Historic Candalaria, Nevada: Underground Explore plus Hike Through Huge Open Pit Mine
While hiking around the outskirts of the main mining area in Candalaria, Nevada, we spotted a very interesting looking wood timbered portal. Inside this silver mine, we find an 800 foot long drift with timbering and some cool miners graffiti. After exploring that drift, we drove and hiked to the top of one of the massive open pit mines in the area. Wow, the size of these open mines is hard to convey on video. Each of the huge tiers is 50 to 100 feet tall. When viewed from a distance, they look much smaller than that. We take a good look at the amazing assortment of minerals unearthed by the open stripping. While hiking near the top of the open pit, we find an old working that avoided getting obliterated by the strip mining, which we checked it out. We hope you enjoy this video and a fun close-up look at an open mine.
Here is a link to a video of one of the bigger workings in the area. This might be the last video taken before the beautiful timbering was completely vandalized with red spray paint and pornographic images.
• A Labyrinth Of Passage...
Two great little mines, not much to see and not any ladders. I never was much for open pit mining, they strip the top off mountains to get what they want then leave. Tom you and Julie are still the best in my books. Bless you both.
Hi Jimmy. Yes, strip mining leaves a huge scar, but it seems like the main way mining is being done currently. Thanks for the kind words and the blessing. We hope you are doing well.👍🙏
That open pit mine looked enormous! That must be rich workings to make it worthwhile for extensive work like that. Thanks for taking us along. Take care of each other and be safe.
Hi Ed. Yes, the open mine is enormous, and then some. This whole area is silver rich. You're welcome, and thank you for watching! 👍😁
The "Dynamic Duo" doing what they do best
Haha, thanks for the chuckle, Paul.👍😁
Thanks for sharing! Nice guitar riff too!
You're welcome, Roger. Thanks for the compliment!⛏️😆
These surface mines are wild! The mining company found a large rich deposit, so it appears. Thanks Tom and Julie!
Hi William. This has been a huge silver producing area since the late 1800's. Several underground mine workings were obliterated by the huge open mines that came later. You're welcome, and thank you for watching!👍😁
Bob Eddy of Mina Nevada helped clear a lot of the debris from the modern workings when it closed , and it's all sitting on his property along Hwy. 95 . He also came across some pretty LARGE silver puddles that were from over-flow in the smelting room & melted them into one LARGE block . This was all years ago .
That's Kilroy, not Mr. Natural.
Yep, Kilroy was here.
Yep, my mistake. Hard to remember all those things.😆
kilroy was here - it was used in WW2. What an amazing landscape! Thanks from Germany.
Thank you, Tom & Julie, nice little mines, and that strip mining made mole hills out of mountains. Safe journeys.
Hi Jimmi. There were so many mines here years ago you couldn't have counted them. Almost all are gone now. Those open mines are huge. Thanks for the comment!👌😁
@@TomandJulieMineExploringIf you really want to see what strip mining can do, look at Butte, Montana. The Berkeley Pit was over a mile and a half deep before it was shut down. Now it looks like a lake.
Thank you again Tom and Julie for another great video. Tom's guitar playing is very good and really is a nice addition to the adventure. Please include more of it in future videos. It works! Stay safe! Mel The Ice Man, Acton, CA.
Hi Mel. Good to hear from you. Glad that you enjoyed the video. Thanks for watching and for the kind words. Hope all is well with you!👍😊🎸
Good Morning, Tom and Julie. Another great day exploring. 👍
Good morning, Lloyd. Thanks for watching and commenting. We appreciate it!👍😁
Hello that open pit mine sure was big they took enough waste rock out to make a new mt peak 🤔Thank you for the adventure and the colourful rocks
Hi Case. Yes, that open mine is huge. The waste pile is like a mountain. Glad that you enjoyed the explore!👍😁
Good to c you guys
Hi Phil. Good to hear from you!👌😁
Great job you guys. I would love some of that rock for landscaping the borders in my garden . Brilliant colors and texture.👍
Hi Mark. There are some brilliant colors in the rocks there for sure. Thanks for watching, and we're glad that you enjoyed it!👍😁
I like how you 2 do not beg people to like and subscribe to your channel. That is awesome.
