Great video, Drew! Quite an interesting history regarding those mines and John Fremont. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/Z91yg717z7ncpXk.html

you're watching it :)

BILO SAGATIEVE National Geographic needs to hire him!

You mean like TV? The old dying media?

I has tv show person man

And frogs 🐸

@KingsnakeSince1986 , traps, bad air, sharp objects in Sunnyslope?

@KingsnakeSince1986 yeah that's a pretty shitty area lol. I used to live in Phoenix. Since 1986 huh? Me too. If that's your birthday. We're birthday year buddies.

this is minecraft?

this video actually some what as got me dreaming looks like a great place to bring the whole family you no like why not make a day outing of it as they go their ways i go mine as on with my life leaving them deeply thought of as far from my mind as left behind like canaries in a coal mine literally speaking but of course i am i guess just joking as well yes its just a dream inacents enough said on by part but then to mind what at times its like thinking as its so darn nice to dream a bit just to find some peace of my own mine after all things said and done in my day i worked my ass off for it yet i never see any of it as the family take care of it all for me but as what be it what if the money was all mine like almost free for me as once to feel for one time in my life what it must be like to strike it so rich lol all the way to the bank well thats my wife i mean i meant my life as please excuse me as while i mine my thoughts and dreams

Safety has always been paramount during the last 10 or 12 years that I have been doing this. I really don’t explore and document mines much anymore since I announced my retirement back in May 2017. However, I’m still getting out there once in a long while. And, yes, safety is still paramount. Always has been. Always will be. Thanks for your comment, and thanks for checking out the video!

Glad you're enjoying my videos, Paige! Thanks for your interest and support.

The flooded mines aren't my favorites either. But, as an abandoned mine explorer, sometimes you have to do them and make the best of it. At the end of the day, I was so glad I had brought a clean change of clothes. You mentioned falling down a shaft. In the first mine in this video, I show that pipe and drill bit sticking up out of the water next to the ore cart tracks. As I mentioned in the video in a caption, those might've been marking where a shaft (winze) was in the tunnel floor. The old map we saw of that mine showed a winze not too far inside the tunnel entrance. Looking at the footage, I don't see a winze there under the water, but it could've been all filled in with silt and mud over the past century.

At least you can swim..... and wear a life jacket, lol.

Every so often, a viewer will make a similar request like you just made. I'm afraid, though, that an unedited video would be boring. It would be a lot of footage of me walking through tunnels or bushwhacking through dense vegetation or hiking up an old dirt road, etc.. I don't know -- maybe sometime I'll try it out. Thanks for the interesting suggestion!

@@AbandonedMines11 I love the live stream idea, you would be surprised how much the walk in and quieter moments would enhance the mine exploration. Breath before the plunge into the abyss.

Stream from a cave? Probably will be laggy :)

@@AbandonedMines11 Perhaps pair the [Edited] versions with [Raw] or [Unedited] footage uploads?

scrubydor sure yeah, just use the tunnels WiFi

You certainly do have your fair share of them over there, don’t you? You would have definitely been in your element in this abandoned mine!

Me too! There were lots of little frogs of different colors in the first flooded mine tunnel. Quite a change for me since I'm used to encountering only bats and pack-rats in the dry mines in the desert southwest where I'm usually exploring at.

nick rogers Hey, thanks Nick for your comment! Not sure when that metal door was installed but I would think it was installed when the mine closed down in the 1930s or thereabouts. Back then, I’m sure the mine was completely dry because they probably had to use pumps continually to keep it from flooding. Once they closed down, the mine gradually filled up with water to the state that it is today. It’s my guess that all of the lower workings are probably underwater. The upper workings above the main tunnel where the door is might possibly still be dry. It’s reported that there were about 10 miles of tunnels in this particular mine, so that’s a lot of tunneling! It would be cool to see some of it if not most of it.

