Old Prospectors Cabin - Uinta Mountains (Utah)
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- Опубликовано: 15 сен 2023
- This video shows an amazing and very preserved old prospectors cabin located high up in the Uinta Mountains of Utah. The sod roof is still intact and the cabin still has accessories and decorations located inside and outside the cabin. It is very rare to find an old cabin still intact and in such good condition.
History of the Cabin: I am of the opinion the cabin was built sometime after the Ute Indian Reservation opened up in 1905. In 1894 there was a short lived gold rush that occurred in the Uinta Mountains, as prospectors searched for gold and silver deposited by an Igneous Intrusion that runs in the area of this cabin. There are numerous old mines/diggings in the area of the cabin that I have not explored yet. A total of six mines have been discovered by a close friend and his father. One of these mines goes deep into the earth, but we were unable to locate it. The forest is very thick and the the area is covered in debris and boulders.
Sometime in the 1950's a man by the name of Moke Lee (his name is carved in a board located inside the cabin), moved into the cabin. He removed the floor boards and attempted to repair the roof using said floor boards. He also tried to seal up the cracks in the cabin with sealant to weather proof it. I imagine Moke Lee was a Sheep Herder, Prospector or Hermit. If you know who Mr. Lee is please let me know.
I want to thank my friend Clay for allowing me to film this cabin and share with all of you. Please never destroy these old sites and help preserve them for our kids and grandkids.
My contact information is: wirecanyon@gmail.com
That was very interesting and amazing thank you again for sharing.
Just wonderful cabin! When I first moved to Utah in 1993, I lived on the east bench of a town in the Wasatch range, up near the Idaho line. One day walking my dog just beyond where the houses ended, I found an old box with 3 compartments, or if stood up it might have been a stand with 3 shelves. Most of the paint was gone, but what was left of it was a deep but faded green. It smelled of the sage that grew all around it. I dragged it home while people stared at me, and I wondered if I was doing something illegal.
The following summer that whole area of the bench was razed and prepared for building more homes, of the sort I like to call Mormon McMansions. Any other 19th century treasures that might have been left on that mountainside were surely destroyed.
My wife and I worked in the Uinta mountains in a cow camp and we found many Tie hack cabins and from time to time we would come across a outhouse and then the remains of a cabin it was a great experience
Absolute wow! That cabin is a true Uinta gem. Thanks for sharing. ain’t nothin’ better than rucking around in the Uintas.
Each and every log cut and fit using only an ax, by the looks of it. I have come across some amazing cabins myself, although not in the mountains, but the West Desert. Actually heading to the cabin that my father built with help from family and friends next weekend, in the beautiful Dixie National Forest. Thanks for the video!
Trekked all over the beautiful Uinta mountains in my younger days looking and finding old abandoned mines. Hundreds of old cabins up there. Never know what you'll find in those mountains.
your videos absolutely never disappoint sir! you have created the best channel on RUclips in my humble opinion.
Thanks Adam. It's taken me over a year to build up the channel and you have been with me almost since the beginning, so I really appreciate YOU and your support.
Thank you for documenting this cabin. It’s beautiful💚
Glad you enjoyed it!
Incredible 👏👏👏👏 Nothing screams Americana more than a young miner , With nothing but a headfull of dreams and a strong back.. Thanx for sharing. ✌️😎
I agree 100%. Those old guys were super cool and tough.
Nice piece of history. Hate to see the spray foam, the wood will rot faster where it has been applied as the air can't ventilate and dry the wood. Thanks for the adventure and sharing this little cabin in the woods!
I never even considered that regarding the spray foam, you make a really good point.
This is my theory; Moke Lee (the guy who tried to winterize the cabin in 1956 and placed his name on the board in the cabin), was a Sheep Herder, Prospector or Trapper/Hermit. He removed the floor boards from the cabin and placed them on the roof of the door side of the cabin in an attempt to repair the roof. He then covered the boards with the old sod that was on that side of the original roof. He must have slept in a hammock, or strung a few boards across the floor, because there is no way he was sleeping on the hard rock floor.
I'm not sure if he used the spray foam, or if that was someone else who tried to use the cabin at a later date. I googled spray foam and it was around in the 1950's, but didn't become really popular until the 1970's.
Just my 2 cents.
@@LowBudgetExploration your two cents are worth at least ten! Tried to help some old cabins age gracefully after someone used spray foam by removing it. I found the air could not dry the wood out after rain/snowfall and mushrooms grew speeding the rotting process. I’ve seen rocks used like this before in areas that may have ground moisture and be cold 🥶 The wood provided an area for planking to go across and the rocks below, filled the void as to keep cold, still air to a minimum. I really enjoy the videos. Keep them coming!
