Exploring The Abandoned Crystal Palace Mine
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- Опубликовано: 14 окт 2024
- As I was struggling to explain in the video during my graceful, acrobatic leap off of the quartz ledge, a local historian advised us that during World War II, this abandoned mine was worked not for gold (which is what was originally mined here), but for its crystals that were used in radios. Google “crystal oscillator" if you’re curious how that works… During World War II, many American mines that extracted minerals such as gold and silver that were not considered essential to the war effort were ordered closed by the U.S. government. By contrast, mines that pursued tungsten or other such minerals (or crystals) were aggressively supported.
Going farther back, there is a story the old-timers told in the past (unfortunately, these old hands are no longer with us) about a large group of Mexican miners that used to work an unknown section of the canyon where this mine is located. The story from the old-timers is that when the Mexican Revolution (which started in 1910) really started getting serious, that the Mexicans were compelled to return home. So, one day, an incredibly long mule train, loaded down with ore and equipment wound its way up and out of the canyon on the long trail back to Mexico. These Mexican miners never returned.
I don’t know if that story is true (but it came from reliable sources) and I don’t know if the Mexican miners were working the quartz veins shown in this video. However, there are only four mines in this canyon and I KNOW it wasn’t two of those four. Therefore, it is a distinct possibility and it is worth mentioning, I believe.
We were quite impressed by how extensively this quartz zone had been worked on both the surface and underground. Whether it was Mexican miners or someone else, they really worked this canyon thoroughly! I would love to see pictures of how it looked then. Early written descriptions of this mine indicate that a simple stamp mill was sufficient for milling the ore since the quartz veins harbor almost no sulfide.
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You can click here for the full playlist of abandoned mines: goo.gl/TEKq9L
Thanks for watching!
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Growing up in California’s “Gold Rush Country” made it easy to take all of the history around us for granted. However, abandoned mine sites have a lot working against them - nature, vandals, scrappers and various government agencies… The old prospectors and miners that used to roam our lonely mountains and toil away deep underground are disappearing quickly as well.
These losses finally caught our attention and we felt compelled to make an effort to document as many of the ghost towns and abandoned mines that we could before that niche of our history is gone forever. But, you know what? We enjoy doing it! This is exploring history firsthand - bushwhacking down steep canyons and over rough mountains, figuring out the techniques the miners used and the equipment they worked with, seeing the innovations they came up with, discovering lost mines that no one has been in for a century, wandering through ghost towns where the only sound is the wind... These journeys allow a feeling of connection to a time when the world was a very different place. And I’d love to think that in some small way we are paying tribute to those hardy miners that worked these mines before we were even born.
So, yes, in short, we are adit addicts… I hope you’ll join us on these adventures!
#ExploringAbandonedMines
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I am glad you keep the locations secrete , one time I took a few co workers to a mine and one of them had posted it on his facebook and the next time I went to it THERE WAS NOTHING LEFT , last year I found 2 adits that the FOREST CIRCUS MISSED IN PLUMAS OR MAYBE IT WAS LASSEN , LOL . Someday I would like to shake your hand . BE SAFE !
UNFORGIVEN FOREVER Not far from here we visited a mine and and came back the next year and it was gated. Then this last season we did another site, came back a WEEK later and gone! The video never even made it to you tube! But as a rule esp in Plumas......I meant Lassen county( lol ) you have to keep them as secret as you can Cuz if you don't then it may be the last time you ever see it again.
Great vid fellas! Thanks for all your hard work and dedication. Take care
Thank you very much. Glad to have you coming along with us!
Deborah Smith It's called masterbation. It's the newest fad, everyone's doing it, give it a try!
My favorite thing to do with the remote places is imagine how they were able to make it to the site with tools and all that good stuff with the resources they knew and had. Just imagine the kind of work they put in
It is amazing how hard those old timers had to work to get in to some of these mines. That is particularly the case when you factor in the heavy mining equipment they had to haul in as well! Hard to imagine... They were tough, to be sure.
@@TVRExploring They were definitely experts in leverage back then!
You should pick up one of those lithium booster packs and always keep it with you. I've carried one about for a couple of years, had flat battery a couple of months ago and was very pessimistic about this little thing (the size of a VHS tape) cranking over a big diesel - started her right up.
Ian Darley I know I know......lol
And definitely consider a vehicle with a standard transmission!! Not only more controllable but can push and roll start it. But the jump box is def a great thing to keep handy! I also like keeping a come along, some rope, and water when off roading..
You have a gift for finding fantastic mines to explore.
Thank you. We do our best to find interesting sites for you guys...
