Silver Crater Mine

INFORMATION

The Silver Crater mine is located in the township of Faraday. The mine was easily located in spring time. The vertical mine entrance was flooded and muddy. Located on top of the mine entrance is a small ditch with a mine cart stuck into the ground. On the right side of the mine opening is a large cut into the rock. The mine shaft is approx 50 meters long and branches off into six directions. A ruin of a small rail system litters the floor. Once we ventured inside we took photographs and heard a loud growl. We flashed are light down one of the vertical shafts and found what seems to look like a baby bear. We got out of there really fast. Maybe it was the wrong time of year to go as it was the end of the winter (hibernating) season.

Type of mineral; A carbonatite intrusion into biotite-amphibolites and syenitized gneisses. Famous for its betafite crystals.

White Nose Syndrome:

White Nose Syndrome (WNS) has killed more than 5.7 million bats in the U.S. since the winter of 2006/2007. First noted near Albany, New York, it has spread at an astonishingly rapid rate. Little is known about its cause or transmission. A fungus is the causative agent for the disease. If WNS continues to spread, it will greatly affect both subterranean and surface ecosystems and may cause species extinctions. There are indications that people might spread WNS when they visit caves. Therefore, we must take every reasonable precaution to minimize the risk of workshop participants spreading WNS at faster than normal rates, and to keep the syndrome from reaching other countries.
mffp.gouv.qc.ca

How to prevent spread

POTENTIAL RISKS:
No Restrictions
Radioactive Deposits Present
Wildlife - We encountered a Bear
Weak Ceiling at entrance
Water and Mud cover the floor

Note:
No one should attempt to explore an abandoned mine as there are many dangers such as cave-ins, bad air, and hidden shafts. Explore at own risk.