@@AbandonedMines11 Now you have me wondering what's behind the door and when your going back to have a look-see also I was wondering if you think that there might be another entrance to the mine? I really enjoy your videos and the only other one I watch is Frank's channel Exploring Abandoned Mines up in BC Canada where I am from. I was wondering if you guys have ever met? It would be wild to see you guys do an explore together. Take care n' Cheers

Thanks, man, for your comment! And thanks for watching the video, too. You've been a long-time supporter here, so I thank you for that.

Is your name really Jonah? Because if it is, I saw the name “Jonah” scratched into the flooded tunnel wall next to that partially open door. LOL! Just kidding!

Hey, Zachary! Drew had already hiked down to the mine a couple months ago, so he warned me about the poison oak. It was everywhere as we bushwhacked down the hillside. For some reason, though, I didn't get any on me. It really was everywhere. Guess I lucked out.

ya, I have actually explored a few mines in northern california and ended up with poison oak once or twice.

I appreciate your support! Thanks for taking the time to watch the video and comment. And thank you for the feedback, too.

It was Drew's first time in an abandoned mine so, yes, he had a blast despite the lack of extensive "tunnel time." Glad to hear that my videos got you interested in exploring abandoned mines. Always cool to hear that. By the way, I forgot to mention in my last reply to your last comment that I like your new avatar here. Cute picture!

@@AbandonedMines11 Thanks for the compliment, that pic was taken in Golden Gate Park a few years ago. You made my day!!

Thanks for your comment!

Hello.

Thank you, Tom!

Thanks for your enthusiasm! I appreciate that very much. Glad to have you along for all of the adventures whether above-ground or underground.

Thank you for being a subscriber for these last few years! I really appreciate that. I’m not familiar with that gentleman’s work that you mentioned. I’ll have to look him up. I’m assuming he’s a fellow explorer, right? Sounds like you are enjoying the videos here on my channel, so thank you for that. I applaud your efforts to join the National Park Service. Sounds like you have a passion for that sort of thing.

@@AbandonedMines11 David Paulides is a former Police Officer who covers the shocking amount of strange disappearances in National Parks. Look up missing 411 if your interested

Chad Bro Chill I am definitely going to look that up! Now that you mentioned it, I remember reading something vaguely about it a few years back.

Or something else! We might just head back up there and float in there and check it all out.

Yay !!!

Yes, please go back there with a boat.

Thanks, Sean! Hope you enjoyed the video!

Sean T same lol it’s midnight my time

Thanks for your comment, Dan! If I can remember correctly, Ingersoll-Rand invented the first mining drill or something like that back in 1871. The rest is history.

You're welcome! Thank you for your comment!

Well, I'm certainly glad you found my channel and are here enjoying my videos! Thank you for watching and commenting!

Cool! Thanks for subscribing! Justin (TVR) and I explored a handful of mines a couple of years ago. Haven’t been out with him since, though.

@@AbandonedMines11 I've been subscribed since you went into the Horton tunnel. Scary shite!

Great! I love hearing that! Hope you enjoyed the latest video.

It was surprising to see the frogs. Normally I am in abandoned mines out in the desert where there is no life-sustaining water or moisture whatsoever. This renders the mines virtually lifeless except for pack rats and the occasional bat.

They certainly are eerie! Glad you picked up on that. They definitely are not my most favorite mines to explore and document. Sounds like you enjoyed the video! Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment.

Drew went back to this mine by himself and found another entrance off to the side which we think leads to the level above the flooded level that you see in this video. He didn’t go in very far because he was by himself. I need to get back up there and finish off the exploration one of these days.

I appreciate you taking the time to watch and comment. Thank you! Yes, Drew earned +1000 experience points on his first abandoned mine exploration. LOL

Thanks, Luiz! Glad you enjoyed the video.

Yes, the detectors are very valuable to have. Being that I’m basically retired from this hobby, there was really no need for me to get a hydrogen sulfide gas detector. However, I had some extra money laying around so I thought I’d get one for the hell of it. I’m glad I did because it came in handy on this trip. Flooded and wet mines definitely have a higher risk of hydrogen sulfide gas, that’s for sure. Normally I never found myself in flooded mines back when I was doing this regularly, so the need for a hydrogen sulfide gas detector was never really that imperative. At any rate, thanks for your comment, Mark!

