As much as I like the mine explores I really enjoy seeing you two hiking up these desert trails. Being an old desert rat who grew up in Nevada I miss that terrain.
Yes, the hiking is a big part of the draw for us. Did you know we started our RUclips channel as a hiking based channel. When many of the trails we were hiking took us to mines we started exploring the mines. Glad that you enjoy seeing the desert trails, Jack. Thanks for watching!😁
Short but loved it, i just cant imagine how after a long day with shovels and picks they had to go back down to their cabins only for the next morning do it again, and again. in the heat how they supported the heat? incredible. Thank again another great show guys.
The amount of hard work the miners did is amazing. I don't know how they could manage to stay alive out here, much less work their tails off every day. Thanks for the comment, Felipe!👍😁
I saw that Central Oregon was getting a winter blast. Where are you located again? You might have told me, and I forgot. Glad that you had a little getaway watching the desert for a few minutes. Thanks for commenting!👍😁
What is really amazing is the amount of work that went into just making a trail to get to the mines. They obviously found something that was worth all the effort to build them. And that's even before they were in full swing. I wish we would have spent more time documenting these old miners. What stories they could have told us. But I'll settle for the stories you Two bring us in these amazing explorations! Thanks so much Tom and Julie for recording history in such a great manner. And Tom, You'll never get old when you have Julie as your motivator. You hike trails most guys our age would rather just avoid. But where's the adventure in that? Looking forward to seeing you guys in the video somewhere in those hills.
Wouldn't have been great to have a camera to record the old miners working and BS'ing with each other after work. Some of the mining equipment sure would have been fun to see and hear running, as well. Thanks for the awesome comment. We appreciate it!👍😁
@@TomandJulieMineExploring Hey, it's just from the heart. And yes! Could you imagine them telling us why they picked a certain spot or the tricks of the trade that we'll never know. Even the weather and the water supply back then. So many mysteries we can only make assumptions about.
Yes, these desert mountains are very rugged. All the rocks are very sharp and abrasive. When you fall, you will be losing skin. Thanks for the comment, George! 👌😁
Looks like they were following the quartz veins to find gold. They put all that work into that rock road wall yet the adits were quite small with only a splattering of wood shoring here and there. My favorite was the 4" round tree branch holding up that 50 ton boulder at 12:07 and also at 8:20 & 9:20 with more tree branches. When your camera panned the valley you could see what looked like two large quartz veins with mineral veins running in between them through the middle of the valley. The trail and valley shots were really cool. Thanks for the tour, Rik
I got a kick out of seeing a single stull holding up what looked like the whole mountain, too. Crazy miners. I liked seeing those stripes of minerals you mentioned. I bet the old prospectors could spot a desirable mineral vein from a mile away. The views in some of these rugged mountains are hard to beat. Thanks, Rik!😁
You're welcome, Mark. I'm guessing there was a simple hoist and probably some track in those shafts. Like you said, it was most likely repurposed in the next mine. Thanks for the comment!👍😁
Cool little mines! Lots of hopes and dreams. It's a shame the quartz vein pinched off in the last mine as it looked promising. Breath taking views outside. It all seems like a dream to me. Thanks Tom and Julie!
These little mines are still fun to explore. The views in this area are breathtaking, as you said. Glad that you liked them, William. Thanks for commenting!👌😁
Yes, the views here are great. Just the kind of rugged trails we like. We could have used a ladder or two as those shafts were just steep enough to be slippery. Thanks for the comment and blessing, Jimmy! 🙏😊
The wonderstone I believe you're talking about. It's not terribly uncommon in the areas we hike. I am a little surprised that you haven't seen it before. It is usually in smaller deposits and very flaky or shale like which easily split into thin layers. Thanks for commenting!😁
I hope someday to get my wife to enjoy hiking to some of the places you two go, she doesn't like people much and you guys hardly ever encounter anyone. Stay safe out there and thanks for taking us along.
That's a good plan, Mick. It can be a great way to see the sights and get some exercise. We don't run into many people at the places we go. Thanks for watching!👍😁
Nice vein or fault line up the mountain across the valley! I was a small time mine explorer in my younger days; but have become a little claustrophobic in my old age.......So I relive my youth vicariously thru you two on youtube while having my morning cuppa joe!! I Love the beauty of the desert; and you guys do an excellent job of showcasing it. Wifey and I have moved to S/W 'Aridzona', and are looking forward to finding old mining towns that are nearby our home. Be safe, be well, and Blessings to you both! Always fun watching your many video adventures; featuring the bottom of Tom's shoes/the top of his hard hat; and the South side of Julie walking North! ;-) 👍🤟🙏🙏
Yes, that mineral line across the way was pretty cool looking. Glad that you've had the chance to do some mine exploring. Hope you find some interesting mining towns in your new area. Glad that we can entertain you while you're having coffee. That funny, most people would recognize us from the bottom of my shoes and Julie's butt, not so much our faces. Lol Thanks for watching and commenting, David!👍😊
Tom & Julie, Fun and interesting explore. Some steep and rough terrain here in the FM. These mine workings appear to be pretty old. Many of the stulls were of unmilled lumber. Appeared to be mostly pick and shovel work. I didn't notice any blasting charge drill holes inside these at the face outs. As usual, good camera work and narrative. Well done. Thanks for taking us along.