It was great to see you on motorcycles. From 11 years old till 14 I hiked to all the mines but after my first motorbike until now (at 72) I rode to all the mines. In fact, my motto- "if you can't ride there, it ain't worth goin' to." That's somewhat facetious as the really good ones now are difficult to get to and that's another one of the many reasons I love your videos.
Haha, yes, riding is a lot easier and faster than hiking, to be sure! Like you said though, the very best mines we've found are those we have had to hike in to reach. If you've been exploring mines for more than half a century, I'd imagine you've seen some amazing sights.
I really like your input of the pictures with the video gives us a chance to look at the area
Yes, I should do it more often. I take pictures at almost all of the mines as well - not just video... Thank you.
Great video Justin! Better than anything you can see on network tv.
Well, thank you very much for that... Glad you enjoyed it!
You mention at 1:31 this mine was kept open during WW II because it produced quartz crytals. I'm not surprised. Every issue of Desert Magazine published during WW II included an ad posted by the War Dept. looking for high-quality quartz crytals. The government would buy any quantity of these things, from a single crytal up to a mine fulll, and they paid good money for them. We didn't yet have the ability to produce synthetic quartz, and these natural crystals were used in radio equipment. To be marketable, they had to be clear, with no inclusions and at least 1" accross.
You guys are so much fun.
Haha, thank you. We seem to entertain ourselves pretty well and I'm glad others are entertained too!
Wow, those crystals, even in the beginning outside of the mine, are absolutely stunning! Something about them being just out there in nature or in the ground makes them gorgeous to me even if the crystal wouldn't be super impressive or expensive in a shop.
I can't remember if I mentioned it in the video, but those crystals were mined during World War II for use in radio sets.
So.... I have been watching a ton of your videos. I haven't commented until now. I had a laugh. Then another. With a few more in between. However, the ending paragraph had me laughing SO hard that it was a good bit before I could finish reading it.
I'm not here to get laughs. I very much enjoy going on these adventures with you and your friends. BUT that last bit....OMG!
So glamorous, right?!
Thanks for the laugh, looking forward to more adventures.
Oh, the glamour and decadent luxury are second to none... Haha, glad we could provide some entertainment for you. Thank you for the comment and for coming along on these adventures with us.
I have found several quartz gold mines in Butte County. One that had obviously had a stamp mill, but no adit. They were just working a huge quartz cliff face. And know of a few places you can find thumb size quartz crystals laying on the ground. And it's not unreasonable to expect the possibility of finding diamonds. Diamonds were discovered and mined northeast of Table Mountain even before the Gold Rush. The simple low tech field test to tell if it's quartz or diamond is to breath on it, like when you breath on a mirror to fog it. If it fogs it's quartz, if it doesn't it could be diamond. I found a huge cinnabar deposit in that same area near Table Mountain. People asked me why I didn't file a claim and work it. Uhmm.. no thanks :>
That's wild that there was enough quartz on the surface alone to justify having a stamp mill... I knew that diamonds were found around the La Porte area, but I wasn't aware that they had also been found around Table Mountain. That's really interesting. I wonder what someone looking for diamonds might find around Cherokee? Thanks for the info on the simple quartz vs diamond test. That makes sense, but I never would have thought of that on my own! Haha, yeah, what the hell would you want to do with a cinnabar claim? Indeed, no thanks!
@@TVRExploring there's a diamond mine at Cherokee, but it's off limits to the public. Originally they were hydraulically minimgbfor gold and discovered diamonds. From time to time someone will find a diamond in the area.
I start watching your uploads and I can stop haha.... Another interesting place that quartz and those trees man very cool!
Yes, this is a really cool site. Glad I was able to suck you into the videos! LOL.
Happy 4th everyone. I am amazed by the funky things that grow in mines. I know you don;t take stuff but I believe I would have picked up a crystal or two.
Eric Corse 🤔😉
Thank you. Yes, one can see some pretty wild things inside of mines!
another good one wish you would have found stampmill .when i go back country alone i take a extra battery for the truck just like taking a extra light for in the the mine just makes you fell better knowing you wont be walking miles thumbs up keep them vids coming
d pete Can I borrow that battery Pete?! Lol
no prob il run it up the hill to ya
Nice find. Just goes on and on forever it looks like. I got a chuckle out of McBride with his stick beat'n the shit out of spider houses. I personally would have a bigger stick. I take it the crystals are not worth anything today. Excellent work and such. Hey, where are the 'and suches'? Bring them back. I miss them. Hats off ya and take care of Mr McBribe.
There's a lot there, to be sure. And I'm sure that if we had had more time or more people, we would have found a lot more! Haha, yeah, stuff like Chuck whacking away at the spider web makes me laugh because it's the kind of thing you completely forget about until coming across it when editing the video later... The crystals are attractive, but I don't think they have any real monetary value today. You're right about the "and suches." I really need to work on that. Thank you for helping to keep me on the right track.
