Have the Youtube Video's Caused More Problems?

[Nitric]

I've been watching any of the youtube video's I can find on old mines and the guys that explore them.

After thinking about it I was curious if this is causing any more problems on Claims or owned land? Or not really?

I'm seeing the insides of shacks,sheds, mines, etc.... Some of it really doesn't appear to be "abandoned" or makes me question it. I have to admit I love watching them but I find it hard to believe some of those items are abandoned. I'm seeing some cool stuff that doesn't look like it would stay there very long if it truly was. I don't care how remote, 20 years ago I would have worked for days or months to bring some of that equipment out of areas just for the history and .....it's just cool!!! Would probably still do it today if I lived closer!! And I'm not really sure about laws on all of that. It is a shame to see it turn back to earth though.


I was just curious if these types of exploration type video's are causing any problems out there?

 

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[Nitric]

One of the video's I just watched showed a mill(?)..Power tools laying around, hand tools, ear protection, and whatever else. It was loaded with cool stuff and equipment. I really fail to see that was "abandoned" Heck the wiring, motors, scrap balls for the ball crusher and everything else around had to have some value. Not to mention the good motors and usable equipment, which looked like quite a bit!!

That was one video that started to make me wonder......Are some of these guys getting permission? Trespassing ? Just wandering around looking at every ones stuff?

Closed or non working right now. Would make more sense, but abandoned? I really doubt it. Someone owns that stuff and now that these video's come out I wonder how much starts going missing.

Ohh and I'm not really trying to trash the makers of the video's. I have no clue, maybe it is like that.. And I do love to see all of this kind of stuff.. Just kind of made me wonder.

 

[63bkpkr]

Hi Nitric, I do not know if they are causing problems though I suppose it depends on just 'how abandoned" they are. Laws: If the equipment is in a national forest then the Antiquities Act of a few years ago says "Do Not Disturb" or leave it where you find it.

However, back in the 70's (that's 1970's as I'm not quite that old only older) THE USFS started DESTROYING (like it no longer exists, leaving hardly a trace) old mining buildings - many that were quite stable so they could be safely used to keep out of the weather or for emergencies. Like a two story structure that was just fine and would even keep out bears at least for a little while. This included a totally sound, cemented river rock Stove with old cast iron stove inserts (it was really cool!). They also removed (that is to say TOOK) equipment from mining camps, umm for USFS Displays! THEN the act was instituted.

I suspect the USFS still performs snatch & grab outings with choppers to get/do what they want.

The picture here shows a drilling machine at an old hardrock mine, its still there though at one point it was gone and then was returned?? Items like this as well as old mine buildings and such ARE fun to look at as well as to wonder what it took the "OLD TIMERS" to bring this equipment in, like WOW!

....................63bkpkr

One year, down on the river in a huge pileup of rocks (10' tall and and 20' wide and longer) I noticed a set of boulder tongs (a triplet hooked to a center ring). They were 1" thick, 2 to 3" wide and long and Heavy. Just to lift the set would take some burly dudes to move it. Lift the boulder, move it over, put it down, work the gravel where it was at then next year move it back and repeat.

 

[Nitric]

Hi Nitric, I do not know if they are causing problems though I suppose it depends on just 'how abandoned" they are. Laws: If the equipment is in a national forest then the Antiquities Act of a few years ago says "Do Not Disturb" or leave it where you find it.

However, back in the 70's (that's 1970's as I'm not quite that old only older) THE USFS started DESTROYING (like it no longer exists, leaving hardly a trace) old mining buildings - many that were quite stable so they could be safely used to keep out of the weather or for emergencies. Like a two story structure that was just fine and would even keep out bears at least for a little while. This included a totally sound, cemented river rock Stove with old cast iron stove inserts (it was really cool!). They also removed (that is to say TOOK) equipment from mining camps, umm for USFS Displays! THEN the act was instituted.

I suspect the USFS still performs snatch & grab outings with choppers to get/do what they want.

The picture here shows a drilling machine at an old hardrock mine, its still there though at one point it was gone and then was returned?? Items like this as well as old mine buildings and such ARE fun to look at as well as to wonder what it took the "OLD TIMERS" to bring this equipment in, like WOW!

