Tweet
************************************************** ***********</pre>
Continued from part 1</pre>
</pre>
There I was, all alone in the mine shaft, squatted down, sitting on my heels nervously awaiting my friend Greg’s return. I shined my light down the shaft into what seemed like a bottomless pit. I couldn’t imagine for the life of me what could possibly down there and was afraid to even wonder about it. Where was Greg? I contemplated climbing up the shaft andwaiting for him on the outside but quickly dismissed that thought as well. I turned out my flashlight to conserve power.</pre>
</pre>
Then a truly macabre thought entered my head. Suppose, just suppose, Greg doesn’t come back at all? Then what am I supposed to do? I immediately ruled out the possibility of looking for him. If he fell down a hole somewhere what’s the use of me following him into the abyss?</pre>
</pre>
Trying to call or yell for him was likewise out of the question. I had heard too many times not to talk loud or yell in an abandoned mine because the sound vibration could loosen something precipitating a cave in. I wondered if that was an “old wives tale” but I wasn’t about to attempt to do any experiments here to prove or disprove the theory! </pre>
</pre>
What should I do? All my emotions were jumbling up inside of me. I felt panic welling up from within. Then suddenly I heard footsteps running and saw a flashing light back in the drift. Greg burst forth into the shaft very excited, puffing and exclaiming in a loud whisper, “Fred, oh my gawd, Fred! You gotta see this, you just got to! It’s awesome!”</pre>
</pre>
I told him I was ready to leave a long time ago but he would have no part of that. “Please, Fred, just do this one thing for me this one time, you just gotta see this!”</pre>
</pre>
So Greg headed back into the drift with me following reluctantly. We walked back through the stope area and continued walking through the drift on the other side. </pre>
</pre>
It seemed as if we walked a long, long ways. I noticed the air was different back in here. It smelled or felt “dead” and I noticed my breathing was more labored. I don’t know how much of that was the air and how much was only my nerves, but I had to work at breathing.</pre>
</pre>
Finally Greg stopped ahead of me. “Now, look at this!” He shined his light ahead and revealed a three-way split in the drift. Shining his light in each of the drifts one at a time he said, “It goes that way, that way and that way! Which tunnel should we follow first?”</pre>
</pre>
I told him emphatically, “Hey, look Greg, I’m outta here. Period. I don’t think we have much oxygen back here and I’ve got this bad, negative premonition that we’re gonna have a real problem or something”.</pre>
</pre>
“Ah, come on, man, we don’t wanna stop now do we? We gotta see where these tunnels go”.</pre>
</pre>
“Look, Greg, this is only our second time here, we can come back if need be. But I’m leaving. You can either come with me or not”.</pre>
</pre>
A bit more arguing ensued but in the end we made our way back to the shaft and started scrambling for the top. If trying to scramble up that thing from the top level was tough, it was much worse from this deeper level. I kept looking up toward the light. It just didn’t seem to be getting any closer. Leading the way, I kept discharging rocks and debris on Greg which he didn’t appreciate.</pre>
</pre>
Finally, finally, finally, I burst through the opening and out into the desert sunshine. The light really hurt my eyes. But it was sooooo wonderful to be out from underground that I felt like I had just been born. It was positively exhilarating!</pre>
</pre>
But that nagging premonition or sixth sense still haunted me. Why? I took a few steps and the car came into view off in the distance down on the main road. My heart sank down into my stomach. I just couldn’t believe what I saw. It just couldn’t be! There was another large, white car parked right behind Greg’s and part way up the trail I saw what looked like a huge, burly, 275-lb gorilla in uniform heading up the trail in our direction!</pre>
</pre>
I turned to Greg and said, “Well, Greg, it looks like the cops!” Greg completely lost it and went into an absolute frenzy. How could he be so “ brave” down in the mine but panic over the possibility of having an encounter with the law? </pre>
</pre>
He blurted out in a panicked whisper, “Oh my gawd, no, no, NO! Quick! Let’s hide!” </pre>
</pre>
Hide? If I hadn’t been so nerved up this whole scene would have struck me as beyond comical and would’ve really cracked me up. Instead I just said, “Greg, get real. You can’t hide from the police. Besides, what have we actually done wrong? I don’t feel like I have any reason to hide. I’m gonna go down there and face the music.”</pre>
</pre>
Greg snapped back at me, “Look! He hasn’t seen us yet. Now I’m telling you we have to hide. Now, quick! Let’s get behind those rocks over there!”</pre>
</pre>
