Hey Jason, I can tell you a quick reminder about what I learned 40 years ago the hard way. There are old miners, and there are bold miners, but there are no Old Bold Miners !!! I was in a position like yours, playing with a pillar that looked good and stout, it had nice gold and needless to say, I wanted the gold. I thought the pillar was solid and would be easy to hi-grade for the PMs. I didn't notice a hairline crack along a crystal face and just kept banging (lightly, haha). To shorten this tale, my foot was braced at the base of the pillar. Everything was just fine until I heard a really high-pitched "Ting" instead of a "Tap" and 60 lbs of pillar rolled across my foot. I did have on steel toed boots, but that doesn't help much when the rock squished right across the arch of my foot. Being a sailor for six years really improved my vocabulary but failed to relieve the horrible ache in my foot. I didn't walk quite right for almost seven months. I just gimped out and left that project behind. It's your decision, but being crippled or dead doesn't bring home any paychecks and you can't play on the shaker table.. Start like a new project and build a stope the right way without turning your body parts into a mess resembling Raspberry Jam. One hand for you, one for the mine, and use that brain-bucket for it's original use !!!
As a husband and father and son It makes no sense tgat you jeopardize your life and their existence by taking crazy chances on a rotten old mine???? For what??? A few thousand dollars in gold? And a video on RU-vid ? We viewers would feel terrible if your existence was impacted for a ‘video’. Tge quest for gold kills regularly.
@@1N2themystic So far we can say that 50% of the viewers who have weighed in on this topic WOULD feel bad.. heck I think I would too so that makes 66% of surveyed viewers would feel bad.
The most important thing to remember when taking on projects like this is, remembering that for every action there is a reaction. It's your life to know what reactions are going to get you in trouble.
Jason no amount of gold is worth that headache! That pillar is holding up millions of tonnes of rock. I for one have enjoyed your videos over the years and really want them to carry on into the future. Love and luck from Ireland 🇮🇪
@@alexislaisney3404 personally I think the world would be a happier funnier place with Steve Irwin still in it! As for Jason? Only for the fact that he uploaded the video I knew that the anxiety I felt for him was misplaced. But I certainly would worry for his future if he's prepared to take risks like that. It would be different if he was undertaking to stope out the areas where he could then remove the pillars entirely? The scale of that undertaking and manpower and work required make it unfeasible. But I'm definitely curious to see what he got in his samples, can't wait!
Putting your life on the line isn’t why we watch, stay safe ol’buddy we like the content of your video’s and we need you to be safe and make more videos. Thanks Jason MBMM
I too have been in this mine. And no, I didn't remove a single rock. That winze with the ladders from the transfer drift goes down to a haulage adit. We found a way thru the stope to get to the other side, the miners stoped out to the vertical cliff face, had hundreds of feet of exposure, one of the coolest views from and of the hundreds of mines I've explored. Mines of the West youtube channel did a vid on this mine, but only the lower haulage. In it you can see up the winze jason looks down here. Dont DM me for location info, not telling you guys, someone would end up dead lol
Wow! That's the sketchiest mine I've seen in a while. Love the videos and the knowledge you have taught us about processing and smelting. Please be careful, a squished Jason does no one any good. Be safe and keep being awesome. Merry Christmas
You couldn't get me in there if my life depended on it. Not just because I'm a giant lardo who wouldn't fit thru that opening but because the idea of all that mountain above me just waiting to come down sends shivers down my spine.
Never speak bad about your self. You are a larger individual. I would insert the legend of Big John. Do you think a skinny little man stopped his lunch box from falling? Much Less thousands of tons of rock? (Yes I realize that no man can stop that kinda force) But legends, fables and heroes are important to all of our future. Love you all and I hope you have an amazing Christmas and new year.
I have been watching lots of your videos and this is probably the scariest one yet. I worked in a underground coal mine in Wyoming when I was in my early 20's back 50 years ago. It was a little scary ,we ran into several faults, but nothing like this mine and others you go into. I'm not sure if you are brave or a little crazy, maybe both. But it is sure interesting, stay safe and good luck!