View attachment 1628035 View attachment 1628037 ....................63bkpkr

One year, down on the river in a huge pileup of rocks (10' tall and and 20' wide and longer) I noticed a set of boulder tongs (a triplet hooked to a center ring). They were 1" thick, 2 to 3" wide and long and Heavy. Just to lift the set would take some burly dudes to move it. Lift the boulder, move it over, put it down, work the gravel where it was at then next year move it back and repeat.

That stinks that some of it can't be saved by someone. I've seen some really cool stuff in these video's. And like you mentioned...It's amazing that they were even able to get it up in some of those places!!!

I saw an old track hoe or bucket sitting in the middle of no where in one video. I know it's not worth much but it was converted from coal to diesel or gas engine. I thought heck my friends and I would have fixed and drove it out 20 years ago, just for the challenge! haha It looked pretty complete, even had the cables still.

A shame to see all of that stuff turn to rust and decay. A lot of cool stuff out there that won't last forever.

 

[Gambrinus]

63bkpkr.
On your second pic in the background is a blacksmith forge.

 

[63bkpkr]

Hi Gambrinus,
Yup sure is, I was wondering if anyone would pick out those forges. The trail, behind all that iron, went to a cabin structure of course the mountain side had to be flattened first. The hardrock mine is behind the pile of iron and Down the cliff edge, a roughly 8' diameter round hole that goes in a 100' or so and stops. There are narrow gauge tracks with a mine car in there.

To the right of the mine tunnel is a not very wide but high canyon wall that water runs through. At one time the gold vein must have gone across the exit portal that the water flowed through and eventually the water and rocks and likely a few earthquakes caused that area to collapse into the small stream bed.

It took a long time for the gold to reach the main river but eventually it did, roughly a two mile trip down the mountain and out across the porous main river floodstage side bar. Once the miners got in there one or more of them followed that gold back up the creek to the vein, filed a claim, likely worked it some and probably sold it to a conglomerate company that had the funds to bring all the equipment necessary to dig the tunnel till the vein quickly ran out.

The hill above the tunnel looks like a serious woodpecker (rock pecker in this case) went all over that hill looking for the rest of the vein, if it exists. The picture here is looking up into the side canyon that cut through the gold vein, when I took the picture I was likely where the gold vein used to be. The trail into this place was sealed up by all sorts of heavy duty tough bushes, trees, limbs - all the stuff Ma Nature typically grows in any type of country. Took me two years to finally cut my way through but it is still one mean long hike into this place. Oh and Ma Nature is reclaiming it!

The mine opening is just to the left of the picture..................63bkpkr

 

[Bonaro]

When you go into the back country and find an old mine site there may be all manner of tools and equipment lying about and it all looks really cool. Take for instance that blacksmith forge in a previous pic. You and your buddies might spend the weekend dragging it out so your wife can plant flowers in it. It makes fine yard art for you alone to appreciate. A few years down the road your landscape plans change or maybe you move/divorce/die and the forge is in the way. Off to the scrap yard it goes or maybe you get $50 for it at a yard sale.
The point is, when you raid an old mine site for its goodies you steal it from everyone who would discover it and enjoy it. Once you take it home it never lasts as long as it would if you left it alone.

 

[Gambrinus]

I don't think the videos are bad as long as the people making the video aren't packing off the stuff, but it would be a good idea if they didn't give out the location of the sites.

I am guilty of almost packing off some tools from an old run down shack when I was a kid, but I am glad that I asked an old timer about taking the stuff and he told me that it is not uncommon for miners to leave their equipment for a few years. About two years later I saw the miners back at the shack working. It was a good lesson learned.

 

[Nitric]

When you go into the back country and find an old mine site there may be all manner of tools and equipment lying about and it all looks really cool. Take for instance that blacksmith forge in a previous pic. You and your buddies might spend the weekend dragging it out so your wife can plant flowers in it. It makes fine yard art for you alone to appreciate. A few years down the road your landscape plans change or maybe you move/divorce/die and the forge is in the way. Off to the scrap yard it goes or maybe you get $50 for it at a yard sale.
The point is, when you raid an old mine site for its goodies you steal it from everyone who would discover it and enjoy it. Once you take it home it never lasts as long as it would if you left it alone.

