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speelyei
Trad climber
Mohave County Arizona
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Dec 26, 2013 - 08:45pm PT
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thebravecowboy
Social climber
Colorado Plateau
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Dec 26, 2013 - 08:50pm PT
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speelyei
Trad climber
Mohave County Arizona
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Dec 26, 2013 - 09:09pm PT
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Dapper Dan,
As far as the gasses go, the gasses that will kill you are heavier than air and accumulate over time. Mine ventilation systems were well established by the late 1800's/ early 1900's.
The mines as you see them now are abandoned. Who knows how much of the structural supports were removed along with anything the mining company wanted to salvage? A lot of the mines I see used to have rails, ore cars, pumps to draw water out etc. All that stuff is gone now. I've been to a couple where the mine entrance was blasted to seal it, but has since opened up again due to erosion.
Also, mining was a dangeous job back then. Plenty of miners were killed in the diggings.
Even if the shaft or tunnel was relatively safe when it was dug, that was 125 years ago in some cases. There has been plenty of freeze-thaw, water erosion, looky-loo's throwing stuff down, etc. over the years.
I have rapelled into a couple lava tubes in Oregon, where the ceiling collpased and created a sky light. We rigged up a tripod out of 4x4pt posts, it worked pretty good. I felt okay about it because I felt the natural processes that created it had done what they were gonna do, so to speak. These mines were dug out, man made, they've created a failure prone unnatural opening.
I've thought about rapping down in, too, but I think it would be really risky. Not enough reward for the risk.
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McHale's Navy
Trad climber
From Panorama City, CA
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Dec 26, 2013 - 09:10pm PT
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moosedrool, is that climbing wall on a cruise ship?
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Dapper Dan
Trad climber
Menlo Park
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Dec 26, 2013 - 10:40pm PT
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Thanks Speely , lots of good info there...
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thebravecowboy
Social climber
Colorado Plateau
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Dec 26, 2013 - 10:42pm PT
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pretty jealous, Speely and Jrig, of your weather. still, though, we shall see who is who once the season turneth....
be safe out there on yer solo ventures, fellows.
EDIT: Dapper Dong, errr, Dapper Dan, I have heard that most abandoned mine workings are legit for novice exploration so long as you only work the shaft.
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thebravecowboy
Social climber
Colorado Plateau
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Dec 26, 2013 - 11:09pm PT
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Johnny Rig: you have to TR the shite that appears most impossible or it's knott worth it.
yes, you will clean huge plates of sh#t to the ground, yes you will come close to an undignified death by solo exsanguination, yes you will be alone in your finest moments......but, bring a dog, a camera, and zero ego but for desire and you will do good - nay, GREAT - sh#t.
mainly, once more, speaking to mineownself, but...you phukkers provide a decent sounding board: all that four wheeling is not for naught, if you put down the gun and do something unique (any drunk phuqqer can shoot a chukkar).
EDIT: ^ Jesus Moosedrool, needa getchyew out.....^
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Dapper Dan
Trad climber
Menlo Park
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Dec 26, 2013 - 11:25pm PT
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Saline Valley salt trams , used to move mined salt over the Inyo Mtns. to the Owens valley I think...
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thebravecowboy
Social climber
Colorado Plateau
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Dec 26, 2013 - 11:27pm PT
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that is a most-intact structure, DD. I dig it. thanks for sharing.
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jonnyrig
Trad climber
formerly known as hillrat
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Dec 26, 2013 - 11:30pm PT
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Hunting,s just something I do, like climbing, hiking, fishing, wheeling. I have a 16mo old now, and expecting the 2nd next month, sooo... I maybe relegated to playing arm-chair quarterback for awhile.
Love seing the good stuff posted up, and will try to concentrate on the climbing stuff.
The mines interest me, both for my own prospecting and rockhounding, and because my family mined a bit in Utah way back when. Like was said, they,re an unnatural hole in the ground which is trying to close itself. There are about 4 main gasses that cause ya issues, mostly undetectable til yer hosed. Check mojaveunderground.com and undergroundexplorers.com for some great pics.
Havent been on a cruise ship with a wall yet, and the road up to Little Valley is closed.
Tis the hunting season now, so I,m gona be out there after birds again. Maybe if I was drunk i,d hit more? lol But the rope is always in the truck, and I got a go-pro for Chrirtmas. All I need now is someone to hold my beer... and something unique to do...
Most of the rock I see is short. Single or double pitch at most. But I have seen some taller things, and I will be paying more attention now that I climb.
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Dapper Dan
Trad climber
Menlo Park
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Dec 26, 2013 - 11:38pm PT
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Seems like we got a lot in common, I love wheelin' and mines .
I have this built out 'Runner , this is in the Saline ...
This is in the Mojave .
Eureka Valley sand dune.
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jonnyrig
Trad climber
formerly known as hillrat
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Dec 27, 2013 - 12:08am PT
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Dan, I like your rig. It goes place mine would only dream of.
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ß Î Ø T Ç H
Boulder climber
extraordinaire
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Dec 27, 2013 - 12:22am PT
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... off Red Rock Rd north of Reno ... You find the raddest cliffs etc. Keep it alive, cuz nobody else will.
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jonnyrig
Trad climber
formerly known as hillrat
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Dec 27, 2013 - 12:24am PT
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Ha! suuure. I find lots of short gravel piles that work well as noob training grounds. Mostly me.
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skamoto
Mountain climber
coalinga ca
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Dec 27, 2013 - 03:01am PT
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This is by far my favorite posting I've come across so far. I love obscure crags and I'm always on the look out for new ones. I also like the mining pics. Tfpu
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justthemaid
climber
Jim Henson's Basement
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Dec 27, 2013 - 10:16am PT
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speelyei
Trad climber
Mohave County Arizona
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Dec 27, 2013 - 10:53am PT
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Ah yes, the 4runner. Ours carried us over many a slow and bumpy mile.
We have only recently parted ways.
I pine for her daily.
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Dapper Dan
Trad climber
Menlo Park
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Dec 27, 2013 - 11:30am PT
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Damm Speely that 'Runner looks Loaded Down ! I hope you at least had the 3 liter motor in there , my previous 3 liter Toyota Truck was about the slowest vehicle ever .
How any miles did you wring out of the motor before you let it go ?
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speelyei
Trad climber
Mohave County Arizona
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Dec 27, 2013 - 11:52am PT
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That's the good ol' 22re in a stock '90.
We drove from Waldport Oregon all the way out to Rome,Paisley, Ontario, 3 forks on the Owyhee.
People would pass us in a fury the couple times we had to get on pavement. We could do 65 on the flats, but the $50 trailer chewed through bearings and the goal was to be on dirt anyway.
We finally drew a smiling waving cowboy with chalk on the back of the trailer and wrote "goin as fast as we can!"
Then people waved and laughed and passed us politely.
I bought the 4runner for $3250 with 160k miles on it. I sold it with 315k on it 2 years later. I tuned it up once, replaced an alternator, and changed the oil every 2000 miles.
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i'm gumby dammit
Sport climber
da ow
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Dec 27, 2013 - 12:01pm PT
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You changed the oil 80 times in two years?
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