TVR, I've been subscribed for a while now, and viewed a lot of your work I missed. I'm inspired, I would love to learn a new mine with you guys. I'll keep to myself, and I'm used to working in confined and dangerous n shitty environments. If you're ever around John day OR, or any surrounding mines in northern OR I'd love to tag along.
Good company is always welcome on a trip... We haven't done mine exploring in Oregon yet, but it is on the list. If you haven't seen it yet, the RUclips channel "Mines of the West" is run by a mine exploring buddy of mine and he has done a lot of mines in Oregon.
I might just have to do that.
Excellent adventures! That looked a fun place to check out, love doing places like this, just never know what to expect around the next corner! Some nice quartz crystals, a friend brought one he found the other day to a meet up, it was about 10inches across, pretty massive to think they get that big and bigger! Awesome stuff guys!
Cornish Mine Explorer There are some that are the size of my leg down there! No I'm not hauling them out of that Bataan death March hike! Lol
Sometimes it's good to leave them in place for others to see, given it's remote location I can't see anyone else hauling them anywhere anytime soon. I like the spider web hack by the way lol
Cornish Mine Explorer Small twigs are a spiders worse nightmare when in the hands of a trained professional!
Give them a whack from me! lol
Cornish Mine Explorer 🕷🔨
Thank you , I am glad you guys are back home safe and made the discovery of Air conditioning . I hear you about packing image stabilization for your camera , I never use one with the pocket camera ? Great explore I like your " Skip Tracks " , little details like that are so neat . They make head lights for motorcycles . I hear you about the truck , Been there done that . Some body siphoned the gas out of my truck at a Trailhead after a 2 day back pack trip . 11:00pm in the Adirondack Mtns get back to the truck half alive . I looked at the gas gage and said this makes no sense and ran out 2 miles down the road ,slept upright in the seats . Next morning cooked a small breakfast and dumped the remaining white gas and gas line anti freeze in to raise water / fuel level in the tank . A few more miles down the road and it quit right in front of the Mcintyre blast furnace . I figured I had 12 miles to walk for gas and left my bro with the truck and more food than he could eat before I got back . A few miles down the road Keith was leaving the National lead mine and gave me a 20 mile ride to get gas and 20 back to the truck . Like your Mines this mine was a Strategic Materials Mine during World War 2 . It took the demand for Titanium for paint to get a railroad built to an Iron mine after a century of effort . Big Floatation Tables operation For a Strategic Material for the War . Look Up Tahawus and Mcintyre Blast Furnace in yahoo search . The Iron was a Byproduct ? What you two guys did there is a Very Important look at Obscure part of our past . Flash forward 50 years and some Guy Equivalent to our Stephen Speilberg gets his inspiration from Your Video Today . It is worth the effort and will be A Valuable look at the past . I wonder who they will get to Play Chuck ?
Adit Addicts , Tough guy Charles Bronson from 45 years ago would be a good Choice . The Chuck half of TVR exploring Oozes Manly Ruggedness as he walks by . Justin possibly slipped on some drippage , that's how he fell at the first Ledge ? You guys are hardcore , quite a Trip !
Mark Cant Email Lmfao! 100%Chuck Norris approved!
LOL, I can't even say that I slipped on anything. I just lost my balance when perched on that precarious ledge... Once you're falling, you've just got to roll with it sometimes! The important thing is that I didn't drop the camera and I landed like I meant to do it! Your experience with someone stealing your gasoline is brutal. Out in the wilderness that sort of thing could actually get someone killed. That site you described sounds great though!
TVR Exploring Hey!! Did you notice at the lower tree deadfall adit that the strip gave way to rail about 1/3 of the way in? Big rail too.
You did very well on that slip ,and like you said in the Vid you caught the image to share with us . I hear you on protecting the camera , good job . I have at least one good fall each hunting season , And Do a roll sometimes to Protect the long gun . It ends up on top most times . The optics is not expensive , but having to re sight or replace during the season can be a Pain . You are a good athlete when it coms to rolls ! Footage came out great . Yes Trail head crime was in the issue of backpacker that week that I got back from Mtns. I did luck out , sounds like your adventure was rougher . Chuck Norris would wet his pants if he viewed an after trip video if that footage existed . You guys are hard core I enjoy your trips to remote Mines , Thank you for sharing with all of us .
I so totally forgot about your graceful fall and epic landing!! Roflmfao!! One of my favorite trips! Dead battery, nutty family members and all! Had a blast, would do it all over again in a nanosecond!
ADIT ADDICTS “one of my favorite trips” better have not been a pun
CCARKUS Shit no I had so much fun on that trip! Totally lit fam.
