Is there any interest in the Mojave Underground forum?

[Joanne]

So my question is this, "Is there any interest in the Mojave Underground forum?" Or has MU outlived it's usefulness?

I am asking this because there are very few posts or responses to other people's posts. Mike Capps has cleaned out all the spammers and I'm now monitoring the forum every day to ensure they don't come back. Facebook is fine for idle chit-chat, but really isn't good as a information repository or for topical discussions. I would love to see this forum resurrected but that can only happen if people are willing to participate.

So, please take just a moment to make a post voting "Yes" or "No".

Joanne

https://www.mine-explorer.com

[Troy Fisher]

I just joined the site I would love to see the forums be used

[mr_ketchum]

I enjoy it for the database of photos and things to read.

a lot of the threads had links to facebook which are now dead

yes

[Joanne]

Thanks for taking the time to respond! I hope to hear from some more folks as well.

I was out with my exploring friend Bill today. It was a good day of exploring, although I'm beat after climbing out after a long day underground.

Joanne

[WilburMul]

Thanks for sharing more about PhenQ and taking the time to respond! I hope to hear from some more folks as well.

I was out with my exploring friend Bill today. It was a good day of exploring, although I'm beat after climbing out after a long day underground.

Joanne

This is exactly why I hope forums like this one remain online. They're a wealth of knowledge. Are you filming your explorations, Joanne? I bet that'd be awesome to see on youtube.

[Joanne]

Participation is the key to the survival of this forum. Without active participation by explorers, armchair and active, the forum will just fall into disuse again. I just don't have enough adventures to keep a site like this alive.

Have I ever filmed? I started to a couple of years ago, but never followed through with it because I couldn't get the quality I wanted. Getting to level I want requires more gear than I have right now. High output battery powered lights and audio recording equipment would be mandatory. All that said, now that I'm retired I'm seriously thinking about giving it another go in the near future. Not only mine exploring, but some motorcycle trips and other adventures along the way.

Joanne

[Dawn_CL]

I havent bothered with mine forums in a very long time and its quite probable that i wont for some time to come. The main reason is this: I see a very large difference between "explorers" and actual hard working miners that make these old mines come alive once again by working them with much sweat, blood and tears. Now, i have absolutely nothing against 'explorers' except for a couple of things, which is removing artifacts and whatnot from the old mines, then seeing them being sold for very high prices on Ebay and other such auction sites. This really, really aggravates me to no end and i will not go into my gripes over this here, other than i have in the past, and will continue to have those prosecuted that do this when i catch them or if i hear of it. Stealing these artifacts just to make high profits by a very cheap way of doing it is just not right and is illegal. Leave the artifacts just where they are for future REAL miners that may have that interest in claiming that mine or buying that mine(sometimes obtaining in back taxes). Take photos or videos ONLY if you really want something out of the mines! However, this is just stating what one of my most largest gripes are over 'explorers'. This includes the 'casual explorer' and this is is no way to lay blame on anyone on this forums website.

Next, my 'opinion' of the difference between 'explorers' of mines and those of us that have put our life into doing the actual mining thing is this: Explorers just do not put in the blood, sweat and tears and the horribly hard work it takes to make your mine work and make it profitable. As far as my mines go, and ive got many of them around the area (mostly patents), I have really worked hard on making the ones im most interested in into what they are as they stand right this second. This doesnt just include the actual mining part of it, or the extraction of minerals, but the regular upkeep of the mines to keep them safe TO be worked and made profitable. So basically what im trying to say is this: I just dont see a connection between those of us that actually WORK the mines and those that just THINK they do but are nothing more than 'explorers' walking through the mines and pretending like they actually DID the mining work and call themselves REAL miners. Im not at all saying there are no actual hard working true honest to goodness miners here, but what i am saying is there are very few and i just cannot make a 'connection' with that and im hoping you can understand this.

This is why i have been dormant on any mine EXPLORATION sites and probably will continue to be (outside of me still being very busy with the mine i currently live at (dont worry, its a patent).

So my vote could go either way or neither way since id rather be dormant.

