John,

Your photos of the Phoenix Mine in Colorado are really sweet. What did they mine here? What years did it operate? Here is a quick link to the Phoenix Mine forum slideshow: http://www.ironminers.com/mineforum/viewtopic.php?t=1442

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"If you thought old, abandoned mines were only in the west, then you haven't been to IronMiners.com!"

yeah I agree! Do tell more about it John!

It also seems pretty bright.. Is this a mine tour?

Greg

hey boys, sorry it took so long to get back.

yeah, the phoenix is a tourist mine out here in colorado...

http://www.phoenixgoldmine.com/

in the 1930's the ore that came out of the part of the mine pictured contained gold, silver, lead, zinc and copper. the ore vein ran at about a 40 degree pitch and was mined in a way very similar to that of the anthracite region where the coal is pitched, though the chutes are much closer together and they seem to have left much less in the way of pillars. there are good sized pillars on either side of the drift but especially up- and down-slope from the drift (tough to tell without crawling up or down in) it looks like they took just about everything. i imagine the rock is more stable than in coal mining and the ore vein is no where as thick or as extensive as are coal seams. and of course the goods are much more valuable which probably provided plenty of incentive to take everything.

will have some non-tourist area photos coming in the spring....

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-Thou shalt not little vein-