By Cameron

Skidoo was really cool. While this first Death Valley trip was still in its planning stages, I remember us talking about mine shafts we’d find. I also remember talking about “Bad Air.” Bad air is when toxic gases that are heavier than air settle into mine shafts, or caves for that matter. They lay low on the ground, so when you’re walking in, you don’t notice anything. But all the while, you’re kicking up the “Bad Air” into the passage behind you. Then when you go to leave, you start walking through it, pass out and die. Skidoo was really cool.

We hiked around outside for a bit and noticed a couple parts where it looked like sink holes had collapsed. Reep was running around wild and having a great time with it. We found the main entrance and saw a steel net that had been ripped open. We smiled, grabbed our flashlights and walked in. When I saw the ancient timbers supporting the walls of the passageway, my mind flashed back to the collapsed sink-holes we saw outside. Those weren’t sink-holes. I recall feeling much more eerie at that point. The thought of the mine shaft collapsing on us seemed like a pretty greusome way to go. And, in a way, it made it more fun.

We had all been in the IXL cavern back home in Santa Cruz (Hell Hole, it’s called) so spelunking was nothing new to us. In fact, I believe that was when I first met Dan. Spelunking was, yes, claustrophobic and strange. But it’s also really, really fun. There’s just something so primal about being in the cold cold ground. And, yes, there’s a certain thrill to it. It’s kind of like skydiving, just not as safe. But I digress…

As we got deeper into the mountain, the passages became tighter and tighter. And, unlike IXL which was naturally formed and self-supporting, these spots were supported by 2 to 3 foot sections of 2x4s, 4x4s and logs! At several points, you could shine your light at about a 45 degree angle upwards and see for 100 feet. The miners had sliced wafers of the mountain out to get their precious minerals. I think Skidoo was predominantly Borax mining. All that work and risk for soap?

As we climbed higher into the mountain, we eventually saw natural light. We crawled to the light only to discover that the hole had been netted shut. This one was still tightly secure. I remember looking at Dan with an, “Oh shit” and laughed. I thought about the logs supporting the whole hill and bad air and all that and thought, “Gee, it’d be nice to get out this way rather than go back.” We scouted around a bit more and found another location that hadn’t been closed. It was a thin sliver of an opening that I had to crawl on my belly to get through. For some reason, right as I was half way out, I had this vision of an earthquake happening and the rock crushing me in half. “Whew.” Once my feet followed me out, I felt a whole lot better.

Hollow Mountain was really cool. But I admit, it kinda gave me the creeps.