Hey Rob, these are some old workings. The nearby mine was started in 1875, and although there is not a lot of information on these particular workings that I could find, I'm guessing they are from a similar time frame. This is the southern part of the Nopah Range. Very steep and rugged. There probably was a lot of work done by hand here. I'm always amazed at the work that went into the road/trail waits. Seems to be more than in the mine workings. Thanks for watching and commenting!👍😁
@@TomandJulieMineExploring You are welcome. Those early miners weren't afraid of some hard work. Never been into the Nopah Range. Looks very similar to the west slope of the Funerals. The nearby Kingston Mountains are supposed to have a population of gila monsters. I've never seen one. Maybe you can find one for us.😊
@@TomandJulieMineExploring Not really. Desert reptiles I'm pretty familiar with. Get me out of the desert and I'm lost. It's strange. I've lived in the desert for nearly 30 years and never even seen a gila monster. Then, I know some people who aren't even looking for one and see one as they are driving crossing the road. 😭
You might be surprised at how many smaller mine workings are out there. This is probably about an average sized working if you include all the prospects out there. Glad that you enjoyed the scenery, and thanks for watching, Ed!👍😁
The mines may not have been spectacular but the view from the mine sites were awesome. Another winner explore. I look forward to y’all’s post every week. Oh, thanks for pointing out the wonder stone!
You never know what you will find as far as the mine works go. That's all part of the fun. Sometimes, they are huge and sometimes not. Glad that you enjoyed the views and wonderstone. Thanks, Don!😁
You two have the best life. That beautiful scenery on your doorstep and a hobby that allows you to explore it, not to mention a chance to step back in time with some amazing artifacts. So envious. Keep these fantastic videos coming, a delight to watch. Thank you.
You're welcome, and thank you for the wonderful comment, Miles. We are lucky to have the opportunity and ability to hike and explore these old mines and learn about their history. We're glad that you enjoy the videos! 👍😊
Wow that's a really gobby mine! I didn't see any processing infrastructure outside of the mine -- does this mean that they didn't encounter any ore? Kind of a lot of work to develop as many drifts as they did and not hit any paydirt. What a tough way to make a living, eh? Thanks for another great video.
Good question. While it's hard to find much information on a small unnamed mine like this, I'm sure that they hauled off some paydirt. I'm not sure what they would have done to reduce and concentrate the ore before hauling. It must have been hauled out by pack animals maybe to one of the nearby bigger mines for reduction. It's definitely a tough way to make a living. Thanks for the comment!👌😁
That works, too. I'm guessing that originally, it was some sort of animal trail that the miners improved upon. They must have used mules or burros to tram their supplies in and ore out. Thanks for the comment, Joe!👍😁
Glad that you enjoyed it. We like the history and isolation, too. It's really fun retracing the steps the old miners took every day. Thanks for commenting. Have fun reloading!👍😁
Hello Tom and Julie you are full of surprise's be it hiking to remote area's following maybe an old Burro trail or a old mining road the things you find make us all say you found what?🏆⛏️.So enjoy what you call a time off You Tube for a bit to get caught up on things we all know that your wheels and feet will still keep going as now is a good time to check out your past Discoveries and exploring from your endless library on RUclips time for us all to see your past Discoveries they will be new to most everyone take care ❤️🏆⛏️🤔
Thank you, Case. That's exactly what we're hoping for, that people will watch some of our older videos that they might have missed. We appreciate your comment very much!👍😊⛏️❤️
The spring bloom is a bit slow this year because the weather has been very cool. It was 28° this morning where we are just outside of Death Valley. The flowers are starting to pop, though. Our explores are usually a few weeks old by the time we get the video out. Thanks for commenting, Ralph!👍😁
I really enjoy your channel, back in the day my Dad and I explored mines in Rhyolite and went down many old shafts with only his 2 cell flashlight. I can remember Furnace Creek in Death Valley at that time mid 1960 it was only a run down gas station. Get times!! I remember finding a huge Wells Fargo safe along with a Wells Fargo stage coach inside one of the mines. Thanks for bringing back fantastic memories!!
Wow, a Wells Fargo safe and wagon inside a mine. Finding something like that won't happen today. Portable lighting has come a long way with rechargeable LED lights that will run many hours on a single charge. We are in that area right now exploring what is left of the mines. Glad that you are enjoying our channel, and thanks for the fun comment, Jeff!👍😁
I would be afraid to go into these mines, that, I would never come out, and know body would ever know, you people make it very exciting, and I learn something every time
Well, if we completely disappear, that's probably what happened. It is a dangerous hobby, to be sure. Glad you find the explores exciting! Thanks for watching. 👍😊
Thanks for all the effort, Tom and Julie. I'm a Midwest/Mid Atlantic States kid but I fell in love with the desert (everything from West Texas up to Ogden Utah) when I was in the Army. I'd love to relocate out there after I retire from the phone company. All the mine stuff is interesting but even more so any old telephone carrier repeater/long lines or radio sites. I'm a Jeep owner/operator too ('01 TJ 4.0). All the best from Pittsburgh!
You're welcome, and thanks for the nice comment, Wes. It sounds like you have a hobby in mind for your retirement years. That's good. We don't see much old telephone equipment or lines that I know of. Have fun in your Jeep. 👍😁
Hello Julie and Tom. Great video with some beautiful views. Looks like it real crumbly in that area. Lots of loose rocks. I like all the minerals and quartz. That bottle to me looked like some sort of a booze bottle judging on the look of it and size.
Hello, Stephen. Yes, the rock looks crumbly, although it's not as crumbly as it looks. The rocks here are very sharp and abrasive, so you really have to be careful not to fall. The bottle does look like a pint booze bottle except from my research over he years about bottle makers marks the liquor bottles had different type markings on the bottom than this one did. So I don’t really know what was in this originally. Thanks for the comment!👍😊
Hello Tom Hello Julie Thank you for this wonderfull views and the mines you explored in this Video. I wish you a nice weekend and a goid New week Take care Yours Frank Galetzka
I want to post this thought, while still watching. I'm pondering the few who would trek burro trails. There's no graffiti found, and the chisel head has me thinking how old these workings must be. There at the end, you say 100-150 years and it sure seems like it. I noticed the blue markings on the 45° shaft end. Perhaps by the miners? Very faded, pre WWII, maybe WWI? I like speculating the age, it's part of the fun. Like, that awesome rock wall, we hear a lot of Chinese labour built them? Did they make these mines too? It's hard to imagine they weren't harassed away? 😐 The huge workings across the valley sort of indicates to my imagination, this trail was supposed to be less noticeable. I also noticed that rift, double ridge cut, like a natural fault, running across the valley. I didn't see mine workings until that end, so more imagining about the minerals is fun. The nature of this adventure offered so much, and I mean mineralization, the quartz samples you showed, that rift and how old this all seems. Loved the panoramic mountains and valleys of course. 👍🏻😊 Thinking I'll see you in two weeks, or perhaps that starts a bit from now. Either way, always looking forward to seeing you guys.
