Monday, December 7, 2009

Queen Mine Tour

12/4/09


On our way back to Bisbee, AZ. for another day trip.
The weather has gotten very cold (almost to freezing) at night.
In the 50's today.
Sun comes and goes.
Bisbee tucked amongst the mountains at elevation of 5538 ft.

We are going to do the Queen Mine Tour.
I normally make sure all pictures that go into the blog flatter me, but I had to put this one in because of the get up they put on us to enter the mine. We both had our winter coats on underneath the yellow slickers. The average temperature is 47 degrees in the mine. Then they put on us the hard hats (over my baseball cap). Last they put on a belt that had a 5lb battery pack on our back with the flashlight hanging over our shoulders. I didn't put makeup on today to save time, and normally take pics with my sunglasses on so you can't tell. But we are headed into the dark so they had to come off. Call me vain, you're right I am, and pround to claim it! What in the world am I doing carrying my purse. I am glad you ask? There is a gift shop after the tour and I might have to buy something.
We jump on a miner train that you straddled as our guide drove us into the mine. Sure glad we had our flashlights because it was pitch black without them. The mine was operated from 1877 to 1975 and reopened for tours only in 1976. The mine had 4 floors, but we only went in the 3rd floor as all the others are not maintained and some have collapsed. They mined copper, gold, silver, lead, malachite, & zinc. But mostly copper. Eight billion pounds of copper. Our tour guide had spent 30 years in mines, so we had a lot of good personal stories. The tour was a great glimpse of learning what it was like to work in a mine. Both Joe and I agreed it was not a job either of us would have liked to do. We were the only people on the 2pm tour so it was like we were someone special. Due to the darkness inside we didn't take the camera along; in hind sight, I think there were a few times we could have gotten some pictures.



As we leave I look back at the mountain we went into.
The sun sets as we drive home.
The sun is set and we view the Santa Rita Mountains.

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