That stuff is pretty hard, I saw the Sparks coming off the end of your chisel. 👀 And as far as picking on that pillar that's so rich or gold in front of me theoretically. I would know nothing about the pillar full of gold because it would not be in front of me because I would be on the surface and wouldn't set too foot inside that cave. LOL. And the only reason I continue watching this is because I know you made it out alive because you posted the video. If you were broadcasting this live I would have changed channels because I couldn't take it. 👀
Exactly! The level of anxiety I felt though irrational, was intense! Picking away at the pillars like that! Finding one that had totally sheared! And the amount of widow maker's littering the floor of the mine, a slight tremor while in there? I wouldn't fancy my chances.
Well Jason, I was quite excited during the video. Certainly there is a very good reason the miners worked and left this mine. The quartz looks superb and yes, I actually would also risked a bit to pick here and there. But you are absolutely right - the mine is scary. It's wet, the wood is decomposing, the rock is cracked and moving obviously over time. One last point: Please keep some of the specimen and work with acid (you know which one) on them to expose the gold crystals / nuggets. It breaks my heart to see all potential specimen just beeing processed with the rest of the rocks.
If you don’t have one already, I’d suggest getting an oxygen meter for when you go exploring around in these old mines.. maybe a higher powered longer life light as well. 😉
I love these prospecting videos but I’ve also really been wanting to see some more smelting videos on all this different ore that you have collected from these different mine do you know when you’ll have some more smelting videos out?😊
Wow!!! I’ve never seen you this excited. But as scary goes, it reminds me of a treasure movie where they find it, but peril awaits. Please, I know your experienced but becareful.🇺🇸
Those old timers were something else! You know they had to of missed more then a few viens, but to get it safely needs to be a major project, but you can see all the minerals in that mine VERY RICH!
Jason this reminded me of the Old Indiana Jones movies, pressure plates and large bolders rolling down narrow tunnels trying to kill You!!! Kept holding my breath through this entire video!! I've been in caves and this was definitely a scary place!
😄👋👍👍👏👏💕🙏🏻 Hi Jason, that was so wickedly cool. At the same time, through most of the video I didn't feel like I could breathe. I have severe Claustrophobia. there is no way. I would be able to do what you did. you're the man.
just watched Chris Vogus use caustic soda to dissolve the Quartz on his specimens, might be worth a try to clean those up. stay safe and keep up the great work Jason, I really enjoy your content and how informative it is!!!
@@Baronstone he mentioned getting rid of the Quartz on the gold chemically as well as crushing some of it, I was just merely making a suggestion based off known ways to dissolve quartz while leaving the gold intact (so if say there is wire gold within, you get to see the structure of its formation rather than just crushing it to recover the gold) specimens are worth a premium if prepared properly ;)
That was indeed a scary spot to be in! I would have probably done the same on that pillar though. The gold fever demands it! Great video glad you made it out safe
Yes I would be doing what your doing. I have an idea. Consider installing new stulls along the route and face of the quartz vein you want to work. Also, if your gonna work it, a small narrow track with a low profile skip you can lay on to ride to the workings...if possible. After that, your gonna want to try out Sierra Blasters or other blasting methods you already know how to do. Beautiful gold!!! Get it!!!
I'm in Rutherford County NC and am new to this gold finding thing but I have seen a lot of these signs In some places around.. your video was very helpful to identify what I need to be looking for.. Look up Rutherford County NC and you will see we are a big gold bearing area..I just need to get a little more educated.. and this definitely was the best educational video I've seen yet! Thanks!
I am in a similar mine in Arizona. The vein runs appx 2-3.5 feet wide at about a 20 dip. The old timers just mined the vein and left pillars and stalls. I won't touch the pillars even though there is juicy ore left behind. I avoid the stalls. It's sobering when you see large slabs from the hanging wall resting on the footwall. I love your videos and your way and would not like to see your departure anytime soon. Be safe out there Jason.
