Big Four Mine-Full Site Explore: Multiple Adits, Tram Bucket, Rare Artifacts, Portal Dig Out 🔦⛏️
Channel: Abandoned Mine Exploring with Tom and Julie
Date: 2023-06-16

For this abandoned mine exploration, we visit the Big Four Mine in Death Valley. We hiked up the very steep mountain following a long ore chute that led to an adit. It took a fair amount of searching and scrambling to find all of the higher workings. After exploring the upper workings, we came down lower on the mountain and searched for what was reported to be a 900' long adit. We found a mostly eroded shut portal and dug it out enough for Julie to squeeze into. She explored that adit by herself. Next we found the bottom of the tram where a tram bucket still sat next to a pile of ore. There are also the remains of the old camp there. We went on one more climbing mission to the last two adits at this site, which are a good distance away from the others.
This was primarily a lead/zinc mine with silver, gold, and copper as secondary metals that were mined here. The mine was worked in the 1940's and into the 1950's. 
Here is a link to another video you might enjoy featuring a very rare steam powered hoist.
https://youtu.be/DOmvIuKopMY

We hope you enjoy the video!