The shaft collar is older than I am. Built in ‘56, abandoned not long after, and now half-swallowed by sagebrush and rabbitbrush. I sit on the lip and run the 10-mm static rope through my descender, click the carabiner shut, and check it twice in the direction of the load. My harness is snug. My ascenders are clipped where I…
Read MoreFive Lessons Learned in 20 Years of Exploring Abandoned Mines