ADIT ADDICTS dont.... dont say that
CCARKUS to late, I own those now!
Yep, despite the unexpected night spent in the forest, this is definitely one I look back on with fondness... I'm confident there is more down there too - and I'm not just talking about the crystals.
Great video sorry about your misfortune at the end, At least you weren't broke down in Italy! Thanks bud!
Thank you. Ha, the misfortunes are part of the adventure, right? Breaking down in Italy isn't too bad when I've got my wife with me (she's from Italy and can speak with people and get things sorted). When I'm by myself, yeah, that would really suck... I'd have a problem then because my Italian isn't good enough to explain the problem to someone and coordinate fixing the problem. Fortunately, that hasn't happened yet!
I think that your videos and narratives are awesome. I have noticed in most of the mines that you explore, there are often red or orange writings/lines on the rock face. I don't know anything about mining and I was wondering the meaning of suck markings? Thanks and be safe out there.
Thank you... Those red/orange marks you noticed are from surveys that were done inside of the mine or to mark where samples were taken.
Cool thanks for the info. Cheers!
another great video, sorry for your vehicle problems
All part of the adventure! Thanks.
Woah, look at this cool stuff!
oops sorry about truck problems...maybe next time bring spare battery...and emergency blankets...shucks where I come from it's called roughing it...easy peasy...glad you safe that the most important !! another great vid !! more please...
Ah, it's not a big deal. All part of the adventure! Those sorts of things keep life interesting...
Glad you guys made it out safely awesome video ❤️
Haha, that was a long night!
Epic - especially getting stuck overnight.
With the benefit of time, it was quite an experience... At the time - say around 4 AM - it wasn't as much fun.
Awesome videos guys!
The blocks of wood that the support the tracks for the ore carts are called sleepers. Great video, cheers
Thank you. I encounter those a lot and I'm glad you've armed me with the right terminology now!
Wow how cool is that. Have you ever taken a black / uv flashlight in there?
We have one, but if a mine is difficult to get to, a lot of stuff gets left behind. Unfortunately, that was the case here.
Did you rescue the skillets? The one hanging on the tree looked like a BSR " Birmingham Stove and Range " open market right now in that condition is 50 bucks .
Mad Mardigan Oh shit really?
They're still there... We don't take stuff, but even if we had wanted these, it would have been tough getting them out of there on the bikes. We were already pretty overloaded with gear. That is very interesting though to know it is worth that much.
TVR Exploring I was lucky to haul my ass OUT of there in the dark.... alone........AGAIN.....
I was not implying that you guys loot old - historic mining stuff. The skillet on the ground and hanging in the tree is from an obvious modern camp site. Love your videos and not trying to stir up trouble. Apology's
thepan-handler.com/product-category/manufacturer/birmingham-stove-range/
Very interesting area, I just explored an area in GA with tons of quartz but it was an old gold hydraulic mining area I think. Love the crystals you found in this one!
Hike 2 Were the rocks round like cobble and in big piles all over the place? If so then yes, that's a placer mine site!
ADIT ADDICTS yes they were I think, you can check out the video if you want, I’ve never seen anything like it.
Yes, that is almost certainly a placer mine.
Hike 2 We have miles and miles of hydraulic mines in the Sierra's. Literally.
Glad to see you are ok a lot of the mines are real remote but those are the better ones to go to
Steven Higby That's how you see the good stuff.
Always great videos.
Thank you!
I, for one, appreciate the "adventures" you go through to bring your video show to us out here in youtube land! Hope you had more than one sleeping bag between you two!!
Tu te Kohe Haha!!
Haha, yes, fortunately sleeping bags were not needed that night! Glad you appreciate the "adventures" behind the videos. Some of them are pretty unpleasant.
aw thats what buddies are for. who wouldn't want to spoon with Mr Mcbride? LOLOL :P
Wow, Adventure turn into more of an adventure. thanks for adding about the getting supplies to the site. i have wondered. some sites it appears you use a 4 wheeler this one maybe so, maybe not. (4 wheeler s can haul more). still intersting to see this.
Tickled Funny Bone if I had one we'd take it! Motorcycles for now tho.
I understand. saddle bags? :-P
Tickled Funny Bone Yea I'm not old enough yet to go full wild hogs. I still like to try and keep my slim dirt bike figure! Bad enough I'm wearing a backpack! Lol
ADIT ADDICTS LMAO!
Yeah, we have to cram everything into relatively small backpacks to be able to ride or to get around some off these steep canyons (often there are no trails).
