The Scallywag Mine - Death Valley, California
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- Опубликовано: 7 сен 2024
- This video describes our exploration of the Scallywag Mine in Death Valley, California the way it was on 3-24-2019. The cross country out and back hike is 6.9 miles round trip, with an elevation gain of 1660 feet, and starts on Badwater Road a short way south of the Ashford Mill ruins. The fun and challenging hike goes up a large obvious canyon, and wash, to the remains of two aerial trams and other mine relics. There are a few dry falls in the wash that need to be climbed. The actual workings are high on a steep mountainside above the wash near the top of the trams. There are several adits and open stopes that make up the workings of this mine and many are difficult to access.
Congratulations! You have just the right combination: interesting sites, great narrating voice, consistently good family viewing, informative and sometimes funny captions, great explanations of the mining techniques, background and history also great attention to detail.
Another amazing mine and great video keep them coming and as always stay safe. . .!
Thank for all replies to viewer comments. Great work!
Thanks for the kind words, MoeGhul. We try and do all the things you mentioned in your comment and it's nice when those things get noticed. A comment like yours is what makes all the work it takes to make videos worth it!
Hi in the late 1890 in wash state high up in the mts was a gold deposit it took 2.5 years with a steam donkey to scale the mts and glacier to just get some mining equipment in.and now you can take the old mule trail to it or the old mining road on ft .The glorious days of early mining 🇺🇸⛏️p.s. still a working mine to this day .
I don’t know about you guys, but I can’t imagine this amount of building and effort in such rugged terrain ever being expended in todays world.
This is a tough place to build a mine. The old miners were not like people are today. Thanks, Charley.
Looking at the topography, I'm amazed that they got all that building material and machinery to that location. I didn't see any roads, and there were a handful of steep climbs. Somehow, they got several tons of steel and large timber waaaaay up that canyon and up that mountainside.
This is one of our favorite mines to explore. As you say it's amazing what these miners accomplished in this tough terrain. Two trams and all the rest of the workings...very cool. Thanks for the comment, Dan.
The scallywag mine got its nick name by the California sign, it was the jubilee lead mine until it became unprofitable too run. Now it is something to see, thanks Tom and Julie for the video have a blessed day amen.
A scallywag, a rascal.
Thanks for that information. It is quite the view from the top of the tram. The workings are interesting, too. Thanks for the blessing.
You're both amazingly fit, hiking , mine exploration and free climbing too! What a great life you share.
Thanks for the nice comment. We do our best.
Not sure why but cant stop watching these lol
We thank you for that, Violeta! Keep watching, it's free.
I’m pretty sure I couldn’t keep up with Julia. She is a trooper. 😃. Good trooper
I can't keep up with Julie myself. She is definitely a good trooper. Thanks for watching, Jeff.
It’s amazing what nature holds for us to check out ! While Tom sits in the shade he lets Julie become the rock climber !
This is a fun explore, both hike and mine.
Massive rock scramble to get up there.. but very interesting place. I like the views outside the mine better...lol What an awful & dangerous place that would have been to work... ugg. What a hard, hard life. Thanks for a great tour. 😎👌
Yes, a bit of scrambling to get to the mine area, Max. Fun hike but you are right, a dangerous and hard way to make a living. Hope you are well and thanks for watching and commenting!
This is one outstanding explore! The views were tremendous both inside and outside.
Glad that you enjoyed It, William. It was really a fun one and the hike and views are great. I liked being at the top of the tram looking down that long cable.
@@TomandJulieMineExploring Absolutely incredible! 30 years ago I would have loved to do what you guys do. Now? I couldn't make that kind of climb but if I could as soon as I looked down I would most likely puke. I'm just having a good time watching you guys do these things. It must be awesome to actually do it!
@@williamwintemberg Haha, good that you can enjoy these places from the comfort of your home.
