There is a lot of stuff in this entryway — a lot of pipes,
timbering, ore cart tracks, and collapses up there. Let's go check it out!
Right here is a
pretty big retaining wall. This is what's behind the retaining wall. I think this kind of stuff is
called river rock. What you're seeing here is not the most stable material. Miners
dig through old river rocks like this and apparently you can find gold and other stuff.
So that's what this was dug through. Here is some old equipment.
It’s some kind of motor. It’s probably a generator. Let’s keep going!
Yes, here is more river rock. That’s what's above me here in the ceiling.
I mean this stuff is just…. I just touch it and it crumbles!
But I guess the overall integrity is — oh, we’ve got some crickets in here! See that?
There are some crickets jumping down there! I guess the overall integrity is still okay. Wow!
There is a big rock embedded in the tunnel wall right there.
Yes, this isn't timbered at all! See that? Looking down there all I see are just rocks and pebbles.
I think the last mine I was in like this was the Sterlog Mine back in 2013 or 2014.
That tunnel was dug through this exact same kind of rock, and there was a collapse
about 100 feet in, if even that. We couldn't get past that collapse.
Oh, look at this! There is a layer
where my light is! There in the distance there's a layer! It comes right over here.
You can see it on this side, too, right here. Here are some big timbers. Looks like
there's some collapse down there. Let’s keep going!
That’s looking back towards the portal. I’m about 100 feet in or something like that.
This tunnel is still this conglomerate of different sized rocks and pebbles.
Here’s looking above me.
This
tunnel is just over six feet tall. I can pretty much stand upright which
is a good thing because I wouldn't want to be bumping my head on the ceiling.
Just look at all this loose rock! Wow! I'm surprised this isn't timbered.
Any part of this or any section of this ceiling
(or what the miners called the “back”) could give way at any time, I would think.
But like I said earlier, maybe the overall integrity is
pretty good even though it's composed of numerous smaller pieces of rock and debris.
I don't know. I’m not an engineer. I guess they didn't feel the need to timber.
Okay, I’m still going. It’s been a straight shot. Now I’m about 200 feet in.
There’s the portal way back there where that daylight is. Nothing exciting to report.
Oh! Right up here there are some pipes. This is the first time I've seen some pipes.
Well, it looks like they've been capped. See that?
I believe this pipe you see here that's been in the tunnel the whole time
is a drainage pipe. I think the mine is flooded further ahead. Some other explorers were
in here not too long ago. That's how i found out about this mine. Actually,
I have known about this mine for the last 12 years but never got to it. Some other explorers
said they checked it out not too long ago, so here i am!
It’s really one of the more unusual tunnels because of all this rock. We don't normally see
this kind of rock or underground material in mine tunnels and drifts. I think and hope it changes up
here into something a little more solid. This is really interesting! It’s got a nice color,
too. It’s got some gray mostly confined to the upper part, and then the lower part is
mostly tan and brown. I hope that's coming out in the video. Yes, it's got some nice color.
Usually the mine tunnel walls are pretty smooth,
but these are just studded with rocks sticking out everywhere!
Still continuing onward here. We’re getting some more solid chunks of rock. There is a big piece of
quartz. I don't know if you can see that in there or if that's coming out in the video, but there is
some sparkly stuff there. It’s probably pyrite but who knows? Yes, this is
getting a little more solid with
bigger boulders and things like that. I hope iit keeps going that way!
You know what? It makes me wonder if there are fossils in these rocks. There would have to be
because if this was a riverbed at one point, then there are probably animals, sea creatures,
or whatever that died in the water and floated to the bottom and would have gotten compressed
in all these layers. At least I think that's how that works!
Okay, it looks like there's a major collapse up here, but I think I can get over it. I see a gap.
Yes, you can hear the water running through this pipe.
It might be flooded back here behind this collapse. This collapse is acting like a dam.
Let me get over there. I think I do see some water, but let me check it out.
This doesn't look that deep. Well, okay, it's up to my ankles.
You can see ore cart tracks or what's left of them. They are coated with a white mineral growth.
Oh gosh! This is getting really narrow!