Thanks for the great comment, Rick. This area was first mined in 1874 so they are definitely some old workings. I'm not sure if the walls here were built with Chinese labor, but I wouldn't be surprised. The history of Chinese mine laborers is quite interesting, although beyond the scope of this thread to go into it. We're really glad that you enjoyed several different aspects of this explore. It's so fun to retrace the miners steps on these old trails. Take care and we'll see you in two weeks.👍😊
Thank you Tom & Julie for the video and hard work it took to make it. Some questions if you dont mind... What is the longest hike you have made to get to a mine? When making the trek how much weight was in the back packs?? Are you on Social Medda? Thank you and regards from Ody Slim
Hi Ody, first off, you're welcome, and thanks for watching. The longest hike that I can remember to get to a mine was around 12 miles round trip. We have been on longer hikes, but not to We carry a fair amount of gear, and our packs are probably around 25 -30 pounds. If we are using climbing ropes, you can add about 15 pounds. Much of the weight comes from camera, lighting, batteries, and other specialized things for making videos. I have a Facebook page, although I don't do a lot on it as I'm usually busy on RUclips. facebook.com/tom.wigren?mibextid=ZbWKwL Thanks for watching and commenting!👌😁
Hi Mel! Always good to hear from the ice man. Glad that you enjoyed the adventure. We are from Minnesota and had a lake side home. In the winter, there was a group who would recreate the ice cutting ways of the old days. They use long saws to cut huge block of three foot thick ice and float it through the area that has already been cut, pushing it with a long stick type tool with a steel point on it, to a conveyor near shore that picks the blocks up. Back in the day, they were hauled to a nearby warehouse where the blocks were packed in sawdust for distribution all through the summer. They also used horses on the ice to haul the ice blocks. My grandfathers old ice box still sits in the small store he and my grandmother used to run. The ice man would make regular deliveries to his ice box. It's amazing to see the whole process. Thanks for commenting!👍😁
Thx for the video. Questions: How can timbers be expected to keep thousands of tons of rock ceiling from collapsing? Was this merely an exploratory tunnel, or were they taking minerals out? How would they do that with no tracks unless they were doing it bucket by bucket.? Also, the openings you have to crawl through open on wider areas--why didn't they expand these spider holes, and...how would they get anything out if they had to go back through those small openings that you have to crawl through?? Thanks.
Good questions. Any ore that came from these workings would have been hoisted up from those shafts, with a simple type of hoist probably on track that has been removed and reused elsewhere. It would have been hauled out with mules. Those single stulls that seem to be holding up the whole mountain are really just propping up a loose slab that they don't want to fall, but also don't want to have to move out of the way if it falls, so they try to keep it in place. In the small holes, they were either looking for something that they didn't find or exploiting a small mineral vein that was there. They don't want to move any more hard rock than is absolutely necessary. You realize why when you start to drill and break solid rock. It doesn't like to move. Thanks for commenting, Gary!👍
I miss that terrain too. I used to be a big Desert hiker. Then my knees started giving me pain and problems. I got one fixed. If it weren't for my knees, I would be out there with you. 😕
Well I'm gad that at least you've had the chance to experience this type of terrain. The desert is really fun to hike in as you know. Hopefully, your knees will allow you to get out and do some shorter hikes sometime. Thanks for the comment, Alan!👍😊
Yes. You are correct. I forget the name, but I was considering on getting a gold mine out there. The mine was cheap but there is a huge waste pile in front of it that needs to be processed and it is 100k or something like that for the machinery. So, plan B, whatever that is. Thanks, Say Hi 🖐to Julie.
@Alan Solomon Some of those waste piles can have a lot of gold left in them if you can find a way to economically process it. Some of the old mills left 30% of the gold, or more, behind. Julie says "hi". 😊
We do see a lot of their bottles. There is quite a long history to that operation. We have done a lot of research on dating bottles from the makers marks. It can get a bit confusing. Thanks for the comment!👍😁
Yes, a stull is a term specific to mining for a supporting timber, usually in stopes. Not the same as timber sets that you see in the traditionally timbered adits and drifts. www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stull#:~:text=%3A%20a%20round%20timber%20used%20to,platform%20held%20up%20by%20stulls Thanks for the comment, Joe!👍😁
I enjoyed much and the views where fantastic. These days I do good to get my grass mowed and it has rained so much in East Texas lately there is going to be lots to mow. Yuck.
Glad that you liked the video, Ducky! The YJ just has the four banger in it. It's enough for off road. Not so great on the highway. Thanks for watching!👍
Glad that you enjoyed the video, Dan. Standard mining operation here. Locate an ore body, remove the highest grade ore that you can in the most efficient manner, ship it off for processing, and hopefully come out with a profit. ⛏️💰
great explore as always!!!! do you guys use an o2 meter or co2 detector or both? kind think i should get one ran in to some dead air the other weekend.