Pretty cool, where are you guys at, looks like my terrain up here i the Shasta area. I have found some cool small crystals, minerals and rocks laying on the ground when I hike trails or sort of go off places like you guys did here when I follow a creek/falls up to its beginnings; but never came across any old mines or newly found faces. I actually started walking the railroad tracks in and around my area and been finding agates, chalcedony and some cool white and yellow/amber calcite; which some of it looks as if it would be found in a sea due to it looking like seashell/rock style. I did find a small amethyst nugget and some quartz on a path along side a creek that people just so unconscious they dont even see it lol and even made camp fires and such by it too. If you know of any cool places for me to scoop out here in the Shasta C and surrounding areas let me know as I would love to go see and bring some things home as well. Thanks guys for sharing the video and any info you may have, been up here now for 4 years after living in Jersey on opposite coast all my life.
Christopher Schiffermiller Well that's a definite change of scenery! I've spent a bit of time in sweetbrier and fished the high lakes around there, beautiful country. There are mines in and around Shasta and the Trinity's but to be honest I've never had the chance to poke around up there as far as mines are concerned. You'll find one soon enough though I'm sure if you keep looking!
Thanks and after your video I did a quick search and came across some cool sites I will leave you the links below. The easiest one is actually private property that is for sale, but a public road goes through it; so I am going to go explore in, around and up that way on the outskirts to see if there are any trails and areas that look like they might have some goodies. What state are you guys in in this video? We have a really cool place out here by the lava bed in the middle of nowhere that is basically Obsidian Heaven; but the two times I was there I did not have a lot of time to explore and had a small child with me to boot. I did bring home some really beautiful Black Obsidian in all shapes and sizes, as well as cool pumice and what I call in betweeners; that are obsidian layers with a pumice type bubbly layers that repeat. In areas like that, to your knowledge, can you fin other types of crystals or gems from lava beds and volcanic upheavels? Thanks again and I will check out some more of your videos as well. Have you ever fooled around with muratic acid on calcite and other easy to dissolve minerals to find cool crystals and stuff hidden inside? I just started doing that a few months back after watching this guys channel "mrminer" as he found some cool things like pyrite cubes, garnet and so on. My first two attempts on small pieces yielded me tiny quartz points like little cities under the dissolved calcite, pretty cool to see and to do the experimenting as well. Thanks again for any answers and insights.
Christopher Schiffermiller hey Thanx for the links I'll check those out. We are south of you but not by much. We go to Nevada and northern CA most the time but frequent Butte, Sierra, tehama, yuba, plumas, and Nevada counties. Not to sure about the muriatic acid and the crystals for I've never tried that.
Christopher Schiffermiller Thank you for the links. I've been to that obsidian site near Lava Beds and it is phenomenal...
Sure thing My Friend and yes the Obsidian Area, Medicine Lake and even the backside to go out and up to the other beds/petroglyph site on the cali/oregon border is a great day trip. I asked above but, got no response about finding other cool crystals, diamonds or gold in that Obsidian or an lava upheavel area; is it possible, common or no to your knowledge? I was there twice, but both times I had only a very short time to check it out and only brought home some great Obsidian. I want to go back this summer and spend a day as I feel maybe since its lava flow and lots of tubes and just really rocks making up the landscape; that perhaps some diamonds or other crystals can be found, maybe even breaking some rocks open? Any insight on that or finds you had their? Thanks a b bunch in advance
Wow what a miserable ending. Sorry to hear it but thanks for the video!
Ha, all part of the adventure! Thank you for the condolences though.
Looking at a lot of the mine videos. Some really remote. I wonder, are there bears in those woods? And if so, do they hibernate or make dens in these adits and small exploration holes? I can recall always looking around outside small cave openings and mine portals to see if I could detect signs of big animals. I never did...and I am not sure where I got the idea that bears or big cats might make a home in such in place. Do they?
Sure, there are lots of bears in these woods... However, they don't seem to like to hang out in mines. We've visited several hundred now and have never seen anything other than bats, rats and bugs.
Damn that is some serious quartz lol. I wouldn't be surprised if the guys working the creek didn't do fairly well. Great explore. Isn't it always the way when your transportation goes south that there isn't phone service lol. You guys be safe. Happy fourth by the way
Doc McCoy Believe it or not I had excellent service AND internet out there! Lol the problem is finding some one to get out there and jumpstart our asses!
Yes, with that much quartz, it is no mystery why the miners were working there! And, yes, if the historical assay results are any indication, I'd imagine the guys working the creek were definitely getting into some good gold. Well, my phone didn't work at all and Chuck's phone didn't connect to anyone that wanted to drive out there (admittedly a tough drive) to help us. So, that's pretty much the same thing as not having a phone that works.
that was an old dodge truck they made that cab style till 1971
BUT being a v8 that would not be before 64 in that body STYLE and being that green it may have been a GOVT truck. mean while that pan on the tree.......was close to a clamp and that clamp isn't that old.......so some was chilling out there... or hiding...but very INTRESTING..as always....thanks for posting
Thank you for the info on the truck. I couldn't figure out much about it...
