Bullion Mine, Southern Nevada

[Joanne]

I've been itching to get out and do some exploration and today was the day. Unfortunately a dying battery made it so I didn't dare turn off the engine. That severely restricted my exploration activities and sent me home early. I did get to make some good use of my new 12x50 Nikon binoculars though. I think they are going to be a good tool in helping me to locate and identify mine remnants.

The area south and west of Las Vegas is riddled with old mines. The area that I was exploring today was no different with numerous named mines as well as a large number of adits dotting the sides of the ridges.


Here's a Google Earth of the area with the mines called out



My first stop was at the Bullion Mine. This mine is a few hundred feet up the side of a steep ridge. (They are ALL steep around here!!) At first I didn't understand why there were two structures up at the mine. After a bit of looking I realized that the leftmost structure was the top of a tramway.



If you look closely you can see one of the tramway cables running down the side of the ridge.



Here's the remains of the lower station. There are a number of foundations around it that indicated that there was some sort of machinery that is long-since gone.



This appears to be a bucket for the tramway. There was another one just a few feet away. Funny though, neither one of them looked as if they had been used. The cable running through the buckets had not worn the holes like you would expect if they had been used to transport ore.



A bit further south was the Valentine mine perched way up on the side of a ridge. Getting up to the adit of this mine is going to be a real hike! It appears that there may have been a tram at this mine as well, but I never got close enough to find the lower station. Next trip maybe....





Just over a small ridge was some tailings with three adits well up the side of the ridge. Obviously someone owns or has a claim on the property and doesn't want anyone wandering around. I took a couple of photos and headed back the way I came. (It's shown as Unknown Mine 2 on the Google Earth map)





A bit to the north of the Bullion mine is the Accident mine. It's another site that is going to take some serious hiking to get to.



I finally ran into my first "closed" mine. There was an adit that had been blocked as well as a shallow shaft. Looking down the capped shaft showed that it only dropped about 20 feet. From there it looked as if there was a tunnel that went back into the hill. (It's shown as Unknown Mine 1 on the Google Earth map)





This shaft was just a few feet away from the other two, but had not been closed. The ladder looked like it was in pretty poor shape. I was solo on this trip so I wasn't getting overly adventurous.



In spite of vehicle problems I was able to get the lay of the land in this area. There are quite a few claim markers in evidence though I didn't see any real evidence of anyone actively mining. It's just amazing how many mines are in this area. There is also an area a bit further south and east (around the town of Nipton) that looks very interesting. A person could spend years exploring around in Southern Nevada without having to hit the same mine twice.

Joane

[ryan162]

nice pics! its hard to round up people to go out exploring sometimes. hope you can get some underground time in on your next trip

[Joanne]

nice pics! its hard to round up people to go out exploring sometimes. hope you can get some underground time in on your next trip

You are right about scratching up someone to go with. There's one guy at work that went with me on one of the trips. He seemed to enjoy it. I drug along another friend but it was a bit more strenuous than he was up to. He enjoyed the historical aspect though. There's another guy at work that seems interested as well. He's a climber so that would be he would be a good match if he gets interested.

Mine exploring is a bit of a quirky hobby. It's one part offroading, one part exploration, one part history buff, throw in a bit of adventure and the hint of danger and you have a mine explorer. Not your normal quiet next door neighbor.

Oh yeah, my battery problem turned out to be a starter going bad. It's a good thing that I didn't turn off the engine up in the mountains. After I got home I was able to get it started one last time before it gave up the ghost. Starters for my Trooper only come as remanufactured units and still cost in the three digit range.

Joanne

[ryan162]

haha you hit the nail on the head! i gets lots of weird looks by people who do much more dangerous hobbies. glad your rig is back to 100%. i made a few runs out into the desert where i kept the engine running too.

[Jeff]

Thanks for the trip report Joanne and it's good to here you made it back to civilization unscathed although your pocket book didn't which unfortunately is all part of the hobby What are the temps like in these areas from now to the say Feb time frame?

[Joanne]

Thanks for the trip report Joanne and it's good to here you made it back to civilization unscathed although your pocket book didn't which unfortunately is all part of the hobby What are the temps like in these areas from now to the say Feb time frame?

Actually the temps shouldn't be too bad (depending on what you are used to). Right now the lows are in the 50's with the highs in the 80's, so it's real nice. By Feb the lows will be in the 30's with the highs in the 50's and 60's. Again, not bad if you are used to cool weather. If you are thinking about heading down this way give me a head's up and maybe we can put together a camp-out. It would be fun to meet some others who are also interested in the mines and their history. I have no idea what these mines hold in store. They may be great to explore or they may be duds. The good thing is that there are a lot of them to choose from. A couple of them look like strenuous hikes to get to so they may not have seen as much traffic as some of the easier ones.