Hi Zackson, Yes, we both carry air quality monitors. Julie carries an O2 meter, and I carry a four gas detector. I would agree with you that you need one, too. Thanks for the question!👍😁
Hi Jack, I think what you are referring to are twist off beer bottle caps, which were invented in the 1960's. Screw caps using external threads on bottles have been around much longer than that. I believe they have been used since at least 1900 when corks as stoppers were being phased out. Before that, there were even internally threaded bottles and a matching threaded stopper. There is a lot of interesting history to the bottle makers if you're interested in doing the research. I got into this subject while trying to figure out the date codes that the bottle makers emboss on the bottom of the bottles that we find. This bottle appeared to be made in 1934. Thanks for the comment! 😊
That works, too. I'm guessing that originally, it was some sort of animal trail that the miners improved upon. They must have used mules or burros to tram their supplies in and ore out. Thanks for the comment, Joe!👍😁
There was a mill not too far away that was probably where the ore from this mine was concentrated for shipping to a smelter. I'm guessing mules were used to haul out the ore sine we didn't find a road to this area. Thanks for the comment, Dan!👌😁
I just got over the first cold I've had in 10 years. No kidding. All through COVID and 10 cold/flu seasons, I had never been sick. Thanks for your concern, Robert!❤️
The weather this winter has been a real bear for us. It has really hampered our exploring. While the terrain here is steep, these are exactly the type of trails we love. Thanks for the comment, Raiderman!😁
Tom, you have the best mine exploring partner. It’s nice to see couples enjoying life together.
I agree. Julie is a good partner and a really good mine explorer. Thanks for the nice comment, Doug!👍😊
As much as I like the mine explores I really enjoy seeing you two hiking up these desert trails. Being an old desert rat who grew up in Nevada I miss that terrain.
Yes, the hiking is a big part of the draw for us. Did you know we started our RUclips channel as a hiking based channel. When many of the trails we were hiking took us to mines we started exploring the mines. Glad that you enjoy seeing the desert trails, Jack. Thanks for watching!😁
I love the Big Horns in Wyoming.
Short but loved it, i just cant imagine how after a long day with shovels and picks they had to go back down to their cabins only for the next morning do it again, and again. in the heat how they supported the heat? incredible. Thank again another great show guys.
The amount of hard work the miners did is amazing. I don't know how they could manage to stay alive out here, much less work their tails off every day. Thanks for the comment, Felipe!👍😁
There is nothing like a fun Desert Mine Exploration on a Cold Snowy Oregon Day like today. Thanks Tom and Julie
I saw that Central Oregon was getting a winter blast. Where are you located again? You might have told me, and I forgot. Glad that you had a little getaway watching the desert for a few minutes. Thanks for commenting!👍😁
good morning explorers beautiful mountains in the back ground thanks for the video
Good morning, Jerry. Yes, the mountain views are great. Thanks for commenting!👍😁
What is really amazing is the amount of work that went into just making a trail to get to the mines. They obviously found something that was worth all the effort to build them. And that's even before they were in full swing. I wish we would have spent more time documenting these old miners. What stories they could have told us. But I'll settle for the stories you Two bring us in these amazing explorations! Thanks so much Tom and Julie for recording history in such a great manner. And Tom, You'll never get old when you have Julie as your motivator. You hike trails most guys our age would rather just avoid. But where's the adventure in that? Looking forward to seeing you guys in the video somewhere in those hills.
Wouldn't have been great to have a camera to record the old miners working and BS'ing with each other after work. Some of the mining equipment sure would have been fun to see and hear running, as well. Thanks for the awesome comment. We appreciate it!👍😁
@@TomandJulieMineExploring Hey, it's just from the heart.
And yes! Could you imagine them telling us why they picked a certain spot or the tricks of the trade that we'll never know.
Even the weather and the water supply back then. So many mysteries we can only make assumptions about.
A fun day of exploring. You are right, those are rugged hills!
Yes, these desert mountains are very rugged. All the rocks are very sharp and abrasive. When you fall, you will be losing skin. Thanks for the comment, George! 👌😁
Looks like they were following the quartz veins to find gold. They put all that work into that rock road wall yet the adits were quite small with only a splattering of wood shoring here and there. My favorite was the 4" round tree branch holding up that 50 ton boulder at 12:07 and also at 8:20 & 9:20 with more tree branches. When your camera panned the valley you could see what looked like two large quartz veins with mineral veins running in between them through the middle of the valley. The trail and valley shots were really cool. Thanks for the tour, Rik
I got a kick out of seeing a single stull holding up what looked like the whole mountain, too. Crazy miners. I liked seeing those stripes of minerals you mentioned. I bet the old prospectors could spot a desirable mineral vein from a mile away. The views in some of these rugged mountains are hard to beat. Thanks, Rik!😁
With all that crab walking I can just feel my knees and back protesting.
You and me both. Try keeping up with Julie when she goes into crab crawling mode. Lol Thanks, Max!😊
Kinda of some older and new mines Thanks hope your enjoying the Weather!!!; )
Yes, some of these are quite old I believe. The weather has been okay, a little cool for this area. Thanks for watching, Richard!👍😁
Thank you Tom and Julie. They must have used ladders and a winch to move people and ore and then moved everything to the next mine.😊😊❤
You're welcome, Mark. I'm guessing there was a simple hoist and probably some track in those shafts. Like you said, it was most likely repurposed in the next mine. Thanks for the comment!👍😁
That quartz vein at the end was super cool, I thought I saw some opalescence in the rock face! 🤔
That was a cool vein at the end. There was some wonderstone, too. Thanks for watching, Daniel!👌
Cool little mines! Lots of hopes and dreams. It's a shame the quartz vein pinched off in the last mine as it looked promising. Breath taking views outside. It all seems like a dream to me. Thanks Tom and Julie!
These little mines are still fun to explore. The views in this area are breathtaking, as you said. Glad that you liked them, William. Thanks for commenting!👌😁
We vist death valley every year to hike, You have taught us so much about the mines.thank you Tom and Julie. 👍
You're welcome, Lloyd. Hope you have fun in Death Valley. It's a great place.👍😁
Another great adventure with great views. No ladders for Tom this week but just maybe next time. You two are the best, God bless you both.
