Colony Mica Mine in Alstead, NH?

[oxyhacker]

Anyone dove the Colony Mica mine in Alstead NH?

Saw a brief spot about it on TV the other night, it's small flooded quarry, but is supposed to have flooded tunnels.

 

[Spectre]

Saw a brief spot about it on TV the other night, it's small flooded quarry, but is supposed to have flooded tunnels.

It became the talk of the shop when I was at the LDS yesterday. It definately has some folks curious and we're trying to find more information.

 

[reefseal]

It became the talk of the shop when I was at the LDS yesterday. It definately has some folks curious and we're trying to find more information.

Some members of dive club were talking about this during Fri nite dive. Try going to this site http://www.swimmingholes.org/

The only drawback is a long hike from the end of the road. I did hear that there are depths of up to 200 ft in some places though.

 

[DarkFrog]

I was doing some apartment hunting in Alstead a couple of months ago... At the time the roads with "mine" in their name piqued my curiosity, but I found a place further west and completely forgot about it until this post.

I'm still pretty close to the area, I just never have to drive through there. It would be nice to have a divable quarry so close to my house.

 

[computermanMR]

I live very close to this, have been swimming in it, but never gone diving. The walk would be rough with gear if you don't have a jeep or a rover, but its definitely do-able. The end of the trail is gated but there is a path around it. If anyone's still interested in diving it after the five years since this has last been posted to I can get them there. The trails a little hard to find, but the dive could be well worth it. I attached a picture.

 

[reefseal]

I would be interested in joining you. I have a Honda Element with AWD. Will it be able to handle the roads? You able to play hookie from work? I can probably duck out this wed and call in sick.
I will be with our club members tonight and socialize with them (United divers of NH) I can't do this weekend. I'm flying out on business Sun AM. Send me a private message with your contact info as would like to look at schedules. (possibly weekend of 27th) I don't have my cave/cavern so wouldn't have interest in penetrating any of the tunnels.

 

[ScubaGypsy]

This past Sunday (14 September 2008) I did a charter dive on the boat Atlantus of East Coast Diving out of Atlantic City, New Jersey. During my surface interval I was speaking with the boat Captain and he said that he had gone to school in Rutland, VT and was originally certified at Rich Morin's Scuba Center in Glen Falls, NY. He mentioned that he did cave diving at an old mine shaft near Rutland. Is anyone familiar with this? I don't see anything about it on the linked website or through google searches.

 

[reefseal]

You're referring to the quarry in West Rutland. Try searching under True Blue or Esparanza. I've dove it. The shaft is by the main quarry. A diver died there recently in one of the shafts. Definately, dangerous if don't know what doing.

 

[ScubaGypsy]

You're referring to the quarry in West Rutland. Try searching under True Blue or Esparanza. I've dove it. The shaft is by the main quarry. A diver died there recently in one of the shafts. Definately, dangerous if don't know what doing.

Thanx very much ReefSeal! I found a number of interesting links including old SB threads from 2005 and 2004. One link indicated that after a divers death in 2007 that the quarry may be closed off for diving, do you know the current status? This 2007 story sounds the same as a thread that you started in 2005.

 

[reefseal]

news to me of closing it to diving. Our LDS still does training dives there. They have never been turned away. The only thing to be careful of is not to go in the water when there are people shooting traps there. It's a popular spot for shooting targets with locals. Nothing worse than walking back from the water to car with compressed air on back and getting shot.