Finding Tunnel #5 In Las Flores Canyon

Matthew · Post by **Matthew** » Sat Jan 26, 2019 9:06 pm

As some of you might know, I love to look for lost and forgotten mines in the mountains. My biggest goal is to find every mine in Las Flores Canyon and with the help of the Las Flores Water company, they gave me a map from 1906 showing almost ever mine in the canyon. One mine that looked pretty long and was just south of the McNally mine, Tunnel #5, and has not been discovered before. Patrick Jackson (my brother) and I, started looking along the eastern wall of the canyon for a few hours and found a possible entrance.

Its interesting to me how many times I passed by this rock formation and how it never crossed me this would be a mine. That first day, Pat and I wanted to dig as far back as possible. Just to see if it goes far back. After about 10 minutes, we hit an air pocket and our shovel went back about 3 feet. It was tunnel #5!!!

We schedule an actual digging day one week later with Will Coso.
I came to the mine late that day but found Pat and Will have dug down and made the tunnel a crouching height.

6 months later, the man, the myth, the legend, Dima Kogan assists me in the excavation. We reach a well sized room that appears to not lead anywhere which was a bummer but in two days, we made the tunnel about 15 feet deeper.

Dima and I became dissapointed that after 15 feet of digging, the room we found didn't lead anywhere. I looked at the room one more time and found some roots covered in dust and webs in the back of the room. I broke open a hole to see through and as I shined my light through, I found the tunnel continue farther than my eyes could see! This discovery was huge but we still had a lot to dig.

Day 5 of digging. Dima, Matthew, and Eli Roberts work together to move dirt in an efficient way with a sled. We notice a lot of loose rock in the room and decide it will be dangerous to continue. I took some long exposures of the tunnel through the hole and noticed that the mine turns to the right after about 50 feet or so. We put a pause on the excavation of tunnel #5 as we figure out a better and more safer way to go about this. We don't recommend anyone excavates mines without some helmets, buddies, and some self control. But this mine couldn't have been found without the help of Patrick Jackson, Dima Kogan, Will Coso, and Eli Roberts.

I will make a second post about the new exploratory tunnel we accidentally found above the trail!

Matthew · Post by **Matthew** » Sat Jan 26, 2019 9:15 pm

Post by **dima** » Sun Jan 27, 2019 10:08 am

Yeah, that sounds right. Peeking past the initial blockage it looked like a long crawl-able tunnel, with a flat-but-raised floor. I was guessing the stream flooded at some point, and the floor level was the high water mark from the worst flood, but jeko1034 says that his best photos show the floor level dropping off eventually. So maybe something else was going on. Need to get some sort of mobile camera thing to check.

headsizeburrito · Post by **headsizeburrito** » Mon Jan 28, 2019 5:39 pm

Any idea which ones are the largest and have you found them, or is there a Big Horn Mine of Las Flores still out there waiting for you? Have fun and be safe!

Dima, now you need to find a plane that crashed into a mine to combine your recent explorations...

Post by **dima** » Mon Jan 28, 2019 9:18 pm

I'm just trying to moonlight as an archaelogist. We checked out some tunnels on Sat, which were long, but maybe not Big-Horn long. jeko1034 is much more of an expert on such things than me.

Matthew · Post by **Matthew** » Mon Jan 28, 2019 9:27 pm

Longest explored mine in the canyon is 832 ft deep. It was mapped in 2003 by dell quick and Hugh Blanchard. On the 1906 map, it's mapped at maybe 100ft. The tunnel we found is mapped at around 300 ft. But like the 832 ft tunnel, it might be longer than what was mapped at the time.

Post by **Sean** » Tue Jan 29, 2019 4:59 pm

Congratulations, guys! And thanks for the pictures. That's quite a story of discovery. I've been in that canyon several times, too, and never noticed the opening.

Matthew · Post by **Matthew** » Tue Jan 29, 2019 5:20 pm

Sean wrote:Congratulations, guys! And thanks for the pictures. That's quite a story of discovery. I've been in that canyon several times, too, and never noticed the opening.