@@ocotillooutlaws4101 👍
My father worked for the forest service during the war (WWII) in the high Sierras and showed us a couple of old cabins that had sort of survived the years since the late 1800's. Learned at an early age that the structure was only as good as the roof. I've been in Utah since the late '80's (formerly SoCal) and am quite sure the reason this old cabin is still there is bc of that roof, although not for long what with tree fall etc. Heck, even the door is still there and operational!! As for a mine... good luck with that. If the local natives had anything to do with it, wouldn't be surprised if they tried to obscure whatever is/was there. Beautiful place however. Wish I still had the legs and heart to go exploring like this. Now just limited to my ol '59 Willys if I can get in 'er! 😅
Holy cow. Luv the Willy's! Don't see many of those around anymore. Very cool.
the roof is key to any free standing wood structure. Japanese wood buildings that are almost 1,000 years old are l ike that, but have been maintained. unfortunately, the roof was where the cheap fix was in, so when it caves the walls and floors go fast.
@@LowBudgetExploration
I was 5 in '64 and my dad bought a new Jeep Wagoneer. Fell in love with Jeeps/Willys then & there. In the '70's I discovered the older Utility Wagons ('46-'63). Bought a '60 in '86 and explored most of the West in it but lost it to theft in '99. Found another one (a '59) 2 yrs ago to keep my dreams of crawling around alive. And yes, they are far & few between now. First all-steel bodied "station wagons" with four wheel drive. A bit short on creature comforts too, but very capable and have a face only a mother could love! 😋
Beautiful country up there!
brilliant opening shot
Thanks Greg.
My grandfather but a trappers cabin in.the Uintas in the 1930s
in Canada we had so many shipwrights and Scandanavians homestead they used their wood skills: dovetail notching. Tight. We have two two story notched homes way up on Todd Mountain ALONG with a root cellar (willow weave door is still there) AND a Norwegian barn set up exactly the same way I've seen my granddad's barn. The layout must be 1,000 or more years old. Works. you have three double horse stalls (teams ate and worked together) on one walkway side, and a hay mow up top, and the other side was for cattle and sheep. HYou could move in today.
I would love to see those. Very interesting and I imagine beautiful old structures.
what an incredible survivor ! Thank you for sharing it with us. Regards from Ody Slim
Yes she is! Beautiful work of art.
I didn't think that type type of foam? sealant was even around until into the seventies/eighties?
It wasn't, we discuss it down below. Unfortunately someone has used it in the cabin in an attempt to weatherproof it. Outlaws 4101 down below in the comments brings up a really good point regarding the sealant.
Cool!!
👍
I'll be waiting to see this igneous intrusion Chris....
Darrell, hope your doing good. My friend and I are going to visit an outcropping of the dike next year. There is an area we want to explore for something rumored my friend had been told about by his father and there is an outcropping not far from this area. It's on top of a mountain peak, so it will have to wait until snow melts next year. Should be fun.
What a treasure to find
Yes sir. The cabin is way cooler than the mines, at least I think so.
Was a time whena piece of iron/metal would have been considered valuble wealth in itself.
Growing up I saw horseshoes all rhe time, now almost never. Iasked my sis if she had any around the barn, she said she hadn't seen any in years.
You can strike a spark on those with a piece of flint as sure as any other. Maybe that explains the old paintings with sparks flying off the shoes/hooves of the horses.
When I was growing up we had horses. One time we almost caught the river bottom on fire. We were "loping" and one of the shoes on the horses caused a spark and caught the grass on fire. Luckily someone looked back and saw the smoke, so we were able to put out the fire before it got out of hand.
Nice find! Check out Muskrat Outdoors recent video where he finds an old cabin. First time seeing your channel so I don't know if you travel around, I believe he is in Idaho. I was stationed at Hill and fell in love with the outdoors because of Utah...what a beautiful state! On one of our adventures we found an old gold mine and we went in...to this day, I have not experience the degree of darkness when the light went out. I will pass on going into mines!! Stay safe!!
Thanks Terrance and welcome to the channel. I will check out the video.
what is the law on Elk hunting in that area?
This is a roadless area "Wilderness Area", so as far as I know you can still hunt. You will have to travel into these areas on foot or horses. I think most people who hunt these types of areas use horses. Lot's of deer and elk!!
👌
Thanks Captain.
This is incredibly intriguing!! Thanks for sharing!
I must ask though, why is the video all yellow? I wish this was in a more natural color. It's almost distracting. Nevertheless, awesome!
Your welcome. I use a vintage filter (Spagetti Western Type Filter). This way when people steal my work and post in their videos/websites I know its mine. You cant undo the filter without distorting the image, so it helps prevent this.
I use a iPhone 12. My phone has been dropped in creeks, dropped from a cliff I was climbing up, dropped in the dirt countless times and is full of trail dust. I think its time for an upgrade, LOL.
@LowBudgetExploration Fair, I dont blame you in that case! But hey you can use the old phone AND the new phone to get multiple angles perhaps!