Soudan Mines

July 12-14, 2008

Submitted by Bobby H.

Nine scouts and 3 adults camped at Fishermen’s Point Campground in Hoyt Lakes. Saturday was mine day. We first toured the Soudan Underground Mine. We put on hard hats and entered the original cages for a half mile descent into the mine shaft to the 27th level. Then we rode a train to the last and deepest area of the mine. The tour guide was fantastic. He, his father, and grandfather had all worked the mine. We heard stories about the dark and grimy 10 hour work days by work crews that were paid by the amount of ore that they mined. After touring the dry house, drill shop, engine room and crusher house, we went back down the cages to tour the University of Minnesota’s high energy physics lab. We learned about the humongous neutrino detector plates that detect neutrinos sent from Fermilab in IL. We ate lunch outside at picnic tables and then walked to see the deep open pit mine. When we got back to camp in the late afternoon, some scouts built some wood boats which we tried to sink with rocks. The weather was very windy. We had to set up a tarp to block the blowing rain that kept coming in the shelter as we made walking tacos for dinner.