I agree, And I should have worded some of that a little differently above. On the flip side it's a shame to see some of it just return to the Earth. I have a huge appreciation for anything mechanical. Some of the equipment was so simple that it could be remade easily. Some of the other stuff seems complicated to serve a simple job. Look at all of the moving parts to a stamp mill or a roll mill(?) (the thing with the 3 large wheels that crushed the ore). I completely forgot the name. Spanish wheel(?) Google isn't helping right now, I must be looking up the wrong names.... anyhow, that looked pretty interesting with all it's moving parts. It was even cool how they used wood to hold the wear parts on, or maybe that was for adjustment....

Heck no!! Some of that would be prized and never see a scrap yard if I had it. But I get your point and why it can't be done. Can't have everyone dragging everything out of the hills and how would you decide who was going to keep the and share the history or just make a few bucks in scrap at some point. I get that.

Some really cool stuff out there.


I didn't even notice the forge in the picture. I actually have two of those that are very similar if not the same. Or use to have them, My dad has them now. He actually uses one of them. And no, they weren't drug out of the woods, I bought them, thought I should add that since my post is talking about a few different things here.

I can also think and say anything in these forums....But I was given a real early printing press from a local private owned museum years ago. When it came down to it? We couldn't move the thing!!! I had motivation but 2 guys and a Ford Ranger just wasn't going to do it!! The place closed down and I'll bet it's still sitting in that building today. It was so cool too, many moving parts. So, thinking about saving equipment and actually doing it are two different things!!! I'm older and could probably pull off moving it now, but..........

Those same 2 guys bought a Bridgeport mill at an auction for $35 bucks. "I can't believe no one bid on it!!!!!" Ya, well.....It was in a basement of a house!!! After a few hours of thought and the auction rush wearing off...We gave it away to someone that had the means to remove it. Again...I could probably pull it off today....but....I see why it's probably a good Idea for people to just let things lay.

 

[63bkpkr]

All the items you see in my photos are still there unless someone else moved them. Like I mentioned, one year I came back in and the drilling unit was gone. I was amazed as it is massively heavy and the trail in or out of there is flat MEAN, I could not understand how anyone could get that out of there. I year or so later I returned to find the drill was laying where you see it, beats the dickens out of me what's going on there. In the close up you can read the patent dates, 1800's.

Stumbling across old miners cabins/shacks or mines, then stamp mills, chain falls and the like makes the experience out there all the better, its just amazing how they manged to get all of those heavy items out there. Even broken down into major pieces that stuff is still way heavy! In the late 1960's I was in along the river and went for a hike up the mountain and came across a large "flatish" spot. The weeds were growing but it was still fairly open. To my amazement I found Champagne Flasks, very large like two feet tall, turning pink with air bubbles in the glass. All I came across were damaged. It was years later when my silly brain put two and two together when I realized the miners had been partying likely due to a major strike. That was the spot where I found the nozzle to a Monitor and yes the nozzle came out with me and I still have it. Just looking at it and that entire trip returns to me......................63bkpkr

 

[Nitric]

All the items you see in my photos are still there unless someone else moved them. Like I mentioned, one year I came back in and the drilling unit was gone. I was amazed as it is massively heavy and the trail in or out of there is flat MEAN, I could not understand how anyone could get that out of there. I year or so later I returned to find the drill was laying where you see it, beats the dickens out of me what's going on there. In the close up you can read the patent dates, 1800's.

Stumbling across old miners cabins/shacks or mines, then stamp mills, chain falls and the like makes the experience out there all the better, its just amazing how they manged to get all of those heavy items out there. Even broken down into major pieces that stuff is still way heavy! In the late 1960's I was in along the river and went for a hike up the mountain and came across a large "flatish" spot. The weeds were growing but it was still fairly open. To my amazement I found Champagne Flasks, very large like two feet tall, turning pink with air bubbles in the glass. All I came across were damaged. It was years later when my silly brain put two and two together when I realized the miners had been partying likely due to a major strike. That was the spot where I found the nozzle to a Monitor and yes the nozzle came out with me and I still have it. Just looking at it and that entire trip returns to me......................63bkpkr