Thank you, Gregory. I've been waiting for someone to say that for over ten years. You're awesome!😁
@@TomandJulieMineExploring you are welcome. ❤️
HAVEN'T SEEN YOU ALL FOR A WHILE I PRAY JULIE'S DOING WELL AND YOU TOO TOM ? GOD BLESS Y'ALL AND HAVE FUN 😊
Hi Mike. We are still on the same schedule as we have been. We put out a video every other Friday. We are both doing well. Thanks for the comment and blessing!👍😁
Hi Tom and Julie, where I live in St Austell Cornwall they have huge quarries/open mines, they mainly mine for china clay or Kaolin here, you can find some stunning crystals if you know where to look. The rocks you held up were beautiful, I loved the rainbow coloured ones, they were gorgeous. Thank you for sharing your adventure, much love to you both. xxx 🥰💞
Hi Sue. It's always good to hear from you. I hope you find some crystals in the quarries if you go out looking for them. I think the multi colored mineral is Bornite. You're welcome, and thank you for watching and commenting!👍❤️😊
@@TomandJulieMineExploring ☺❤
Hey you two, WOW is right, that is one big hole, think of the waste pile that made somewhere else when it was processed. Thanks for the look.
Hi Mick. Yes, those open mines are enormous. The waste pile looks like a mountain, no kidding. Thanks for leaving a comment!👍😁
Hello to my two favorite desert rats. That certainly is a very impressive open pit mine looking across from where you were standing you can see massive amounts of hydrothermal alteration, it appears to be heavy in sulfides which is good for gold and silver, copper, lead, zinc ,that was a large mine at one time and still is. I would think a person could pick up a lot of good minerals in there if you were looking for something to display. The banded rocks are also evidence of hydrothermal activity. That was very interesting thank you very much for showing it to us and as always keep up the😅 good work and be safe out there, hope to see you again soon. Oh I also enjoyed the guitar rift in the beginning that was nice, I'm assuming that as your own work Tom?
Hi Bob. Thanks for the nice comment and mineral information. I'm not the best at geology, so that'shelpful. Yes, that is my little guitar part in there. 🎸😁😆
That was cool thanks for letting me watch 👍
Hi Wendell. Glad that you enjoyed the explore. Thank you for watching!👍😁
In 1864. Mexican Prospectors discovered Silver. In 1873 the camps most profitable mine. The Northern Belle went into production. Richard Hutchings.
Yes, that was one of the very early silver discoveries in Nevada. There were many named hard rock mines in this area that is now all huge open mines obliterating the underground workings. Thanks, Richard!👍😁
At 6:26, the peeping guy is the famous "Kilroy" graffiti from WWII.
Hi Francis. Thanks for that. It's hard for me to remember all these random things that we see in these mines. 👍😁
Was that your guitar playing Tom? Two thumbs up 👍👍
Hi Jeff. Yes, that is me playing. Thanks for the thumbs up!🎸😆
Hello Tom and Julie, Glad to see some of the Candelaria area. Always wanted to visit it. Hope you are staying warm and dry. It's rather wet and cold today on the other side of the Sierra.
Hi David. I have to say that this has been a very big mining area for a long time. The big open mines obliterated several named hardrock workings. There are still a few left, though. It's still a fun place to visit , though. Thanks for the comment!👍😁
Another day in paradise ❤
Hi Scott. That's right. Another day tramping around the hills of the desert. Good to hear from you!👍😁
Awesome video thanks for sharing !!
You're welcome, DR. Thanks for commenting!👌😁
Dang it I forgot your beers. I know you get thirsty out there lol. 🍺🍺🍻⛏️⛏️👍 stay safe.
I was wondering where the beer was hiding. Lol🍺🍺🍻
Hello Tom hello Julie Thank you for the Video and the pictures Yours Frank Galetzka
Hello Frank. You're welcome, and thank you for watching and commenting!👍😁
Did they bench mine where the old workings were? Or was that a different mine location? You're right, that was massive amounts of earth moving! This sure was different. Thanks Tom and Julie.
Yea, that open mining wiped out numerous named hard rock mines. The whole mountain is gone. Those benches are crazy big when you're standing on them. Thanks for watching and commenting!👌😁
@11:27 This one looks similar to a Mammoth tooth. @12:29 Julies find looks like a tiny mountain in itself. Braw explore guys and loved the music, Tom.
Hi Mark. Funny how rocks shapes can resemble certain things. Glad that you liked the music. Thanks for the comment!👍🎸😁
Another beautiful mine and country explore. Thanks for the ride. Be safe. stay warm.
Glad that you enjoyed it, SS. Thanks for leaving a comment!👍😁
very nice Tom and Julie thanks for sharing
Thank you, Jerry. You're welcome, and thanks for leaving a comment for us!👍😁
Exploring the desert is so cool, really vast area to wander about, be careful T&J, take care!
Hey Raiderman. The desert is great. So vast, harsh, and unforgiving. It really is cool!👌😁
Love the rocks with all different colors. And the striated ones
Yes, I would think a geologist would enjoy seeing the big cuts and veins in these mountains. Lots of interesting rocks for sure. Thanks for the comment, Sally!👌😁
Boy, they certainly got stuck into them mountains looking for the good stuff but left a big mess ay !!, well done again and keep safe Cheers
Hi Brian and Mary. The Canadian company that currently owns this area, or at least the mineral rights, is still sampling to this day. They were core drilling last time we were there. Thanks for the nice comment! Cheers.🥂
This looks absolutely amazing guys, your filming and storytelling is so captivating! Love this episode!
