Remote Prospecting?

[Geowizard]

Mapping;


Stick around there's more!

- Geowizard

[Geowizard]

Have permit - will travel;

Is it all BS? Stick around and find out!

- Geowizard

[Jim_Alaska]

Good informative post Chuck, thanks. I couldn't handle all that distant travel, either money wise or time wise; from AZ to AK and then back again. The season is so short up there that time is your enemy. Here it is already, July and only support work done. That would drive me crazy. Having lived there was a big benefit for me as far as getting preliminary stuff done; winter is your friend as far as moving stuff and support work. Of course, everything depends on your location, for instance, if stuff has to be barged, can't do that in winter. But sometimes there are other options, I was always on the lookout for the other options.

Then again, my operations was solely dredging, no mechanized equipment. The distances from road to mine site were substantial, but could be managed by snowmobile in winter for hauling anything needed, and airboat for personal access in summer.

There is a complete five inch triple sluice dredge and associated equipment on a sled behind my snowmobile in the picture below. I had to build a pole bridge to cross this cut-bank creek.

Airboat.JPG

Winbridge2.jpg

[Geowizard]

Redacted

[Geowizard]

Geochem sampling;


Don't go away. There's more to come!

- Geowizard

[Geowizard]

Investing in a GOLD mine;


Stick around! There's more!

- Geowizard

[Geowizard]

How to live longer;

Stick around, there's more!

- Geowizard

[Geowizard]

ANILCA;


- Geowizard

[Jim_Alaska]

How to live longer;

An example of what NOT to do can offer an opportunity to develop critical thinking skills that affect positive sound judgement!

Readers may have seen recent YouTube videos related to Cerro Gordo, an abandoned silver mine east of Los Angeles. Videos can be entertaining and provide amusement to an audience that extends across the Globe. I would encourage viewers to be hyper-critical of situations that are inherently dangerous. As responsible adults, we have a responsibility for developing understanding in the minds of others that may have less experience than ourselves. We seem to be in a new world of permissive behavior that has no end. Beware of "click bait" that sends the wrong message to those that are unaware.

Entering into an underground mine is KNOWN AND NEEDS TO BE UNDERSTOOD by everyone as a potentially deadly and life threatening activity. There is a long list of hazards that have been known to unfortunately kill those that think soft human tissue is compatible with a surrounding of millions of tons of rock that is waiting to crush a body in an instant. The message for everyone entertaining the idea of going into an underground mine is to learn about the multitude of dangers that can and will injure or kill you. Sending the wrong message to a world of unwary thrill seekers will without doubt end in tragedy.

Take-aways;

Falling into holes. At the top of the list is the danger of slipping or falling into vertical passages. Loose rock, loose footing without a safety line/snatch block is a recipe for disaster.

Widow makers are the next and most frequent killer. The danger of rock falling from any and all points above a person that enters a mine is ever present. Wear a hard hat and PPE but also recognize the fact that a rock or slab of rock weighing ten or more pounds dropping ten or more feet can and will crush, injure or kill without warning.

Invisible killers;

Sulfide mines (think Galena) create an invisible killer in the form of sulfide gas. Sulfide gas and other invisible gasses can collect and concentrate in unventilated areas of a mine.

"Stinkdamp is the mining term given to hydrogen sulfide (H2S) due to its characteristic smell of rotten eggs. Hydrogen sulfide is a highly poisonous, flammable, colorless, and as mentioned, pungent-smelling gas. It has only ever been found in trace amounts in mines - but it can be lethal in even small concentrations."

Descending by rope or ladder into an unknown atmosphere is a setup for tragedy.

The list of possibilities is too extensive to cover in a single post on a forum.

Check it out;

My reference to the Cerro Gordo videos is for the sole purpose of directing readers to an example of the wrong message and to offer an opportunity to exercise critical thinking about what the dangers are and generate a mindset of understanding of the multitude of dangers that exist in an underground mine.

We can all get smarter, work safer and live longer!

Stick around, there's more!

- Geowizard

The information in this post cannot be repeated too often. Miners and prospectors in particular should be aware of the dangers of entering old mines. There are insidious things such as, gases and bad/no air that can kill before the person is ven aware that anything is wrong.

Consider these sobering statistics: "Every year, many people are killed or hurt at abandoned mine sites. In 2000–2013 alone, 381 people were killed; 152 people suffered broken bones and other injuries. Across the country, abandoned mines exist in every state.

Blackdamp is encountered in enclosed environments such as mines, sewers, wells, tunnels and ships' holds. It occurs with particular frequency in abandoned or poorly ventilated coal mines. Coal, once exposed to the air of a mine, naturally begins absorbing oxygen and exuding carbon dioxide and water vapor."

Be safe folks, curiosity leading to entering abandoned mines iis not worth your life.

[Geowizard]

Tools of the trade;

- Geowizard