Yes, the views here are great. Just the kind of rugged trails we like. We could have used a ladder or two as those shafts were just steep enough to be slippery. Thanks for the comment and blessing, Jimmy! 🙏😊
That grey rock with the brown exterior was very interesting... never have seen anything like it before!
The wonderstone I believe you're talking about. It's not terribly uncommon in the areas we hike. I am a little surprised that you haven't seen it before. It is usually in smaller deposits and very flaky or shale like which easily split into thin layers. Thanks for commenting!😁
@@TomandJulieMineExploring Yeah, haven't seen anything like it in the Las Vegas area. I wonder what that stuff is.
@@VegasCyclingFreak There is a lot of info on it out there.
I hope someday to get my wife to enjoy hiking to some of the places you two go, she doesn't like people much and you guys hardly ever encounter anyone.
Stay safe out there and thanks for taking us along.
That's a good plan, Mick. It can be a great way to see the sights and get some exercise. We don't run into many people at the places we go. Thanks for watching!👍😁
Nice vein or fault line up the mountain across the valley! I was a small time mine explorer in my younger days; but have become a little claustrophobic in my old age.......So I relive my youth vicariously thru you two on youtube while having my morning cuppa joe!! I Love the beauty of the desert; and you guys do an excellent job of showcasing it. Wifey and I have moved to S/W 'Aridzona', and are looking forward to finding old mining towns that are nearby our home. Be safe, be well, and Blessings to you both! Always fun watching your many video adventures; featuring the bottom of Tom's shoes/the top of his hard hat; and the South side of Julie walking North! ;-) 👍🤟🙏🙏
Yes, that mineral line across the way was pretty cool looking. Glad that you've had the chance to do some mine exploring. Hope you find some interesting mining towns in your new area. Glad that we can entertain you while you're having coffee. That funny, most people would recognize us from the bottom of my shoes and Julie's butt, not so much our faces. Lol Thanks for watching and commenting, David!👍😊
Thank you, Tom and Julie. Nice little video. Great views looks pretty rugged. Be safe out there.🍺🍺🍻🍻🍻⛏️⛏️🧨👀
You're welcome, David! It's a very rugged area, but fun to hike these old trails. Thanks for the comment!🍺🍺🍻⛏️💰
Tom & Julie,
Fun and interesting explore. Some steep and rough terrain here in the FM. These mine workings appear to be pretty old.
Many of the stulls were of unmilled lumber. Appeared to be mostly pick and shovel work. I didn't notice any blasting charge drill holes inside these at the face outs.
As usual, good camera work and narrative. Well done. Thanks for taking us along.
Hey Rob, these are some old workings. The nearby mine was started in 1875, and although there is not a lot of information on these particular workings that I could find, I'm guessing they are from a similar time frame. This is the southern part of the Nopah Range. Very steep and rugged. There probably was a lot of work done by hand here. I'm always amazed at the work that went into the road/trail waits. Seems to be more than in the mine workings. Thanks for watching and commenting!👍😁
@@TomandJulieMineExploring You are welcome. Those early miners weren't afraid of some hard work. Never been into the Nopah Range. Looks very similar to the west slope of the Funerals. The nearby Kingston Mountains are supposed to have a population of gila monsters. I've never seen one. Maybe you can find one for us.😊
@@AZRob56 I better leave the gila monster to you as you're the herp expert.
@@TomandJulieMineExploring Not really. Desert reptiles I'm pretty familiar with. Get me out of the desert and I'm lost. It's strange. I've lived in the desert for nearly 30 years and never even seen a gila monster. Then, I know some people who aren't even looking for one and see one as they are driving crossing the road.
😭
What a view that area looks very dry no vegetation make me thirsty.
Yes, the views are great. This is in the Mojave Desert, so it's very dry. Thanks, Dale!😁
Not big mines but the scenery was amazing. Thanks for taking us along. Take care of each other and be safe.
You might be surprised at how many smaller mine workings are out there. This is probably about an average sized working if you include all the prospects out there. Glad that you enjoyed the scenery, and thanks for watching, Ed!👍😁
The mines may not have been spectacular but the view from the mine sites were awesome. Another winner explore. I look forward to y’all’s post every week. Oh, thanks for pointing out the wonder stone!
You never know what you will find as far as the mine works go. That's all part of the fun. Sometimes, they are huge and sometimes not. Glad that you enjoyed the views and wonderstone. Thanks, Don!😁
You guys are the best mine explorers thanks
Hi Doris. I must admit that I like your attitude. Thanks for the nice comment!👍😊
Thank you both for another wonderful adventure, you two are awesome 😊
My favorite channel to watch:😊
Thanks for the kind words, Rick. Glad that you enjoyed the explore!👍😊
You two have the best life. That beautiful scenery on your doorstep and a hobby that allows you to explore it, not to mention a chance to step back in time with some amazing artifacts. So envious. Keep these fantastic videos coming, a delight to watch. Thank you.
You're welcome, and thank you for the wonderful comment, Miles. We are lucky to have the opportunity and ability to hike and explore these old mines and learn about their history. We're glad that you enjoy the videos! 👍😊
Going to miss not seeing you every week although you deserve a break take care🙂🍺👍
I guess it's that time to slow down a bit. We'll still be around for a while. 😁👌
Another gem found , very enjoyable once again
Glad that you enjoyed it, Robin. Thanks for watching!👍
Great video! Never get tired of those views!
Oh yeah, the views are great. Thanks for watching, Steve!😁
Thanks for another great video!