Hi Ervin. Thanks for the nice comment. We're glad that you liked this one!👍😁
Short But Sweet! thank you guys for another great show
Hi Felipe. You're welcome. Glad that you liked it. Thanks for the comment!👌😁
Those tiers are called benches in the mining industry.... Just a little info...
Thanks for that, Vernon. It makes perfect sense, and it's always nice to use the correct terminology. ⛏️👍
I could have spent a day rock hounding around those stip mines. I can visualize a fireplace from it or a back yard pond surround with waterfall.
Hi Puttesla. Yes, lots of nice rocks there. Fun to poke around there to see them. Thanks for watching!👍😁
Under and over mining on this one... 😀
Hi Max. Yes, some of each. Thanks for the comment!👌⛏️
The strip mine is mind boggling! The minerals are too👍👍
Hi Mark. It really is mind-boggling from the sheer size of it and the cool rocks. Thanks for watching!👍😁
thank-you for the video.
Hi Tony. You're welcome. Thanks for leaving us a comment!👍😁
Thanks for sharing. I think I might have seen that from a distance, many years ago. Can't remember. Old age! It was a humongous mine.
You probably have, Richard. You can see it from quite a distance. Massive amounts of material have been moved. Thanks for commenting!👍😁
GREETINGS FROM SCOTLAND TO good people thanks
Hi Colin. Thanks for watching and commenting from Scotland! We appreciate it. 👍😁
A great day out in the desert. Thanks!
You're welcome, Teo. Glad that you liked it!👍😁
@@TomandJulieMineExploring Feb 23-27 I was out camping and exploring in the Mojave N/E of Barstow. Weather was great except Monday night the winds were insane.
Another great Explorer, thank you Tom and Julie rock colors are unbelievable. Nice to see the big horn sheep. I haven’t seen them in quite a few years.
Hi David. Glad that you enjoyed the explore and the colorful rocks. Thanks for the comment!👍😁
Liked the music, do what ever you feel like. Keep up the awesome videos!
Thank you!👍🎸😁
Thank you for the adventures.
Hi Mike. You're welcome. Thanks for leaving a comment for us!👍😁
Awesome guy's , loved it 👍👍😁
Hi Steve. Glad that you enjoyed the video. Thanks for commenting!👍😁
👍👍🤠@@TomandJulieMineExploring
The opening of the first adit was cool, was there anything interesting in it's waste pile? Those rocks were awesome from the open pit, it would be interesting to hear a geologist explain them, they would make a beautiful fireplace. When was this explore?
Hi Peter. I didn't notice much on the waste pile. The explore took place a while ago, maybe two years. The rocks around the open mine are great to see. Thanks for watching!👍😁
Hey guy's ist to watch the video it was interesting 😂, y'all be safe I'll catch you guys later
Haha, yes, you are #1. Thanks for watching and commenting, Gary!👍😁
I love the music at the beginning. And that artwork around 500 ft. Look like a nasty drawing to me😮. I noticed you didn't say anything but I couldn't stop laughing.😂 As always I enjoyed the video. When you do the still shots and add music it sure makes a difference in the video. I sold that loop machine. I couldn't figure out how to download the jams we had on there. I miss jamming with you brother.
Hey Eddie. Haha, I'll have to watch the part again where the miner's graffiti is to refresh my memory. Glad that you enjoyed the video and the music. I appreciate you saying that. Too bad you couldn't download the tunes from the loop machine. Miss jamming with you, too. 🎸😊
Hey *T & J!* Hope y'all are keeping warm over that way. I'm over winter myself, it needs to go on... I wonder what the name of that massive open-pit mine was? That looks massive! (I got a kick out of a Kilroy sighting in the mine also :-) ). - Ed on the Ridge
Hi Ed. I hope spring comes for you soon. I think the open mine is the Northern Belle. I got a kick out of Kilroy, too, even though I forgot his name. Thanks for leaving a comment for us!👍😁
Huge mine, loved the waste rock pile. Was that your cigar box through a amp, maybe a pig nose, Tom?
The cool rocks are all over this area. The guitar riff was done on an Epiphone Crestwood from the later 70's. The amp is a newer Vox modeler type that I'm not really crazy about. They are small and all loaded with just about any sound. Kind of hard to control for me, though. Thanks for the comment!🎸😆
Hell yeah you guys I appreciate you. Not often does one see mining videos with original music written and performed by the explorers . I hear you Tom bout them multi dial solid state amps, but much easier to carry than a Fender Twin. @@TomandJulieMineExploring
Right on, brother.