I grew up around an abandoned coal mine that closed in the 20's. My Grandfather also worked the farm that it was on when he was a kid. He talked about a small steam type train that pulled the mine cars in and out of the mine. We looked and looked for it as kids and teens. By then those mines weren't safe at all,entrances blown shut or caved in, real loose shale. water logged, etc.... Thank God we never found such a thing, we probably would have died trying to get it. Now, that I'm older I often wonder if there was even such a thing or if maybe he was mixed up. I'm not sure that I've ever seen one. Supposedly, it's right in one of the entrances, it's private land, and I have friends of friends who know the owner. Over the years I've thought about getting permission, a track hoe(friend owns), and going to check........But we never did it.

 

[Nitric]

Here's one....Just watch the first few seconds..to about 2 min or so.....Not a chance I'd have the guts to climb around in there. I'd think one little slip may bury you if climbing around on stuff that collapsed. But....I loved watching it!

 

[Mad Machinist]

Freaking idiots like this are one of the main reasons old mines are being closed at a rapid pace. They never should have went in past the collapse. They go in and get killed and the rest of us miners lose the ability to salvage the equipment due to the mine being sealed with a lot of concrete.

I know where there is a mine full of equipment that we badly need but you wont see me in it due to instability of the ribs and back. Cost more to stabilize the mine than it would to buy the stuff new.

 

[mytimetoshine]

63 i love your posts!!! Youve seen all the "good stuff".

 

[63bkpkr]

Hi mytimetoshine,
There's more out there I'm sure of it, one just needs to keep climbing around in the hills putting the miles on the hiking boots going into places that look like not another soul has been there and bingo there's more stuff.

When I first went down the Sailor Flat Trail, the ten stamp mill was still standing at the Trinidad mine, I even walked the stairs to the second floor and took a picture out the upper window.

Somewhere up river from the Euchre Bar bridge there was another ten stamp mill right on the river bank. The Mines below the Doerer(sp?) ranch and right on the river had a cable and pulley system to bring the raw ore out of the mine. Once we came across what looked like a large pile of dirt with Divots all over it. turns out each divot was a miners sleeping spot. Dump was full of old eye glass frames, hob nailed boots, un-broken bottles and likely more if a person were to dig deep. Yes, I've seen a great deal of equipment all over the mountains up and down the NFAR. Hard rock mines right into the sides of the river below Green Valley on the right as you go down river. The tunnel dug around the falls at Beacroft Trail.

Check this picture out. Its a lobe from a ten stamp mill in the middle of a creek bed way down Wildcat creek.

The boulder tongs on top of the rock pile just up river from the Beacroft Trail falls was a chance spot because I chose to hike up to the top of the pile and there they were just sitting there. Who knows where they are now after the 2017 50,000 CFS and 40,000 CFS events.

Shortly after fires in the forest the foliage is gone and one can locate more miners camps just up the hill from the river. Old plates made in England, tin carrying containers for food (early lunch buckets or metal tupperware). Just scratching around, going on 8 to 12 hour day hikes for two weeks in the canyon one sees a lot of stuff and I've NOT been everywhere though I want more time in there!!

Once camping a little up river from the Beacroft Falls in the early morning I heard running water up the hill away from the river. I hiked letting my ears guide me till I found this 6" diameter water spout that came out of the hillside and immediately dove back into the rocks not to be seen again. I figured there was a water source up the mountain and went on an exploratory hike to try to locate it. I climbed and climbed making a heck of a racket working through all the dry downed tree limbs and then I popped out of the trees to a flat spot with grape vines all over the place (old miners left overs or seeds from bird poop). I was standing there looking around when I became aware of this HEAVY Musky Odor, it made the hair stand up on the back of my neck. Without hesitating I pulled my Cannon from its shoulder holster and cocked it and waited. Nothing came at me , I heard nothing moving and the heavy odor finally dissipated. After several minutes without any smell I started a slow circling of the area with the revolver in my hand and still cocked. I found solid, heavily used trails on both sides of the clearing going up hill. I went back down to my camp as I lost my curiosity of where that water was coming from. That was a really one of a kind spooky experience.