Joanne


P.S. - I just found a great slide show about the Bullion and Accedent Mines. Check this out for a preview! Bullion & Accedent slide show

[Mark1955]

Interesting area for sure and thanks for the pictures. I can't wait to get down there and explore!!

[Dawn_CL]

Hi Joanne, VERY nice pictures you have posted. I sure wish i had the resources to join you in your ventures but at the moment i do not unless you was doing exploring much closer to Kingman. I live just outside of Kingman in the McConnico area as i have some mines out here that i have been working (well before i got sick with the flu or whatever it was). These mines are claims i have though. I should be returning to working more in my mines out here since im feeling a bit better now (except at night) but if you happen to make it down around the Kingman area then let me know or if i happen to make it up around your area i will give you a hollar and perhaps we can arrange a good exploration outing. The reason id like to do a bit of exploration on the side is because im wanting to learn how other mines are or was setup and possibly use those techniques in my mines. Just thought id be honest about that.
Also, could i send you a private message about something of interest to me that i seen in your pictures? This may be a good wheeling and dealing session if you would be interested in a possible sale of something in those pictures.

Dawn

[Mark1955]

WOW! That guy has one of the best web sites of it's type in existance. Gobs of ghost towns, mines, and scenic areas of Nevada.

http://silverstateghosttowns.com/

[Joanne]

Hi Joanne, VERY nice pictures you have posted. I sure wish i had the resources to join you in your ventures but at the moment i do not unless you was doing exploring much closer to Kingman. I live just outside of Kingman in the McConnico area as i have some mines out here that i have been working (well before i got sick with the flu or whatever it was). These mines are claims i have though. I should be returning to working more in my mines out here since im feeling a bit better now (except at night) but if you happen to make it down around the Kingman area then let me know or if i happen to make it up around your area i will give you a hollar and perhaps we can arrange a good exploration outing. The reason id like to do a bit of exploration on the side is because im wanting to learn how other mines are or was setup and possibly use those techniques in my mines. Just thought id be honest about that.
Also, could i send you a private message about something of interest to me that i seen in your pictures? This may be a good wheeling and dealing session if you would be interested in a possible sale of something in those pictures.

Dawn

Hi Dawn! Welcome to the forum!!

I get down to Kingman every now and again so it would be fun to get together. I'd be interested in seeing your mines if that's an option. If you find your way up there we can certainly hit a couple of mines around here. Can I ask what you are mining?

Feel free to send me a PM.

Joanne

[Derek]

WOW! That guy has one of the best web sites of it's type in existance. Gobs of ghost towns, mines, and scenic areas of Nevada.

http://silverstateghosttowns.com/

Yes it is a great site I have spent some time there.

[Dawn_CL]

Hi Joanne,

Actually my mines are nothing more than 30 ft holes in the ground with tunnelling down there that runs not more than about 20 feet. Nothing much to see really but you'd be more than welcome if we were to work a get-together. Most mines out around my area are claimed and are nothing more than what mine is, just a hole dug in the ground. There IS one near mine that id love to get into as its a large mine but it would take about 2 or 3 solid days work of shovelling out the loose stuff that fell down the main hoisting shaft and over the tunnelling. And its not properly claimed either, at least not until i can get my paws on it. LOL
I have a strong hunch that the tunnelling in that mine goes in different directions for quite a distance as the smaller shaft thats maybe 30 ft from the main hoisting shaft is about 30 or 40 feet deep with tunnelling running in each direction with the main tunnelling running from the main hoisting shaft (the one that needs shovelled out. After going down the main shaft which is probably not more than 15 or 20 feet IF THAT, i noticed a second ladder running down through the rubble and dirt that fell into the shaft. Possibly a multilevel mine? Would be nice to find out but its just all that shovelling wed have to do. There would possibly be a way down in there through the smaller shaft i mentioned earlier but after studying it i really wouldnt trust rappelling down into that. You would have to see it to understand it i think. I just think by the looks of that shaft that it would be a very dangerous feat.
According to the mine records of the late 1800s to early 1900s there was a decent amount of gold pulled from that mine and the way i believe is 'where there was once gold theres bound to be more'. LOL

I prefer the types of mines with the adits and tunnels myself. I just feel those are much easier to tackle than the 'holes in the ground'.

Anyways, if you make it out this way, we will take a trip over there. Its not too far away from Oatman Hwy.

I mine for gold, whatever i can pull out whether it be nuggets, flakes or dust. So far its been all that microspic stuff which i really dont mess with. Too much refining involved. LOL
I guess once theres enough microspic stuff then i might mess with refining it. I have an oven and all that good stuff for refining the gold but just on a small scale.

Dawn

[Dawn_CL]

Hi Joanne,

I got a sinking bucket. Actually i found the parts and made one and it came out really neat and works really well.

What i did was found an 8 gallon light steel bucket along the railroad tracks that i must follow and cross in order to get out to my mines. I have no idea what they used these buckets for but i know it wasnt for spikes as i have a few of those too and those are skinnier and taller than this bucket. This bucket is around 2 ft wide by around 2 1/2 feet tall but on to how i made it into a sinking bucket.