[Matt Paulson]

I havent bothered with mine forums in a very long time and its quite probable that i wont for some time to come. The main reason is this: I see a very large difference between "explorers" and actual hard working miners that make these old mines come alive once again by working them with much sweat, blood and tears. Now, i have absolutely nothing against 'explorers' except for a couple of things, which is removing artifacts and whatnot from the old mines, then seeing them being sold for very high prices on Ebay and other such auction sites. This really, really aggravates me to no end and i will not go into my gripes over this here, other than i have in the past, and will continue to have those prosecuted that do this when i catch them or if i hear of it. Stealing these artifacts just to make high profits by a very cheap way of doing it is just not right and is illegal. Leave the artifacts just where they are for future REAL miners that may have that interest in claiming that mine or buying that mine(sometimes obtaining in back taxes). Take photos or videos ONLY if you really want something out of the mines! However, this is just stating what one of my most largest gripes are over 'explorers'. This includes the 'casual explorer' and this is is no way to lay blame on anyone on this forums website.

Next, my 'opinion' of the difference between 'explorers' of mines and those of us that have put our life into doing the actual mining thing is this: Explorers just do not put in the blood, sweat and tears and the horribly hard work it takes to make your mine work and make it profitable. As far as my mines go, and ive got many of them around the area (mostly patents), I have really worked hard on making the ones im most interested in into what they are as they stand right this second. This doesnt just include the actual mining part of it, or the extraction of minerals, but the regular upkeep of the mines to keep them safe TO be worked and made profitable. So basically what im trying to say is this: I just dont see a connection between those of us that actually WORK the mines and those that just THINK they do but are nothing more than 'explorers' walking through the mines and pretending like they actually DID the mining work and call themselves REAL miners. Im not at all saying there are no actual hard working true honest to goodness miners here, but what i am saying is there are very few and i just cannot make a 'connection' with that and im hoping you can understand this.

This is why i have been dormant on any mine EXPLORATION sites and probably will continue to be (outside of me still being very busy with the mine i currently live at (dont worry, its a patent).

So my vote could go either way or neither way since id rather be dormant.

I have a huge respect for modern day miners. Thank you for your insight. I also agree that mine artifacts need to stay put, I have see people remove entire ore carts from a mine. It really ruins the experience for others and takes away the history of the location. I think most mine explorers respect the locations they explore.

As far as this forum goes, I hope it starts back up again. It's a better place for lengthy discussion than the Mojave Underground Facebook page is.

[Ashes_nonsense]

Just joined today, I'm so sad to see an idle forum! I discovered Mojave underground Thank's to this find up in Jacob city!
Question is this hidden treasure?

[Twise]

Here in 2020, hoping this isn?t an online ?ghost town? now. I?m very eager and willing to learn about mine safety, tips for exploration and location details/ tagging along on trips. I just explored the Utah Queen Mine last week and want to explore more mines in that area as well as near Eureka. Is there any life out there???

[kingpin]

I just joined as well so YES.

[ben_john7]

I am also very glad to have joined your society, I am sure that Mojave Underground is a very interesting topic for research and communication.

[headhunter]

I've also just joined and would like to see this forum survive, but it may be tough if there are no knowledgeable and experienced members left to interact with.

During this COVID-19 pandemic, I'm guessing that this would be a good time to resurrect the forum. Many people have a little extra time on their hands and may be researching their next adventures. If we rebuild this forum now, it can serve as a place to connect with others when we can finally get together in person again. It helps to have people to discuss things with and helps to bring new people into the activity of mine exploration. Those new people will need answers to questions we can't learn on our own. Those that have gone before us can be mentors that will keep new people from making mistakes that will lead to a bad reputation in the eyes of the public or mine owners/workers. For the sake of everyone who wants to continue doing this, it would be nice for this site to continue being a place for ongoing discussion.

To that end, I have a few questions...

1) Are any experienced members of Mojave Underground that still monitor this site?

2) Is Mojave Underground still an active organization in any way?

3) Is there another place that people have migrated to?

4) With the understanding that no one is meeting in person now, are there regularly scheduled Zoom meetings for people who want to get together when things get back to normal?

I may find answers to these questions and others as I browse the site and use the search button to find answers to questions about equipment, practices, etc. The unfortunate thing may be that some of that information may be not be current and there may be nobody here to provide an update with a replacement to a discontinued piece of equipment or a technique that has been modified for better safety or effectiveness.

Here we go!

Respectfully,

Christian in Southern California