Looks like I will be up north in a few days, check with Jerry (Asmbandits) about a meet up................63bkpkr

Early in the season in Green Valley on the Alta side, under a plastic tarp in the rain. Wine bottle left over from the previous campers. Down there one summer taking in a buddy for his first ever canyon trip. We'd been down river close to the entrance to Giant Gap gorge and climbing up the mountain. We found a small mine up there into a small Rock Tooth that must have had some gold in it cause the miner dug quite a hole into that small tooth. On our way back down we'd made a pact to not drink any water till we got to camp to make lemon aid (kinda silly). Scott was in the lead and missed the stash in a small pool. I spotted it and asked him if he'd break the pact for a beer. He missed about 7 cans of Colt Forty Five Stout Malt Liquor. After one each we could not stand so we had another one while cooling our feet in the river. Unique happenings!

And if that's not enough for you then there's this prospecting in Alaska, one of my brothers adventures.

 

[SaltwaterServr]

One guy on FB was posting photos of an abandoned mine he found. Showed the winch cable down in the shaft still. Made us wonder if the miner might've died down there and no one knew. So we started doing research.

Turned out the moron was on private land. Him and two buddies tried all kinds of mental gymnastics to explain why it was okay for them to be trespassing even going as far as "it wasnt posted as private". Which, as it happened, they passed more than a half dozen signs stating you were on private land.

 

[gold tramp]

I'm pretty sure guys who showed the mission when it was in one piece, were the ones that got it burned out. 2 million dollar property ready to mine, now worthless junk.

All so climbers could get there picture on the boob tube !
Proof even educated smart folks don't put a lot of thought into what they do.
Show a mine fully equipped, in the middle nowhere what did you think would happen?
Gt......

 

[Nitric]

Freaking idiots like this are one of the main reasons old mines are being closed at a rapid pace. They never should have went in past the collapse. They go in and get killed and the rest of us miners lose the ability to salvage the equipment due to the mine being sealed with a lot of concrete.

I know where there is a mine full of equipment that we badly need but you wont see me in it due to instability of the ribs and back. Cost more to stabilize the mine than it would to buy the stuff new.

I did it in my late teens in a coal mine, but didn't go real far into the entrances, I didn't have the guts. I was walking on what use to be the ceiling. No hard rock there either just all shale. wet loose, etc...We went in far enough that it was scary. And really scary to think about today.

The beginning of that video you can see that there is still a lot of stress there. I'm no expert but ......It's dry stressed. There isn't any water to warp those and release . Some of that stuff looks like it's ready to pop at anything.

I've also watched video's of the same guys walking under Mine and fill(?) (cut and fill)where the ceiling to the tunnel was timbered and planked and filled. That thing looked like it could pop any second,bowed, splintering timbers, etc.... and they were climbing over parts that already have failed. Not a chance!!!! I cringed the whole time watching it. I have fear of being crushed. I'll watch their video's just to see some stuff but....I'm pretty sure it's a gamble playing in some of those places.

 

[Nitric]

I'm pretty sure guys who showed the mission when it was in one piece, were the ones that got it burned out. 2 million dollar property ready to mine, now worthless junk.

All so climbers could get there picture on the boob tube !
Proof even educated smart folks don't put a lot of thought into what they do.
Show a mine fully equipped, in the middle nowhere what did you think would happen?
Gt......

There is a group on Youtube I guess that are anti mining and take pride in vandalizing. I won't go look up the name to give them any more views. I guess that's going on now too.



I'm still too stupid to figure out multiple quotes. To the post above....Yes I've seen all kind of video's that say, "there weren't any signs!" "we didn't take anything" etc.... To try to explain away Trespassing. I've seen it on the abandoned buildings type video's too. I love the videos!! But there still is "trespassing" and if your going to do it to get a video? If it's worth it to you? Fine! But at least own what it is! Trespassing!

 

[Nitric]

63bkpkr..Thank you for the cool posts! Great stuff!


On a sideways thought..... To underground mine there has to be huge trust in who you work with. When you think of the complexity of some of these mines it's really interesting to try to think about all of the things and expertise involved. The guy who planed and ran ventilation, to the whole engineering side of it. I'd be a scared rabbit working in one. I can't imagine the trust it takes of all involved. One bad decision and people are dying!! Not just getting hurt.