Well, we’re back with the finale to the series on Tombstone’s Girard Mine... This time, you’ll see us roping into unknown workings that no one has been in since the last miners a century or more ago. And what an experience that was! I felt like we stepped into a time capsule given how well all of the artifacts and equipment were preserved. All of that stuff in there? That’s how all of these old abandoned mines looked before being looted.
Really, I should clarify and say that this video is the finale for THIS trip to Tombstone. Andrew recently told us that he found a way into a new section of the mine with at least five miles of unexplored workings. So, we’re planning a return trip.
How cool was that ringtail encounter? I know they’re there, but I still haven’t seen one underground myself. It’s amazing to me that they can survive in those conditions and in absolute darkness.
Jeremy is our most experienced rope guy and so he usually drops into the craziest spots first. This trip was no exception to that. He’s on Instagram at the following if you’re interested in seeing some of his underground adventures:
vertical_underground_01
There’s plenty of material there from adventures that I haven’t uploaded the videos of yet as well.
Actually, as long as I’m at it, Andrew is on Instagram at: azteplineman. Austin is at piratexshipster and Mines of the West and his incredible photography is at, well: minesofthewest
And, remember, as I mentioned in the past, you can also visit the Girard Mine. Get in touch for a visit at: goodenoughsilvermine.com or on Facebook at “Tombstone’s Goodenough Mine Tour”
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All of these videos are uploaded in HD, so I’d encourage you to adjust your settings to the highest quality if it is not done automatically.
You can see the gear that I use for mine exploring here: bit.ly/2wqcBDD
As well as a small gear update here: bit.ly/2p6Jip6
You can see the full TVR Exploring playlist of abandoned mines here: goo.gl/TEKq9L
Several kind viewers have asked about donating to help cover some of the many expenses associated with exploring these abandoned mines. Inspired by their generosity, I set up a Patreon account. So, if anyone would care to chip in, I’m under TVR Exploring on Patreon.
Thanks for watching!
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Growing up in California’s “Gold Rush Country” made it easy to take all of the history around us for granted. However, abandoned mine sites have a lot working against them - nature, vandals, scrappers and various government agencies… The old prospectors and miners that used to roam our lonely mountains and toil away deep underground are disappearing quickly as well.
These losses finally caught our attention and we felt compelled to make an effort to document as many of the ghost towns and abandoned mines that we could before that colorful niche of our history is gone forever. But, you know what? We enjoy doing it! This is exploring history firsthand - bushwhacking down steep canyons and over rough mountains, figuring out the techniques the miners used and the equipment they worked with, seeing the innovations they came up with, discovering lost mines that no one has been in for a century, wandering through ghost towns where the only sound is the wind... These journeys allow a feeling of connection to a time when the world was a very different place. And I’d love to think that in some small way we are paying tribute to those hardy miners that worked these mines before we were even born.
So, yes, in short, we are adit addicts… I hope you’ll join us on these adventures!
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10 сен 2024