurt or worse.

 

[cyzak]

I will give you some advice a mine that has been sealed up is very dangerous if there is water in there it is real dangerous. You need to have an O2 sniffer right off the bat if you can not feel any air movement not good at all do not go in. I know you have already been in there and its tempting, believe me but its not worth it being that it was closed up they are super dangerous there is a gas called black damp and you can walk right thru it and be ok come back and you have kicked it up you will be dead.Also you see those big planks that are on top of the sets they are holding up the back and they are rotted way to dangerous for any body one wrong move and it is a death trap.

 

[smokeythecat]

It’s a death trap. Try re working tailing piles and detecting nearby and going thru any waterways nearby.

 

[russian_bot]

Well, it sounds pretty dangerous. Guess I'll leave it be. And yes - there is water in there. You can see in the pics some puddles reflecting the light from the flashlights in a couple of the pics. I was hoping that maybe we could find The Ark of The Covenant or Jimmy Hoffa down there.

 

[xr7ator]

My dad loved to go into old mines when he was a young man. About 65 years ago he went into one and didn't have good light and was told by others there was a drop off in it. So, he left with the intent to come another day with better flashlite. He came back the very next weekend with good light and started on in. He didn't get as far as he got the last time due to complete collapse. He never went into another.
About 25 years ago he was living in the same area and showed us some of the spots. There was an entrance that just begged me to go in it but it was scary with the old timber and water. I didn't go in and last time I went by 20 years ago the entrance had collapsed.
You have big balls. I'm staying out.

 

[CoinHunterAZ]

I was bowhunting for Javelina in the Bradshaw mountains here in central AZ. I shot one, and he ran into a mineshaft. One of the scariest things I have ever done was going in after him. All I had was a small LED flashlight that clips onto the brim of a hat. If it happened again now, I'd probably just leave the darn thing in there. Not the smartest thing I have ever done, but I did recover him. Going into caves and mineshafts is dangerous business for sure.

 

[TooManyHobbies]

Very tempting I'm sure, but even if you are willing to risk your life, remember the lives that could also be lost of those that go in to save/recover your butt. I think you tested fate enough.

 

[mh9162013]

Very tempting I'm sure, but even if you are willing to risk your life, remember the lives that could also be lost of those that go in to save/recover your butt. I think you tested fate enough.

Great point!

 

[russian_bot]

there is another thread on "most scared" and I came up with nothing

Bill

Does this thread belong in the "Most Scared" section? I'm kinda new here.

What I thought was really strange about the whole deal was that this shaft was located waaaaay up near the top of the mountain. I say "mountain" but it was probably more like a really big, steep hill/part of a ridge line. I always just figured that mine shafts like this would be down deep inside the mountain or even underneath it for some reason. Not sure what led me to think that way about mines, but obviously I was mistaken.

 

[BillA]

on a ridgeline suggests an outcrop, which the miners simply followed down (later would come the horizontal drift, etc.)
I had no accidents, but neither enjoyable memories

Bill

 

[huntsman53]

Does this thread belong in the "Most Scared" section? I'm kinda new here.

What I thought was really strange about the whole deal was that this shaft was located waaaaay up near the top of the mountain. I say "mountain" but it was probably more like a really big, steep hill/part of a ridge line. I always just figured that mine shafts like this would be down deep inside the mountain or even underneath it for some reason. Not sure what led me to think that way about mines, but obviously I was mistaken.

Being way up on the mountain, it could have been as BillA stated or it was possibly a air/vent shaft. The main shaft entrance/entrances, may be further down the mountain but also covered over and hidden. Look for tailing piles further down the sides of the ridge and the entrance/entrances should be nearby. As smokeythecat suggested, locate the tailing piles and metal detect them as well as crush and pan the material.

 

[A2coins]

I can think of lots of cool stuff theres no way on earth I could not go in there no way.....Idbe 3 miles in in the first day lol