Bulging rock in the portal...and survival equipment

[SaltwaterServr]

I spent Saturday continuing to dig out the portal on the Green Mountain Mine and finally crested the apex of the fill. From here on it, there's less dirt to move per linear foot going into the mine until we cross the winze and hit that big backfill area.

Anyway I had a lot of time up close to the portal and noticed for the first time the rock bulging on the right rib. Here it is showing the bulge.



And here is the image without the lines.



That weak layer of ore has broken free inside the mine and rolled off the rib (side) and back (roof) for the first 65' or so.

The tricky part is now I have to removed that dirt next to it which may be acting as bracing keeping the ore from falling into the mine.

While removing the back fill, I'm going to put a 4x4 stull in place with a 2x12 cap. Next step will be to remove those two deformed layers and put in a 3 piece set with portico.

--------

I mention survival equipment as I've started to spend the night out at the mine so I can get an early start. From home to the claim is about 2 and a half hours drive time.

I keep all my gear in those tougher yellow-topped plastic bins you can get at Home Depot/Lowes. Well, except my camping gear. Got my tent set up and on the way walking back to the truck I realized I didn't pack my sleeping bag. It gets COLD up there too. This is already at 8:30 or 9 pm which means a drive back into town to pick up a new one is pretty much out of the question.

Solution? Rely on your survival gear. I have a pretty robust emergency thermal blanket, not those cheap mylar things you get at Walmart. Fold it over, drop a tarp on top of it, and there ya go.

Being prepared doesn't necessarily mean being prepared for life and death situations. You can also be prepared for massive brain farts.

 

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[Jim in Idaho]

Yup...sometimes you have to put up with some discomfort to get the job done. I forgot my sleeping bag, once, when the temp was -6*. I was in a coyote hunting contest far from home. ended up putting on all the clothes I had along, and sleeping in the cab of the truck for two nights.....no fun at all. Hats off to you for hanging in there....good on ya!
Jim

 

[SaltwaterServr]

Yup...sometimes you have to put up with some discomfort to get the job done. I forgot my sleeping bag, once, when the temp was -6*. I was in a coyote hunting contest far from home. ended up putting on all the clothes I had along, and sleeping in the cab of the truck for two nights.....no fun at all. Hats off to you for hanging in there....good on ya!
Jim

Same here, had all my clothes on. I carry a set of thermals and heavy socks for, well, no reason whatsoever but they came in damn handy. If it had gotten too much colder, I was going to the truck too.

That said, I'd rather make that mistake this time of year than come the fall when a cold front comes running through. Hopefully we'll have a shack on site before the weather gets too nasty. Or at least a little pull-behind trailer that isn't too wide. That road up there is kind of skinny in a few places.

 

[Mad Machinist]

I'm working on an expedition trailer too as I have time. Its just the bed and frame from my 73 Chevy with a camper shell on it. Queen size mattress in the back for the wife and I. Along with some under bed drawers to store the necessary equipment and survival gear.

Simple but effective way to keep up off the ground, stay dry, and have some protection from vermin. Get pics up as it progresses.

 

[Capt Nemo]

In my car bug out/survival kit I keep a survival sleeping bag. It's rated to 50 degrees and can be used to add another 15 degrees rating to other sleeping bags. I keep that with a 15 degree rated bag in my car at all times.

I planned my kit on having to abandon my broke down/stuck vehicle and hiking 10 miles a day for 3 days to civilization. Yeah, I could easily do 30 a day, but stuff can and does happen!

 

[Mad Machinist]

I'm working on an expedition trailer too as I have time. Its just the bed and frame from my 73 Chevy with a camper shell on it. Queen size mattress in the back for the wife and I. Along with some under bed drawers to store the necessary equipment and survival gear. Simple but effective way to keep up off the ground, stay dry, and have some protection from vermin. Get pics up as it progresses.

Got the shell home a little bit ago. It a "hightop" model. It came with a water tank and pump along with a small gas fired hot water heater. Hot showers in the bush anyone? I'll put the progress up in my journal.

 

[Jim in Idaho]

My expeidition rig

Got the shell home a little bit ago. It a "hightop" model. It came with a water tank and pump along with a small gas fired hot water heater. Hot showers in the bush anyone? I'll put the progress up in my journal.

Here's mine, Mad. It's a '76 10' Alaskan on a single axle trailer. I've had it almost 20 years. Don't know what I'd do without it. In the pic, which was taken in Wyoming a year ago, I'm stuck. So I took a nap, and waited for it to dry enough I could drive out, which I did about 2 hours later.
Jim

 

[Assembler]

4x4's?

Hello
The vein may also be supporting the weight of the softer material next to it as well. Are you going to run 4x4's down the length of the tunnel of 65 ft?
Thank you for the pictures.

 

[SaltwaterServr]

Hello
The vein may also be supporting the weight of the softer material next to it as well. Are you going to run 4x4's down the length of the tunnel of 65 ft?
Thank you for the pictures.

It shouldn't need it. All that bulging rock at the portal has collapsed off the hanging wall inside the adit. We might need to run some lightweight timbers to lag the roof, but we'll cross that bridge once we build it.

