20101021 Mojave mine exploration

[davantalus]

Well this trip wasn't San Gabriels, but it was still a blast...

My buddies and I do some abandoned mine exploring. I wanted to learn Final Cut - so here's a 9 minute flick of some highlights that I threw together.

Lord of the Ring warning - lots of walking.

(Available in 720p)

Remember, "Stay out, stay alive."

Oh and this is how we roll...

My buddy climbing some sketch

Me and a friend outside the Blackfoot.

This one, well, speaks for itself.

The sunset from outside the Waterloo.

[hvydrt]

I like the sunset picture. I couldn't handle the constant thought of a collapse while being inside.

[Ze Hiker]

wow, nice pics!

[Bill]

Nice, very professional video. 8)

[davantalus]

Nice, very professional video. 8)

Haha, thanks! My first time editing. I made so many stupid mistakes in the videography process, the next one's going to be ten times better!

[davantalus]

I like the sunset picture. I couldn't handle the constant thought of a collapse while being inside.

Post+Username.

[lilbitmo]

Dav - I like the way you roll

Fantastic video - I'm assuming that that mine with the metal cover has another way in or is that it?

Nice little fireworks during the night fire

Is this all out in the High Desert by Barstow or up by Redgecrest?

I'm living vicariously through the message board while my finger heals another week and I should be able to do a small outing

lilbitmo

[davantalus]

Fantastic video - I''m assuming that that mine with the metal cover has another way in or is that it?

Everyone looked confused because it had been torched open some time ago and "they" had just locked ''er back up before we arrived. There are other entrances to different shafts, but they were either locked or uninteresting.
You could see a few more pictures here from a trip that I wasn''t on - http://www.undergroundexplorers.com/waterloo1.htm

With old mines, more often than not it''s a race again time to see the thing before they close it for good.
For instance:
•Big Horn - closed up tight (for the time being)
•The Dawn - Huge fine
•Los Padres - Bulldozed (I probably have the last pictures ever to be taken of it here - http://dav.me/gallery/v/hiking/SanBerna ... adresMine/ )
•Yeager - I helped on the gating project. The choice was gate it or blow it up.

Nice little fireworks during the night fire

Haha, yeah that black powder actually blew out the nice little fire we had going. The percussion was intense and I thought for sure any police on the way would radio for the SWAT team. But then the sky opened up and a little thunder from mother nature put our display to shame. After 10 minutes of bucketing we had a river the size of the East Fork in winter running through our camp.

I''m afraid the microphone on my camera didn''t do any of the explosions justice.

Is this all out in the High Desert by Barstow or up by Redgecrest?

We were northeast of Calico for the day sequences, then out at Tecopa (north of Baker) for the night time and big mine stuff.

I''m living vicariously through the message board while my finger heals another week and I should be able to do a small outing

Awww! Didn''t know that happened. At least you''re on the mend. Mine was pretty tore up when we met, if you remember. It''s still got a nice discoloration as a reminder of my stupidity.

[lilbitmo]

Fantastic video - I''''m assuming that that mine with the metal cover has another way in or is that it?

Everyone looked confused because it had been torched open some time ago and "they" had just locked ''''er back up before we arrived. There are other entrances to different shafts, but they were either locked or uninteresting.
You could see a few more pictures here from a trip that I wasn''''t on - http://www.undergroundexplorers.com/waterloo1.htm

With old mines, more often than not it''''s a race again time to see the thing before they close it for good.
For instance:
•Big Horn - closed up tight (for the time being)
•The Dawn - Huge fine
•Los Padres - Bulldozed (I probably have the last pictures ever to be taken of it here - http://dav.me/gallery/v/hiking/SanBerna ... adresMine/ )
•Yeager - I helped on the gating project. The choice was gate it or blow it up.

Nice little fireworks during the night fire

Haha, yeah that black powder actually blew out the nice little fire we had going. The percussion was intense and I thought for sure any police on the way would radio for the SWAT team. But then the sky opened up and a little thunder from mother nature put our display to shame. After 10 minutes of bucketing we had a river the size of the East Fork in winter running through our camp.

I''''m afraid the microphone on my camera didn''''t do any of the explosions justice.

Is this all out in the High Desert by Barstow or up by Redgecrest?

We were northeast of Calico for the day sequences, then out at Tecopa (north of Baker) for the night time and big mine stuff.

I''''m living vicariously through the message board while my finger heals another week and I should be able to do a small outing

Awww! Didn''''t know that happened. At least you''''re on the mend. Mine was pretty tore up when we met, if you remember. It''''s still got a nice discoloration as a reminder of my stupidity.

So Tecopa is between the Death Valley East border area and the Nevada State Line - from what I see on the map?

Are any of these mines still active? Where the owners get pissed when "Cavers" go in and check them out?

Finger got severed in a small landslide, boulder cut it almost clean off at the tip, right ring finger, ER had to pull out the sewing machine and give me the old reattachment work, it''s making a great comeback, no "Pin" needed as of yet to save it, just a little unlucky when the boulder I was using to downclimb came out of the hillside with three of four others, thus the small landslide - you can now call me stubby Tommorow will be two full weeks since it happened, I''ll be back out in the next two, something small to see how it handles the pressure that builds up from swinging my hands as you do when hiking and climbing, we''ll see.

By the way the two links to the other pcitures are fantastic, you guys get some great shots - one of these days I''ll have to hook up with you on one of these adventures and bring my friend Greg, he does some professional photography and he likes doing fun stuff in the desert, keep me posted, you have my email? If not I''ll PM you with it.

[obie]

I love a clear blue sky over my head.



Great stuff.

[Taco]

That's pretty badass! Diggin' the truck!

[norma r]

Wow! That i find, scary as heck!! Why do you want to explore abandoned mines? Because it's there!

Very nice video.

[davantalus]

So Tecopa is between the Death Valley East border area and the Nevada State Line - from what I see on the map?

Yep. Pretty much we're talking about right around in here - http://www.mojaveunderground.com/wiki/i ... Eagle_Mine

Are any of these mines still active? Where the owners get pissed when "Cavers" go in and check them out?

None of them are really active anymore. Some are on private property, others BLM. Most of them are just a dirty road without a single warning sign... but as you saw those with property attempt to limit their liability by gating the entrances... but of course this costs $$$ and will just be destroyed by the next 4x4 jackass with a plasma torch. There are a few working mines still (That one along the 15, or Kokoweef (vaguely still being worked), for examples) but you'd generally know you weren't welcome.

Finger got severed in a small landslide, boulder cut it almost clean off at the tip...

Whoah! whoahwhoahwhoah. I must have missed that post. (or this was your first). I'm sorry dude, that's terrible! Sounds like just a little bit mo and you'd have been done right good... Did you puke?

By the way the two links to the other pcitures are fantastic, you guys get some great shots

Thanks. It's really nice to see my hard work at this stuff finally paying off.

one of these days I''ll have to hook up with you on one of these adventures and bring my friend Greg, he does some professional photography and he likes doing fun stuff in the desert

Absolutely. PM me your email and I'll keep you in mine, err mind.

That's pretty badass! Diggin' the truck!

Yeah, my conversations with Kevin usually go along these lines...
Me: "Adventure, you coming?"
Kev: "Nah, gas is too expensive."
Me: "My gas, your truck."
Kev: "When we leaving?"

[Taco]