As promised, went back to drift mine today...

[Anonymous]

There must be some great trout fishing in the area. I believe Kootenay Lake has massive 30lb trout known as Gerrard trout. You should buy a boat with CERB and go fishing.

Ya, trout seems to be in most of the lakes around here!



Often thought about buying a 12' basic aluminum boat with engine, but not sure how much use it would really get...  They aren't cheap, even the small ones!

[Anonymous]

Good panning spot. Get a pan, some deli beef jerky and 12 beer, good way to spend a hot afternoon. Note the markers in the pic (maybe). If you get a prospectors licence I believe you are still allowed to pack a piece...bonus!

I thought about panning there...  might find some gold dust...  maybe!



And they're not too keen to let many people pack handguns on their hips these days...  You have to literally prove that you're a bona fide trapper or such, and you do that for employment/income.  They want company names, etc.



The .45-70 levergun will just have to suffice!

[Anonymous]

My dad briefly talked of a cave before he died, that he found long ago. Wish I knew where it was. Said it was by railroad tracks, and that you had to crawl to get in it, but once in, it was HUGE, and that there was a second hole to crawl through, which led to another HUGE cavern. I imagine it would be ideal in the event of some shit going down.



I really think your find was pretty cool  

Around here too there's the rumours of the 'hidden mine' (of course, with the pot of gold hidden at the end also)!  



That said, I have no doubt there are forgotten mines in this area!  Not all mine tunnels are at road level.  They would take core samples, and if the sample came back decent, they'd climb up the mountain to drill if they had to!  Hard work.  



They can be hard to see, especially if 100+ years of debris has fallen in front of the opening.



We often think of mines as having big, visible openings...  Maybe even with a fancy structure in front.  Most drift mines are nothing more than a small hole bored into the rock!  Just tall enough for people, and just wide enough for ox carts!

[Anonymous]

Bet if you headed out to Banjo country in West Virginia, you could probably find some mines out there!  Pic below is from there!





https://i.ibb.co/71ZfKPS/W-Va-coal-mine-1908.jpg">

[Frood]

A farmer we knew was charging a fee for guided tours of one of the cave systems on his property and it was a blast. Started at hole in the field about the size of an abdomen and ended about a kilometre away. It was like being a worm or snake trying to get through sections of it.....having to angle shoulders and such.



Plenty of cave spiders, bats, and wombat poo...

[Anonymous]

Probably couldn't get away with doing that these days...  Liability issues and such.

[Frood]

About 10 years ago... he had insurance for it...made a good crust too....50 bucks per head, up to 10 people at a pop...

[Anonymous]

Surprised it was that recent!  Things that could potentially hurt you are being quickly outlawed in Western nations...  Either by the laws or by liability lawsuits!

[Anonymous]

Although seat belts were mandated here in the early 1980's, riding in the back of pickups was still allowed.  I think that law changed in the late 1980's here.



So I still remember the time, as kids, where we could still ride in the bed.  And we occasionally did!  We lived through those dangerous times though...



Now the cops will pull you over to make sure your fucking pet Gerbil is safely restrained in the motor vehicle while traveling...

[Anonymous]

I will really miss not going once or twice camping in the Kootenays this summer.

 

But, with people with Alberta plates getting their vehicles, and campers vandalized and lug nuts loosened, it's too risky this year.....and I don't mean the pandemic.

You can always park in my yard!  I actually have an RV hookup (powered outlet with a shitter connection into my septic)!    



You roll with me here, and you won't get fucked with.

[Frood]

Although seat belts were mandated here in the early 1980's, riding in the back of pickups was still allowed.  I think that law changed in the late 1980's here.



So I still remember the time, as kids, where we could still ride in the bed.  And we occasionally did!  We lived through those dangerous times though...



Now the cops will pull you over to make sure your fucking pet Gerbil is safely restrained in the motor vehicle while traveling...

My grandfather always had a 6 pack of beer in his pickup and a can open.... Just sipping as he went. Cops never batted an eyelash.

[Anonymous]

A farmer we knew was charging a fee for guided tours of one of the cave systems on his property and it was a blast. Started at hole in the field about the size of an abdomen and ended about a kilometre away. It was like being a worm or snake trying to get through sections of it.....having to angle shoulders and such.



Plenty of cave spiders, bats, and wombat poo...

I have no desire to tour an abandoned cave.

[Frood]

A farmer we knew was charging a fee for guided tours of one of the cave systems on his property and it was a blast. Started at hole in the field about the size of an abdomen and ended about a kilometre away. It was like being a worm or snake trying to get through sections of it.....having to angle shoulders and such.



Plenty of cave spiders, bats, and wombat poo...

I have no desire to tour an abandoned cave.

It was more like two plates of rock around 2-3 feet in distance from each other in a number of sections, opening up into smallish caverns where you could stand up or stoop a bit, then crawl out from under a sheer ledge on your belly...



...I remember how it lacked any noise... so peaceful...

[Renee]

A farmer we knew was charging a fee for guided tours of one of the cave systems on his property and it was a blast. Started at hole in the field about the size of an abdomen and ended about a kilometre away. It was like being a worm or snake trying to get through sections of it.....having to angle shoulders and such.



Plenty of cave spiders, bats, and wombat poo...

I have no desire to tour an abandoned cave.

I toured the cave system on Barbados years ago....Damp, cold and dark. I got pics of some interesting limestone rock formations but all in all it was a rather uncomfortable, unsettling and rather underwhelming experience.

[Anonymous]

A farmer we knew was charging a fee for guided tours of one of the cave systems on his property and it was a blast. Started at hole in the field about the size of an abdomen and ended about a kilometre away. It was like being a worm or snake trying to get through sections of it.....having to angle shoulders and such.



Plenty of cave spiders, bats, and wombat poo...

I have no desire to tour an abandoned cave.

I toured the cave system on Barbados years ago....Damp, cold and dark. I got pics of some interesting limestone rock formations but all in all it was a rather uncomfortable, unsettling and rather underwhelming experience.

That would be cool. An abandoned mine, I don't know.