Found an adit on my claims that I had no idea existed, video attached...

S

SaltwaterServr

Sr. Member
Mar 20, 2015
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Texas
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I knew there was what looked like a small tailings pile on the north end of one of my claims, but I haven't had a chance to check it out until today. Judging by the size of the pile, I figured it was a small trench or pit at most. I sure didn't think it would turn into what I found today.

Judging by the dynamite box, it was worked no later than 1903. I would guess the mine is between 115 and 130 years old. To say I'm excited is an understatement. I sound like a babbling idiot through half of it.

While I was inside, my girlfriend heard a hog in the brush snort twice then run off. There's a game trail coming in from the south, so a javelina eviction is coming soon, or I might just put some barbed wire across the portal to keep him out for a few weeks.

 

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That was a good tour, I don't have what it takes to go in that deep, but I sure do like your video so that I could see the inside. Better than the Oak Island stuff.
 

Man,,,
the "vein" I saw in the video was pretty defined and dark,,, I would be sampling it hard.
You have probably several valuable things going on in there.
KEEP US POSTED and THANK YOU for sharing with us.
 

SaltwaterServr said:
I knew there was what looked like a small tailings pile on the north end of one of my claims, but I haven't had a chance to check it out until today. Judging by the size of the pile, I figured it was a small trench or pit at most. I sure didn't think it would turn into what I found today.

Judging by the dynamite box, it was worked no later than 1903. I would guess the mine is between 115 and 130 years old. To say I'm excited is an understatement. I sound like a babbling idiot through half of it.

While I was inside, my girlfriend heard a hog in the brush snort twice then run off. There's a game trail coming in from the south, so a javelina eviction is coming soon, or I might just put some barbed wire across the portal to keep him out for a few weeks.
Click to expand...


Sweet discovery!
Enjoyed the tour. :icon_thumright:

Do you have a lode claim? or a placer claim?

You probably already know this......

Lode claims/tunnel sites can be filed by others over a placer claim.
Better check and file accordingly, or keep secret.

Either way if you decide to work it you will have to comply with underground mining regs or risk a hefty fine.
That is, if you get caught.

I can tell by your use of terminology that you know something of underground mining so pretty sure you are aware of the rules.
This post is meant to inform those who may not know.
https://www.blm.gov/style/medialib/...N_/energy.Par.28664.File.dat/MiningClaims.pdf




Go for the gold
GG~
 

Last edited:
Nice find. I would test everything heavily.

From the looks of the video, there is lot of rehab work to be done in order to meet today's standards.
 

dave wiseman said:
....and have you checked out the tailing pile?
Click to expand...

Yeah, I went over it a little before I went into the mine itself. I shot a video, then realized there's a landmark in the background that might give someone an idea where this mine is located. I'm not going to put up anything else from outside the mine until my paperwork comes back from the BLM on it.
 

Goodyguy said:
Sweet discovery!
Enjoyed the tour. :icon_thumright:

Do you have a lode claim? or a placer claim?

You probably already know this......
Lode claims/tunnel sites can be filed by others over a placer claim.
Better check and file accordingly, or keep secret.

Either way if you decide to work it you will have to comply with underground mining regs or risk a hefty fine.
That is, if you get caught.

I can tell by your use of terminology that you know something of underground mining so pretty sure you are aware of the rules.
This post is meant to inform those who may not know.
https://www.blm.gov/style/medialib/...N_/energy.Par.28664.File.dat/MiningClaims.pdf




Go for the gold
GG~
Click to expand...

In Arizona it's illegal to drop a lode claim on top of a placer, which is what I have staked out there right now, and I have video showing me the day it was being staked.

I'm going to drop both on it though. No use going to court over some silliness that could be prevented for another $255.
 

Mad Machinist said:
Nice find. I would test everything heavily.

From the looks of the video, there is lot of rehab work to be done in order to meet today's standards.
Click to expand...