Wow that was a hike and one heck of a climb to see inside this one jeez had a touch of vertigo with some of the video shots ! .😯😃👍👍👍
This one is a challenge to get to. I'm guessing the shot from the top of that tram cable gave you the vertigo. It's that way in real life, too. Thanks for watching and commenting, Ray!👍👍
Now this was an epic video guys💪 thanks for sharing it
It really was fun for us, too, Jason. We've been up there two times. Glad that you liked it.
As I watched this great coverage of those workings and wondered how in the heck they got all of it up there, another thought kept coming to mind. Those cables are under a lot of tension and someday one will break, probably on a windy day. I would not want to be standing at all close by when that happens.
You are correct. There is another mine that had a tram similar to this and the cable was still in place until sometime in the last year. We visited it in February and the cable was on the ground. I would not want to be nearby when it came down. This is a tough one to get to for sure.
old explosives box, and Wow a lot more in the second adit with the newspapers etc.. tons of views and other great stuff in here amazing mine tour thanks for filming!
Thanks for the enthusiastic comment, Thorn. It is a fun place to see. Hope all is well with you.
we're hoping to make it to DV this weekend finally
@@potatothorn Hope you get there soon, Thorn. I know you two like it there.
Man, I don't know if I could do the mines but great video. 😎
Thanks for the comment, we appreciate it! The mine exploring is definitely not for everyone but it is fun for us. It keeps you min the present moment for sure.
OK, This video convinced me that the two of you are super humans! If it wasn't for the videos and photos, I would never believe you could have accomplished this! Great job, Julie and Tom!
Haha, well, we appreciate your confidence in our abilities, Walter. This is kind of a tough one all the way around. Getting there is half the battle. Thanks for your support!
You two are amazing! Great video, thanks for sharing!
Thanks for the nice comment, Carl! Glad that you enjoyed the video. 👍👍
Well you guys certainly saw areas of Death Valley the normal tourist will never see. Interesting exploration!
Yes, this one is a bit off of the beaten path. Thanks for the comment, George.
Great hike, and rugged... that was a nice climb up that rope as well Tom...interesting bush growing out of the rock at the top...LOL...it is amazing what folks can accomplish when there's a buck to be made!
More creepy underground wanderings...reckon i'd of been hearing and seeing things unearthly, ungodly and wholly part of my own runaway imagination.
The tunnels below were in amazingly good condition...the upper shafts?,mmm not so much.
some beautiful views and difficult scrambling....Julie...much respect!!!a super interesting video guys.see ya!..woods
Hey there woods, good hearing from you. Yes it's a beautifully rugged area full of places to explore. Julie is a real trooper, too. I know what you mean about getting a little spooked inside the workings. We usually turn our lights off inside for a minute and when you turn them back on you are very thankful for them and not as spooked. Those miners were some tough characters to be sure, and many times the bucks were never even realized. Thanks for the comment and hope you are well.
Love seeing the ways that they used what ever they had or could get there hands on to make it Work .Super great adventures and discoveries the American Way 💣⛏️🇺🇸
The miners were very resourceful like you said. Glad that you enjoyed the adventure.!
How the bloody hell did they get all that stuff into the mines? Let alone, how did they build and function in such a harsh environment? Amazing. One of your best explores ever. Thanks for posting.
All good questions and one of the reasons we enjoy visiting these mines. Seeing what these hard working miners were able to accomplish in the most difficult of conditions is truly amazing. Also, we generally visit this area in the winter when the temperature is not scorching hot, like it would be in summer. I really can't tell you how they were able to accomplish this. Where the top of the tram is located is hard to reach on foot let alone hauling up materials for that tower and stringing a huge cable. This is one of our favorite explores. We have been here twice and will go back again sometime. Thanks, Kevin!
BIG HIKE " MIND-BOGGLE MINE" GREAT EXPLORE!!!
This was a fun hike and cool mine. Thanks for the comment!
Really love your explores! Very intriguing! I am fan. Mad love❤❤
This is a fun one with a great hike and views. Glad that you enjoyed it, Henry!