Got it, Raymond! Thanks for your comment!

Good to hear from you again, too, Beverly! Thanks for watching and commenting.

I appreciate you stopping by again, George, and taking a look and leaving a comment. Always appreciate your support. Thank you!

@@AbandonedMines11 Frank first and foremost I wish you health and happiness, your exploration videos are outstanding, as long as you make them I'll be here watching them!!!!!!

The flooded mines are always sort of creepy in a way, Sally Sue. They definitely aren't my forte, that's for sure. I got to be so accustomed to the dry, well-preserved abandoned mines in the deserts. It's fun, though, to do a flooded mine once in a while. Thanks for your comment!

Exploring Abandoned Mines and Unusual Places 😊 I totally understand every person has their own niche.

Glad to hear you enjoyed it. Thanks for watching and commenting!

Thanks, Joseph!

Thanks, man! Not really into flooded mines, but they are a nice change of pace. In fact, I think this was the first flooded mine I've been in since I announced my semi-permanent retirement over two years ago!

Thanks for your comment. It's too bad Drew and I were unable to access the upper levels in the first mine. However, the air blowing at us from behind that collapse means there is another opening somewhere else that we don't know about -- yet.

Exploring Abandoned Mines and Unusual Places Yeah if air is coming then there’s definitely another entrance to the mine. Just be careful.

Would bringing tools to dig out the collapse be possible? Could it be dug out with a shovel or is it too difficult?

Simon Tay That’s a pretty substantial collapse. I would be afraid that by removing rocks, more rocks might fall down from above. I don’t know - the fact that air was blowing through it means that it can’t be that substantial of a collapse or that thick. However, I think it would be easier to try to find the other opening higher on the hillside.

Exploring Abandoned Mines and Unusual Places I think that a shovel is a bad idea. Those places are to old to dig, at least in my opinion. I would be scared even to talk in those places :P

Hey, Trevor! Thank you for your comment. It’s always nice when someone lets me know that they are getting something out of the videos and are enjoying them like you are.

I didn't recognize your channel name. Looks like you're new on KZfaq as of a few months ago! Welcome! Looks like you've been busy exploring mines in the UK. Awesome! I'll add your channel's link to my KZfaq channel's homepage on the right-hand side where it says "Check Out These Other Awesome Channels!" Thanks for stopping by and commenting, man! Yes, I'm not accustomed to flooded mines, that's for sure. Definitely was a change of pace for me.

Thanks very much. I actually had the mining videos on another channel but these were now and again and the main content is unrelated, so decided to move them to their own channel. These are upto 3 years old. Been following your adventures since the early days. Thanks again, appreciated.

Glad you enjoyed the video and saw something that you otherwise wouldn't see. Thanks for your comment!

Thanks for watching and commenting!

Thanks! Glad to hear from an enthusiastic fan. I appreciate your support and interest here.

I agree! Drew and I were so curious as to whether or not the tunnel behind the door was unblocked or not. This mine has over 10 miles of interconnected tunnels, so it would be a doozy to explore and document. Granted, I think most of those tunnels (especially the lower ones) are probably completely flooded, but we still don't know for sure....

Which mine in the video did he recognize? The first one or the second one?

@@AbandonedMines11 the second one, that first one is actually quite hard to spot unless you're someone with a good eye, it's very overgrown and most would probably not see those tailings at first glance especially from a distance.

Cool! Thanks for the reply. Yes, the first mine is really overgrown. Had to bushwhack down to it which was kind of tough. The airflow coming through that collapse means there is another opening somewhere else on the hillside. Would love to find that and access the uppermost workings.

That sounds pretty interesting!

