I Hiked 18 Hours to Find a Gold Mine With $2 Billion Still Inside

Summary

The video documents an 18-hour hike to the remote Big Horn Mine in California’s Inyo Mountains, combining observations of its geology and rugged setting with research into the mine’s history.

Geology and mining findings

• The mine was discovered by William Hunter in 1877. An 1880 account described a quartz vein roughly 2–5 feet wide and extending more than 2,000 feet.
• Historical descriptions report gold and silver in the ore. Early reports cited in the video estimate about 4 ounces of gold and 2.5 ounces of silver per ton overall, with some high-grade material reportedly containing 2–4 ounces of gold per ton.
• The mine produced about 1,600 ounces of gold and 9,600 ounces of silver. The wider Beverage Mining District produced roughly 38,000 ounces of gold.
• A Bureau of Mines assayer’s 1985 estimate, based on 77 chip samples, inferred 1.2 million tons of ore averaging 4 ounces of gold and 2.5 ounces of silver per ton. Applying modern metal prices to that estimate suggests a value exceeding $2 billion. This is an inferred estimate, not proof of economically recoverable reserves. The mine is extremely difficult to reach and lies in designated wilderness, so it will not be mined.
• The workings include a shaft reported to have reached 170 feet by 1880. A surviving circular hoisting setup may have used a horse-powered “whim” to lift ore buckets. Ore was brought out on a track and sorted through a crude grizzly.

Landscape and access

The mine lies on the eastern side of the Inyo Mountains, facing Saline Valley and Death Valley National Park. The Sierra Nevada lies across the ridge.

The video describes the Sierra as receiving more moisture from the Pacific, while the Inyo side is drier and more rugged. Steep canyon walls also limit direct sunlight; the canyon bottom reportedly gets about an hour of sun a day.

The hike descends from about 10,000 feet to around 5,000 feet, then requires climbing back out. The steep, loose terrain makes access dangerous.

Historical discoveries

The Beverage Mining District was named by Hunter for his partner John Beverage, who had lived and died in Cerro Gordo. The video connects the district’s history to the abandoned town and to people associated with it across several generations.

In the 1970s, Cerro Gordo’s owners tried to promote the Big Horn Mine. Local packers Dan Dickman and Alan Atkin later recounted a helicopter crash during that effort. The crash killed a worker, while the pilot escaped down the canyon and was eventually rescued.

At the site, the hiker found what he identified as a helicopter component, along with old mine equipment and a remote cabin.

Researchers and sources featured

• William Hunter — Prospector who discovered the Big Horn Mine and named the Beverage Mining District.
• John Beverage — Hunter’s partner and the namesake of the district.
• Dan Dickman and Alan Atkin — Local packers who shared firsthand recollections of the 1970s mine-promotion effort and helicopter crash.
• Tip — The hiker’s late mentor, who encouraged him to explore the Beverage district.
• An unnamed geologist — Reportedly hired to collect samples in the 1970s.
• An unnamed Bureau of Mines assayer — Associated with the 1985 sampling and estimate based on 77 chip samples.
• An unnamed 1880 visitor or account — Cited for descriptions of the vein and shaft.
• Historical newspaper reports and mining records — Consulted for the mine’s history and production figures.