You're welcome. Thanks for commenting!👍😁
Wow that's a really gobby mine! I didn't see any processing infrastructure outside of the mine -- does this mean that they didn't encounter any ore? Kind of a lot of work to develop as many drifts as they did and not hit any paydirt. What a tough way to make a living, eh?
Thanks for another great video.
Good question. While it's hard to find much information on a small unnamed mine like this, I'm sure that they hauled off some paydirt. I'm not sure what they would have done to reduce and concentrate the ore before hauling. It must have been hauled out by pack animals maybe to one of the nearby bigger mines for reduction. It's definitely a tough way to make a living. Thanks for the comment!👌😁
Thank you both! Great views, the mines are a little small, but you never know what you will find in them. Safe journeys ahead.
You're welcome, James. Glad that you enjoyed the views and thanks for watching!👌😁
Thanks Tom and Julie. You guys rock!!🥰🤗🍀☕️🍻
You're welcome, Jeff. Thanks for watching and for all the goodies!😊🍻☕️
Another interesting video, and I hit the like as usual.
Glad that you found it interesting, Brian. Thanks for the 'like'!👌😁
Great hikes in some awesome countryside.
Thanks so much!
👍👍👍👊😎
That works, too. I'm guessing that originally, it was some sort of animal trail that the miners improved upon. They must have used mules or burros to tram their supplies in and ore out. Thanks for the comment, Joe!👍😁
Glad that you liked it, George! Thanks for watching!👍👊😁
Looks like it was a great day for exploring! Thanks for the adventure👍👍
Yes, it was another fun day. Thanks for watching, Mark!!👍😁
Such fantastic views on the side of the mountain! Thanks for taking us along. :)
You're welcome. Glad that you enjoyed the views. Thanks for the comment!👌😁
Most enjoyable Vid. I tend to watch these while I’m reloading ammo.
Really like the History and isolation vibe.
Glad that you enjoyed it. We like the history and isolation, too. It's really fun retracing the steps the old miners took every day. Thanks for commenting. Have fun reloading!👍😁
Hello Tom and Julie you are full of surprise's be it hiking to remote area's following maybe an old Burro trail or a old mining road the things you find make us all say you found what?🏆⛏️.So enjoy what you call a time off You Tube for a bit to get caught up on things we all know that your wheels and feet will still keep going as now is a good time to check out your past Discoveries and exploring from your endless library on RUclips time for us all to see your past Discoveries they will be new to most everyone take care ❤️🏆⛏️🤔
Thank you, Case. That's exactly what we're hoping for, that people will watch some of our older videos that they might have missed. We appreciate your comment very much!👍😊⛏️❤️
Another great video. You guys have a safe and wonderful day.
Thank you, Bob. Have a great day yourself!👌
Another fun explore. Tom, isn’t it about time for the Spring desert bloom? Thanks, T&J!
The spring bloom is a bit slow this year because the weather has been very cool. It was 28° this morning where we are just outside of Death Valley. The flowers are starting to pop, though. Our explores are usually a few weeks old by the time we get the video out. Thanks for commenting, Ralph!👍😁
Very interesting explore. Thanks for taking me along with you!
Glad that you found it interesting, Bill. Thanks for watching!😁
I really enjoy your channel, back in the day my Dad and I explored mines in Rhyolite and went down many old shafts with only his 2 cell flashlight. I can remember Furnace Creek in Death Valley at that time mid 1960 it was only a run down gas station. Get times!! I remember finding a huge Wells Fargo safe along with a Wells Fargo stage coach inside one of the mines. Thanks for bringing back fantastic memories!!
Wow, a Wells Fargo safe and wagon inside a mine. Finding something like that won't happen today. Portable lighting has come a long way with rechargeable LED lights that will run many hours on a single charge. We are in that area right now exploring what is left of the mines. Glad that you are enjoying our channel, and thanks for the fun comment, Jeff!👍😁
I totally agree they was some beautiful views
Glad that you liked the views, John! Thanks for commenting!😁
@@TomandJulieMineExploring your more than welcome and all I can say is keep up the excellent videos and stay safe while doing them
I would be afraid to go into these mines, that, I would never come out, and know body would ever know, you people make it very exciting, and I learn something every time
Well, if we completely disappear, that's probably what happened. It is a dangerous hobby, to be sure. Glad you find the explores exciting! Thanks for watching. 👍😊
Thanks for all the effort, Tom and Julie. I'm a Midwest/Mid Atlantic States kid but I fell in love with the desert (everything from West Texas up to Ogden Utah) when I was in the Army. I'd love to relocate out there after I retire from the phone company. All the mine stuff is interesting but even more so any old telephone carrier repeater/long lines or radio sites. I'm a Jeep owner/operator too ('01 TJ 4.0). All the best from Pittsburgh!
You're welcome, and thanks for the nice comment, Wes. It sounds like you have a hobby in mind for your retirement years. That's good. We don't see much old telephone equipment or lines that I know of. Have fun in your Jeep. 👍😁
Thank you for another fantastic video with lots of beautiful views. Absolutely breath taking.
Glad that you liked the views. They really are pretty cool. Thanks for watching!👍
Hello Julie and Tom. Great video with some beautiful views. Looks like it real crumbly in that area. Lots of loose rocks. I like all the minerals and quartz. That bottle to me looked like some sort of a booze bottle judging on the look of it and size.
Hello, Stephen. Yes, the rock looks crumbly, although it's not as crumbly as it looks. The rocks here are very sharp and abrasive, so you really have to be careful not to fall. The bottle does look like a pint booze bottle except from my research over he years about bottle makers marks the liquor bottles had different type markings on the bottom than this one did. So I don’t really know what was in this originally. Thanks for the comment!👍😊
Nice job guys 👍🏻. You are definitely intrepid explorers
Thanks for watching, Robert. Much appreciated!👌😁
Hello Tom Hello Julie
Thank you for this wonderfull views and the mines you explored in this Video.
