| |
| |
|
Outdoors Information |
|
|
|
Stay Out of That Old Mine!
It seems like the most adventurous thing in the world. That dark opening in the hillside beckons, tantalizes, excites. What wondrous treasures await discovery inside? What artifacts might remain in this time capsule, mute testimony to an era when grizzled men moved tons of rock in pursuit of their dreams? Such is the poetic, romance-novel appeal that might induce you to take leave of your senses and crawl into an old mine. Thousands of such small openings are scattered throughout the country. Although most common in the historically "hard rock" Western mining states, they can also be found in the old lead and copper districts of the Midwest. In reality, multiple dangers lurk beyond the pale ring of light that filters through the adit mouth. While scoping out a field area for a thesis project, I spent six weeks camping and hiking in the West Elk Mountains, in the Colorado Rockies. My days were spent tramping around the flanks of a majestic 13,000-foot peak, chosen due to tantalizing reports of silver mining activity around 1900. During my ramblings, I came across several old mine workings. Some were simply short adits driven into the hillside, designed to test for the presence of silver, copper, and lead minerals that might be distributed within the contact zone of the porphyry intrusive that defined the mountain peak. Other workings, though small, were relatively more sophisticated and had rail tracks extending from the passageways out onto the progressively extended pile of fine waste rock. I explored each of these, sometimes crawling over piles of rock that had fallen from the roof or ribs, or widening a hole and sliding down the pile of washed-in dirt to reach the adit floor. This really was the height of folly, as I was alone in the wilderness and had no idea of the potential dangers. I currently work in the field of ground control engineering, and have firsthand knowledge of numerous fatalities that occurred in active mines when rock fell out of the roof without warning. I have also become more familiar with the extensive engineering design work, and variety of support systems, required to develop and maintain a mine opening. The "old timers" were often lucky by developing small openings in hard rock, but modern mining engineering indicates that time does not favor stability. A more insidious danger is represented by a lack of breathable air. In sealed underground openings, the air may have become "stale" by not being circulated through the outside. In modern mines, a staff is devoted to designing and maintaining ventilation systems that cycle fresh air through the mine. Some gases displace oxygen, but are colorless and odorless and give no warning of danger until the person suddenly realizes that they feel as though they have been holding their breath for several minutes. This is a condition known to miners as "black damp" that can cause loss of consciousness or death. While working in Bolivia, I entered over a dozen small mines in a district that had been developed initially by the Spanish, or perhaps even the Inca, and later by a Polish mining engineer in the early 1900's. The most modern operation had closed in the 1980's, when the underground portion of the mine was abandoned as uneconomical, but a small open pit was developed that intersected some of the old workings. As a geologist working to unravel the geological history of this area, I entered the mine to document the relationships between intrusive phases. As I was intently concentrating on the last face of the mine, trying to decide if the rock was rhyodacite or dacite, I suddenly noticed a warm, tingly, numb sensation in my nose and lips. Panicked, I exhaled what little air remained in my lungs and held my breath, while at the same time wheeling and sprinting back up the tunnel. Weird, ghastly shapes of rotten canvas and timbers danced in the shadows thrown by my flashlight. I had little hope of sprinting the nearly 300 yards to the mine mouth, but as gray spots floated before my eyes, I determined to keep my legs pumping to at least get out of what might only be a pocket of bad air. Then I saw a sliver of light where the floor of the open pit had intersected the tunnel. Fresh air! I ran to the cut and gulped in the thin mountain air. Although the air smelled like decaying sulfides, at least the threat of black damp was gone, and so my panic subsided enough to allow me to walk briskly out of the mine. Crawling into an old mine, in which no miner or engineer has evaluated the condition for decades, is something that I would now consider as pure stupidity. No shiny bauble or rusty artifact is worth it. Take a picture of that beckoning hole, and then leave it alone. Remember that the "old timers" have already taken out the rock and dumped it on the ground for you. Satisfy yourself with a little piece of azurite, malachite, chalcopyrite, or pyrite from the dump pile if you must have a souvenir, but stay out of that mine! About The Author I am a geologist who has visited several countries in Latin America and Europe, and worked on various civil engineering and mining-related projects in the U.S. and elsewhere. I have published in scientific journals, but thought it would be fun to write about some of my travel experiences on a more informal level. I have other pictures and geology items at my homepage, http://sedward.home.netcom.com/petrography.html
