In this video, I take a trip up one of the mines at Cerro Gordo to try to discover some rare smithsonite. More behind the scenes photos: / brentwunderwood
Right at the end you say "I won't subject you guys to more of that-". Man, this is the 2nd channel, subject us to as much of it as you're willing to put on camera. That's why I'm here
I suspect many will agree with me when I say, I sure do appreciate the time, energy, and effort you put in to making these videos. I mean, as if it's not challenging enough to do all you do with, at, and for Cerro Gordo but to document it through video and post for everybody to see, is quite the challenge... WELL DONE and THANK YOU! I hope to someday hike up there.
You do not want to fall on a dyneema sling. They are static and have no stretch, if you fall on a sling from above you're way more likely to break your bolt, your gear or yourself. You need to incorporate a dynamic element into the system like a climbing rope or a fall arrestor or something. Love the vid though! Living the dream!
came to the comments to say this! the issue with using climbing rope the length of the sling is that its so short that it wont be very dynamic so could still result in injury
Don't fall on a sling! There is no give so you will subject yourself and the anchor to a very large force. Even a short fall can be sufficient to break your back or other body parts. Use a screamer (search for "screamer ice climbing") or use a sling system for via ferratas. Both have some give and will cushion the shock.
A safety harness for lift operators with a stretch chord would probably work but I'd be wanting a length of chain on two anchors to clip it to seeing him trust one anchor on a static tether made my balls quiver and I used to be an Arborist swinging around in trees with a chainsaw with 30 pounds of gear on like loon when I was younger
I love that you are getting into lapidary. My grandparents were rockhounds and silversmiths. I have some of their equipment and samples. There are a few that are no longer able to be collected by the general public (dry head agate, for instance). I can't wait to see what you will make with a proper slabbing saw and a good set of wheels! My mom learned how to do some of that stuff, and I'd love to get her out there and maybe she could help you a bit. She's 78, but still sharp as a tack. I'm hoping next spring to make a trip out west and visit. I bought 10 of your books, so maybe at the launch party?
Brent, I’m sure that there are algorithmic reasons as to why you needed to start a second channel, but this content, imo, is just as good as any. Keep up the good work!
Absolutely feel free to subject us to more of the lapidary! I really love the content you make and I also love content focused around crafts and art like that. I would definitely watch more!
Don't use a dyneema sling as a lifeline/cowstail like that because they're super static with no stretch. Climbing higher than your attachment point increases the fall factor. A factor 2 fall on dyneema will do you damage. Much better and safer to use a length of dynamic rope tied to a karabiner, and the krab should be within your reach so don't make it too long
yeah, some of the zinc ore minerals related to smithsonite are very bright fluorescent, it's also cool that there are varying types of how minerals shine a specific colour when using different wavelenghts.. 365nm is mostly the more impressive, but sometimes 395nm is better for a certain mineral.. for example shine a good quality ruby with 365nm and it's a new red you will see for the first time..
17:46 😃 17:57 😃 Such beautiful colours! The strata of the earth, in multi-coloured miniature! Honestly, Brent was made to be the face of Cerro Gordo! As multi-faceted as his cut stones, with every new interest reflecting the town's wealth of diversity! 💎
Your videos are meditating to me, I love what you're doing and letting us all watch. This is so relaxing and I may never get to experience what you're doing and would love to as much as you but it's so relaxing and gives me a piece of mind seeing your videos. Thank you so much Brent
I hope you’ll start posting more pictures of the rocks and minerals you cut and polish on your Instagram account. Would love to see them. Love these exploration vids too
Brent thank you for sharing this video with us people that watch , one day I hope to come and visit your mountain my Dad was raised in California and my grand parents are buried in Inglewood .
Loving the more frequent videos even if they are shorter! Thank you for all the time and effort you put into these for us we all appreciate what you do. Keep it up!
It's awesome that your are into rock hounding now! I remember watching you pass by crystals and cool ore and wishing I could look at them, now we can all enjoy the beautiful minerals!
Awesome video! What an adventure! I'd suggest looking into the option of using a more dynamic tether when climbing above bolts, those dyneema slings are never meant to be used if above an anchor as even short falls can shock load the static slings putting unnecessary load on all parts of the system. Thank you for the epic video!
Now that you getting into collecting more, you should install fresh infrastructure in the mines, to help and make it easier to hold your equipment and bag of goodies!
