two level mine up Provo's Rock Canyon

[taleswapper]

First post, so hi y'all. Any info on a mine up Rock Canyon above the Provo LDS Temple? It is on the North or Squaw Peak side, way up the side of the canyon. It has two main levels, connected by a wooden ladder. It is not the shaft that is at the mouth of the canyon on the north side, but up the trail a ways and then up the side of the canyon.

[ExpUt]

You bet:

http://www.mojaveunderground.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=493

[Joanne]

Welcome aboard from down south....

Joanne

[offroadcmpr]

Its a fun little mine. I have been there around 4 times I think, maybe more. There is still one section that I would like to explore some time, but I would need some vertical equipment. All I have is my harness, but no rope or ropewalker or anything like that.

[Mr.Irksome]

All this talk about Buckley's Mine made me curious about it so I went and found it with my friend yesterday. Because I am so out of shape, it is one of the hardest climbs that I have ever made in my life. but I think it was worth the trip. I explored the whole mine except for the vertical climbs or drops that you would need climbing gear for. What I find most noteworthy about the mine is the ladder, I know it has been mentioned alot but wow! that is the tallest ladder that I have ever climbed, not to mention that it is old and wobbles when you climb it. another cool thing about the mine is in the tunnels of the upper level is a delicate crystal like substance that falls apart just from the air disturbance of walking through the tunnel. As you walk through the tunnel it falls to the ground like snow. A funny and creepy thing that you will encounter in there is that some people made a life sized human body out of garbage and plastic wrap. Then they just stuffed it in a corner of a tunnel for people to randomly come upon. It startled me so bad when I first noticed it! There were some other people that I met while in there, One of the guys is planning to map and survey the whole mine so I'll be going back up there to help him do that.

[offroadcmpr]

I am especially interested in the guy who is going to survey the whole mine. Especially this one vertical section. I would be interested to know if it is worth dropping a rope down it.

And the fake body must be a recent thing as I have not seen it when I have gone in, but I have not been in in a few months.

[Mr.Irksome]

He is interested in having help with the mapping and surveying, which is why he invited me if you'd like to help him I'm sure he'd like it. He is planning to drop down that hole too. me measured the drop, it goes down about 100'. He thinks there are ladder pieces down there too. He is actually a member of MU but hasn't been on the sit for so long that he cant remember his info. I'll keep in touch with you about helping him.

[offroadcmpr]

That sounds like fun. I would love to come. Just send me a message if he is ok with it. I check my email religiously. And I am right here in Provo, so it is really close to where I live.

I would also love to go down the pit, but all I have is my harness and no ascending gear. I have used it several times, I just have not gotten around to buying my own.

[Stuart]

Anyone interested in taking a trip up there and dropping that pit and placing a register inside to get a general idea for how popular the mine is? I think I should have a weekday next week, maybe Tuesday, free to go do some exploring.

[Mikezauner]

I have to work at 2:45, but can take that time off if need be...Just let me know a final time.

[Mr.Irksome]

I'd like to go too. I always work till about 2pm so after that, I'm free.

[Stuart]

I will be up at the Rock Canyon trailhead at 3:00PM tomorrow (Tuesday 9/22/09) to go up to Buckley's. If you want to join let me know, or just show up, either way.

[emick]

Just posted this on another thread but copied it here as well since it sounds like some of you are going up this week....

Just found this site while looking online for a map to Buckley's Mine to give my Nephew who leaves to go to school in Provo in a couple months. Back in the early 90's when I was going to school out there, this used to be our favorite group-date hike. Pack a picnic, hike up to the mine, get nice and muddy inside the mine, and then crawl out the upper entrance which opens out onto a ledge overlooking Provo and Utah lake and watch the sun go down. I have wooed many a woman while covered in mine mud sitting up on top of that ledge! Old-man Buckley would have been mighty proud! In fact, with a view like you get up there, I wouldn't be at all surprised if he didn't woo a pioneer woman or two himself (probably at least two though--with the area's history of Polygamy and all!) We had one girl with us once who got too scared to hike back down the scree slopes in the dark so she and her date ended up spending the night up there. Can't say I blame her--coming down some of those slopes is sketchy in the day, not to mention in pitch dark.

We've scrambled up, down, and through every nook and cranny in there and unless it's caved in, there is no entrance to Bonnevill tunnel--wish I knew where it was though. There is, however, a cool feature that I haven't seen mentioned on the thread...Somewhere up on the second level, after you go up the ladder, there used to be a vertical shaft (approx 40 ft. deep) off the main tunnel with a 2x12 plank laid across it that you could walk across. Instead of crossing it, if you lower yourself down into the shaft while holding onto the plank, you can catch your feet on a ledge about 4-5 feet down into the shaft. From there, circle around the perimeter of the shaft (you can still hold onto the plank for most of it) until you get to a very small opening about shin level. It's tough to see unless you're looking for it, and I doubt that most people who go in there ever see it. Squirm through there and back about 10-15 feet and it opens up into a small room (not more than 2-3 people can fit in at a time) and the walls / ceiling are covered with clay deposits--looks like it's just oozing out of the rocks. Unless someone has wrecked them all (which I'm sure they probably have) you might still find some of my original art work--mostly little miniature Gumbi and Mr. Bills which I left perched strategically and beautifully on little ledges for future generations to marvel at. In fact, in one of my more mature and refined moments of artistic brilliance, I think I even made a little clay phallus (that's technical archeological talk for a guy's "junk"). Better squash that one if it's there--it was pretty small and we don't want future generations of spelunkers to think that we were so anatomically challenged!

If you haven't been, it's well worth the hike up. Even better if you have someone you're looking to woo!

Re: the verticals--We've been down every vertical in there and unless something has changed, there wasn't anything of significance down any of them except a bunch of garbage--water bottles, broken glass, some bent pieces of the rail tracks and TONS of dead bodies--all young virgins I believe! It's worth the thrill of rapelling down, but there's not much to look at when you get to the bottom. We didn't have harnesses or other gear and we used the only ropes we had --a couple of old scratchy hemp ropes from someone's garage--and trying to climb back out of there was a bear! FYI--from the smell of it, I think more than one crazy drunk has pissed down most of these holes.

Have fun and be safe![quote]

[kiitos]

Buckleys

Hoping to slip up to the mine here in a few days. Does anyone else have monday or tuesday off?

[offroadcmpr]

It looks like it might rain these next few days so you might want to wait a bit. I could possibly go up next week some time, I will have to look at my schedule.

Have you ever been before?