Thanks for commenting, Pratt! Good to hear from you again. Killer name you’ve got. :-)

@@AbandonedMines11 Thank you sir. I appreciate your heart, your courage and lastly but mostly your voice. You know 3years ago I had a drastic change both in my professional life and personal life. It was like I've borned twice. What others may misses out. My childhood was not that normal. I grew up with many unusual circumstances. Later I able to figure it out the reason behind all of this. I can read vibes as well as energy. You're someone very rare in this planet. I know there are tons of channel out here on KZfaq. But trust me or not you're very different among all. Please never shut down this channel. A warrior is never tired nor wounded , if the purpose is greater than his own life. Blessed be

Yeah, I'm not sure why my camera did that. It isn't like I was walking from a dark area to an area with more light. That color change is a weird effect.

Fifteen flooded minutes. LOL

Thanks for checking it out!

I used to do that myself. Now I look in them and say, "Why not?" LOL Seriously, when I first started exploring and documenting these abandoned mines, I would only hike up to the entrance, look in, but never enter them. Too scared. Check out my earliest videos from 11 or 12 years ago -- you'll see what I mean!

Thanks for watching and commenting, Pharraoh! The unknown and unexplored mines are the best ones for obvious reasons. I'm still not totally comfortable with flooded mines, but the more of them I do, the better I feel about them. Good luck exploring the unknown mind you found. Will be interested to see your video of it.

There had to be other adits or a huge open stope with all that air

You are absolutely correct about that! The hillside is so overgrown, though, that finding other entrances would be very difficult. We even had a hand-drawn map of the mine’s workings taken from an old mining report, but even that offers no real geographical accuracy or anything like that as to where the other openings might be. I know Drew has already scouted the area on his own and didn’t find anything.

Hey, Alek! Thanks for your comment. Sounds like you’re excited to see a new video from me. I’m still semi-retired from this hobby, but as I promised back in May 2017, I would still be uploading abandoned mine videos from time to time. I put a few up this past week or so. This most recent one features some flooded gold mines. Definitely out of my element in the wet ones, that’s for sure. Thanks again for taking the time to watch and comment!

Yeah, I picked up the hydrogen sulfide gas detector a couple months ago. Being that I’m basically retired from this hobby, there was really no need to buy it. I had some extra money laying around, so I thought I would get one for the hell of it. Sure enough, it came in handy on this spur-of-the-moment trip. Thanks for checking out the video, man! I appreciate it.

That’s a good way of looking at that! I never considered that perspective before. But I think you’re right! Hey, thanks for checking out the video and for leaving your insightful comment.

I wish that would have happened! Then we would know if the tunnel behind the door is blocked or not. LOL Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment!

Yes, I think at the end of this video I show footage of us attempting to enter the Pine Tree Mine. That was a tight squeeze to get into the entry tunnel, and there was a steel door partially open not too far inside. However, I sank down in all of the mud and silt that is in that entry tunnel. It was up to my knees! Almost got stuck in there, as a matter of fact! Drew went back by himself a week or two later and took an inner tube in there and floated over to the steel door. He said there was a giant collapse behind it blocking the way which is what I had surmised as well even though I didn’t get a good look at it when I was in there. It would be also impossible to open that steel door any further than it already is due to the mud and silt. I have partially located some other entrances that are much higher up on the hillside but haven’t gotten back there yet to check them out. Do you remember how you entered the mine? Was that main portal with the steel door open when you were there?

There's another entrance further back on the mountain down in the canyon that was still open. Although there is water in there also, it didn't appear to be as deep as what you encountered. Next time you go out that way, I would be more than happy to show you where I saw it.

Drew had said that was poison oak. In fact, it was everywhere as we bushwhacked down the steep hillside in the forest. For some reason, though, I did not break out in a rash this time around like I did a couple years ago when I unknowingly hiked through it.

@@AbandonedMines11 I'm my time in the military much of our training sites were thick with it. They'd give us Prednisone afterwards. But the equipment you couldn't wash easy like rucksack straps and other common equipment would hold the sap and give you rashes if you handled it. Good times

@@AbandonedMines11 Little known fact, reaction to Poison Oak/Ivy is actually an allergy, not everyone reacts to it. Allergies can also disappear between the years, so maybe you aren't allergic to it anymore! I wouldn't go testing it though, lol.

