A day at the coal mine.

[Kaleb]

I spent my day yesterday hauling trash out of the mine. It's a 40 minute drive from the portal where you enter the mountain to my section. It's a very rare relaxing day. I thought I'd take some pictures and videos to share in case any one was interested in what inside a coal mine is like, I know I still am and I work in one. A little background on sufco it is the longest continuously operating coal mine in the country, one of the safest, currently one of the highest producing and one of the wettest. The last one is not a fact but there are not many wet coal mines like ours. We pump out 800,000+ gallons an hour and still get flooded out regularly. There is several faults that have filled with water over the years but also released most of the trapped gases that make most mines so dangerous. Anyways that's enough for now i guess here's the pics sorry about some of the bad quality pics.

[Kaleb]

Some underground photos

[Kaleb]

Well the videos won't upload they were just of diving through the mine, water pouring out of the ceiling, and the transition from dark to light when you are going outside from underground.

also her is a link in case anyone wants it with more geologic info about the mine

https://www.mining-technology.com/projects/sufco/

[Kaleb]

Well this post seems kind of pointless without the videos but oh well i guess

[clovisoid]

That is pretty interesting. Coal mining had never been easy work, at least it had gotten safer.

I'm surprised how wet it is there, I know lots of places there get a lot of snow but from driving through Utah in the summer once it struck me as a desert.

[Kaleb]

It has became a very safe occupation in the way of controlling and containing hazards. Every employee regardless off time on the job had the ability to stop the entire operation if they see something unsafe. It is a desert down low but the mountain(s) above us go as high as 11,000 ft. With lots of snow

[gregszybala]

Thanks for taking us in the mine. The closest I have ever been to a coal mine is a replica of one that is in the natural history museum in Chicago.

[Kaleb]

That's pretty cool. I would be interested in seeing it if it's a historic replica.

[Kentucky point]

That's interesting. The coal mines where I live are the dirtiest, dingiest, dustiest places you'll ever be. The miners come out black as,...well... coal. That looks like a relatively clean operation.

[Kaleb]

I don't it would be nice though most of their coal mines are pit mines and massive. I think that's where the biggest coal mine in the world is.

[Kentucky point]

BNSF and UP trains are coming in and out of there constantly. Good job security if I decided to work over there. Around here where I live, there are nothing but coal trains, but I'd like to live somewhere other than Appalachia for once.

[Kaleb]

I feel the same way about Utah well 2 of the town's. I was thinking the Carolinas or Montrose Colorado that town is awesome... one day...

[SGT.Digger]

Cool post . You’ll have to upload video to YouTube and post link .

[Kaleb]

I'm gonna give that a try today

[Lindenmeier-Man]

My hard hat is off to ya! I’m not going !

[Tam]

Very interesting thanks for sharing .
I would never get to see something like this .

[redrocks]

Cool post

[Kaleb]

Thanks everyone I'll see if i can upload some of those to YouTube and post the link. They are a lot better than the pictures.

[Kaleb]

Well the videos are almost uploaded here's a few pictures i forgot about. I've never seen a fossil like this in coal usually it's just an imprint unless it's in rock. Not sure if it is a fossil or not but it sure seems to be.

[Kaleb]

[Kaleb]

This is just a short clip of what it's like driving underground

[Kaleb]

Driving into the light