Second time watching this one, you two consistently produce such enjoyable entertainment, love your channel!
Some of the views at the top of that tram are great. Thanks for watching twice, Robert!
Wouldn't you have like to seen that mine operating during it's glory days. All that hiking and climbing might keep you young...or not...LOL. Enjoyed it.
I say that same thing at a lot of mines, David. Can't you just see that big tram bucket full of ore coming down the mountain? This is a fun explore. Thanks for the comment!👍👍
A fine mine exploration video, for those of us who live near the East coast. Very thorough coverage, and clean language, so a family with kids could view this without any trepidation or embarassment. AND, neither of you take anything, or commit vandalism. The only thing I would ask for is a little more of the geology and mineralogy. Since I'm a consulting geologist, this information would be enlightening! As far as mine exploration ethics and rules go, is it OK to collect rock and mineral samples from these old mines? Thanks again, please keep up the fine work!
Thanks for the nice comment. I try to narrate our videos without using any foul language. I did say s**t once when I dropped my $130 flashlight down a shaft while climbing up a ladder. It stopped about 50 feet below me and still worked. It could have gone much further down. We don't take mine artifacts from the mines. For this particular mine it is illegal to remove anything, including rocks, since it is in Death Valley National Park. Some mines on BLM land I believe you can take rocks as long as there is not an active mining claim on the land in question, then you can't take anything. Thanks for watching!
I'm not the best at geology so I would probably be wrong about identifying the various rocks and minerals. I do enjoy seeing them. Feel free to chime in if you see something you recognize.
I'm suprised your not wearing N95 particle masks. The mines and adits you explore contain ultramafic rock, which contain, among others, silicon depleted asbestos, which can lead to pulmonary fibrosis and mestheolominia years after exposure. In your case as recreational exposure, occurs as you walk through, you can't help but disperse asbestos dust and fibers into the air you breath. In fact, you can easily see fine dust particles illuminated by your camera light. Somthing to consider as you explore, right?
Thanks, Kenny. Yes, something to consider. There is nothing safe about exploring mines.
Awsome love your videos !
This was a fun one for us. Glad that you enjoyed it, too.
Well the miners were very creativ with the timbering
This is a great hike and mine. Thanks, Frank.
Just would have liked to see this mine when they first started working on it after all the cable and things before most of the hill washed-out. Wonder how long it took to do all of the work and how many miners did all of it
I would have loved to see the trams, and the rest of the mine running, too. This is one of favorite places to explore, between the hike in and the mine. Thanks, Ronnie!
When I was a child in the 1950's we had a board game called "Chutes and Ladders". It had no meaning to me back then but after seeing some mines it was obviously inspired by the mining business. Hmmm.
Maybe you correct that it was inspired by underground mines. Thanks for the comment!😄
Great to see you two out exploring a mine again! This was a really cool one, great name too. I was in Death Valley before but just passing through, thanks for sharing some in depth exploration. It sounds like you know a few things about mining from your narration, how did you learn about it? I think you had a good suggestion that it would be cool to camp out in one of those break rooms if its permitted.
Thanks for watching and commenting, Shane! This was a fun explore and it would be a cool place to camp which I believe is permitted. We've learned a lot about mining from visiting so many mines in the last couple years, books about mining and talking with locals. In fact today we are working in a gold mine in Bishop, Ca. just for the experience and to help a new friend. We are clearing out the adit, hanging lights and ventilation tubes so the ore can be hauled out when production begins.
@@TomandJulieMineExploring sounds really cool, good luck.
Nice hike. Did you ever find out what was mined here at the Scallywag Mine which is the coolest mine name I have ever heard?
Thanks, P-Daz and good hearing from you. I never was able to find out much about this mine although I did see the mention of it being a lead mine. I don't like to say for sure unless I'm able to verify it as fact. It is a cool name and fun to say as well. Thanks for commenting and I hope all is well for you.
