I Just Have to Know

[diamond hitch]

I hoped a cautionary statement would suffice - maybe not. A few things to think about. I walked into a drift about 800 ft and hit a wall of pressure on my lungs. Pyrite on bedding planes consumed the oxygen. We had enough warning to get out while we could.

we walked through some water in a long drift in the Okanogan. That released hydrogen sulfide that poisoned the air we had and we were lucky to get out alive.

A diamond drill crew in the Cascades were setting up in an old drift. One of them lit a cigarette and blew them out the portal. Methane can come from the rock and from rotting timbers.

Had an assistant excited to find chrystals as we worked down a drift. He failed to note the timbers on the floor and fell down a winze and broke his neck.

we crawled into small portal to map some old workings. Getting in was easy but on the way out the portal caved trapping us inside. Since we had a surface observer we got out.

I could go on but hopefully you get the point. Old mines are not a problem with proper training, tools, and experience. For the public - stay out.

 

[Michael Case]

Being a Scuba diver, I am told diving at my age is crazy (75) but with proper equipment if your heart is in good shape, go for it. Each person has their own limitations. Some more, some less
Common sense and training. Make the difference.
For us "Old Farts" Nitrrox and mixed gas helps.
It wouldn't hurt to carry a "Pony bottle" with

 

[Michael Case]

I hoped a cautionary statement would suffice - maybe not. A few things to think about. I walked into a drift about 800 ft and hit a wall of pressure on my lungs. Pyrite on bedding planes consumed the oxygen. We had enough warning to get out while we could.

we walked through some water in a long drift in the Okanogan. That released hydrogen sulfide that poisoned the air we had and we were lucky to get out alive.

A diamond drill crew in the Cascades were setting up in an old drift. One of them lit a cigarette and blew them out the portal. Methane can come from the rock and from rotting timbers.

Had an assistant excited to find chrystals as we worked down a drift. He failed to note the timbers on the floor and fell down a winze and broke his neck.

we crawled into small portal to map some old workings. Getting in was easy but on the way out the portal caved trapping us inside. Since we had a surface observer we got out.

I could go on but hopefully you get the point. Old mines are not a problem with proper training, tools, and experience. For the public - stay out.

Hunted many a year with my dad and brother in the Okanagan up north of Teanaway Washington. Beautiful country in the 50's

 

[Nameless Range]

I hoped a cautionary statement would suffice - maybe not. A few things to think about. I walked into a drift about 800 ft and hit a wall of pressure on my lungs. Pyrite on bedding planes consumed the oxygen. We had enough warning to get out while we could.

we walked through some water in a long drift in the Okanogan. That released hydrogen sulfide that poisoned the air we had and we were lucky to get out alive.

A diamond drill crew in the Cascades were setting up in an old drift. One of them lit a cigarette and blew them out the portal. Methane can come from the rock and from rotting timbers.

Had an assistant excited to find chrystals as we worked down a drift. He failed to note the timbers on the floor and fell down a winze and broke his neck.

we crawled into small portal to map some old workings. Getting in was easy but on the way out the portal caved trapping us inside. Since we had a surface observer we got out.

I could go on but hopefully you get the point. Old mines are not a problem with proper training, tools, and experience. For the public - stay out.

Good warnings.

I grew up in mining country, and grew up exploring mine shafts. I kind of shudder when I think about some of the stuff we did, not so much because of the concern of collapse, but of bad air.


Someone I know, who has always been death defying, repels down them. These are from a couple hundred feet down. I have repelled about 30 feet to the bottom of one where it broke off into a drift, but I have always been too big of a tub to use ascenders to go up any further than that.

Drift a couple hundred feet down



Where my buddy ran out of rope



Old graffitti



Remnants


The rains of 2018 opened this one up on some BLM near my folks' house


A common sight just walking around Clancy Country


This is a mine shaft that was utilized by a bootlegger. I used to take pictures of my kids in front of it, often making a loud noise or a scared face and then photographing their reaction with the hole behind em. Here is my son running.

So many stories involving mine shafts. Some unsuitable for the internet.

 

[Big Sky]

I hoped a cautionary statement would suffice - maybe not. A few things to think about. I walked into a drift about 800 ft and hit a wall of pressure on my lungs. Pyrite on bedding planes consumed the oxygen. We had enough warning to get out while we could.

we walked through some water in a long drift in the Okanogan. That released hydrogen sulfide that poisoned the air we had and we were lucky to get out alive.

A diamond drill crew in the Cascades were setting up in an old drift. One of them lit a cigarette and blew them out the portal. Methane can come from the rock and from rotting timbers.

Had an assistant excited to find chrystals as we worked down a drift. He failed to note the timbers on the floor and fell down a winze and broke his neck.

we crawled into small portal to map some old workings. Getting in was easy but on the way out the portal caved trapping us inside. Since we had a surface observer we got out.

I could go on but hopefully you get the point. Old mines are not a problem with proper training, tools, and experience. For the public - stay out.

While I do appreciate your cautionary warnings I am not too concerned personally, as spending a lot of time in old mines is not a habit of mine. This one has been explored by a lot more people than just me. With a flash light I could see the end of the mine from the entrance. Now some of the holes and mine entrances recently posted on this thread I have no interest in exploring. They don't appear safe at all. My main purpose for going into the mine I did was to confirm whether there were fish in there or not. There wasn't, so on to the next adventure...