Brilliant comment! Short and to the point. Thank you, Nicole!

If you’re referring to what I call “blasting holes” in the first mine tunnel, you are incorrect. Those ARE blasting holes - not holes for fresh air or ventilation. Ventilation tubing would have been hung in the tunnel and fresh air supplied that way. The metal door in the second tunnel COULD be the door to an explosives storage locker. I hadn’t thought of that until I read your comment. Now that I’ve read your comment, I can see where that might be a possibility. There was no airflow coming out of that tunnel which suggests either a major collapse is blocking the tunnel or it really is, as you said, a dead-end storage area. If it is an explosives storage room, I have never seen one that far inside a tunnel before. We do know that the main entrance to that second mine was in the small gully several feet below that particular tunnel we were in that had the metal door. However, the mining report stated that there were several horizontal entrances to the mine due to its sheer size. The only way we will know whether or not that metal door leads to a dead-end storage room or leads to the labyrinth of tunnels is to actually get up to it and look behind it. Not unless, of course, you have already done that yourself. Have you? Thanks for your comment, man! Very intriguing….

I’ve been in many abandoned mines that date back to the late 1800s like this one does, but I have never seen a metal hook like I did in this one. I think they are quite rare! I would guess that they usually don’t last too long due to the moisture content and other environmental factors. The one in this video looked like it was ready to fall off the wall.

Thanks.

Hi, Linda! Thanks for watching and commenting!

Thanks for your comment! To be honest, that second mine tunnel with all of the silt and mud was the deepest I have ever come across. As a matter fact, the few flooded tunnels I have been in have never really had a problem with mud like that. That was exceptionally rare in my case, and it shows just how dangerous flooded mines can be. I really did sink in up to my knees! Luckily I was able to pull my legs free and get out of there unscathed. Will go back with an innertube or something to float over to the door to see what’s behind it and whether the tunnel is passable or not. There are reportedly 10 miles of tunnels in that mine on various levels. Of course, I believe that all of the lower levels are probably filled with water, so hopefully there would be some upper levels that would still be dry.

remprx c And a shout out to all the miners who worked in these dangerous mines decades and decades ago!

Cool! Maybe you know some other ways into these mines then? LOL

Exploring Abandoned Mines and Unusual Places no I grew up there never went into them just was told about them was super excited you were there so I could finally see them 20 years later.

Good reply! I can imagine that finally seeing the inside of these mines that you grew up with in your backyard, so to speak, but never explored yourself would be kind of cool. Thanks for your comments!

That sounds like a good idea! Unfortunately, I don’t own nor do I carry any mining equipment with me on these expeditions.

Bodie is one place that I have never been, if you can believe that. I’ve heard a lot of good things about it. Glad you were able to get there and check it out. Will have to research the gold mine that you said is in that area. Sounds interesting! Hey, thanks for watching and commenting!

@@AbandonedMines11 As someone who's been to Bodie before, I don't believe any of the mines themselves are open due to concerns of public safety but the mill itself is open for guided tours and there are plenty of buildings to check out! I believe its $5 per person for the tour and lasts about 30 minutes. It's a wonderful place and I might actually be returning to Bodie with the next week and a half!

You welcome, Please find time to go to Bodie, (biggest ghost town in USA)is really WORTH IT to do the drive crossing the Sierras (Tioga Pass) The area is so mystic like Mono Lake.

Thanks for your comment, Douglas! I don’t know if you heard in the video but the map we saw of this mine sort of indicated a possible winze not too far inside the entrance. I think maybe those metal rods that were on the right hand side of the tunnel might have been marking where that winze was. I looked at the footage again up close and I don’t see any winze there under the water, but if there was one it may have filled up over time with mud and silt. These mines go way back to the late 1800s, so they have had more than a century to fill up any such winze or vertical shafts with silt and mud. Maps of the mines can sometimes be found in old mining reports. That’s where I get all of mine.