I wish you a nice weekend and a goid New week
Take care
Yours Frank Galetzka
Hello Frank, glad that you enjoyed the views. Thanks for watching, and have a great weekend! I 👍😁
Thank you for sharing the explore!
You're welcome, Chuck. Thanks for watching!😁
man what a view FANTASTIC your so lucky to have a lovely country like this you two are the best much love to both of you be SAFE love alan.
Glad that you enjoyed the views, Alan. Thanks for the nice comment!👍❤️
Y'alls' videos are a really nice respite from an otherwise stressful work week. Thanks as always for sharing!
- Ed on the Ridge
Glad that we can help to de-stress you, Ed. Thanks for watching!👍😊
Thanks for sharing.
You're welcome, Richard. Thanks for watching!👍
Hiking in the footsteps of history.
Most definitely. It's so fun to retrace the miners steps. Thanks for watching, Joe👍😁
Great views.
Thanks, Brad. Glad you liked the views!😁
Thank you for letting me watch.
You're welcome. Thanks for watching, Wendell!👍😁
I want to post this thought, while still watching. I'm pondering the few who would trek burro trails. There's no graffiti found, and the chisel head has me thinking how old these workings must be.
There at the end, you say 100-150 years and it sure seems like it. I noticed the blue markings on the 45° shaft end. Perhaps by the miners? Very faded, pre WWII, maybe WWI?
I like speculating the age, it's part of the fun. Like, that awesome rock wall, we hear a lot of Chinese labour built them? Did they make these mines too? It's hard to imagine they weren't harassed away? 😐
The huge workings across the valley sort of indicates to my imagination, this trail was supposed to be less noticeable. I also noticed that rift, double ridge cut, like a natural fault, running across the valley. I didn't see mine workings until that end, so more imagining about the minerals is fun.
The nature of this adventure offered so much, and I mean mineralization, the quartz samples you showed, that rift and how old this all seems.
Loved the panoramic mountains and valleys of course. 👍🏻😊
Thinking I'll see you in two weeks, or perhaps that starts a bit from now. Either way, always looking forward to seeing you guys.
Thanks for the great comment, Rick. This area was first mined in 1874 so they are definitely some old workings. I'm not sure if the walls here were built with Chinese labor, but I wouldn't be surprised. The history of Chinese mine laborers is quite interesting, although beyond the scope of this thread to go into it. We're really glad that you enjoyed several different aspects of this explore. It's so fun to retrace the miners steps on these old trails. Take care and we'll see you in two weeks.👍😊
That's leverite. Leave er right there.
Haha, lots of Leverite around, Richard. 😁
Thank you Tom & Julie for the video and hard work it took to make it. Some questions if you dont mind... What is the longest hike you have made to get to a mine? When making the trek how much weight was in the back packs?? Are you on Social Medda?
Thank you and regards from Ody Slim
Hi Ody, first off, you're welcome, and thanks for watching. The longest hike that I can remember to get to a mine was around 12 miles round trip. We have been on longer hikes, but not to We carry a fair amount of gear, and our packs are probably around 25 -30 pounds. If we are using climbing ropes, you can add about 15 pounds. Much of the weight comes from camera, lighting, batteries, and other specialized things for making videos. I have a Facebook page, although I don't do a lot on it as I'm usually busy on RUclips.
facebook.com/tom.wigren?mibextid=ZbWKwL
Thanks for watching and commenting!👌😁
@@TomandJulieMineExploring 12 miles is a long trip over terrain loaded with gear. That is pretty impressive. Thanks for the reply!
Thank you for another interesting mine adventure! Can't wait for the next one! Mel the Ice Man, Acton, Ca.
Hi Mel! Always good to hear from the ice man. Glad that you enjoyed the adventure.
We are from Minnesota and had a lake side home. In the winter, there was a group who would recreate the ice cutting ways of the old days. They use long saws to cut huge block of three foot thick ice and float it through the area that has already been cut, pushing it with a long stick type tool with a steel point on it, to a conveyor near shore that picks the blocks up. Back in the day, they were hauled to a nearby warehouse where the blocks were packed in sawdust for distribution all through the summer. They also used horses on the ice to haul the ice blocks. My grandfathers old ice box still sits in the small store he and my grandmother used to run. The ice man would make regular deliveries to his ice box. It's amazing to see the whole process. Thanks for commenting!👍😁
Love these videos! Thank you both! Julie is possibly the coolest chick on the planet! So fun.....
Haha, quite possibly she is. Glad you enjoyed it, Henry!👍😊
Thx for the video. Questions: How can timbers be expected to keep thousands of tons of rock ceiling from collapsing? Was this merely an exploratory tunnel, or were they taking minerals out? How would they do that with no tracks unless they were doing it bucket by bucket.? Also, the openings you have to crawl through open on wider areas--why didn't they expand these spider holes, and...how would they get anything out if they had to go back through those small openings that you have to crawl through?? Thanks.
Good questions. Any ore that came from these workings would have been hoisted up from those shafts, with a simple type of hoist probably on track that has been removed and reused elsewhere. It would have been hauled out with mules. Those single stulls that seem to be holding up the whole mountain are really just propping up a loose slab that they don't want to fall, but also don't want to have to move out of the way if it falls, so they try to keep it in place. In the small holes, they were either looking for something that they didn't find or exploiting a small mineral vein that was there. They don't want to move any more hard rock than is absolutely necessary. You realize why when you start to drill and break solid rock. It doesn't like to move. Thanks for commenting, Gary!👍
Always exciting to watch. Do you see burros or sheep sometimes. ..
Yes, we see burros regularly and bighorn sheep occasionally. Thanks for the comment!😊
Great explore you really knocked them out that day.