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Bird Watching in the East Usambara Mountains of Tanzania The Usamabara Mountains are very special mountains, often that tired clich is used comparing them to Switzerland. These mountains are defiantly African mountains, not European but African. Discount Lift Tickets - Learn what Colorado Ski Resorts Do Not Want You to Know! How to get discount lift tickets for popular ski resorts in Colorado including Keystone, Breckenridge, Vail, and Beaver Creek.The ski resorts make it difficult for anyone coming from out of state to get a great deal on lift tickets. What Do Cowboys-n-Campfires Have in Common? I bet you're wondering where the heck this articles going. After all what could cowboys-n-campfires have in common? Well lots actually!Cowboys are full of wonderful tales from their travels and their work. Things to Make Your Gap Year in Africa Easy! The kind of things you pack when you go on a trip says a lot about where you're heading and what you're going to be doing.Taking a warm top and a 'blanky' is OK if you're going to stay at Granny's house, but when you're taking a gap year in Africa, these items come highly recommended. Backcountry Safety - An Essential 10-Point Checklist The call of the wild can be seductive. The exquisite beauty of the wilderness, the incomparable solitude, the simplicity of life on the trail, and the rush of living a bit on the edge attract thousands of eager backcountry enthusiasts. Gambling Isnt the Only Thing to do in Las Vegas Do you think the only thing to do in Las Vegas is gamble? Would you believe that there are a multitude of great hiking trails in a place where all-you-can-eat casino buffets are par for the course? Southern Nevada is chock full of great hiking trails ready to be discovered. Hiking areas near Las Vegas include: Red Rock, Mt. Ireland Golf Vacations - Top Tips To Help You Plan an Ireland Golf Vacation Live your golfing dreams on an Ireland golf vacation.The K Club, Ballybunion, Lahinch, Doonbeg, Druids Glen? the names of the courses may not trip off the tongue quite as easily as those of their Scottish cousins but the quality is just as high. San Francisco Beaches When you are planning a vacation to Maui or Rio de Janeiro you may put beaches on the top of you list of things to see. However, when planning a trip to San Francisco, you may have heard of North Beach, but North Beach doesn't have any beaches (though the neighborhood was named after a beach that used to be on its north shoreline). Ten African Safari Tips That You Must Know Before You Go 1. Take the early morning drives on safari even though that often means getting up while it's still dark. Cheap Safari in Africa For $70 a Day - Heres How To Do It You would think that a cheap safari in Africa for $70 a day would have to take place in some shady game reserve in Timbuktu that nobody visits. But not in this case. Rafting on the Rogue River in Oregon Oregon's Rogue River is one of the nation's most beautiful. The Rogue River begins in Crater Lake and extends 215 miles until it empties in the Pacific Ocean. Improving Your Aim If your aim is not good, or is not quite what you want it to be, there are several ways you can work to improve it. Most people can hit the target almost every time when they are not rushed in any way. Hiking Safely on the Hills SAFE WALKING TREKKING OUTDOORSIf you are contemplating a long distance walk, or indeed a day walk, on the any of the high level routes in the UK, such as The Pennine Way, for the first time, between October and May, please be aware that you are embarking on a test of your endurance and stamina, especially when carrying a backpack.Each stage in a long distance walk involves a period of several hours spent outdoors, often in isolated and remote locations and sometimes at altitudes above 400 metres, in possibl;y rain or snow. Trekking Poles And Walking Sticks Are walking sticks longer than trekking poles? What about hiking staffs and hiking sticks? Whatever you call them, and whatever their differences, they are supposed to help your knees more than anything. This they do very well, at least when you're going downhill. GOA - A Carnival of Beaches The state of Goa on the West coast of India, is located in the coastal belt known as Konkan. While this tourist magnet has much to offer: old churches, carnival atmosphere, Portuguese flavour, wildlife, nature and tantalizing cuisine, yet, mention Goa and the first, often only, image that flashes in one's mind is of the BEACHES. Penguin Parade Phillip Island is a small island and nature reserve off the coast of South Australia, about 140 km from Melbourne. On the island you can see koalas, kangaroos and the main to attraction, the Penguin Parade on Summerland Beach. 4 Steps to an Enjoyable Hike Some people have fought many years of their lives to preserve the rich heritage of the outdoors and nature we now enjoy. That dedication and effort has been rewarded by fantastic hiking opportunities in our local, state, and national park systems. Zambezi Sharks Under Threat at Protea Banks Sharklife.co. Inflatable Boats: An Overview Inflatable boats are made from flexible material, usually rubber, canvas, or neoprene, and hold air at high volume but low pressure. They need to be fitted with a frame to which an oarlock mount is firmly attached. Two Person Hammocks - Snuggle With Your Beau in Style How many of you take the time to just relax in a hammock? When I even think of a hammock, I just want to fall asleep. A single person hammock is great but two person hammocks are even better.
|
| home | site map | Ocean Photography |
| © 2006 |