We thought of 3 possible places the mine could have been. And this one was the least likely. By far the most digging I've done to find a mine though :/

mattmaxon · Post by **mattmaxon** » Thu Jan 31, 2019 4:41 am

interesting find. I have been to the adit in the Saucer Branch, then down and out to millard cyn

Please be cautious in these old unstable tunnels

This guy was at the top of his game and paid the ultimate price back in Y2K
http://articles.latimes.com/2000/sep/19/local/me-23454

Matthew · Post by **Matthew** » Thu Jan 31, 2019 7:54 pm

mattmaxon wrote: interesting find. I have been to the adit in the Saucer Branch, then down and out to millard cyn

Please be cautious in these old unstable tunnels

This guy was at the top of his game and paid the ultimate price back in Y2K
http://articles.latimes.com/2000/sep/19/local/me-23454

That is tragic. That guy was a skilled diver as well.

I have yet to visit saucer branch to find that mine. But I heard its only a few feet...

mattmaxon · Post by **mattmaxon** » Fri Feb 01, 2019 4:00 am

Re: saucer branch. I might have a photo but yeah a few feet is my memory. If I recall correctly there is a rock drill bit stuck in the rock much further down canyon . How'd you would get to it without canyoneering gear or safely exit / return the way you came requires careful consideration .

Keep Hugh's untimely demise in mind. A general rule of thumb for canyoneering, you need to be clipped into something solid within 2 body lengths of the edge. But exposure means you should be on rope/clipped in.

"Have fun - Be safe"

Post by **dima** » Fri Feb 01, 2019 8:32 am

I've hiked up that canyon without ropes. The big waterfall at the bottom is the main obstacle, and you can get around it with a heavy bushwhacky bypass on the right.

mattmaxon · Post by **mattmaxon** » Fri Feb 01, 2019 3:30 pm

dima wrote: I've hiked up that canyon without ropes. The big waterfall at the bottom is the main obstacle, and you can get around it with a heavy bushwhacky bypass on the right.

My only experience with the Saucer Branch is 2 canyoneering descents . there is a plane wreck in there too! Nordyn Norseman, May 13, 1948 a Canadian Bush Plane

Post by **dima** » Fri Feb 01, 2019 3:48 pm

I heard of that one. On my trip I haven't looked up the locations of the wreck and the mine, and didn't know where to look. How much is left?

mattmaxon · Post by **mattmaxon** » Fri Feb 01, 2019 3:53 pm

Not much unfortunately it was salvage a couple of times for the aluminum and for parts, some cockpit, frame tubing, some body a bit of the engine etc. enough to know it was an aircraft

carl swindle · Post by **carl swindle** » Thu Mar 28, 2024 10:55 pm

I spoke with jeko1034 earlier this evening about Tunnel #5 in Las Flores Canyon. I figured someone had been in it or made a video about it already (as there are some videos about these mines on YouTube), but apparently, that's not that case. I went out this Wednesday (03/27/2024) to explore Las Flores Canyon a little a decided to check out Tunnel #5. I didn't really have a plan, but have decided to explore one mine each time I go - at least for now (there are more on the list). I went into the mine and it was initially a tight crawl, but was really amazing when I got inside. At first, it didn't look very promising. I was surprised by the amount of water in the mine, but I never needed to dive get somewhere. I started crawling through water, but gradually, I was able to waddle then walk. I thin that the water was about waste level towards the end of the mine. The water was crystal clear and I'd say that the interior was more spectacular then the other mines I've explored in the San Gabriels (largely due to the water). I have some pictures below, but I also made a video ( In the video, you can make out some of the ore cart rails below the water. I did also bump my leg against an object, but didn't stop to look at what it as I was making the water murky as I was walking. I'm not completely sure about the distance but it's certainly between 100-400 feet based on my experiences in other mines (which is limited). I'm not sure if my photos or videos truly capture how amazing this was. However, it could be dangerous, so if you want to explore this one, do it at your own risk.

Matthew · Post by **Matthew** » Fri Mar 29, 2024 11:03 am

Pleasure meeting you and I am stoked to find some other lost mines in these foothills together!!!!!
You are a scholar and a gentleman.

Post by **dima** » Fri Mar 29, 2024 7:41 pm

That's mad! So glad somebody made it in there, although I'm shocked it is passable at all. My recollection is that past the point where we dug out the opening the floor level was too high to even crawl for as far as we could see (probably the result of repeated floods carrying sediment, over many years). How long was the really tight section right after the dug-out entryway? From the video it looked not-so long.

Post by **tekewin** » Sat Mar 30, 2024 10:32 am

That video of tunnel #5 is insane. Glad there weren't any deep shafts below the water. The water was shockingly clear in some parts. Great shots!