I turned and walked away in the direction of the officer. Greg grabbed a hold of my shirt and ordered me, “Look, doggone it, I’m telling you to hide. Now do what I tell you for once!” </pre>
</pre>
I just jerked myself free from him and started walking down the path to meet the officer. When Greg saw there was no way I was going to hide with him, he turned and ran off on his own and hid himself behind the rocks.</pre>
</pre>
After what seemed like the longest walk of my life, I finally got close enough to the officer to make eye contact. But we were still not within easy talking range. When I finally came within easy speaking distance, I stopped and opened the conversation trying to act cool but probably came off more like a young child who had just been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.</pre>
</pre>
I managed to stammer out, “Hello, sir. N-nice day today, isn’t it?” </pre>
</pre>
“Yes, it is! It’s a beautiful day”, he responded in a friendly tone. Then with a stern, forceful voice continued, “but of course you know, I didn’t come up here today to talk about the weather”. Then his voice grew even harsher as he lashed out at me, “You know full well that this area is strictly off limits and there is absolutely no trespassing up here”.</pre>
</pre>
Uh-oh. I had to think fast. Quickly trying to collect my wits I stammered out, “Uh, ah well, ah, actually no. I d-didn’t know that. I didn’t see any signs or anything posted that said ‘no trespassing’”.</pre>
</pre>
The officer got a most aggravated and frustrated look of consternation on his face then in a most disgusted tone of voice shot back, “Ah, yeah, I know it! Vandals keep taking them down. It wasn’t six months ago we had this entire area reposted again and now they’re all gone again!”</pre>
</pre>
Then he started drilling me. “What’s your name?”</pre>
</pre>
“Fred Cain”</pre>
</pre>
“How do you spell that?” he asked pulling out a small note pad.</pre>
</pre>
“F-R-E-D C-A-I-N”</pre>
</pre>
“Where do you live?” and then, “where do you work?”</pre>
</pre>
I tried to explain that I was a student at ASU. Then he demanded, “I need to see your driver’s license”.</pre>
</pre>
All this time, Greg had been slowly coming to his senses and was sneaking up behind me. As my interrogation proceeded, he gradually came to my side. </pre>
</pre>
Next the officer asked me, “How many are there in your party?”</pre>
</pre>
“Just the two of us”, I told him. Next, he turned to Greg and went through the same procedure. After he was done with Greg he began to lecture us.</pre>
</pre>
“O.K. Now this is how it is. As you have accurately pointed out, you did not see any ‘no trespassing’ signs. That being the case, I am not going to arrest you today. But I am going to fill out an “F.I.” [field investigation] on the both of you. That way if you are ever caught up here again we will have it on record that you have been told to stay out of this area. Then you will be hauled in. But let me make one thing very, very clear. I would MUCH rather haul you both in than to have to come up here and dig you out. Especially if it means we just dig out two dead bodies. Because I am here to tell you both right now, that mine is very, very dangerous. You’re probably both lucky that you are even here talking to me!”</pre>
</pre>
Then all of a sudden, with his official duty done, his mood began to change. The officer got a funny little twinkle in his eye. He looked right at me and queried, “By the way. I’m just curious. How far in did you go?”</pre>
</pre>
I attempted to relate the events of the afternoon as well as my shook up nerves would allow. He studied for a minute and then said, “Oh. O.K. I see. That sounds like you were down on level two. There are three more levels below that. The bottom level, believe it or not, still has the old ore car tracks in it. It’s flooded with water in spots but it’s shallow enough that you can still wade through it without too much trouble”.</pre>
</pre>
“Really?” I asked with curiosity and a tinge of amazement in my voice. Then something hit me. “Uh, sir, wait a minute here. If I didn’t know better I would think that you’ve been down in there, too”.</pre>
</pre>
“Oh yeah, many times”, he answered with a slight chuckle in his voice. Then he turned, stretched his arm out pointing toward the large, flat-top alluvial fan-shaped pile of tailings off to our right which Greg and I first encountered during our initial visit.</pre>
</pre>
“Over there is where the main entrance used to be. But they bulldozed that in about 20 years ago. In fact, they bulldozed in the shaft where you entered as well but over time the fill material settled and it just opened up again. Abandoned mines tend to do that. After they’re sealed they often don’t stay sealed. Almost like they’re alive”.</pre>
</pre>
Then he got serious again, “Just remember what I told you. I want you to leave this area immediately and don’t ever come back. Now, don’t get me wrong. You can hike in the park all day long if you want to. But just stay away from the mine, that’s all”.</pre>