TVR Exploring "MOPAR guy for 50 years" raced them too!
favourite 1969 ROAD RUNNER....Motor Trends car of the year!
The growths at 7:40 look like they are a Xylaria species (a fungus). Not sure which species exactly but I have found it before in California with not nearly as nice a fruiting.
A 66 Dodge truck I just sold one not to long ago haha.. Man Love your videos!
Thank you. Ha, that's funny about the Dodge!
How did they get the skip to the top of that incline? Was it by stair master, or maybe a rope and pulley system? ?
I imagine they had a windlass up there.
Trying to float in the air again?
"We all float here."
Another epic adventure
Thank you. You guys probably would have liked this one given how much stuff was around. If we'd had more time or more people, I'm sure we would have found a lot more stuff too! Also, it was a tough hike in and out, so that would be right up your alley as well.
That large crystal ended up in your pack, YESS
I would have come back with a whole pile of Crystals in my pockets, that and the coleman Lantern that was on the ground outside as well! Restore that puppy and put it to work exploring mines!
That entire mountain is one bit hunk of quartz! I wish I could have been there to see that in person!
Yes, that's a good way of putting it. A huge block of quartz shifted up through there...
what type of stabilizer do you use i make videos of exploring and need a good stabilizer like yours
It's the Crane M
Hey this is a great exploring video.But I just wanted to correct some geological things.The rocks you saw are quartz veins.These veins are formed when very silicate magma fills big gaps in rocks that are caused by tension faults.That magma washes off the gold and the precious elements from the rocks of the area and deposits them in the veins.So when you find these rocks they usually indicate a gold mine,not just "crystals mine". Keep up the good work!!
Correct us? What was incorrect? We know that that was quartz and that was originally a gold mine. In this entire region of California they almost exclusively have gold mines... That particular vein of quartz at this mine has a lot of crystals though and during World War II, those crystals were much more valuable than gold. We don't often see veins of quartz with that many crystals, which may be where the name came from.
Oh well maybe I didn't notice you talking about the gold that these veins (aka Pegmatites) have.My bad ! Yes that's true.I am looking forward for more videos of you guys !! :)
Thank you. Yes, we grew up in California's "Gold Country" and we have a LOT of placer and lode gold mines around here. Haha, we're real familiar with quartz by now!
hey what do you guys think about exploring the Argonaut and Kennedy mines ( if they are still connected )?
I've spoken with a volunteer at the Kennedy Mine and I believe there are access issues with those.
So sad how people can be so disrespectful, by trashing out someone else's property.
Yes, I wish that whichever individual it was had at least hauled the plastic out.
Beautiful area
Hard to get to, but, yes, it is very beautiful...
Its a shame that some people that try to live off the land and mine it can't respect it enough to keep it clean.
That's my kinda luck. Love your videos
Haha, unfortunately, that is our luck all too often as well!
Cool looking mine looks like good material if you could explore deeper it probably would have got very good. calcite crystal & crystals .sometimes worth more money than gold mines . I collect them. thanks for sharing your video.
Yes, that quartz vein seemed to run for the remainder of the way down to the creek, which was quite a ways (and undoubtedly underground beyond that)... I didn't know the crystals could be that valuable. Thanks for educating me.
That one camp with all that stuff left behind,..I wonder if the guy was attacked by a bear as he was in the tent! no one would leave all that stuff and walk away.. Just wondering.
Robert Hardwick I wouldn't say attacked by a bear, not impossible but very unlikely around that area. Lots of bears but they're pretty harmless unless rabid. But, what came immediately to mind for me was heart attack or aneurysm maybe a stroke, THEN drug off by bears. The reason for that train of thought is because a miner friend of my family ended up just that way not even a mile from where this mine is located. Only found his skull cap and a femur. Nicknamed him bear man after that.
DAM!
how could they determine the dead cause by stroke or aneurysm on only a skull fragment and femur?
I don't know the details of the "Bear Man" story, but I've heard it too... We've come across several of these abandoned dredging claims along creeks where the miners left all of their gear. Check out my video on the West Coast Mine. They had a gorgeous spot along the creek and left EVERYTHING - generators, food, ammo boxes, etc.
dr_BD Speculation mainly because he had a bad ticker to begin with. He wasn't killed by the bears though.
The USFS used those Dodge trucks for years. The green color is correct for the time frame. 318 V-8.
Interesting. I wonder if it was a Forest Service truck?
