Friday Fun Facts

Inside the Mine

I have decided to dedicate Fridays to a fun facts day! I will focus on places, people and things that are interesting and enjoyable to learn about. I’m hoping it will make it fun to learn about new places you would like to visit or maybe inspire you to try some new things!

I traveled up to northern Michigan last week with my family. Northern Michigan all by itself without any extras is absolutely beautiful.  Once you cross the magnificent Mackinaw Bridge, that connects upper and lower Michigan, you enter a wonderful outdoor paradise. The beautiful shorelines of the Great Lakes and the endless evergreen forests will take your breath away!

We decided to venture out and do something new this trip. We went to see some alpacas in Norway, Mi. The alpacas were fascinating but I will save them for another blog. After visiting the alpaca farm we decided to travel a little farther to Iron Mountain, Michigan.

Iron Mountain is named after the massive amount of iron ore contained inside of the mountain. I have always been intrigued by mines because my grandfather worked in the coal mines in Pennsylvania. I wasn’t really thrilled about going inside the mine at Iron Mountain but my daughter insisted on it. She had toured it on a previous trip and told me it was an absolute must!

When you get to the mine you have to wear a really silly bright yellow raincoat and a hard hat. There is water constantly dripping inside the mine and the water will turn your hair red! The coat will protect you from the excessive moisture as well as somewhat keep you warm. The outside temperature was in the 70s but inside the mine it is always between 40-43 degrees year around. As you head towards the mine entrance, the tour guide explains all the different implements and tools that were used in the mine. There are samples of them along the walkway. Next,  we boarded a train that would take us 2600 feet into the mine. The cold air envelopes you as soon as you enter the mine. My flip flops were probably not the best choice for shoes! The tunnel is lit with lightbulbs on the ceiling. After a few minutes, the train comes to a halt and you step into the adjoining tunnel and begin to explore the huge areas that have been excavated. It was truly amazing and kind of creepy. I kept wondering how safe this trip was! The men who worked in the mine during its years of operation from the 1870s until 1945 made very little money. The highest paid made just 18 cents an hour. They operated the most dangerous piece of drilling equipment called the widow maker! Most of the workers made about 12 cents an hour and some of the young boys who took care of the mules made just 6 cents an hour! Wow. No amount of money could have kept me in that gloomy mine! There was a small pond inside the mine that contained 3 large trout. If one of the trout died it was an indication that conditions were unsafe in the mine and everyone had to get out.  We toured the highest level, as all the others have been flooded over the years. We were on level 13. It was very wet and dripping and chilly. I definitely have a new respect for all those miners who worked long 12 hour shifts so many years ago. The mine closed in 1945 when it was no longer profitable to operate it. The mine is still worth over a billion dollars and could be reopened in case of war.

I was so happy to exit the mine and be back in the sunshine. If you ever are in the vicinity of Iron Mountain, I would put on some good walking shoes and warm clothes and tour the mine.