</pre>
We promised him we would and started for the car. The officer walked along behind us bringing up the rear as if to make sure we were, in fact, really leaving.</pre>
</pre>
Back at the car we saw the officer’s assistant sitting in the patrol car parked right behind Greg’s car. Thankfully Greg did not lock his keys in the car this time! Greg got in and fired ‘er up. As we headed for home, the cops continued to follow us in their patrol car and Greg kept looking nervously into his rear-view mirror. Then, after a couple of miles, the cops turned off and went down another road. </pre>
</pre>
Greg just continued driving in silence for a few more miles. Then he and I looked at each other and burst out into hysterical laughter. It was as if all the tension of the day had suddenly broken. We had just begun to regain our composure when I said, “Did you see how that cop responded when I asked HIM if HE had ever been in the mine?” </pre>
</pre>
We broke out into laughter anew and laughed until tears streamed down our faces.</pre>
All this happened not quite 25 years ago. And as Greg and I drove off toward home, it’s as if I can visualize his car slowly vanishing, swallowed up by the hazy fog of fading memory. I have no idea what any of the events were of the rest of that day or even of the next few days, weeks or months for that matter. Yet the memory of that afternoon in October of 1978 remains crystal clear in my mind as if it had only happened last week!</pre>
</pre>
I have had many years to think this over. You may find me corny and old fashioned, but I do, in fact, believe in a Higher Power. I believe that a Higher Power intentionally put that police officer where he was right at the appointed time. It was no coincidence. It was just meant to be.</pre>
Without the intervention of a Higher Power, the day could’ve turned out vastly different. What if the officer hadn’t stopped us? I truly believe that there could’ve been a whole different outcome. We would’ve no doubt been insufferably pleased with the success of our exploration and would’ve planned a much more ambitious expedition or series of expeditions in the future. We would’ve gone deep into the mine, I’m sure.</pre>
In a different outcome, I might not be where I am today. In a different outcome perhaps my remains have still yet to be discovered even after all these years. But for the Grace of God, that didn’t happen.</pre>
It’s hard to know what it is, exactly, but there is no doubt in my mind that there is truly a mysterious, almost mystical, seductive attraction to an abandoned mine. Even the police officer in the park had experienced it. It is my hope and prayer that everyone stays safe. </pre>
</pre>
I like to think that I would never do anything like this again. I didn’t realize in my youth what I stood to lose, a future wife I had yet to meet and three as yet unborn children. Why did I put their future at risk along with my own?</pre>
</pre>
Am I sorry that I did this? Do I regret having done it at all? NO! In the end, I guess I have to swallow my pride and admit that it really was just plain FUN! You BET it was! After all, it was one of the FUN THINGS TO DO IN THE PARK!</pre>
</pre>
</pre>
EPILOG AND AFTER THOUGHTS</pre>
Since the time I first wrote this nearly ten years ago, I have since stumbled across some new information that I did not have at my disposal back then. One relatively recent development in the last few years has been that exploring abandoned mines has actually turned into a rather popular sport among some mine aficionados. In some parts of the country, well-organized groups of explorers have been formed. This has federal, state and local safety officials beyond horrified. Their position is that ALL abandoned mines are deadly and absolutely no one should ever enter an abandoned mine under any circumstance.</pre>
However, the abandoned mine explorers’ stance is that if it is done right and the explorers are well trained, well equipped and prepared, drug and alcohol-free and cautious, then exploring abandoned mines can actually be a lot SAFER than some other more popular and well-accepted sports such as rock cliff climbing, whitewater rafting, rodeo and perhaps even “tackle” football.</pre>
</pre>
It could also be pointed out that these people are actually performing a valuable national service of sorts. They are, in essence, engaged in a kind of “industrial archeology”. They have taken literally hundreds, perhaps thousands of photographs underground documenting a fascinating aspect of American industrial history that would have otherwise been completely lost. In a few cases, they have retrieved antique pieces of abandoned mining equipment such as old ore cars or “trammers” (small locomotives) and lovingly restored them.</pre>
</pre>
Here are a couple of videos of a somewhat more professional team exploring the Max Delta Mine in Phoenix’s South Mountain Park:</pre>
</pre>
