Nevada Mine Exploration

This movie was made with an analog video camera with a Coleman lantern for lighting, in an abandoned underground gold/silver mine in Nevada.
Warning: old mines are very dangerous, do not attempt this, stay out of them.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Nevada
• Mines
• Abandoned

[shadehunter1]

I am a miner who lives in Neveda and I have worked underground for many years and in a lot of different shafts, if you chose to go into one of these old mines you are not only risking your lifes but the men in mine resue that have to try to get you out, think about that next time you risk your life, its not the dangers you see that get you its the unseen ones and bad air is probely number one.

[SagebrushRebel]

@shadehunter1

Shadehunter, you are an experienced underground miner & I respect your opinion. Since I was 13 years old I wanted to work underground but so far that has not happened. I'm 48 now, and still want to work underground. Maybe you can direct me to an employer in Nevada, Idaho or Arizona?

[Reorte]

A few notes for various people - old mines are dangerous only if you don't know the dangers. An experienced mine explorer knows when to turn back. Whether or not gas is likely to be an issue to consider depends on the mine - local knowledge there. Rocks dropping on you is not much of a risk (away from earthquake areas) as long as you don't do anything stupid like poking at old timber. Falling through rotten wooden floors is a much bigger danger.

[SagebrushRebel]

Thank you Reorte, you've posted the most informed & intelligent message so far, about this video. Yes you're right about the wooden floors built over stopes & winzes. Also old wood ladders.

[Reorte]

Thanks. There are some, erm, "interesting" routes in some old mines - Google "Coniston Hospital Level", for example. The floors over the stopes have gone in places there, but the odd scaffold pole, stemple, and planks bolted to the wall allow progress (there's a safety line too). Can be turned into an interesting through trip by abseiling down from a higher level (I've not done any of that in there).

[SagebrushRebel]

Reorte, what is "abseiling?" I assume it's like repelling. I could not find the Coniston link at Google. Also a few years ago I saw a home video at a MSHA class which showed a group of young men exploring a Tonopah mine, one of them "trusted" an old rope and fell 100 feet. He survived but it was a long & difficult rescue. Most people don't know what they're getting into in these old mines.

[redneckderek]

no farrfromtheordinary that is not gold if their were rich enough veins of it that it was visible that mine would definitely not be abandoned

[redneckderek]

yeah... all those piles of rock in the walkway were probably placed there on purpose... PBT!

[wen790]

exellent place to hide during a economic collapse of the dollar

during a apocalyptic 2012 event.

[joesmoe71]

Man that's dangerous as hell, there's already small cave-ins all over the place, cool video but you're lucky you didn't earn yourself a Darwin award

[staydput]

The 19th Century had no OSHA. Their ribs were of wood.

Dang if you can get out alive.

They never had decent maps, either.

STAY OUT.

Some day, robots can re-enter. But if you love your family -- STAY OUT.

[thundertracksusa]

what is the silvery stuff on the walls of the mine?

[dano415]

great video!!!!!!

[sauxenoy]

You were alone down there?? Man, you got some really and I mean really BIG, erm, cojones :)

[Sreewtyui]

That looks like a mine I used to go to just outside of Reno.. kinda near lemmon valley

[theshyguitarist]

Loved the video, but unfortunately, your footsteps in the mine reminded me of a cousin of mine...when he eats granola cereal. I thought I had gotten over that.....; )