Could you imagine being out here in the late 1800’s ?
It would be tough. This location on the mountain is challenging.
Tom Wigren: Mine Exploration and Hiking , when I watch guys (& gals) like yourself and Frank and others I try to put myself in these mines at the turn of the century , these miners sure where a hardy bunch ! Even if they where mined in the 50’s or 60’s still had to be rugged types
Love your channel and videos - along with Gly’s ;-) …quite unlike me because I’m generally not very observant, unless I’m mistaken I think Julie changed her trousers (yes I’m English !) a few times on this explore - starting in shorts, then long trousers, then a different colour long trousers, then ending up in shorts again. Help me solve the mystery 🤔
Hi David. We have been to this mine at least twice that I can remember. There must be some clips from different days mixed together in this video. It's been a few years, so there have been a lot of mines that we have seen since being at this one. Thanks for watching and commenting!👌😊
Nice mines and a good hike. Ever run into any animals when you go into the mines? Death Valley is on my wish list. Take care and thanks for the video, Al
This was a fun hike and explore. The only animals we have actually seen inside a mine have been bats which are quite common. We have seen a lot of other tracks inside mines. Some cougar tracks for sure and many smaller tracks that we were unable to identify. We were in a mine yesterday in an area of Nevada that has a large population of wild burros and there were burro tracks 500 plus feet inside the adit. We saw several burros on the hike to the mine. Thanks for the comment, Al!
I wonder what the day to day life was like for these miners. Did they work an 8 hour shift or 10 or 12? Where did they reside? How long did it take them to get to work every day or did they sometimes sleep in the mine? How many people were employed? How safe were the operations?
All good questions. In a remote area like this there was usually a camp nearby although we saw no evidence of that at this mine. I'm sure they worked long hours when they could especially if they were getting paid per ore car load. Some mines employed many people during the boom cycle then none when the inevitable bust came. Lots of history associated with mining which is why we find it interesting. Thanks for the comment.
@wzrsk -- At a small remote mine like that , they probably had only 3 - 4 miners working there , and once you climbed up the mountain , you lived at the mine . Communal cooking and everyone ate meals together . Meals would be pretty much the same for every meal , not a whole lot of variety and NO Refrigeration . Those small , short shelter Dug - Outs were probably where the miners slept . Work would normally be Sun-up to Sun-down . '' How safe were the operations? '' --- They weren't , mining is a Dangerous profession , remember they're working with High Explosives , Blasting their way through Rock , always the possibility of a Cave In , falling down a Winze or the side of the Mountain . --- < Doc , Miner for over 50 years > .
Thanks for the input, Doc. Always fun to hear your side of things.
2 questions: 1) On the ladders, the steps are in-set. I can see how they make the vertical cuts on the rails, but how do the do the horizontal so that the step fits in the groove? 2) If the hundreds of yards of tunnels and shafts in a mine have to be done by dynamite, dynamite must not have been an expensive item?
Good question about the ladders. I've often wondered if the ladder parts are cut outside and then brought in and assembled and if they were cut by hand. I donbelievevthat dynamite was and still is relatively inexpensive. Thanks for commenting, Gary!👍👍
Wow that's seriously rugged mining territory!
You are correct, sir. Just to get to the bottom of the mine site is a challenge. Climbing the sharp rocks up the mountain to the actual mine even more challenging. Thanks, Mark!
This video made my hands sweaty! Wow! Well done worn the footage! did you find an easier way down?
This is one of our favorite hikes and mine explores. If you are asking about an easier way down the mountain the answer is no. Thanks for the comment, Jeremy!
@@TomandJulieMineExploring not fun on the way down for sure! Thanks for sharing your adventure!
Cool mine. And what's left of building 👷♂️
Yes, this is one of our favorites. Thanks, Ronnie!
