Funny thing Luke: you shot this video on Sept. 21, 2019, and I was watching you - I guess - with my binoculars while you were filming. I didn't reach the cabin, 'cause I had to leave my 2 WD car along Toby creek and the hike was too long for me - and too steep too!. I remember a guy with a dog & a blue jacket - and a tripod? I'm pretty sure it was you. And here I'm in front of my computer in Toronto during this Covid-19 confinement watching your video. Life can be sweet sometimes. Thanks for the video. Great job.
When I was young I loved to do that kind of exploring... then I got "serious" and ended up behind a desk and other positions where I was a tooth on a gear in a machine ... Point is don't ever give up your passions and the things you love to do ... they may change but never give up on your dream(s) ... Love your work ...
It's amazing that those cabins were built so remotely and on such steep terrain! You did a wonderful job capturing the atmosphere of this place. Great job Luke!
20 years ago I seen an adventure bike magazine story about some guys that tried the oldest gold mine routs north through BC and starting from Prince Rupert north, they came across an entire abandoned village of at least 10-15 homes at least 150 years old and it looked perfectly preserved. I’ve looked everywhere for it and can’t seem to find it. They did mention it was at least 150 km from the closest paved rd.
Wow now this is really cool as i love old mines .. Film work was excellent .. A real hard task to get to it physically but worth it .. That cabin that sits alone upon that hillside all by itself is really something and looks well built with materials they had to work with , no timber close by for materials, that had to be a huge task to build that .. What a view .. I'm glad you have it recorded before something happened to it .. You include your puppy on your adventures , i like that and i always take my terrier every time i go and he loves it even @13.4 years he is still doing well ...
Fantastic channel I’m glad I found it! I’m from BC and I’ve travelled the world and live abroad but the beauty and diversity of this Canadian province is second to none.
Thanks for sharing some of our history before it disappears forever,I love seeing all the old mine sites scattered around some of the most remote and hard to get to places.just found your channel,can’t wait to get caught up on your videos.🍻
FLuke, I was SO hoping you would find the mine entrance and take a peek inside. Another great vid. Can I make a suggestion? Start your vids with a map showing were you are in BC. I am up in Prince George and after watching this, I still have no clue wether it is North/South/East/West of here.
I really enjoy your videos, I love your overall respect and relaxed vibe. What an amazing place this is and for people like myself who can not get to these places at this time it is inspiring and enjoyable to watch your adventures. You are a good story teller! 😊
It is the heavy snowloads that crush these old structures. My dad worked in Sandon in the late 1940s we went back there in the late 1960s and I went back again in the 1990s and the snow has wiped out a number of buildings.
Beautiful. Any chance you could tear down cabin #2 and recycle it into cabin #1 & a new outhouse and move in? That would be my vibe. Also, you failed to show the actual mine? Cool video.
I great up in the East Kootenays and had never heard about this mine site. There's a vast mining history in the area of course and Teck is still actively mining in the Windermere Valley today. For anyone searching for the location of the Thunderbird Mine it is formally known as the Excelda Mine (was owned by Thunderbird Mines Ltd. hence the interchangeable name)
Utterly fantastic location. As you suggest, as awe inspiring taken in the whole within its location as any cathedral in Europe. I am also blown away by the amazing production quality of your videos. Drone footage adds immeasurably to the overall package. Keep sharing these gems and maybe they will have a legacy greater even than that the mine has had. The cabins certainly are a testament to the carpentry skills of their builders. Thank you for your efforts.
Great video Luke. Your Saddle Mountain video brought me to your channel, but your shots and narration have kept me here! Keep it up and you'll take off!
So pleased to have found your channel Luke! I’ve watched more than a dozen so far. My good friend Virgil and I will venture in your foot steps in the coming years. Thank you so much!
You're so lucky. In Quebec you'd never find such a place to explore despite the province being peppered with abandonned mines. They are all condemned with thick concrete plugs and surrounded by high fences or made unacessible in any way.