I've only been in a few mines and none very far except Bighorn Mine. I think I would get claustrophobic with water filling half the shaft. Keep posting, but please be careful. Mines seem very unpredictable.

carl swindle · Post by **carl swindle** » Sat Mar 30, 2024 11:08 am

tekewin wrote: ↑Sat Mar 30, 2024 10:32 am That video of tunnel #5 is insane. Glad there weren't any deep shafts below the water. The water was shockingly clear in some parts. Great shots!

I've only been in a few mines and none very far except Bighorn Mine. I think I would get claustrophobic with water filling half the shaft. Keep posting, but please be careful. Mines seem very unpredictable.

Yeah, I was defiantly worried about lower levels, loose rocks from above, or the mine dropping quickly off. I'm comfortable swimming if needed, but I wouldn't want to try diving in an unknown place like this, or anything more risky. I initially figured that this was a mine that people had gone into a good amount since I've seen a bunch of trip reports for different mines in Las Flores and it's right on the trail, but apparently that's not the case with Tunnel #5. I'm not sure if I'll go back anytime soon, but the water was crystal clear and the interior was strikingly beautiful.

carl swindle · Post by **carl swindle** » Sat Mar 30, 2024 11:26 am

dima wrote: ↑Fri Mar 29, 2024 7:41 pm That's mad! So glad somebody made it in there, although I'm shocked it is passable at all. My recollection is that past the point where we dug out the opening the floor level was too high to even crawl for as far as we could see (probably the result of repeated floods carrying sediment, over many years). How long was the really tight section right after the dug-out entryway? From the video it looked not-so long.

It was quite a crawl wasn't as far as one might think looking in (maybe 15-30 feet - I'm not completely sure). The way it's shaped, the tunnel bends down a little at the entrance sort of like a U, and then just past where it comes up, the water in the mine is ponded off by some sediment or rocks. The water level stays the same in terms of elevation, but as you crawl through the mine, the floor and the ceiling change so as you continue to crawl, you can eventually waddle and then walk, and the waddling starts earlier then you might think since the floor goes down as the water levels is about the same compared to the ceiling initially. It's change in the ground level compared to the water and the ceiling that makes the crawl look deceptively long. If you're willing to take the risk and get a little wet, I suggest checking it out. If you've ever been to the Kelsey mine near Azusa, it's easier to crawl through compared to the tunnel on the lower level to the left as you're going down, but you have to crawl for a little longer.

carl swindle · Post by **carl swindle** » Sat Mar 30, 2024 11:28 am

jeko1034 wrote: ↑Fri Mar 29, 2024 11:03 am Pleasure meeting you and I am stoked to find some other lost mines in these foothills together!!!!!
You are a scholar and a gentleman.

It was great meeting you too. It's awesome to find people like you who know a lot about the area and enjoy checking these places out. Perhaps we can do some exploring in late April or May as we discussed. I'm surprised how many of the documented mines remain unfound.

Girl Hiker · Post by **Girl Hiker** » Sat Mar 30, 2024 6:51 pm

That was a really cool video. I was thinking the same as Tekewin. I was fearing that you might step into something below the water that was dangerous.
What a cool find and I'm glad you made it out safely. The coolest mine I ever explored was Carrie mine with the boys.

carl swindle · Post by **carl swindle** » Mon Apr 01, 2024 11:02 am

Girl Hiker wrote: ↑Sat Mar 30, 2024 6:51 pm That was a really cool video. I was thinking the same as Tekewin. I was fearing that you might step into something below the water that was dangerous.
What a cool find and I'm glad you made it out safely. The coolest mine I ever explored was Carrie mine with the boys.

In hindsight I definitely underestimated that risk despite how clear the water was. I've heard about the Carrie mine. If I recall correctly, there is some interesting history involved with that one related to a draft dodger in WW2. I went up the the Surprise Mine in Pine Canyon maybe a week or two ago. It was my first time up the canyon and that mine was pretty easy to locate, but I'd love to poke around a little more one of these days to find the Carrie Mine. I think it's on the western side of the canyon, but I've barely done any research on that one and where it is. I've seen some videos and pictures and it looks like there are quite a few interesting artifacts in that tunnel.

Girl Hiker · Post by **Girl Hiker** » Tue Apr 02, 2024 11:04 am

Yeah I've been to Surprise mine too! I would love to explore more.