Abandoned Mine
(c) 2002 Andrew Alden, licensed to About.com, Inc. (fair use policy)
A mine entrance is a powerful temptation. But only mining engineers, ready for the worst, have any business going into one of these places. Rock bursts, collapses, deadly gases, crumbling surfaces and acid waters are among the possibilities that await the unwary. Geologists are smart people and stay away; you should too.
This open mine entrance sits by the steep dirt road down to the former mercury mining district of New Idria, in central California. A sight like this could encapsulate quite a story: Long ago, someone decided to take a chance and explore for minerals here. He found something rewarding enough to build a secure entrance and lay narrow-gauge tracks down the adit. Men or beasts carried hoppers from the working face full of ore or gangue, destined respectively for the mercury retorts or the waste piles. One day the owner—probably someone different from the original prospector—gave up and sealed the strong steel door. Then some adventurer or mineral collector opened it. Someone spray-painted a warning on the door. Lastly, someone else—not me!—opened the door anyway. (In fact, I've been told that this particular adit was used for storing explosives and is fairly safe to enter.)
Photo-Tour of the Central Coast Range
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