As promised here is the story. The names have been changed to protect the idiots. <G> I also tried to clarify a few things, and added some more details.
I don't want you to think I have gone insane, or decided that the time has come for me to start taking big risks, or that I have become just a really stupid moron all the sudden. But I just had a very special day, and want to share.
BTW, the wife will NOT be hearing this story......which from now on will be called "Mxxxx Family Classic # 101" Below is the experience I had today........BTW, let me know if my story telling is any good. <GRIN>
I think every so often we all should do something just a little "dangerous." I say this because I think most really FUN things in life (auto racing, sky diving, scuba diving, downhill skiing, and such) all carry at least a little bit of life threatening danger. I just got back from my weekend camping/hiking/exploring trip. And I will admit I did something really stupid and dangerous....let me tell you what happened....
The area we camp in is called Horse Mountain. In the area can be found a very old abandoned copper mine. (If you know where to look.) The Forrest Service a long long long time ago (at least 75 years ago) collapsed the entrance to the mine with explosives. The entrance is hard to find now anyway, and well off the beaten path. Anyway, we (my nephew and I...lets call him "J" and me "B") hiked up to where the entrance used to be, and low and behold the winter storms and melting snow over the years had eroded the entrance, and there was now a small hole that led to blackness. Now this is where the stupid part comes into play.....we went in. We left our small arms at the entrance, (we never hike in the deep woods unarmed...bears and lions and who knows what might be found) and then we went where angels fear to tread. <G> The entrance was a small hole about three feet around on a steep rocky slope. It was filled with loose rock and gravel, that in about 6 feet led to caved in and broken timbers that formed an upside down V,...and then nothing but blackness. We were VERY careful not to touch the upside down V, or any of the well rotted timbers, and we went slow and easy. BTW, between us we had two good mag-lites and two photon micro lights. To say the least, it was VERY cool inside....in more than one way. The first way was the fact that it felt like we were stepping back in time, the second way was that it must have only been about 50 degrees inside. (It was in the high 90's outside.) We carefully explored back about 100 yards, well beyond where you could see the light from the entrance, and past a few small cave-ins where the rotted timbers had let go. It was very cold and wet, with water dripping from the ceiling. You could see how the miners had shorn up the mine, wedging wood in here and there to hold back the walls. We found some of the coolest looking white feathery mold in some places that I have ever seen. You could take your hand and blow some air on it, and it would wave in the slight breeze. In other places was some really nasty brown goo running down the walls. And then there was the deathly complete silence. There was not a sound except for the dripping water. There were many side passages, and no doubt many neat things to see. At one point we turned off our flashlights, and I can now say I know what true PITCH BLACK is. There was no light AT ALL. Being in complete darkness had a very high neatness factor to it. After our eyes got used to the darkness, from time to time you would see what you thought was a flash of light, or something else moving....which of course was just our imagination running away. My nephew "J" had his "third generation" night vision with him. He turned the gain all the way to maximum, and the scope still remained stone cold dark. Manoman, you know it's REALLY dark when a pair of those babies can't find ANY light to amplify. Anyway we found some really great samples of copper ore, and found several places where our flashlights caused the walls to fluoresce. But the BIG find was something that I did not DARE touch....or breath on, or even look at to hard. In one of the side passages there was a small alcove in the wall. There sitting on the floor was an old box/crate. I walked over to it, to get a good look at it. There on the side in very faded letters were the words, "Dyno Nobel." I cannot begin to tell you how much I did NOT want to open that case to see if there was anything inside. (I may be dumb, but I'm not THAT dumb.) There are not many things more dangerous in this world than very old and wet Tri Nitro Toluene. (It tends to sweat pure nitroglycerine.) Right after finding the crate marked Dyno, I did a big no-no....although I was trying to be as careful as I possibly could, I failed to duck low enough in a cave-in area (where due to the cave-in the floor is higher) I hit my head on a rotted timber. I stopped dead in my tracks as my nephew said...."B"....I answered,..."Yes?"....To which he said....."Hitting your head on that rotten timber is technically called a BAD thing." Then (after checking my pants) common sense being the better part of valor we decided to back track our way out, before we did something really stupid like, GETTING LOST, or getting killed. On the way out we had one of those real high pucker factor moments. Right at the entrance, (you could not see this from coming the other way) where the upside down V and cave-in was, the old broken timbers had formed what looked like a series of "trip wires" just waiting to be touched or bumped, which were holding up what looked like several hundred if not thousands of pounds of rocks, on the "roof" of the timber supports. So we ever so gently crept past this area (and at the time my butt must have been the size of a pin) and crawled back into the daylight and the 90 degree sunny day. Manoman did that fresh air and sunlight feel good! I would not have missed this experience for the world, but I have no desire to repeat it.....tempting fate once was bad enough. BTW, I can truly say this was the dumbest thing I have ever done in all of my 45 years. I guess there is still hope for me if I can admit that. But it was also one of the most fun things I have ever done. <G> One more thing....first thing Monday morning I intend to call the Forrest Service and tell them the mine entrance has been uncovered.....I won't mention the fact that I was dumb enough to go inside.
PS...I have since learned that going inside a mine that was previously closed with explosives, and then eroded open, IS one of the most dangerous things that can be done. I knew it was dangerous, but according to my "in the know" source, I should have my head examined. But I guess that day God was protecting fools, little children, and me....at least I think he may have been watching. <G> |