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hsjD3Z8pqA</pre>
</pre>
and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_Wx9sPMrOs</pre>
</pre>
What astounded me about this was the fact that the videos seem to show this mine is actually even bigger than I once thought. What I found even more astonishing is that people are still exploring this mine after all these years. Since it is very nearly “in town” it’s bewildering that it has never been successfully sealed especially given Arizona’s aggressiveness in sealing old mines.</pre>
</pre>
Unfortunately, I could see no evidence in the films of the ore car tracks that the police officer had told us were on the lowest level.</pre>
</pre>
Additionally, here is a URL to an old photograph that was taken back when the Max Delta was still in operation:</pre>
</pre>
http://www.ghosttownaz.info/max-delta-mine.php#!prettyPhoto[pp_gal]/0/</pre>
</pre>
And here is a related newspaper article from 2009:</pre>
</pre>
http://www.examiner.com/article/mining-the-history-of-south-mountain-park</pre>
</pre>
</pre>
I would like to end here by saying that it is my sincerest hope and prayer that everyone stays safe. Do not take chances in an abandoned mine. Know what you are doing and what you are dealing with and always think “Safety First”. If you or someone you know is interested in exploring abandoned mines then, by all means, join a well organized group first. NEVER explore alone and do NOT do like my friend Greg and I tried to do. We were untrained and ill prepared and, in short, we could’ve easily been killed.</pre>
</pre>
It may be somewhat of a blessing in disguise that I am not young today because, if I were, I can honestly say with absolute certainty and conviction that I would *REALLY* get into underground mine exploration in a big way. I would join a group and go out every chance I had. But back in the 70s, I never found anyone like that.</pre>
</pre>
I don’t think that abandoned mine exploration is necessarily any more dangerous than many other sports *IF* a person is well trained, well equipped and cautious. As the above story makes clear, neither my friend nor I were and that is what made us so lucky.</pre>
</pre>
Fred M. Cain,</pre>
Topeka, Indiana</pre>
March, 2013</pre>
Continued from part 1</pre>
</pre>
There I was, all alone in the mine shaft, squatted down, sitting on my heels nervously awaiting my friend Greg’s return. I shined my light down the shaft into what seemed like a bottomless pit. I couldn’t imagine for the life of me what could possibly down there and was afraid to even wonder about it. Where was Greg? I contemplated climbing up the shaft andwaiting for him on the outside but quickly dismissed that thought as well. I turned out my flashlight to conserve power.</pre>
</pre>
Then a truly macabre thought entered my head. Suppose, just suppose, Greg doesn’t come back at all? Then what am I supposed to do? I immediately ruled out the possibility of looking for him. If he fell down a hole somewhere what’s the use of me following him into the abyss?</pre>
</pre>
Trying to call or yell for him was likewise out of the question. I had heard too many times not to talk loud or yell in an abandoned mine because the sound vibration could loosen something precipitating a cave in. I wondered if that was an “old wives tale” but I wasn’t about to attempt to do any experiments here to prove or disprove the theory! </pre>
</pre>
What should I do? All my emotions were jumbling up inside of me. I felt panic welling up from within. Then suddenly I heard footsteps running and saw a flashing light back in the drift. Greg burst forth into the shaft very excited, puffing and exclaiming in a loud whisper, “Fred, oh my gawd, Fred! You gotta see this, you just got to! It’s awesome!”</pre>
</pre>
I told him I was ready to leave a long time ago but he would have no part of that. “Please, Fred, just do this one thing for me this one time, you just gotta see this!”</pre>
</pre>
So Greg headed back into the drift with me following reluctantly. We walked back through the stope area and continued walking through the drift on the other side. </pre>
</pre>
It seemed as if we walked a long, long ways. I noticed the air was different back in here. It smelled or felt “dead” and I noticed my breathing was more labored. I don’t know how much of that was the air and how much was only my nerves, but I had to work at breathing.</pre>
</pre>
Finally Greg stopped ahead of me. “Now, look at this!” He shined his light ahead and revealed a three-way split in the drift. Shining his light in each of the drifts one at a time he said, “It goes that way, that way and that way! Which tunnel should we follow first?”</pre>
</pre>
I told him emphatically, “Hey, look Greg, I’m outta here. Period. I don’t think we have much oxygen back here and I’ve got this bad, negative premonition that we’re gonna have a real problem or something”.</pre>
</pre>
“Ah, come on, man, we don’t wanna stop now do we? We gotta see where these tunnels go”.</pre>