Glad that you enjoyed the video, Steven. Thanks for watching!👍😁
Danke für das Hochladen und eurer Muhe..sehr intresant
You're welcome, Gunter! Thanks for watching!👍😁
I miss that terrain too. I used to be a big Desert hiker. Then my knees started giving me pain and problems. I got one fixed. If it weren't for my knees, I would be out there with you. 😕
Well I'm gad that at least you've had the chance to experience this type of terrain. The desert is really fun to hike in as you know. Hopefully, your knees will allow you to get out and do some shorter hikes sometime. Thanks for the comment, Alan!👍😊
@@TomandJulieMineExploring Curious Tom, if you ever hike to mines in the Coachella Valley? Palm Springs, CA and East of Palm Springs?
@Alan Solomon No, we haven't. I know there are some mines in the Chuchwalla Mountains.
Yes. You are correct. I forget the name, but I was considering on getting a gold mine out there. The mine was cheap but there is a huge waste pile in front of it that needs to be processed and it is 100k or something like that for the machinery. So, plan B, whatever that is. Thanks, Say Hi 🖐to Julie.
@Alan Solomon Some of those waste piles can have a lot of gold left in them if you can find a way to economically process it. Some of the old mills left 30% of the gold, or more, behind. Julie says "hi". 😊
Owens-Illinois is the largest glass container manufacturer in the USofA.
We do see a lot of their bottles. There is quite a long history to that operation. We have done a lot of research on dating bottles from the makers marks. It can get a bit confusing. Thanks for the comment!👍😁
you guys always have the best places.
Glad that you liked it, Jack. Thanks for watching!👍😁
Thank you again, I enjoyed it .
You are welcome, Sir. Thanks for commenting, William!👍😁
A stull so that's what those pieces of timber are called that keep the mine from collapsing on top of the miner's heads.
Yes, a stull is a term specific to mining for a supporting timber, usually in stopes. Not the same as timber sets that you see in the traditionally timbered adits and drifts.
www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stull#:~:text=%3A%20a%20round%20timber%20used%20to,platform%20held%20up%20by%20stulls
Thanks for the comment, Joe!👍😁
I enjoyed much and the views where fantastic. These days I do good to get my grass mowed and it has rained so much in East Texas lately there is going to be lots to mow. Yuck.
Glad that you enjoyed the views. Hope you get caught up on your mowing. Thanks for the comment!👍😁
Another great one! Thanks ❤
Thanks, Paul!👍❤️
Awesome adventure, thank you 😊
You're welcome, Linda. Thanks for watching!👍😁
The desert views are about as fun as the mines
They were both fun for us. Thanks for watching, David!👍😁
Great video as ever guys! That old YJ of yours seems quite impressive too. Does that one have a 4 cylinder, or a 6?
Glad that you liked the video, Ducky! The YJ just has the four banger in it. It's enough for off road. Not so great on the highway. Thanks for watching!👍
Great videos,but would like to hear how the process worked
Glad that you enjoyed the video, Dan. Standard mining operation here. Locate an ore body, remove the highest grade ore that you can in the most efficient manner, ship it off for processing, and hopefully come out with a profit. ⛏️💰
great explore as always!!!! do you guys use an o2 meter or co2 detector or both? kind think i should get one ran in to some dead air the other weekend.
Hi Zackson, Yes, we both carry air quality monitors. Julie carries an O2 meter, and I carry a four gas detector. I would agree with you that you need one, too. Thanks for the question!👍😁
A twist-off version of the crown cap was invented in the 1960s.it looks older but the sun will do that.
Hi Jack, I think what you are referring to are twist off beer bottle caps, which were invented in the 1960's. Screw caps using external threads on bottles have been around much longer than that. I believe they have been used since at least 1900 when corks as stoppers were being phased out. Before that, there were even internally threaded bottles and a matching threaded stopper. There is a lot of interesting history to the bottle makers if you're interested in doing the research. I got into this subject while trying to figure out the date codes that the bottle makers emboss on the bottom of the bottles that we find. This bottle appeared to be made in 1934. Thanks for the comment! 😊
You guys crack me up........interesting/ not so interesting. lololo
At least we can get a laugh out if you, Paul!🤣
In the military we called them Goat trails.
That works, too. I'm guessing that originally, it was some sort of animal trail that the miners improved upon. They must have used mules or burros to tram their supplies in and ore out. Thanks for the comment, Joe!👍😁
You might find Dylan Rounds
Yes, or someone else. You never know what you might find down a mineshaft. Thanks, Amanda!👍😊
Where did they process the ore at,and how did they get it to their vehicles
There was a mill not too far away that was probably where the ore from this mine was concentrated for shipping to a smelter. I'm guessing mules were used to haul out the ore sine we didn't find a road to this area. Thanks for the comment, Dan!👌😁
👍🏻 👌
Hi Dave!😁
Are you allowed to take a rock sample as a souvenir?
I believe that you can take a sample from this area, Jake. As long as it's not taken from an active mineral claim. 👍
😊👏👌
Thank you!👌😊
😁👍👍👍
Thanks for the thumbs up!👌😁
Хочу к ВАМ!!!!!
Thank you!👍😎
GOLT SİLVER VAR MI
Hi Nurettin. Thanks for watching!👍
Julie wait up!
Haha, that's my line, Frank. I'm always trying to catch up with her.👍😁
Kern river canyon doesn't have any mines
Okay. Are you looking for mines, Joseph?
you sound different Tom I hope you are not coming down with anything
I just got over the first cold I've had in 10 years. No kidding. All through COVID and 10 cold/flu seasons, I had never been sick. Thanks for your concern, Robert!❤️
it's a wonder the weather in Cali lately let you get some exploring in, looked like steep terrain to navigate on this one, nice job , stay safe
The weather this winter has been a real bear for us. It has really hampered our exploring. While the terrain here is steep, these are exactly the type of trails we love. Thanks for the comment, Raiderman!😁