I agree. I watched Jason, from Mount Baker Mining, cut down a tree and timber his mine. He is a fantastic sawyer, and your friend. It might be uneconomical to bring wood down to you from where he is, but he might be able to help you with wood that could be cut closer to Cerro Gordo? I mean, he put this one huge tree down right between two stumps. He's good with a saw. Because I would completely redo those ladders as I went up. I would do it to each shoot. It's way easier to have fun rockhounding then rather than fighting where you are all of the time. You could even put in some small shelves now and again, where they would help with removing ore.
Brent, thank you so much for sharing your Cerro Gordo adventures with us. I look forward to each new video and absolutely love ❤❤❤❤ the content! Awesome Job!
Brent, being a rockhound myself and seeing what you are pulling out or leaving behind in that mine had me drooling! I have a 10" trim saw with an autofeed so I can do some small slabs, plus I have a cab machine and I would love to have some of that material. What bothers me is you are doing mine exploration by yourself! You should have someone with you, or at least put a bright square piece of material at the mouth of the mine so your location can be easily found. Do you have an air monitor with you? I know you have one but do you always carry it with you? Climbing up those stopes could be pockets of bad air. Please be careful, it only takes one loose rock to find you. The club I belong to, Searchers Gem and Mineral Society of Anaheim has a yearly public show and we usually have equipment for sale. I do believe we might have a trim saw for sale, if you might be interested the show is in April. Saws made for lapidary a quite different than the tile saws and run at half the RPM of them, much easier to work with and way less messy.
Mr. Brent, you have found your calling. Your mine exploration, your writing, your videography and your musicality. You are so very talented. Thank you for sharing with us.
I have been watching your channel since day 1 and I have been waiting sooo long for you to become a full rock nerd like myself. Welcome and rock on! 🥁🥁😂
17:55 - Stop apologizing for nerding out on geology! We all love it, and I, personally, could've appreciated seeing a bit more of those little samples! Rock on, bruh! (pun intended)
Gold panning opened up a whole world for me too, I have my little collection of different gems, something you wouldn’t have seen from me 5 years ago. Can’t wait to see more!
I have been a rockhound since I was a little girl. Always had rocks in my pockets to my moms dismay on clothes washing day! This would be a dream for me. My grandson is exactly like me. We have to come up for a visit. We have talked about it at length so it will happen! Thank you for sharing your rocks & minerals and all your adventures with us Brett! 💜✌
@@thelostsoul5531 We are seriously trying to plan a trip out to Cerro Gordo this next year. If all goes as planned with his school year, it will happen! Even with hiccups it will still happen too. He just doesn't know it. 😉✌
Brent , it’s always interesting to come along with you. Youre such a great storyteller as you guide us along through your journeys. Thank you so much.👏🏼
So much hard work to get into the mines but I can sense your excitement and curiousity of seeing what's up there! Be safe, Brent and thank you for the video ❤️
I have never wanted to go to California before..I have stumbled upon your channel and have been binging on it until I’ve run out of videos! Now my interest has been peeked would love to make my way out there and hang out for a week or so to see what’s going on now! Good luck with all the work on the hotel and water issues. Maybe one day I can wake up and enjoy a cup of good coffee and the view!
I love the treasure that you bring from the mine, it is awesome and beautiful to see and I know that you love to just hold it in your hands, I am envious!
It’s fun seeing the exploration and now the rock hounding process-could be a nice side income for Cerro Gordo! Be careful and let someone know the plan. Collapses can happen any time.
With all of your other responsibilities, I'm amazed that you find time to explore other areas of the mine and even prepare gems for resale. You need an apprentice!
It's good to see that Brent is wearing a mask while he's exploring the mines - I used to worry when seeing earlier episodes that he'd regret being in there without a mask...another great episode, for sure.
Brent that was so great enjoyed it that was the best I have seen in a long time thank you for sharing and your time was really good can't wait for next video
I feel for you that there wasn't an upper level, but at least you know now. On the other hand, I love seeing what you are doing with the Smithsonite. I love that vibrant blue color of the smaller pieces. I do hope that you find a larger treasure trove of that. And, I love seeing any of the polishing that you do on the pieces you find.
Awesome to make use of the resources around you to sustain yourself. Glad you’re wearing a respirator cutting those rocks. You really will save yourself in the long run
Brent you need to get tool lanyards/clips so when you are climbing your tools are on you're hip or can hang down below while you climb, spider tool holsters make some million ither types just find what works
The system you used for the bolts makes sense, because rememeber, while lead climbing, you'll fall double the distance that you climb above the last point!
Great job, maybe figure how to move the polishing equipment into a small heated area, in or attached to your house. Doing the polishing work when you are snowed in, might be a great project, assuming you still have power.