</pre>
“Look, Greg, this is only our second time here, we can come back if need be. But I’m leaving. You can either come with me or not”.</pre>
</pre>
A bit more arguing ensued but in the end we made our way back to the shaft and started scrambling for the top. If trying to scramble up that thing from the top level was tough, it was much worse from this deeper level. I kept looking up toward the light. It just didn’t seem to be getting any closer. Leading the way, I kept discharging rocks and debris on Greg which he didn’t appreciate.</pre>
</pre>
Finally, finally, finally, I burst through the opening and out into the desert sunshine. The light really hurt my eyes. But it was sooooo wonderful to be out from underground that I felt like I had just been born. It was positively exhilarating!</pre>
</pre>
But that nagging premonition or sixth sense still haunted me. Why? I took a few steps and the car came into view off in the distance down on the main road. My heart sank down into my stomach. I just couldn’t believe what I saw. It just couldn’t be! There was another large, white car parked right behind Greg’s and part way up the trail I saw what looked like a huge, burly, 275-lb gorilla in uniform heading up the trail in our direction!</pre>
</pre>
I turned to Greg and said, “Well, Greg, it looks like the cops!” Greg completely lost it and went into an absolute frenzy. How could he be so “ brave” down in the mine but panic over the possibility of having an encounter with the law? </pre>
</pre>
He blurted out in a panicked whisper, “Oh my gawd, no, no, NO! Quick! Let’s hide!” </pre>
</pre>
Hide? If I hadn’t been so nerved up this whole scene would have struck me as beyond comical and would’ve really cracked me up. Instead I just said, “Greg, get real. You can’t hide from the police. Besides, what have we actually done wrong? I don’t feel like I have any reason to hide. I’m gonna go down there and face the music.”</pre>
</pre>
Greg snapped back at me, “Look! He hasn’t seen us yet. Now I’m telling you we have to hide. Now, quick! Let’s get behind those rocks over there!”</pre>
</pre>
I turned and walked away in the direction of the officer. Greg grabbed a hold of my shirt and ordered me, “Look, doggone it, I’m telling you to hide. Now do what I tell you for once!” </pre>
</pre>
I just jerked myself free from him and started walking down the path to meet the officer. When Greg saw there was no way I was going to hide with him, he turned and ran off on his own and hid himself behind the rocks.</pre>
</pre>
After what seemed like the longest walk of my life, I finally got close enough to the officer to make eye contact. But we were still not within easy talking range. When I finally came within easy speaking distance, I stopped and opened the conversation trying to act cool but probably came off more like a young child who had just been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.</pre>
</pre>
I managed to stammer out, “Hello, sir. N-nice day today, isn’t it?” </pre>
</pre>
“Yes, it is! It’s a beautiful day”, he responded in a friendly tone. Then with a stern, forceful voice continued, “but of course you know, I didn’t come up here today to talk about the weather”. Then his voice grew even harsher as he lashed out at me, “You know full well that this area is strictly off limits and there is absolutely no trespassing up here”.</pre>
</pre>
Uh-oh. I had to think fast. Quickly trying to collect my wits I stammered out, “Uh, ah well, ah, actually no. I d-didn’t know that. I didn’t see any signs or anything posted that said ‘no trespassing’”.</pre>
</pre>
The officer got a most aggravated and frustrated look of consternation on his face then in a most disgusted tone of voice shot back, “Ah, yeah, I know it! Vandals keep taking them down. It wasn’t six months ago we had this entire area reposted again and now they’re all gone again!”</pre>
</pre>
Then he started drilling me. “What’s your name?”</pre>
</pre>
“Fred Cain”</pre>
</pre>
“How do you spell that?” he asked pulling out a small note pad.</pre>
</pre>
“F-R-E-D C-A-I-N”</pre>
</pre>
“Where do you live?” and then, “where do you work?”</pre>
</pre>
I tried to explain that I was a student at ASU. Then he demanded, “I need to see your driver’s license”.</pre>
</pre>
All this time, Greg had been slowly coming to his senses and was sneaking up behind me. As my interrogation proceeded, he gradually came to my side. </pre>
</pre>
Next the officer asked me, “How many are there in your party?”</pre>
</pre>
“Just the two of us”, I told him. Next, he turned to Greg and went through the same procedure. After he was done with Greg he began to lecture us.</pre>
</pre>
