Mine Exploration

Share info and ask questions about great places to hike throughout the Death Valley and adjacent areas!

Re: Mine Exploration

Postby cactuspete » Sat Oct 27, 2018 6:53 am

Driving Inside The Reward Mine
Usually mine exploration is done on foot, but you can actually drive into this mine up near Lone Pine. I'm surprised that this mine remains open to vehicles due to ventilation issues. Not that I'm in favor of closing it, but this is California and even the slightest danger is reason enough to close something to the public.
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Re: Mine Exploration

Postby sandman » Sun Nov 04, 2018 8:01 pm

The Gold Bottom Mine was one of the funnest mines to explore. I haven't been up there in years, but I put in many hours in that mine. Extensive workings. Several other interesting mines in the general area, but that's the best one in the valley. There are some nice ones up by Lookout Mountain and a few others in Panamint Valley. One word of caution though is that the older a mine gets the more likely it is that it'll have a tunnel collapse. Would not want to get trapped in a mine when something like that happens!
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Re: Mine Exploration

Postby surfsteve » Mon Nov 05, 2018 8:23 am

It's also been a few years since I been mine exploring. I recall that there were three mines near Trona. Ruth mine, in Homewood canyon was the most famous and had been sealed up the last time I went there. There were two other mines before Ruth mine on the opposite side of the highway and one of them was Gold Bottom and I can't remember the other one's name. I always got them confused as to which one was Gold Bottom. I think it's the one that's been sealed recently. I've spent countless hours in all three mines and they all go on for thousands of yards. Perhaps miles of tunnels in each one of them. I'm glad I got to do that before they were sealed up.
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Re: Mine Exploration

Postby cactuspete » Mon Nov 05, 2018 5:59 pm

The Ophir and the Stockwell are two other very large mines which are located in the Slate Range. The Gold Bottom is probably as large as those two combined, but it's hard to say with the Ophir as the large vertical opening is about a quarter of a mile from the other openings on the other side of the hill. Also it would be difficult to completely seal the Gold Bottom Mine as there are at least six entry points, some on the other side of the hill that one is dug into.
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Re: Mine Exploration

Postby surfsteve » Tue Nov 06, 2018 10:28 am

judging from this video the other one was probably the Stockwell mine. It was definitely my favorite mine to explore. Last time I went there, not too long after this video was made, someone had installed a huge iron gate preventing anyone from entering.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvOBIE7 ... r_embedded
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Re: Mine Exploration

Postby deathvalleyjake » Wed Nov 07, 2018 7:19 am

The mines around the Minietta Cabin are my favorites. There are some interesting surprises up around Lookout City. Lots of collapsed tunnels. Must have been extensive while all the tunnels were open and unobstructed.
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Re: Mine Exploration

Postby sandman » Thu Feb 10, 2022 7:28 am

The Orondo and Davenport mine area is interesting also. There's a lot of information about those on the dvplants.com website which is associated with the blackturtle.us website.
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