I also found some of those heavy straps along the tracks that they use to use on thier old telephone poles and i bent 2 of these straps into a C shape then i bolted these around the top rim of the bucket. Next i took 2 more of the same straps and bolted them up opposite sides of the bucket and welded another strap across the bottom of the bucket and to the 2 upright straps that i had bolted on. Before i did the side and bottom strapping i reinforced the bottom with one of those metal bucket covers and screwed the screwdriver holes thats all around the lid to the bottom of the bucket then i added the straps. Next i drilled a hole in the top of the 2 side straps and formed my bail and attached that to the holes i drilled. As i was bending and forming my handle i went ahead and also formed the ring in the top of the handle for the hoist hook to snap into and i welded the ring to itself so it wouldnt come loose under weight.
Then i spray painted the whole bucket a wroght iron flat black so as to make it look like what they used back in the old days then i painted the name of my mine of both sides of the bucket. I must say it looks really sharp.

So far this bucket has worked VERY well and with all the strapping and reinforcing stuff (and welding) i used on it id say the bucket itself probably weighs about 30 or so pounds but is very easily handled by us and by the hoist i use in the mine.

I have pictures of the bucket but im not sure if i can post pictures here yet and if i can then i will post them.

Dawn

[Joanne]

Dawn,

I'd like to see a photo when you have time to take one. It would be interesting to see how it turned out. It's neat that you are able to make one to fit your needs.


As a side note, it's great to hear of another woman who can weld. There's not a lot of us around. A few years ago I decided to undertake a really big project of building my own camping trailer. It turned out pretty good and I love camping in it. Desert Dawg website.

There IS one near mine that id love to get into as its a large mine but it would take about 2 or 3 solid days work of shoveling out the loose stuff that fell down the main hoisting shaft and over the tunneling. And its not properly claimed either, at least not until i can get my paws on it. LOL
I have a strong hunch that the tunneling in that mine goes in different directions for quite a distance as the smaller shaft that's maybe 30 ft from the main hoisting shaft is about 30 or 40 feet deep with tunneling running in each direction with the main tunneling running from the main hoisting shaft (the one that needs shoveled out. After going down the main shaft which is probably not more than 15 or 20 feet IF THAT, I noticed a second ladder running down through the rubble and dirt that fell into the shaft. Possibly a multilevel mine?

This quote has me thinking...

I believe that a lot of deeper shafts have a series ladders, each of which leads down to a platform. The platform has a hole in it that is the access point to the next ladder downward. As I understand it, this was done as a safety mechanism so if someone fell from the ladder they would only fall to the platform below and not all the way to the bottom of the shaft.

I think you are seeing the debris that has collected on the top-most platform. If I were to go down there to dig it out I would absolutely have a safety line to the surface in case the platform gave way while clearing it. You may be standing on a platform that is 20 feet below the bottom of the shaft. On the other hand, you could be standing on a platform that is 200 (0r more) feet from the bottom.

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Joanne

[Dawn_CL]

Hi Joanne,

Actually the ladders were one below the other. Im not really sure yet if im wanting to tackle digging all of that dirt and stuff out of there since im a bit more concentrated on my own mines BUT i might if i decide to claim it.
But yet before i decide to claim it i would at least like to be able to go down in there and look it over for different things, like any cave-ins or possiblities of cave-ins, hidden winzes and other safety issues. I need to see if there would be anything down there that needs to be timbered or shored up and to actually see if claiming it would be worth it.
I do like what was reported in the mine records as being taken out of there which was coarse or wiry gold. That kind of stuff adds up quick moneywise.

It didnt really look like any types of platforms down there since the dirt and stuff came to just below the first ladder with the top of the next ladder sticking out. I did notice, however, after closer study that they MIGHT have had that second ladder there in order to reach the floor of the tunnelling which was about 6 or 7 feet below the bottom of the first ladder. The short tunnel i got into to get to that main hoisting shaft was about that distance below that first ladder so this scenario could also be a possibility. I had to move some rock and do a bot of shovelling in order to access that main hoisting shaft thru the tunnel i went thru but it wasnt nearly as bad as the shovelling and clearing out id have to do in order to access the rest of the mine from that main shaft. Mainly all my digging amounted to was just enough that i could crawl up into the shaft from the top of the tunnel. If i was to tackle the rest of the digging then i too think it was be a wise idea to tie off while im working.

Not sure if i can post pictures here but if i can then i already have pictures of my bucket. I will post those as soon as i know i can post pictures here.

Good job on the camping trailer. I do welding on a small scale. Havent really tackled any big jobs yet. I learned all that welding stuff from my dad as that was his trade years ago. Back when i was younger i hated every minute of being around the welding business but now that im older im very happy i was. LOL