Well you guys I've concluded it must have been a bunch of dadgum mountain goats mining that thing like your other
subscribers I don't see how they got all
the equipment up there unless they had
a helicopter whatever they got it must
have been awful good another excellent
tom & julie production
I feel the same way. We see a lot of mines where it seems like it would have been impossible to haul the amount of equipment in that they did without a helicopter. It's truly amazing what the old time miners accomplished. Thanks for the comment!👍😁
You guys are very tough, there is no way I could climb those cliffs.
It is a tough hike up to this one. We have a strong hiking background which helps a lot.
Scrolling thru death valley photos, a photo of Julie popped up, i said to myself, self, she looks familiar. Clicked and here i am.
This is a fun hike and pretty cool mine. It's tough getting up the mountain from he wash to the mine. Where did you see the photo? Thanks for commenting, Ken!
@@TomandJulieMineExploring I typed death valley photos into google search and a pic of Julie came up, I thought how cool is that, so I clicked on the pic of course to see my friend and then took me to this video. 👍
Hi . How do you find these old mines . Simply amazing .
Hi, Tony. We do a lot of research with maps, books, sharing information with other mine enthusiasts and regular old exploring an area in person. Thanks for commenting!👍
Small rock chambers on lower level: powder magazines maybe?
That's a possibility. Most mines have some type of bunker. Thanks, Gareth!
with the price of gold ya would think someone would be revisiting old mines of all types. i would.
I agree, and some people are still working certain claims. Mines like this one in Death Valley National Park are generally off limits to removing anything. There might be a few old claims that are still active in DVNP. Thanks for the comment, Kevin!
The ore shoots look too narrow don't they unless it was totally pulverised.
Yes, the ore size must have been quite small.
@@TomandJulieMineExploring -- Yep , easiest way to handle the Ore . If you remember , the Ore Chute to the Hopper was a PIPE , and Boulders don't travel too well in a pipe . Lol . -- < Doc > .
Valuables
No wonder this is called Death Valley!
We're still alive. Hope you enjoyed the video.
How could they bring all the equipment there and even work in temperatures upto 51 C / 124F
Good question. We are always amazed at all the heavy equipment miners somehow hauled into these remote places. Just walking there is difficult. I don't know how they could do the hard work in those conditions. Thanks for commenting, Jan!👍😁
great video you two, but old Julie????
Haha, that's an endearing term. Glad that you liked the video!👍
go morning yoo too
Hi Michael!
What's the name of the large obvious canyon?
Wouldn’t it be nice if it wound around down to the bottom near your Jeep 😊
If you're talking about the tram, yes. That would be awesome. Thanks again, Robert!👌😁
I'm no expert, but those bones at 38:36 look very much like bones from a human foot, and being that they're still together, would mean they're fairly recent.. I can only imagine there's more than one body lying around out there. Just sayin'.
I'm no expert on bones either. Who knows, I'm surprised we haven't found a body in a shaft somewhere. Thanks for watching!👌
Quite enjoyable watching you two. I just wonder about safety should one of you get hurt inside a mine. Another thing that I would be concerned about is snakes. I live in a very different kind of climate in the south of Chile and there are no venomous snakes here. I know deserts can be beautiful but I will miss trees and green very soon! Here is a short video to show you what it looks like here. ruclips.net/video/AcA8xDJrrtI/видео.html&ab_channel=PAVANZYL
We are very well prepared with equipment and first aid should we get hurt. We do keep a close eye out for snakes during the warmer months. Not everyone likes the desert but it can be very beautiful. Thanks for sending the video of Chile where you live!.
Another use of a drone
I suppose you could, although not legally. This is in a national park. Thanks for the comment, Robert!👍
Lotsa tram work, no mine working. Sloppy timbering.
The tram location is great, especially at the top.
What's the name of the large obvious canyon?
No canyon name on the maps I use. The two tram lines and adits are on the topo maps though. I believe it's the next canyon south of Ashford Canyon, where the Ashford Mine is, and which is another fun explore. Thanks for the question.