We just stumbled upon your videos and absolutely love them. As we are all about BC history and explorers ourselves we watch these with a whole lot of new exploration ideas now. Keep up the great work. Cheers Christopher and Alison
I lived up at panorama and visited here a few times. Thanks for making this. Mineral king is another one worth checking out in the area and also Delphine mine is kind of interesting too. It’s way further up the Delphine creek.
Amazing work, Luke. Way to show off the lesser known beauties of BC. Your videos are inspiring and educational. Hopefully one day I'll have the guts, company and proper vehicle to do what you (and Nina) do.
just found your channel at random this morning. Great stuff so far, love the scenery, footage, and history. I have a question for you. What brand of shorts are those and what backpack is that you have on? Look forward to going through the rest of your videos.
Hi Luke. The coordinates are NAD 83 11U 5588510 544099 UTM. 2591 meters above sea level. Commodities in descending order were silver, gold, lead, zinc, and copper. Most veins were less than a centimeter wide, but high grade. Development was begun by Thunderbird Mines in 1935 with work continuing until 1947. There are adits, crosscuts, winzes, pits, and trenches. A total of 1111.49 ft of underground work. 66 ft of trenching, stripping and shallow shafts above ground. Of the 3 adits, the longest is 615 ft. Mineralization is exposed for 2000 ft. Anything else you want to know?
Harry I must agree with you on that comment of how you miss hiking the mountains and trail's When we were younger! Now I am more worried about how am I supposed to walk 20 minutes to the pharmacy to get my meds every day first thing in the morning I can't even find the quality of an hour to walk anywhere anymore. seems I've lost my value of Life and that brings me to tears
Hello from Montana. Just came across your channel, Outstanding video work !!!!! Great explore in the high country. We do a lot of this same kind of exploring here in the mountains of Montana. Lot's of old mining history and remains to explore hidden deep off the beaten path. Just received my first drone and am looking forward to capturing some stunning shots this season in the high country. "Scooter" with the Rough Riders.
Awesome videos man. I've lived in the Lower Mainland all my life and I've never ran out of new hikes to do, this Province is something special. Thanks for sharing
Thanks a lot for your content Luke! Your videos spark a flame and I will be going on adventures like this aswell on my motorbike around Germany soon. Wish you the best of luck with your channel, I already see it going crazy in the future. Keep up the great work and much love from Berlin!
You mentioned Canada doesn’t have ruins or abandoned places. In truth Canada has stone landmarks known as “Inukshuks” dating back 4000 years. Great video maybe you can do one on those mysterious stone structures.
Just subscribed. I watch a lot of RU-vid stuff and this is the best I`ve seen this week, this month! You are gifted Luke. Watching here from locked down Switzerland.
Awesome video man, you may want to check out the "BC Dept. of Mines Annual Reports. They go back to 1890's or so. A wealth of information on historic mining/exploration a activity in BC. Please keep doing your adventures and making these video. Cheers man !!!
Well, the old compressor shack (that provided power and compressed air to the workings) is still standing. Have hiked up there 4 times in the mid/late 70's. We were likely the first people to visit the site in 30 some years at that point. One addit to the workings is located about 300 ft above the compressor shack, and I will guarantee we were the last into the addit, as the entrance was 75% filled in with talus in late 1977. Did you notice the old Buick engine block in the compressor shack? A common trick in the Kootenay's was to convert them so they would work as a compressor. . As for the date - In 1935, fifteen men were employed in this operation and reportedly their living conditions were very good. It closed down shortly after this - not viable! This was during the Great Depression, so able bodied men in the area would welcome the opportunity to work at a job that provided food
Thanks for the historical info, Graham! That's interesting for sure, and I did reach the addit above the compressor shack, but it was filled in just like you observed.
Your videos are really interesting. Adorable doggo! Edited to add: you might find info. on this mine from geologists that worked on it, or The ministry of environment in BC. 😀
Not sure how sincere it is in the first cabin with everything still where the old timers left it, but that cabin would, unfortunately, be destroyed here in the lower 48.
@@GAVACHO5150 yes, “vandals”. Myself being from the city, it’s hard to foresee something like this lasting. I suppose the backcountry is an entire different world.
Wish you could have shown more of the actual mine along with some info on what, when, how they were mining. Stunning foortage but a little short on documentary
