Super bowl day trip

[oregonmp03]

So mine wasn't as successful as the other guys Anyway I went looking for this mine that I've been looking at for awhile. On the way there I happened to be looking up the hill and saw a white flash as I was driving. Bailed out and found a nice quartz vein but no hits on it. Dug for a little bit and brought home a few pieces of quartz I'll crush later. On the trip up the the vein I found 2 saw files some logger had lost and a couple shell casings.

I eventually got to where I was going and after hiking for 2 hours up and down the same hill was pretty sure i could have thrown a rock and hit it the damn mine but I just could not find it. I even found the old claim papers at the site from 2002, nailed to a tree inside an old mason jar. Found an old Olympia pull tab beer can and some old bottle caps and though I was near but never saw it.

1st picture: What I'm guessing is a "hot rock" detector overloaded on it, moved it and found nothing where it was, then overloaded when I hit it again.

2nd picture: Is the mine claim papers I found from 2002 - no claim there now though

3rd picture: This guy was under another hot rock around a pile of quartz, left him alone though

4th picture: Big old chunk of something

5th picture: Olympia Can

 

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[oregonmp03]

On a plus side, the picture of the can on the side of the tree had a name for the claimant from about 15 years ago. Whitepage search, phone number and a voice message later the guy called me back, filled in all the information I needed to know. Was super nice and told me exactly where the mine was and how to get to it. Even had a few choice words about BLM and the Forest Circus. So needless to say I'll be going back on Saturday. I'll update with pictures then.

o/

 

[Professor of Engineering]

Thank you for sharing the story and photos.

 

[oregonmp03]

Yeah sorry if I sound like a newbie because I am. I get all nerdy about geology and being in the woods. Now if I could just find that girl who was nerdy about it also and that 5 pound nugget......

 

[oregonmp03]

Here is the rock I was talking about in an earlier post, no clue what it is....sorry for the crappy photos it's the only camera I have

 

[oregonmp03]

Why the hell is the week so long? Hail to the weekend........that is all

 

[Featherdfishead]

Once the detecting bug gets ya anytime your not detecting feels long and then the days detecting feel short - the old time goes quick when your haveing fun adage. Sw Oregon is known for its pocket deposits. research these and get your coil swingn over as much ground as you can in the comeing months and wham-O you'll hit some gold and you'll really think time goes slow when your not out on the hunt.
Good Luck to ya
Happy Days - Happy Hunting
AjR

 

[oregonmp03]

Went out Saturday and now I'm a bit sore. Was a hell of a day. Found not one but two mines, got stuck, had a tree fall across the road and 8 hours later finally got home. The day started out okay, went up to where I figured the mine was, found the cabin and a bunch of junk. As soon as I saw the cabin all I could think of was, crap, there was metal everywhere. Found the mine tunnel which was partially collapsed. I went in about 20 feet but the tunnel split in two, one was collapsed and the other went down almost vertical so I came back out.

We spend a few hours detecting around the location and in the tailing but I lost track of how many nails and cans I dug up. Eventually I said enough was enough and took off up the hill. I had packed in a sluice and gear to spend a couple hours on the creek but Oregon got some big rain the last couple days and the creek was pretty dangerous so I didn't even bother. On the hike out I noticed an additional tailing pile that was separate from the others so I decided to check it out.

Which in turn produced a 2nd mine I hadn't seen before. This one had large slough at the entrance with some very big rocks so I didn't even bother going in. You could see the timbers down in the mine were still in place though but the entrance was pretty cracked and bad......stay out stay alive.....nothing out of the tailing pile but there wasn't as much junk. Did find a hand saw about 2 feet down and really low on the pile.

On the way out the wind picked up and dropped a tree across the road in which we couldn't drive around, so I took an alternate route home and got stuck in a snow drift. Trying to get out it pushed us off the roadway and lets just say it was one of the closer scrapes I've ever had driving (my partner in crime wouldn't get back in the truck until i was completely unstuck) I ended up shoveling snow for about 30 minutes to get unstuck. Then had to turn around, go back to the blown down tree (about 2 foot thick with nothing but soaked log) and I ended up towing it sideways down the road to get it out with tow straps and a 50 foot length of rope I keep in the truck. Luckily I come prepared enough.....

No gold, really sore.......pictures below.........until next weekend!!! Pictures suck because of camera phone.

X-g/f jumping over one of the creeks caused by the storm (no idea why it's sideways)

Cabin at the mine

Inside of cabin

View in to the first mine, where you see the light it's collapsed and to the right it drops off into a shaft

Me next to the first mine entrance in the background

2nd mine about 150 yard from the first, see the sloughed off rocks at the front

 

[oregonmp03]

Couple 10 inch spikes and the hand saw I found in the 2nd tailing pile and a burgermeister pop top beer can

 

[RockRaven]

Great pictures, looks like an interesting area to try and trace some veins/pockets. Remember that old mines with wood timbers can have gases from the decomposition of the timbers, the gases pool up in the low points, stay out unless you have the equipment to test the air with or some kind of ventilation setup, not safe, CO2 will not give you much warning before you pass out. Also lots of mines with shafts inside covered over with wood, then with dirt and debris, the wood rots and creates hidden traps, be careful. Really like that piece of quartz, nice specimen for sure. Good hunting