The new rock shop is great, and the slices you held up were really pretty. Once you have jewelry available, I'd love to get earrings with small slices.
There are lots of rockhounds out here, Brent. I'm sure you could subject us to a whole video on nothing but cool Cerro Gordo rocks, and we'd be happy. 😊
I love seeing hat sense of joy that comes from having something imediate and satisfying. The rocks and rock shop are a great supplement to the overwhelming tasks that had been the loan big goals. :-)
Do you fully realize yet Brent that the overwhelming majority of us would just sort of wet our pants for the chance to buy and proudly display in our homes some smithsonite from Cerro Gordo?!? We just gaga LOVE these adventures you take us on!
Beautiful mineral. You don't Subject us to anything. I love you're videos and appreciate all the hard work you put in to show us what you show. Fantastic work.
Love seeing the rock content! You should make the trip to Tuscon in the spring for the gem and mineral show. It’s crazy seeing all the stuff that people bring in.
Brent, make use of everything that Cerro Gordo has left for you to work with.... you've got a great circle of characters that will be there for you to help with your work... I wish I could get young again and enjoy it all with ya...⚒️🤙⚖️💪🤠
another great episode, it looks to me like your mining brain is beginning to take over (no problems there its very interesting) the wooden cart rail is very interesting and could be very well maintained, if it were down to me, i'd get some rough cut timber in and build a new rail system, one you can easily run your own makeshift wooden cart complete with wooden wheels for easy maintenance and nothing to be concerned matching wheels to rails - that way as you progress through the tunnels, you can clear the passages of debris, and possible danger areas, and make it safer to work in - but also having the passages clear will allow you to find possible new dangers if any new debris appears between visits - later if need be you might disassemble and relocate to other passages and repeat - i am surprised you take repair some of the ladders for your own comfort
Hi Brent, I remember the corridor crew coming over and started scanning some shafts. Was there a plan to map out the whole mine? And if so how is that project coming along? Loving those 3D shots and exploring the mine from an armchair.
I hate to say it but now you’ve got it Brent my great grandfather was a Rock hound from way way back in the day and he had Rock fever I see it in you and it’s looking like you’ve got a good case of it. His favorite (drug) sorry rock of choice was geoid he scoured every western desert in the United States back in the early 1900s. He made tables of slab polished rocks they were beautiful.
A much better method of self protection in this circumstance would be to use a grigri with a short length of dynamic rope instead of the slings. The sling is essentially static and if you fall from above onto it the fall factor will be massive. It will snap you in half. If you use a grigri or a similar dynamic device, which will slip a little before it stops you the fall is less and the load on the anchor is reduced. It also gives you the option of locking it off where you want if you want to hang from t to work or rest.
BRENT I PERSONALLY LOVE YOUR ROCK SAWING!! I LOVE YOUR MINING ADVENTURES AND TREASURE HUNTING. DON'T EVER THINK YOUR EPISODES ARE BORING!!! Show us more close ups of your gems 💎 ✨️ 🙏 🙌 👌 💕
Brent, I've followed your journey for some time now. I have spent countless amount of time in the Eastern Sierras, summiting Mt. Whitney five times among other achievements. I have rock climbed since I was a late teen; military field rope craft, etc. Evidently this make me an authority on the subject (accumulated knowledge. It happens). I wanted to give you a tip on gear handling while On Rope. Secure your drill and hammer with Paracord and carabineer clipped to your harness. Let them dangle from your rear. Feels awkward at first but it frees you up from retrieving those items in your bag each time you need them. Another benefit with the "leash" is if you drop it, it's not going far. I'm envious of you Brent. I live vicariously through your adventures and appreciate the geology and history of the area. It was heartening to see Owens Lake rise like a Phoenix again. Hey, check out Dan Hurd regarding Smithsonite harvesting. He uses a spreading device (forget the name) you hammer into the rock after drilling to crack it free. I look forward to your future endeavors and adventures!
Well, it's your mine. You put as many bolts in the rock as you like. Personally? More is better. You never know if one might fail if tested, so a bit of redundancy is better. Thanks for taking us along.
Get yourself some feather wedgers brother, you'll be pulling out bigger better specimens in no time! I've been waiting for you to dig into the minerals of Cerro Gordo since I first discovered your channel. Please share more, this is not boring in the very least!
Hey, love the videos! May I suggest you look into getting some climbing spurs? They would allow you to climb the wooden ladder side rails without the rungs being there.