Hi TVR,
Your statement to Google “Crystal Radio Receiver” or “Crystal Set” is incorrect. A crystal radio receiver or crystal set uses a diode, not quartz. The correct information is to Google "crystal oscillator". Look at the Wikipedia link for a good explanation. The quartz is used to set the frequency of the radio. It works just like a tuning fork. All crystals for electronics are now synthetic. As an electronics engineer I have never thought about using natural quartz for crystal oscillators, but before we knew how to make synthetic quartz, all we had was natural quartz.
gwc1410 I've been told that you can make a radio with a natural crystal and not need any power ( plug in batt etc) to hear signals. Obviously not going to break world records in bass but it can be heard . Is that true at all?
Yes you can make a radio that uses no power, it's called a crystal radio. It uses the power from the radio waves to power the radio. You need to be close to radio station, and it doesn't get very loud, but it does work. Go to Wikipedia and search "Crystal radio" for information. You can buy one for about $10. They are very simple and are usually made by kids as a learning experience. In the old days they used a crystalline mineral such as galena. Now they use a diode. Just be aware they have nothing to do with the quartz crystals shown in your mine video.
I like your videos and been a subscriber for a while now. As you do in your videos, I used to go exploring out of the way places on my dirt bike too. Lots of fun.
gwc1410 Yea I love riding, and I'm really happy Justin (TVR ) loves it too because always hiking to the spots my truck can't make it ( which is not very often !) Sucks! Lol I love hiking but we're sometimes doing 8-11 miles at 5000' to 7500' elev and after a couple of those trips your like " hell with that!" Then I remembered I had motorcycles! Lmao thanks for the radio info very interesting.
gwc1410 Thank you for the correction. I will update the description to include the accurate information.
Oh, and thank you for being a subscriber for a while as well. I always have a soft spot for those with us from near the beginning!
Lol, only in Cali does that old truck not rust out.. nice vid
Haha, one of the few things we don't have to worry about here!
I think rail is rail, no matter what material it's made from, whether it's iron, steel, aluminium or wood. The very first rail systems built in England had wooden rails.
Tu te Kohe The wood ones are the " econo " brand in the world of rail. Lol
Well, rail it is then! Thank you.
Aw, man! Some days, u just can't buy a break, & apparently, the 4th of July was one of those days!
All part of the adventure!
1st, Great video, soon as i saw it pop up i clicked to watch, can't wait for the next one.
Thank you!
It's steep but is it 5 bears steep?!
8:43 looks like they had windless.
Whoever was living there was apparently sleeping in the mine at night. That takes a special breed right there. I'd be drinkin too!
ammobake lol! Yea it's too damp to constantly stay in there day in day out for my taste. I love going through them but sleeping in one 🤔 not on the long term that's for sure. I'd still be drinking weather inside or out though, no problems with that!
Not just sleeping inside the mine for a night or two, but apparently living inside there! That does indeed take a special breed. Alone by himself in the middle of nowhere living in a cave... Yeah, he'd have been an interesting one to run into.
@@TVRExploring And they said cave men died off?
ok .solid quartz . please explain what that means. I get excited cause you do but I don't understand
Quartz is the white mineral all around us inside of the mine. One usually sees veins of it rather than being inside a solid cube of it.
Sad that people dont care about their garbage especially the plastic shit. But great video anyways Mister TVR!
Ya Dong That ALWAYS irks me! I'm going back with a quad and winch soon to clean some of that shit up.
Thank you! The metal and glass don't bother me too much, but I hate the plastic stuff. I'm with you 100%
Realy? You are my hero! Please make a video, cause good deeds should also be seen from all. BTW you get a sub of your channel. (No. 650)
Ya Dong Woohoo! Thank you! When I do go back Justin will have to film me cuz I'll be too busy picking up trash! Lol
That’s sad they left that area trashed..
Libranitus Johnson It is. I hate it when plastic is left esp.
is it true that heavy quartz amount could indicate good possibility of gold ??
J Shiloh Shea it can yes. Not always but a good amount of the time.
I truly hope that when u all venture like this u have a contingency plan and have a way of camping out and food rations??
Hard to make plans given all of the variables involved in mine exploring, but tools and equipment to innovate our way out of a problem are in abundance...
Are snakes much of an issue in shafts like this one?
We have never encountered any snakes inside of a mine. I know that some people have, but we have visited hundreds of abandoned mines now and have only ever encountered bats, rats and bugs underground.
I would volunteer to glove up and get a respirator to help clean that entrance, that’s pathetic. But, i live in Indiana. To bad you can’t hit abandoned mines here.
Libranitus Johnson We'll wait for you! Lol
Where is this mine at
big crystal chunk looks like something I found in my garden...
You must be gardening in an interesting place!
just got back from high commission, what a fucking hike
Anything good up there still?