Kinda looked like an adit on the side of wall in the strip mine
Hi Robert. That's fairly common to see an old adit in the wall of an open mine. There were several named hardrock mines in this area that were obliterated by the large open mines. The problem with exploring the old adits is getting to them without getting pelted with loose rock from above while roping in. Thanks for commenting!👍
Strip miming was cool to see. Big operation at one time. Mines were pretty lame. Guitar was good
Hi David. Those big open mines are crazy big and really fun to see. Glad that you enjoyed the guitar. Thanks for watching!👍😁
Did you go to the Slauson cut, get out of your car and cut off your Saluson before going to the fork in the road? Haha, old Johnny Carson reference. Watching one of Jeff Williams videos the other day he mentioined you two. Said that you send in Julie first to scare our all the rats in a mine. He laughed and said Hello Tom and Julie. I think that was Kilroy peaking over a wall. I think that was popular back in those days.
Hi Stephen. Old Johnny Carson was pretty good. I don't watch much of the late night guys now. I remember that Jeff Williams video. He's a nut, for sure. At least he's a good nut. Yes, that was Kilroy. I forgot the name. Thanks for the comment!👍😁
I don’t think it was back fill. You would think they would have pulled the track before back filling.
Good point, William. Unless the track had bends in it, they would pull it often for reuse. Thanks for the comment!👍😁
No , it's not backfill . It went in a LOT deeper back on my FIRST trip there in '82 . Found an old pair of denim overalls that were intact , but didn't know then what I know now .
Very cool. Did you say what those were in the distance? mountain goats, big horn sheep?
Hey Matt. They are Bighorn Sheep all right. They are somewhat common in this area. There are several guzzlers scattered about to help keep them watered. I'll have to get over to your channel to see what you're up to. 👍😁
Thanks and no worries. We should catch up soon.@@TomandJulieMineExploring
Don't forget Fritz the Cat
That was a Robert Crumb story if I remember correctly. Thanks for commenting, Michael!😆👍
🎸🎸💯
Hi Cheyenne!🎸👍
"When you come to a fork in the road, take it. " Yogi Berra
Haha, exactly. I've always loved that quote. Deja Vu!
Did you find out what minerals they were mining in the large open pit operation?
The whole area has been loaded with silver mines since the late 1800s, so I can safely assume they are after silver. A Canadian company named Silver One is currently drilling samples in the area. Thanks for watching, David!👍😁
That large strip pit that is in your video do you think they got all of the minerals that were worth taking
I have no idea. The company that owns that area is still doing sampling, so maybe more valuable minerals there. Thanks for the comment!👍😁
You ever visit any active mines
Only a couple of times. Did a little work in this one. kzhead.info/sun/l6mundBtfmSilp8/bejne.htmlsi=CdFsYSdkEhbdjh1T We've been to Gold Road in AZ. Maybe a couple pit operations that are still going. Thanks for watching!
Tell us more about the grafitt! 😅
The Hecla is just ruined by the same fools who have been trashing mines all over Nevada and California. I don't know if you watched the video, but all the timbering from the portal to about a third of the way in is painted with all kinds of BS. I have all the pictures of it, but I won't even show them publicly so as not to glorify or promote such behavior.
@@TomandJulieMineExploring Yes someone Graffitied a mine up here in Washington that's extremely difficult to even get to , I don't understand why no one will even see it.
Music by Tom ?
Yes, of course lol.🎸😁
Hey Tom, did you make the switch to Beef Butter Bacon and Eggs yet? Cut your total carbs down to 20-30 per day and the pounds will drop off and you will feel great !!!!!!!!!! Ketosis is your friend !
Not yet because I love carbs. I could definitely lose a few(25) pounds, though.😋
Hola que producía esa mina?
Hola, Jose. Esto es una mina de plata. Esta zona ha estado produciendo plata desde el ano 1880. Gracias por ver!
big shame about the vandalism, was disappointed when i saw it on my own explore
Yeah, pretty sad that the children have to mess things up. Sorry you had to see it.😬
Strip mines ain’t good. They wreck too much natural habitat. The mines you both. Normally explore seem less invasive. Great explore! Be safe!
Hi Jeremy. It does seem that way. Most modern mines are some type of open mine. It is more efficient, I suppose. Thanks for leaving a comment!👍😁
OR A DRUNKEN SAILOR TOM 😅
Yes, drunken sailor is the one I was thinking of. Lol
Dynomite is how
Yes, and lots of it. Thanks for the comment, Mike!👍😁
Adding music to your video is the worst thing that you could ever do. How does mine exploration and loud music equate? Drop the music and stick to the mines. We are done.
Thanks for your feedback, Tim.👌
You don't carry any oxygen ? climbing rope and gear ? Your goose is cooked in a emergency .
We're fully prepared to self rescue in an emergency. Thanks for your concern.👌