“O.K. Now this is how it is. As you have accurately pointed out, you did not see any ‘no trespassing’ signs. That being the case, I am not going to arrest you today. But I am going to fill out an “F.I.” [field investigation] on the both of you. That way if you are ever caught up here again we will have it on record that you have been told to stay out of this area. Then you will be hauled in. But let me make one thing very, very clear. I would MUCH rather haul you both in than to have to come up here and dig you out. Especially if it means we just dig out two dead bodies. Because I am here to tell you both right now, that mine is very, very dangerous. You’re probably both lucky that you are even here talking to me!”</pre>
</pre>
Then all of a sudden, with his official duty done, his mood began to change. The officer got a funny little twinkle in his eye. He looked right at me and queried, “By the way. I’m just curious. How far in did you go?”</pre>
</pre>
I attempted to relate the events of the afternoon as well as my shook up nerves would allow. He studied for a minute and then said, “Oh. O.K. I see. That sounds like you were down on level two. There are three more levels below that. The bottom level, believe it or not, still has the old ore car tracks in it. It’s flooded with water in spots but it’s shallow enough that you can still wade through it without too much trouble”.</pre>
</pre>
“Really?” I asked with curiosity and a tinge of amazement in my voice. Then something hit me. “Uh, sir, wait a minute here. If I didn’t know better I would think that you’ve been down in there, too”.</pre>
</pre>
“Oh yeah, many times”, he answered with a slight chuckle in his voice. Then he turned, stretched his arm out pointing toward the large, flat-top alluvial fan-shaped pile of tailings off to our right which Greg and I first encountered during our initial visit.</pre>
</pre>
“Over there is where the main entrance used to be. But they bulldozed that in about 20 years ago. In fact, they bulldozed in the shaft where you entered as well but over time the fill material settled and it just opened up again. Abandoned mines tend to do that. After they’re sealed they often don’t stay sealed. Almost like they’re alive”.</pre>
</pre>
Then he got serious again, “Just remember what I told you. I want you to leave this area immediately and don’t ever come back. Now, don’t get me wrong. You can hike in the park all day long if you want to. But just stay away from the mine, that’s all”.</pre>
</pre>
We promised him we would and started for the car. The officer walked along behind us bringing up the rear as if to make sure we were, in fact, really leaving.</pre>
</pre>
Back at the car we saw the officer’s assistant sitting in the patrol car parked right behind Greg’s car. Thankfully Greg did not lock his keys in the car this time! Greg got in and fired ‘er up. As we headed for home, the cops continued to follow us in their patrol car and Greg kept looking nervously into his rear-view mirror. Then, after a couple of miles, the cops turned off and went down another road. </pre>
</pre>
Greg just continued driving in silence for a few more miles. Then he and I looked at each other and burst out into hysterical laughter. It was as if all the tension of the day had suddenly broken. We had just begun to regain our composure when I said, “Did you see how that cop responded when I asked HIM if HE had ever been in the mine?” </pre>
</pre>
We broke out into laughter anew and laughed until tears streamed down our faces.</pre>
All this happened not quite 25 years ago. And as Greg and I drove off toward home, it’s as if I can visualize his car slowly vanishing, swallowed up by the hazy fog of fading memory. I have no idea what any of the events were of the rest of that day or even of the next few days, weeks or months for that matter. Yet the memory of that afternoon in October of 1978 remains crystal clear in my mind as if it had only happened last week!</pre>
</pre>
I have had many years to think this over. You may find me corny and old fashioned, but I do, in fact, believe in a Higher Power. I believe that a Higher Power intentionally put that police officer where he was right at the appointed time. It was no coincidence. It was just meant to be.</pre>
Without the intervention of a Higher Power, the day could’ve turned out vastly different. What if the officer hadn’t stopped us? I truly believe that there could’ve been a whole different outcome. We would’ve no doubt been insufferably pleased with the success of our exploration and would’ve planned a much more ambitious expedition or series of expeditions in the future. We would’ve gone deep into the mine, I’m sure.</pre>
In a different outcome, I might not be where I am today. In a different outcome perhaps my remains have still yet to be discovered even after all these years. But for the Grace of God, that didn’t happen.</pre>
It’s hard to know what it is, exactly, but there is no doubt in my mind that there is truly a mysterious, almost mystical, seductive attraction to an abandoned mine. Even the police officer in the park had experienced it. It is my hope and prayer that everyone stays safe. </pre>
</pre>