TVR Exploring YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYUP
i meant hi collision
Thank you 😊 found it ❤️😊✌🏻
if there are quartz would there be gold there aswell ? iam in the uk
Greetings to the UK! Quartz is an indicator of gold, but it is not a guarantee of gold. In other words, some quartz is barren and does not contain gold. It's hit and miss. Obviously, the quartz here DID contain gold though given the amount of activity at this site...
OK, how many grows have you stumbled upon looking for mines in the NorCal?? :D
Just Somebody One! So far. And literally stumble upon it he did as I was putting a spare tire on! Kinda hard though to stumble into those though being that you can smell them about 5 miles away lol.
Yes, I literally walked right into the middle of that one before I realized what was up... Some of them are hidden pretty well! The mines tend to be in locations that are too rugged and remote for growers. Usually.
Stay safe both you!! Keep up the great videos as well.
I think the person who was camping there got taken by a predator of some kind, based on the fact that they left so much of their valuables behind and the sleeping bag looked kinda roughed up. If not, they are just a huge ahole having left all that trash behind.
When you say remote how far from civilisation is remote?
How did you all get out of that predicament?
david sul Rode 17 miles to town and got another truck then drove back and jumped mine. Sun was coming up by then.
All part of the experience...
TVR Exploring Well yesterday's " experience " kicked my ass! Motorcycle boots never again!
Made that mistake myself once and haven't taken the motorcycle boots out of storage since...
Where in California is that?
This is in Sierra County
TVR Exploring do you know of any open mines in Butte Co. or Plumas Co. or Shasta Co.?
incredible
looks like a beautiful night to sleep in the back of the truck looking up at the stars. I wish I could have that claim for a day just to collect rocks.
I love cowboy camping in the back of the truck looking up at the stars! Just got back from a trip to Nevada where I spent several days doing exactly that too... Yes, there were some cool rocks around this site, to be sure.
ow btw happy 4th fellas
No gas. Dead battery. No luck
All part of the adventure!
Oh no hope the night out
wasn't too bad
NZErehwon lol the damn deer were the worst part! One tried to run me over and the others just circled us menacingly for the rest of the night. Lol
NZErehwon All part of the adventure... That sort of thing keeps life interesting.
The mill is gone washed away 1997
Ah, well, that makes sense then. Too bad. 1997 was a hard year for a lot of mines in the area... Thank you for the info.
"a simple stamp mill was sufficient for milling the ore since the quartz veins harbor almost no sulfide"
why is a stamp mill not conducive to milling sulfides?
Apparently, the quartz was free milling since it is in an oxidized zone and so additional processing (such as using a concentration plant) was not necessary.
Sulfides typically require a finer grind than a stamp mill will provide - ball and rod mills are common, with two or three crushers leading up to the mill. Flotation, rather than shaker tables, is then used to skim off the concentrate. I've got a video of sulfide milling at the Buick mine up on my channel that may give you some insight into the process.
Thanks to the both of you for the explanation(s).
Very cool, hope you made it out ok?
Andy Loven 👍
If something can happen it will. Even if it can't happen, it probably will anyway... At least you got out next day ok and had decent footage to post.
Christian Buczko if your out with me don't be surprised if a meteor hits you.
Oh, with our luck we can pretty much expect anything... As long as it doesn't kill us, we usually end up with a good story from the experience!
Top vid ,, better the bad luck happen up top and not down the mine
vaughan warburton We were pretty far down! Lol I thought it was fun tho! After awhile that is lol.
did you ever want to call your friend mc cloud or something else just to break up the silence?
Ha, no, there's usually a lot going on...
I guess all that Quartzes is not gold, or that would one big hole.
sorry ABOUT having to camp OVER NITE....maybe put a battery disconnect switch on the battery......for safety reasons.....
It's just one of those things... Hard to account for everything that can go wrong.
Would it be possible that who ever was camped there could have been taken by a wild animal,would you leave a radio or sleeping bag and gas light behind , love your shows ,best wish's.
yes, miners commonly abandoned equipment
I realize it's kinda randomly asking but does anybody know a good website to watch newly released series online?
@Judson Brendan I watch on Flixzone. You can find it on google :)
@Beau Ahmir yea, been using Flixzone for since march myself :)
@Beau Ahmir thank you, signed up and it seems to work :D I really appreciate it !
What are all those red markings, don't look like graffiti. Possibly markings for the miners to follow?
They are marks left by surveyors or to indicate where an ore sample was taken.
Too bad people leave so much garbage everywhere.
Yeah, especially the plastic stuff!
hum the camp might have some bone to much stuff
When the dredging ban went into effect, a lot of claims were left in that state - all of the tools and equipment left behind... The miners just walked away and never came back.