 

[diverrick]

Can't you get a tractor or back hoe in to make quick work of this? I see you have done a lot of hand digging so far but you have much more ahead of you. A back hoe would clean this all out in a matter of hours. I'd go back into the hill some until you get to stable rock. Take all that crap off the front end as it is the weakest link. I have a shaft just like this that needs to be dug out but no way am I going to do that by hand! That is a whole lot of digging. You could then shore up the portal easy enough

 

[Assembler]

No timbers needed.

Hello
Saltwaterservr pointed out:

It shouldn't need it. All that bulging rock at the portal has collapsed off the hanging wall inside the adit. We might need to run some lightweight timbers to lag the roof, but we'll cross that bridge once we build it.

Good as it mite be a lot of work to drag in all that wood. Looks like a good grade of slope on the ground and this may make it to hard to get a backhoe in there? Just a guess on the ground.
Time to do some testing on the ore to see how much one wants to spend on the tunnel. Great post thanks.

 

[SaltwaterServr]

Can't you get a tractor or back hoe in to make quick work of this? I see you have done a lot of hand digging so far but you have much more ahead of you. A back hoe would clean this all out in a matter of hours. I'd go back into the hill some until you get to stable rock. Take all that crap off the front end as it is the weakest link. I have a shaft just like this that needs to be dug out but no way am I going to do that by hand! That is a whole lot of digging. You could then shore up the portal easy enough

The only way in for heavy equipment is from the north in a wash that has two pretty big bedrock drop offs you'd have to scale. One's too narrow for anything other than an ATV and about 12 feet high. The first one is about 8' high, narrow, and on patented land.

The road that runs in from the south would need a backhoe to get a backhoe up it. You could crawl it up using the bucket and get it there, but then you have to get it down the mountain to the adit which is too steep and too loose for any vehicle. The wash between those hills is pretty damn tight too. Even then, you could get it in, but you'd have to take the north wash out and those cliffs still need to be blasted out.

So for now, the only equipment getting into that mine is going to have to be winched down the hill and be pretty content when it gets there because it's staying for awhile.

There's a reason this mine has been pretty much undisturbed for 115 years or so.

 

[Mad Machinist]

Hello
Saltwaterservr pointed out:

Good as it mite be a lot of work to drag in all that wood. Looks like a good grade of slope on the ground and this may make it to hard to get a backhoe in there? Just a guess on the ground.
Time to do some testing on the ore to see how much one wants to spend on the tunnel. Great post thanks.

If it needs timbered, it will get timbered no question asked. If the ore grade is good enough it will get timbered anyhow. I am familiar with the area and what could possibly be there. I don't take chances anymore.

 

[Assembler]

great updates.

Hello
Thanks for the updates Mad Machinist. Kinda figured the ground was to rough to get much equipment in there. Still one could winched down the hill some equipment at this time to help out with the testing of the ore. Good that you don't take chances anymore Made Machinist. There is still a place for hand work even today as this could be one reason the mine has been not active for 115 years. One could drag some timbers in there as one samples back into the mine?

P.S. If the ore is good enough one could winch down my 360-400 lb. jaw crusher or any other crusher. Looks like this one needs to mount a small electric winch to the crusher trailer to winch the trailer back up onto any goat trail it slides off of.

 

[Mad Machinist]

The only way in for heavy equipment is from the north in a wash that has two pretty big bedrock drop offs you'd have to scale. One's too narrow for anything other than an ATV and about 12 feet high. The first one is about 8' high, narrow, and on patented land.

The road that runs in from the south would need a backhoe to get a backhoe up it. You could crawl it up using the bucket and get it there, but then you have to get it down the mountain to the adit which is too steep and too loose for any vehicle. The wash between those hills is pretty damn tight too. Even then, you could get it in, but you'd have to take the north wash out and those cliffs still need to be blasted out.

So for now, the only equipment getting into that mine is going to have to be winched down the hill and be pretty content when it gets there because it's staying for awhile.

There's a reason this mine has been pretty much undisturbed for 115 years or so.

And if you really want to get fancy add this to the trailer.

 

[Assembler]

Hello
The 'Old timers 115 years ago' did not have this type of equipment. May work very well.
Looks like the 'Old timers' where required to hull out all the mine rock to be milled some where else like a mill site? Was the mineralized vein not good enough for them?
Thanks.

 

[Mad Machinist]

Found the video I was looking for on these trailers. Add a dump bed and your good to go. The wheels on the trailer have a part time hydraulic drive that can be engaged when needed for a 8 wheel drive setup. This would work just fine for us. Forgot to add that the hill being climbed in the video is better than 45 degrees.

 

[4x4x4]

Found the video I was looking for on these trailers. Add a dump bed and your good to go. The wheels on the trailer have a part time hydraulic drive that can be engaged when needed for a 8 wheel drive setup. This would work just fine for us. Forgot to add that the hill being climbed in the video is better than 45 degrees.

....Now THATS a cool tool !

 

[Assembler]

Cool 'Big boy toy'

Hello
Did not know 'Prospecting' for rocks could be so much fun with some 'Big boy toys'............LOL.
Cool thanks for posting there Mad Machinist and this one is starting like your name / handle.

 

[Assembler]

Hello
Anyone find the cost of the Timber wagon forest pro?
Building a dump bed trailer should not be to high. One could build a walk behind type of dump bed trailer.