Thanks for the comment, Brad! I appreciate you watching my videos and hopefully being a subscriber. Thank you for that! It’s always nice when an enthusiastic and dedicated viewer such as yourself lets me know that they are really enjoying my videos. While I’m not uploading as many as I used to a few years ago, I’m still getting out there once in a great while. I’ll have more new videos coming soon, so stay tuned (as if I really need to tell you that! LOL).

That whole general area is pretty nice. You chose a scenic place to live!

Thanks for your comment, Jake! Jeremy and I explored the nine levels in the abandoned Black Mine a few years ago. As I was crawling past a clogged ore chute, the rocks in the chute suddenly gave way and started tumbling out of the chute onto my head. I thought for a second I was going to buried alive -- or at least my head and upper torso. The footage of the tumbling rocks is in the first minute or two of that video, and the video is here if you're interested: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/ppyRntirsta6dmg.html

Exploring Abandoned Mines and Unusual Places thanks for the reply! I’ll definitely check that video out. Edit: Ended up watching the video and that looked pretty sketchy. However it was probably one of the coolest mines I’ve seen with all of the old artifacts. The grease for the rail karts still being in the bucket was amazing.

Hi, Maria! Thank you for your comment. It's nice to hear that you are getting something out of the videos. Thank you for the feedback.

There are many small mines hidden up in the mountains and in the deserts - they are everywhere! Apparently the first mine in this video has another opening or two somewhere on that steep hillside that we bushwhacked down to reach the main entrance. Whatever other openings are there, they are NOT marked on any topographic map that I have seen.

Yes, you commented too soon. LOL I also wear a camelback that's full of water along with some bottles of extra water. I also have an extra flashlight, extra batteries, SPOT beacon, etc..

That isn't the first time I've come across large pieces of equipment like that at abandoned mines. You're right -- it's a shame they're just rusting away there. At least they're somewhat preserved on my video (as long as KZfaq never closes down), so that's a small consolation. Thanks for dropping by the video and commenting!

@@AbandonedMines11 yeah, you're right, noticed quite a few in past videos. keep up the good fight!

Where is here? Is here here, or is here near here, or is here somewhere else? LOL Thanks, Colin, for your comment! I appreciate your interest and support. Let me know where the Raymond Mine is.

Navy veteran here, too! I was stationed on the USS Nassau (LHA 4) which was decommissioned several years ago. Not as big as an aircraft carrier. Mainly had helicopters onboard. Thanks for your comment, man!

These flooded mines always look sketchy -- and they are! I'm not a big fan of them only because I am accustomed to the dry, well-preserved mines in the deserts. Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment, man!

That’s awesome, Shane! Thanks for checking out this video and for commenting!

Poison oak was everywhere! It was also everywhere during the hike/bushwhack down the steep hillside to reach the mine. Fortunately, I didn't break out in a rash this time around. Drew, who was with me in this video, pointed out all the poison oak, so we knew it was there. I was wearing long-sleeves and pants, so that might've kept it off my skin.

Thanks for your comment and suggestion, Ben! I had heard of the Alvord Mine a long time ago - like 10 years ago. But I had always assumed that it was closed up and no longer accessible. Are you thinking of the Waterman Mine instead?

Just got back from there today, a friend from work recommend it to me. Alvord Mine California goo.gl/maps/SH3XY2cNXH4r9Hr78 High clearance vehicle/ 4x4 recommended. We were able to drive almost to one of the entrances, we parked the truck at the ruined build south of the marker on the link, it’s a huge gold mine! Tons of quartz, I think there’s still gold ore up there if you know what to look for.

Forgot to add its public land BLM and if you like to rock hound there’s tons of rocks to find.

Thanks for that information, Ben! Duly noted. Looks like there is an old mill there.

Exploring Abandoned Mines and Unusual Places can’t wait for that episode :-)

I agree!

Collapses are always disappointing -- especially one like this one where we could still feel air flow coming from behind the rocks. There is probably another entrance to the mine somewhere higher up on the hill. The problem is locating it.

Hi!