Gold Mine Exploring Weekend Of The Unexpected

Some days, what we find on the surface in the abandoned mine hunt is more interesting than what we find underground… Then, the next day will compensate by having something more interesting underground than on the surface. Either way, there are always surprises and unexpected elements – some trips more than others though!

It's a shame that the mine on the first day was not more accessible. It WAS a large complex with multiple adits and a lot of infrastructure. Unfortunately, the Forest Service has been busy bulldozing features on the surface and closing the adits. I’d heard a rumor that some parts were still accessible, which was true, but it was disappointing to see how much was gone.

I respect Bill’s privacy and don’t want to share too much about him publicly, but he has an extraordinary talent for gold. Over his lifetime, he has recovered more than 55,000 ounces of gold! Now, keep in mind how expensive mining is. So, it isn’t like that was pure profit. However, it gives a sense of perspective on his talent.

Oh, and, as much as I hope it is clear that I am mocking clickbait titles, I'm sure that some will misinterpret my thumbnail... There is just way too much of "STOLEN VEHICLE FOUND!! COPS CALLED!!" or "Did We Just Uncover A Major Crime Scene?" or "Terrifying, Crazy Day Out In The Forest!!" or "Death, Ghosts & Stolen Trucks!!" I know that you, dear viewers, know what I'm talking about... I really try to avoid doing that, but some viewers don't understand my sense of humor and completely miss a joke or when I am making fun of something.

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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: https://bit.ly/2wqcBDD

As well as a small gear update here: https://bit.ly/2p6Jip6

You can see the full TVR Exploring playlist of abandoned mines here: https://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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