I like to think that I would never do anything like this again. I didn’t realize in my youth what I stood to lose, a future wife I had yet to meet and three as yet unborn children. Why did I put their future at risk along with my own?</pre>
</pre>
Am I sorry that I did this? Do I regret having done it at all? NO! In the end, I guess I have to swallow my pride and admit that it really was just plain FUN! You BET it was! After all, it was one of the FUN THINGS TO DO IN THE PARK!</pre>
</pre>
</pre>
EPILOG AND AFTER THOUGHTS</pre>
Since the time I first wrote this nearly ten years ago, I have since stumbled across some new information that I did not have at my disposal back then. One relatively recent development in the last few years has been that exploring abandoned mines has actually turned into a rather popular sport among some mine aficionados. In some parts of the country, well-organized groups of explorers have been formed. This has federal, state and local safety officials beyond horrified. Their position is that ALL abandoned mines are deadly and absolutely no one should ever enter an abandoned mine under any circumstance.</pre>
However, the abandoned mine explorers’ stance is that if it is done right and the explorers are well trained, well equipped and prepared, drug and alcohol-free and cautious, then exploring abandoned mines can actually be a lot SAFER than some other more popular and well-accepted sports such as rock cliff climbing, whitewater rafting, rodeo and perhaps even “tackle” football.</pre>
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It could also be pointed out that these people are actually performing a valuable national service of sorts. They are, in essence, engaged in a kind of “industrial archeology”. They have taken literally hundreds, perhaps thousands of photographs underground documenting a fascinating aspect of American industrial history that would have otherwise been completely lost. In a few cases, they have retrieved antique pieces of abandoned mining equipment such as old ore cars or “trammers” (small locomotives) and lovingly restored them.</pre>
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Here are a couple of videos of a somewhat more professional team exploring the Max Delta Mine in Phoenix’s South Mountain Park:</pre>
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hsjD3Z8pqA</pre>
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and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_Wx9sPMrOs</pre>
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What astounded me about this was the fact that the videos seem to show this mine is actually even bigger than I once thought. What I found even more astonishing is that people are still exploring this mine after all these years. Since it is very nearly “in town” it’s bewildering that it has never been successfully sealed especially given Arizona’s aggressiveness in sealing old mines.</pre>
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Unfortunately, I could see no evidence in the films of the ore car tracks that the police officer had told us were on the lowest level.</pre>
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Additionally, here is a URL to an old photograph that was taken back when the Max Delta was still in operation:</pre>
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http://www.ghosttownaz.info/max-delta-mine.php#!prettyPhoto[pp_gal]/0/</pre>
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And here is a related newspaper article from 2009:</pre>
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http://www.examiner.com/article/mining-the-history-of-south-mountain-park</pre>
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I would like to end here by saying that it is my sincerest hope and prayer that everyone stays safe. Do not take chances in an abandoned mine. Know what you are doing and what you are dealing with and always think “Safety First”. If you or someone you know is interested in exploring abandoned mines then, by all means, join a well organized group first. NEVER explore alone and do NOT do like my friend Greg and I tried to do. We were untrained and ill prepared and, in short, we could’ve easily been killed.</pre>
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It may be somewhat of a blessing in disguise that I am not young today because, if I were, I can honestly say with absolute certainty and conviction that I would *REALLY* get into underground mine exploration in a big way. I would join a group and go out every chance I had. But back in the 70s, I never found anyone like that.</pre>
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I don’t think that abandoned mine exploration is necessarily any more dangerous than many other sports *IF* a person is well trained, well equipped and cautious. As the above story makes clear, neither my friend nor I were and that is what made us so lucky.</pre>
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Fred M. Cain,</pre>
Topeka, Indiana</pre>
March, 2013</pre>