Deepest Mine in the US

[Derek]

I Found this interesting and it was also a topic during our Tecopa trip. Robert I lied (not intentionally though) the Sunshine Mine in Idaho does not go past 8000'.

http://www.int.washington.edu/DUSEL/nusel_update1.2.jpg

http://www.lbl.gov/Science-Articles/...NSD-DUSEL.html

[JeffBett]

The article says its abandoned, better get there before the labs get built. Should be no problem getting down 8000 feet of ladder ways and back up in a day right? That's only the same as a 800 story building and the map is even understandable.

[Derek]

Hehe....Jeff I don't think that I will trying that many ladders. I wonder if they will offer underground tours after the labs are built.

[Stuart]

Hey Jeff I'll climb the ladders. I did over 1000' of them this last weekend, whats another 7000' really. Unfortunately I kinda doubt there is a manway with ladders all the way down to the bottom. Welcome to the site BTW!

[Mark1955]

At that depth past some point its gotta be flooded.. I know that even Gold Hill is flooded below some point.

[Stuart]

Guaranteed it is flooded with a depth like that. I made it all the way down the Gold Hill almost to the water on our last trip out there. I would have made it all the way to the water if the ladders would not have completely fallen apart. There is a strange bright green moldy fox down there.

[Mark1955]

One of the guys on the last GRE trip I was on out there did make it all the way down to the level just above the water... which was well below the dry rot level of the ladder. He rapelled down below that point! He spent quite a bit of time down there and came back up with some amazing malachite specimans. He did mention that is was hot as hell down there!! Haven't seen him since... He lives in Callaio though.

Mark

[ExpUt]

One of the guys on the last GRE trip I was on out there did make it all the way down to the level just above the water... which was well below the dry rot level of the ladder. He rapelled down below that point! He spent quite a bit of time down there and came back up with some amazing malachite specimans. He did mention that is was hot as hell down there!! Haven't seen him since... He lives in Callaio though.

Mark

Was that the infamous tannerite & dynamite trip?

I'm sure Corey has the contact info for that fellow? He was quite the character, great guy!

[Stuart]

He rapelled down below that point! He spent quite a bit of time down there and came back up with some amazing malachite specimans. He did mention that is was hot as hell down there!!

Hottest I have ever felt inside of a mine, I wish I had a thermometer on me. It has to be at least a hundred degrees with 120% humidity down there. I need to go back down with my rappelling gear to make that last twelve feet of ladder down to the level.

[Mark1955]

Yea, that trip... it was a dynamyte trip for sure... I'll post a picture of the explosion later tonight. IU was a hundred yards back but still almost got hit by a 5" diameter flying rock.

I don't think its possible to go down the main shaft at GH any longer. Not only is the whole west side barred off but rumor has it they also blasted the shaft shut. There was definately alot of blasting done around there, especially up in the Glory Hole. The east side addit is still open however and I haven't explored all the drifts that run off that... Might be a way back up to the upper level to get to the main shaft.

At any rate that guy that made it to the bottom also attended Miners School over in Denver. He's a pretty smart cookie and an expert with a rope.

Mark

[Derek]

Mark I have heard a lot about this east entrance, but have been unable to find it. Do you have the coords? Also there are more than one shaft inside the mine, but the one we are talking about is on the 300' level (main haulage level) and is accessed through the west entrance. There is a shaft that is just barely in the west entrance, but it doesn't have any ladders going down in it. We went down the one that is further in the west side and has ladders most of the way down.

[Mark1955]

The East Entrance is a bit hard to find. I literally stumbled across it one day. Its right atop a huge dump but it's off the road a bit that heads south on that side of the mountain.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1403/615399866_c62a68682b_b.jpg

[Mark1955]

Here's a few shots of the East Side.... Note the addit is oblique and follows the fault line in the mountain. Also one of the main shaft on the west side. I think that's Corey descending. Note the debris photo taken at the junction of the East side entrance. That debris wasn't there before the mines were closed off.... The debris had to come from up above someplace... I have some before pictures of the junction someplace... There was no debris... just a small ore bin.

Sorry, can't get the link working properly for what ever reason... worked ok the other night.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3565/3308160944_f63d0af281_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3448/3308160936_e5ec2cfe3e_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3339/3308160920_91390f9b17_b.jpg

[Mark1955]

I almost forgot. Here is the infamous dynamite picture... Its kind of a hoot how everyone's got the fingers in the ears... That rock just left of center made it all the way over to me... just missed me by about a foot.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1050/1187504473_04ec08b0f8_b.jpg

[ExpUt]

I almost forgot. Here is the infamous dynamite picture... Its kind of a hoot how everyone's got the fingers in the ears... That rock just left of center made it all the way over to me... just missed me by about a foot.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1050/...ec08b0f8_b.jpg