Is the Pit Mine really the Lost Dutchman mine?

[Springfield]

... I love old most old mines!
Oroblanco

Me too, and somehow I've been fortunate to find many of them. They're tough to locate if there is no dump. I found some artifacts in these examples, but nothing of value. One of them I haven't gotten around to clearing the entrance yet. That little Mexican coyote hole with the crude chicken ladder below almost did me in. The ladder broke and I had a real chore getting back out. Caution: don't go into these things unless you have a pal with you - and then, be careful because bad things can happen in old mines.

Anglo, 1870's


Mexican


Spanish, 1780's


Haven't been inside yet


30 foot drift, no dump

 

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[Real de Tayopa Tropical Tramp]

Hola Sprimgfiled, fascinating pictures.

A guess #2 Silver, 1 -3-4- 5 Au.

I hate those old ladders (?) but have run into notched tree trunks. Some of those old ladders have the rungs held in place with rawhide, which is prob better then old nails, stilllll How come we still have you with us??.

Use ORO de Tayopa as a form of the old poison taster, 'he' is expendable, but I get first dibs on his 4 legged companion..

Don Jose de La Mancha

 

[Army of 1]

Cool photo's Springfield , bet those holes could tell some tales , may also hold a secret or two .. cheers mick

 

[Springfield]

... A guess #2 Silver, 1 -3-4- 5 Au.

I hate those old ladders (?) but have run into notched tree trunks. Some of those old ladders have the rungs held in place with rawhide, which is prob better then old nails, stilllll How come we still have you with us??. ...

1 Cu/Au; 3 Au; 2,5 Ag; 3 ?

Very observant, Tramp. I took that pic before I started down the ladder, which broke off two feet above the bottom about the same time the rungs I was standing on and holding onto failed - dry rot. I rode the thing to the bottom - only scraped a little hide off an arm. The ladder shown was a feeble replacement made with an 8' crooked piece of oak that was bug-rotted. The rungs were nailed on with horseshoe nails, so it was pretty old - maybe 1930's, based on the area's history. It looked OK, but it wasn't. I imagine some cowboy salvaged the original juniper notched log many years previously for a conversation piece.

Ha ha, anyway, despite the extremely stupid thing I did, at least I was smart enough to have lowered my pack to the bottom of the hole (8' deep) before I tried the ladder (packing a 20' length of climbing rope has often come in handy). Well, fortunately there was a pile of good-sized rocks in the mine. I was able to build a two-foot high pyramid out of the rocks, which was good because my ladder was now only six feet long and wouldn't reach the eight foot high lip at the top of the hole. You can see the walls were concave all the way around the top lip - like a bell with no vertical sides to lean the ladder on. Next, I cut steps into the log with my handy-dandy folding saw (6" blade). Then I swung the jerry-rigged ladder back up and the top caught the lip above and I wedged the bottom tight into my rock pile.

Now I figured I could get out, so I explored the mine for awhile. When I was ready, I carefully skinnied up the pole and grabbed onto some brush at the top to get me over the edge. Then hauled my pack back up and thanked my lucky stars.

My explorations are almost always solo and I should never have tried to go into that hole. My girlfriend would have called my buddy that night if I hadn't returned. He would have found my truck the next morning, but I was three miles away from where I parked. I could have fired my pistol and hoped it would be heard - for whatever good that would do. I had my ham radio with me (always) and I might have been able to get a signal in that hole and talk him to my location. Maybe.

Bottom line: be prepared - things happen.

 

[Real de Tayopa Tropical Tramp]

Springfield you were lucky enough to be borrowing time from your next life. As for having to build up a pile of rocks to reach up to your next spot, I too fell into that trap. We were exploring a section of Mt wich was composed of layers, approx. 7 ft in thickness which meant that I could just barely reach from one to another.

My friends went one way leaving me to cover the other section For emergecies I always carry a synthetic cord rated to 500 lbe in the length that I had it.

So, I simply dropped down from ledge to ledge relying upon my previous ability to just reach the ledge that I had just left.

Then, almost automatically, I dropped down to the next lower ledge, one which had a cliff on both sides of where I was. THEN i realized that my little cord would not reach the next ledge, and that they were growing thicker as I descended,

sooo, there I was, stranded with horrible thoughts such as I will never see mi Amy, (corp) and -------

Just like another Springfield, too far down to continue, but also too high to go back. The only alternative that I had was to pile up enough rocks to get within fingernail distance to the ledge that I had just left. It took every rock available plus some that I managed to break loose, From there on it was fairly easy to get back to my waitng coffee..

Soo again I was lucky and learned from experience. I now carry a much longer rope.

Another silly thing,, remind me to tell you of entering a mine without any light.

Sigh if'n two wars, crop flying, and bandidos etc., had lost their chance to kill me, I was certainly trying to even up the odds by simple stupidity. <---blushing

Don Jose de La Mancha

 

[Oroblanco]

Great post Springfield - you will strike it rich one day (if you have not already!).

Don Jose de la Mancha wrote

Use ORO de Tayopa as a form of the old poison taster, 'he' is expendable, but I get first dibs on his 4 legged companion..

