| Proof positive that I was actually there! After a long climb down,
lots of exploring, and a quick lunch, it was almost time to start the climb
out. |
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| This is a great spot for photos, we we all took our turn getting
our picture taken. |
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| This is the safety valve for a large air tank. Notice the rivets at
the lower right. This is an old tank! |
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I wonder if there's still air in the tank? We actually just wanted
to see the the wrench would fit the valve.
The photo gives you a feel
for how big the tank is. |
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| Some people have to see EVERYTHING.... |
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| Here's the rear of the headframe with the air tank pictured. This
photo was taken from where the winch would have been originally installed. |
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| The sheave wheel would have been mounted at the top of the
headframe (between the two narrow beams), but it is nowhere to be found. It may
have been removed at the same time the rest of the equipment. |
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| A moment of rest before the climb out. |
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| This is a drill rod with the drill bit still attached. This one was
about four feet long. |
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| If you look closely at the top of this picture, you will see a pile
of drill bits. Some of them had been used but most were brand new. Well, maybe
not Brand New since they are 50 years old, but they are unused. |
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| If you don't have a sign available, you just make your own. Same
thing with a door latch. Crude but effective. |
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| Sugar at the bottom of a mine? Actually burlap was often used to
plug small cracks in various structures like wooden ore chutes where dirt would
seep through. |
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| Many of the miners used carbide lamps for light. We often find
carbide cans and lids. |
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| Many of the explosives boxes we find are made from cardboard. These
boxes are from a more recent time. The old wooden boxes are getting pretty rare
and indicate that the mine is older. |
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| Here's another track switch. It wouldn't take much effort to get it
working again. |
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| looking into an old drill hole, you can see some minerals starting
to form in the back of the hole. It is interesting to see that the earth is
changing even down this deep. |
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| An old wooden barrel isn't something you find every day. I'm
curious what they would have shipped in this? |
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After a couple of hours of hard climbing, we exited the mine just
in time to see this beautiful sunset.
After a long day's adventure, I
was ready for sleep! |
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