Whaaa? You mean that board over the winze isn't up to mining industry standards? It's completely organic too.

I really don't know where to start at other than digging out the portal, bracing it with steel, and putting a gate on it. From there, a lot of gangue needs to be cleaned up off the sill, and the ribs and back barred down for those loose slabs.
 

SaltwaterServr said:
Whaaa? You mean that board over the winze isn't up to mining industry standards? It's completely organic too.

I really don't know where to start at other than digging out the portal, bracing it with steel, and putting a gate on it. From there, a lot of gangue needs to be cleaned up off the sill, and the ribs and back barred down for those loose slabs.
Click to expand...

Once I get this Jeep done, I'll should be free on the weekends if you need a hand. From the video, it looks relatively solid and with a lot of scaling and a lot of shots with a Sierra Blaster, it would be pretty close to code. As for the winze, believe it or not, a piece of 3/4" plywood laid over it with the words "open hole" painted on it meets code.
 

That was a very cool video! I don't know much about hard rock mining but that tour was fascinating. I didn't have a sense for what a contact zone or a vein looked like underground before, but now I have at least some sense. Thanks for sharing!

Hey, could this find be nominated for a Banner Find? It's not the traditional Banner Find type of thing, but...this gentleman literally found a gold mine! How much more Banner can you get?

- Brian
 

nice find and video ! I enjoyed Watching it
 

brianc053 said:
That was a very cool video! I don't know much about hard rock mining but that tour was fascinating. I didn't have a sense for what a contact zone or a vein looked like underground before, but now I have at least some sense. Thanks for sharing!

Hey, could this find be nominated for a Banner Find? It's not the traditional Banner Find type of thing, but...this gentleman literally found a gold mine! How much more Banner can you get?

- Brian
Click to expand...

To be perfectly candid, I only knew what a contact zone looked like after one had been completely mined out, or the only thing left over was barren quartz. This adit gave a great example of how the intrusion of the hydrothermal fluid shot up into the country rock and the minerals dropped out as they cooled on that right hand wall. That should be the richest part of the vein system, at least for what's left over. The entire back (roof) of the mine still has good mineralization too but it is probably lower grade stuff as it cooled the slowest during the enrichment event.

It's dang odd they never attempted a raise in the adit. At one point there's more than 100' of rock between the portal and the highest outcrop in the gossan that I can spot. Considering the geology and multiple levels of raises and winzes I've been in within the mines in the general vicinity, they might've missed some really good pay streaks. At least that's what I'm hoping. I want to get down into that winze with the dead javelina with a full respirator on and see what they dug down there. It's the only spot that shows any attempt at a winze, unless one of the alcove's has one cut underneath the sill.
 

SaltwaterServr said:
To be perfectly candid, I only knew what a contact zone looked like after one had been completely mined out, or the only thing left over was barren quartz. This adit gave a great example of how the intrusion of the hydrothermal fluid shot up into the country rock and the minerals dropped out as they cooled on that right hand wall. That should be the richest part of the vein system, at least for what's left over. The entire back (roof) of the mine still has good mineralization too but it is probably lower grade stuff as it cooled the slowest during the enrichment event.

It's dang odd they never attempted a raise in the adit. At one point there's more than 100' of rock between the portal and the highest outcrop in the gossan that I can spot. Considering the geology and multiple levels of raises and winzes I've been in within the mines in the general vicinity, they might've missed some really good pay streaks. At least that's what I'm hoping. I want to get down into that winze with the dead javelina with a full respirator on and see what they dug down there. It's the only spot that shows any attempt at a winze, unless one of the alcove's has one cut underneath the sill.
Click to expand...

I have one of these.

https://www.jendcosafety.com/3m-ver...YzdXwz7UDTFqKy-pFlUt3jabOI-gXnphjExoCb-Pw_wcB

Like I said before, I don't play when it comes to my safety.
 

**kcm looks at his thermometer** ...."cold" ones?!?!?

roflmao.gif
 

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