I must defer to the more experiened of us amigo, which would be you, as you would be able to spot those death traps and spring them so that we could follow safely. As to the 4 legged partner, first you have to salt the tail.

Oroblanco

 

[393stroker]

1 Cu/Au; 3 Au; 2,5 Ag; 3 ?

Very observant, Tramp. I took that pic before I started down the ladder, which broke off two feet above the bottom about the same time the rungs I was standing on and holding onto failed - dry rot. I rode the thing to the bottom - only scraped a little hide off an arm. The ladder shown was a feeble replacement made with an 8' crooked piece of oak that was bug-rotted. The rungs were nailed on with horseshoe nails, so it was pretty old - maybe 1930's, based on the area's history. It looked OK, but it wasn't. I imagine some cowboy salvaged the original juniper notched log many years previously for a conversation piece. I`m glad you were able to make it out OK, a close call for sure.

Ha ha, anyway, despite the extremely stupid thing I did, at least I was smart enough to have lowered my pack to the bottom of the hole (8' deep) before I tried the ladder (packing a 20' length of climbing rope has often come in handy). Well, fortunately there was a pile of good-sized rocks in the mine. I was able to build a two-foot high pyramid out of the rocks, which was good because my ladder was now only six feet long and wouldn't reach the eight foot high lip at the top of the hole. You can see the walls were concave all the way around the top lip - like a bell with no vertical sides to lean the ladder on. Next, I cut steps into the log with my handy-dandy folding saw (6" blade). Then I swung the jerry-rigged ladder back up and the top caught the lip above and I wedged the bottom tight into my rock pile.

Now I figured I could get out, so I explored the mine for awhile. When I was ready, I carefully skinnied up the pole and grabbed onto some brush at the top to get me over the edge. Then hauled my pack back up and thanked my lucky stars.

My explorations are almost always solo and I should never have tried to go into that hole. My girlfriend would have called my buddy that night if I hadn't returned. He would have found my truck the next morning, but I was three miles away from where I parked. I could have fired my pistol and hoped it would be heard - for whatever good that would do. I had my ham radio with me (always) and I might have been able to get a signal in that hole and talk him to my location. Maybe.

Bottom line: be prepared - things happen.

I`m glad you were able to make it out OK, a close call for sure.

 

[sgtfda]

Years ago in Pennsylvania my neighbor was into caving. He asked me to go with him to a deep cave in W Va. After you climb down a steep mountain the cave entrance was just big enough to squeeze in. We entered a chamber. My friend said he had poker chips with glow in the dark arrows painted on them. He said every time we enter a chamber we will place a chip on the cave floor pointing the way out. There were many chambers and lots of chips. We were using carbide lamps. After hours of this time to come out. No poker chip on the floor. Five tunnels to choose from. After several attempts we found the right tunnel. Next chamber no chip. Every damn chip was gone. It was a long trip out of that cave. I later found out the cave was infested with pack rats. You learn the hard way!

 

[Springfield]

Great post Springfield - you will strike it rich one day (if you have not already!). ...

Yes I have, Oro ... it's the chase that has been the payoff.

 

[elgatodelnoche]

I would love to be part of the group, especially if the outing involves overnight camping! I am not known to any of you, so I guess I will be locked out of this one. I hope to meet up with everyone sooner or later. Good luck!

 

[cactusjumper]

I would love to be part of the group, especially if the outing involves overnight camping! I am not known to any of you, so I guess I will be locked out of this one. I hope to meet up with everyone sooner or later. Good luck!

Dan,

I'm going to guess that you will be more than welcome, as long as the numbers have not gotten out of hand. If you go, you will meet some really great people and make some good friends.

Good luck,

Joe Ribaudo

 

[sgtfda]

Dan do you still have some of those steel balls laying around?

 

[elgatodelnoche]

Thanks Joe and yes sgtfda I do have some of those lying around. I promised a bunch to Road Runner, but there are still at least a dozen left after that. About three and a half inches in diameter.

What kind of head lamps were the pack rats using?

 

[elgatodelnoche]

What I really, really hate is when you are waaaaay up on a ledge that you have no idea how you will get off of and your knees start knocking so hard that it about knocks you off.

 

[sgtfda]

Dan pm you

 

[roadrunner]

Dan,I will call you.
I need to pick them up this weekend.

 

[sgtfda]

Some photos on the new Gpaa claim Outback Gold #4 SW of the Pitt Mine area off forest rd 1900

 

[elgatodelnoche]

That sure looks like a good area and I love that Jeep! I wish my 74 Scout II would of had a suspension like that. I am going to have to join GPAA in 2014 no doubt about it.

Hey roadrunner remember my phone is on record. Make sure and let me know who you are and I will pick it up. I got your steel balls set aside and will not give them out to anyone else.

 

[sgtfda]

Dan, Glenn had to drive into that hole so he could then drive out. I know when to exit the jeep. We found some interesting things in the area

 

[Real de Tayopa Tropical Tramp]

Posi-traction on both ia a wonderful invention no?

Jose de La Mancha