"Y" MOUNTAIN BOY and MYSTERIOUS CAVE

       I stumbled onto the old abandoned mine quite by accident. I was exploring the foothills south of Y Mountain when I came upon a pool of water surrounded by a grove of trees. It was tempting to take off my shoes and soak my sore

Francis age 10.

feet in the cool spring water, or maybe take a dip. I was alone and the water looked clear and refreshing, especially on a hot day like this one. But first I would look for the source of the spring. The water would be cleaner and maybe drinkable.

       Rounding a group of trees, about 24 yards from the pool, I spotted an opening in the mountain. It was tall enough for me to enter standing up. What could be inside? Bears, snakes, or maybe cougars. Being a Mountain Boy I was always looking for adventure, so I entered. There was enough light reflecting from the entrance to see old fractured railroad ties bracing the dirt walls and the roof about every 10 feet. About thirty feet in from the entrance the tunnel forked abruptly, one passage way  going left and the other veering right. The one to the left called my name.

       Walking slowly I made my way along the tunnel. The pattern of railroad tie braces continued but the light didn’t. The farther I moved from the entrance the darker it became. Soon I was feeling my way along the rugged wall and cautiously  shuffling my feet forward in case there might be an open mine shaft.

Possible site of mysterious cave entrance as seen today.

        I kept looking back to see if I could see the light from the entrance. As long as I could see the light I could find my way out. If I had a flashlight I could continue on, but I didn’t and it was getting too dark to go on. I kept telling myself, “Just a few more steps. As long as I can feel the wall and see the faint light from the entrance I will be ok.”

        Just then my arm was scraped hard by a sharp sliver of wood protruding from a wall support. It was painful and I didn’t want to get scraped again on the way out. Without thinking I ripped the offending piece of wood from the tie and threw it on the ground. The sound echoed down the tunnel.

Abandoned mine tunnel with railroad tie supports.

        “It’s time to get out of here,” I thought, but before turning back to leave I notice a faint light flickering from deeper in the tunnel. Curiosity grabbed me. I had to find the source of the light. Keeping my hand on the damp wall, again I began carefully inching my way deeper into the tunnel, moving along toward the mysterious light which was beckoning me on.

        Step by step, inch by inch, I crept forward. Finally, there it was. Crossing the tunnel diagonally was an opening in the tunnel floor. It was about three feet across and full of glowing water. Light was reflecting through the water from some outside source. I had a hunch maybe this was the spring that fed the pool on the outside.

Natural pool of water inside cave.

         I couldn’t tell how deep it was, but I was tempted to get in the water and follow the light. No, bad idea! Something told me it was time to get out of here. I might check the pond again from the outside to see if it gave any clues. I'd come back later better equipped for the job.

        Getting out should be easier than coming in. Once I felt my way back to where I could see the light from the entrance it would be a piece of cake getting out of here. Just when my confidence was rising, from behind me I heard a loud crack and a boom. Then a cloud of dust rushed toward me up the tunnel. No time to be cautious! I dashed for the fork near the entrance, turned right and ran for the opening, chased by the menacing cloud.
       My heart still pounding in my chest, I gazed back at the cave. That was close. I had truly dodged a bullet! Evidently one of the beams had cracked and given way, maybe the one from which I had ripped off a piece. I wasn’t going back in to find out. Eyeing the pool as I passed, I  still wondered if it was the source of the mysterious light, and what kind of an opening might have connected it to the tunnel. This had been such a traumatic experience that I never returned to the pool or the old abandoned mine.

Desert News article.

        About fifty years later there were two young men, a young woman, and a teenage girl who drowned while exploring a water-filled cavern in an old mine, at about that same location. They had run out of air while swimming through an underground tunnel, then panicked and drowned. It was a terrible tragedy. After that the mine entrance was sealed up and can no longer be accessed. On that day, many years ago, I definitely had dodged a bullet!