@@jeffbybee5207 It is usually a single board of wood that is wedged between the hanging wall (Think ceiling) and footwall (think floor) to bear weight.
Stulls are all those wood posts that support the weight of the roof or overlying rock. If you will notice throughout the video most of them are crushed because the whole roof is coming down. Jason shouldn't even be in this mine.
Right on Jason, definitely a creepy one by yourself. Is this your eastern Oregon claim ? I want to go with one of these days. I’m in Medford Oregon just a few hours away.
Take care when chipping at the quartz....it looks pretty fractured. Also the pillars do not seem to be hourglass shaped which is a good thing. Maybe look to supporting the roof with steel and then remove the pillar material? Good luck it is awful tempting looking. Maybe clean up the muck and see what weathered out.
Glad it is looking like you got some gold, as well as great content. A sharper tool for the touchy stuff, and a little battery powered vac might be helpful for the floor cracks.
Wow! That was a spectacular adventure, although just at scary! I enjoy your videos and all the knowledge you share. With such a rich mine, is it possible to go in to areas that are easy to reach w/jacks to support the headers? Maybe it’s just not feasible?
Jason, picking a pillar is insane, Look for extension of the system. If it is that rich figure it out ! Really don't care to see what was once there, find the bigger newer find in that mine!
Seriously epic trip!! So entertaining but please be careful! We would like to see more of ypu in the future! Not the last pillar!!take a jack from Harbour Freight 😂
The beginning of the video had me pretty uneasy. Really don't like tight spaces. Elevators bother me pretty little, but the crawl space under my moms house had me in damned near panic mode lol I gotta say though, gold prospecting a mine like that might just entice me enough to go in lol But, there are things more valuable than gold. Time and life rank very high on the most valuable things. Excellent video, seriously. Just be careful 😉
Seems like you need to go outside and do a restart, make an entry to that vein that doesn't look like a dragon's mouth that is almost closed (on you!) and then just work it standing up.
Well…I have been in a few tight spots spelunking over the years yet that much loose rock has me on edge. That is all I am gunna say except thanks for the video.
Thanks Jason for sharing your adventures with us and the wealth of knowledge you share with us. I have been retired for a couple of years now and living in Southern California I have some decent opportunities for hard rock prospecting out in the high desert. Who would of thought that this hard work could be so much fun!
Is there any way you can make that mine suitable for you? So it does not look too scary anymore? Like putting new beams Where the old ones were or close to them!
Thanks for taking us along... It's always informative, and entertaining. That being said, I'd sooner run through Hell in gasoline soaked drawers than go anywhere near that hole... I'd rather give a hungry lion a hug while wearing beefsteak boxer shorts.
Jason, with today's Gold prices, do you think it would be worth going in there with what you saw left and restoring safe access and mining out the rest?
9:49 There is a good market for gold in quartz as specimens! That is another market to explore! Good hunting! And stay safe, Jason! Should not go hunting alone! Have a Merry Christmas!
Is it possible to rehabilitate a mine once it reaches a dangerous level of disrepair? If so, might be a worthwhile adventure. That was some really nice gold. Could one turn a profit just by mucking out and processing those rocks?
Given the shallow dip of the vein and how close the workings are to surface, it would be safer just to turn it into an open pit operation. Once you got to the bottom of the workings you could re-evaluate the waste to ore strippage ratio going deeper and then maybe go back underground on it.
@@rockbutcher Sorry does not compute, narrow vein deposit mining you drill/blast the foot wall first to create a void to break the ore into, putting a mucking sheet down first so as to minimize dilution of the ore and easier mucking! Your rational is cost prohibitive, you would go bankrupt real quick!!
@@lotharschiese8559 Thanks for clarifying my errors of the last 32 years in the mining industry. Where have you been all my life? Resue blasting is vastly more expensive than open pitting at this depth.
