Through the doors that mark the mule entrance to the mine well over one hundred divers passed on June 1, 2013 marking the sixth annual Bonne Terre Mine Treasure Hunt: part history lesson, part frenzied scavenger hunt, all awesome.
Bonne Terre, MO is a quiet, now retired, lead mining town roughly one hour south of St. Louis with an approximate population of 6,800 people who always seem to have a smile on their faces. This was my second trip to Bonne Terre Mine but my first treasure hunt. My dive buddy and I opted to show up early enough on May 31 to take a walking/boat tour. Through the retelling of the history of both the mine and the town, Mac, our tour guide, skillfully and eloquently took us back in time to when the mine first opened in the mid-1800s up until it closed in the 1960s when the miners left all the equipment as it is found today. Amazingly enough, this underground time capsule has preserved everything from the cat walks over a hundred feet in the air to an entire city under water.
June 1
st started off as a rainy morning full of thunder and the occasional deluge from the sky. Those of us set to dive in the first group huddled under the porch at 6:15am awaiting our morning briefing and the ritualistic pre-dive paperwork. During all of this, each diver received goodie bag that included a t-shirt, DAN luggage tags, a tidbit from SSI, and even a coupon for a free dive at the mine. The briefing was very through: it was made clear that everyone was to be on time so as to keep the day running smoothly; there were over two hundred ten minute treasure dives to get through and dinner was to happen at 5:30pm. Though the gift of humor, it was imparted that if you wanted to dive, you would be on time. Divers that had previously participated in the event were willing to share their wisdom with the newbies, old friends were reunited, and the smell of treasure was in the air.
Kitting up on the surface, in this case the locker room and parking lot, was full of anticipation. I was excited for the hunt. This is the point where the story takes a turn to where all diving stories go, So there I was
We all know it because weve all told these stories. Back to the topic at hand, we met in front of the mule entrance having checked and re-checked our gear to make sure we had everything for our journey into the earth. All the divers doing the decent were alive with both conversation and anticipation. Finally, given the go-ahead we started our walk down the path traveled by people for over one hundred years, miners and divers alike. With all the rain we were experiencing the usual kisses in the form of water dripping from the roof of the mine were steady streams baptizing us in only the way this place can as we journeyed towards the dock.
Once we were in the water, there was a brief surface swim to the hunt area. There were no dive lights allowed, but one quick peek into the water and the white tokens glowed like little fires illuminated from the overhead lights. Divers, you have ten minutes. Divers, ready? Dive! Dive! Dive! Everyone is over weighted (wisdom from the seasoned hunters), even so, some divers shot down the twenty to thirty feet like torpedoes. Its a frenzy: rocks being overturned, some people running precise search patterns while others darted from place to place. It was a modern day gold rush and everyone was looking for their bit of the glory. On this first dive, I found only one white chip buried in an ore cart earning me a measly $25 of mine money. I wasnt going to be discouraged; there were three more ten minute treasure dives ahead of me. That first dive had taught me the technique of poker chip hunting (colors ranging from white to green to black each with a different value) and was more determined than ever to make some of that money my own. At the end of it all, I managed to bag $7,725 Bonne Terre bucks to purchase my part of the treasures donated by several well respected members of the dive industry.
Dinner was local BBQ joint, the name escapes me at this time, which consisted of delicious pulled pork sandwiches and accompanying sides with an outstanding cobbler for desert. Our tablemates were all in good spirits, each sharing their own unique perspective on the days undertakings. Finally, after all the walking, the humping of gear in and out of the mine, the auction was poised to begin. The grand prize went first, an all-inclusive trip for two people to Deep Blue Resort in Utila Bay. The bidding started at $1000 (remember, this is mine money people are bidding with) and climbed to a whopping $13,000! Even with my haul, I managed to win custom nitrox tags from the Academy of Scuba in Phoenix, which I am honestly quite excited about as I dive nitrox on a semi-regular basis and those pieces of tape never seem to stay put.
All the staff members involved were wonderful. Steves humor was an absolute delight throughout the morning briefing as well as the auction. Even now, replaying the event, I cant come up with a single gripe. I walked away with some new friends, innovative poker chip searching skills, and a plan to return next year. If you have never had the chance to experience this event, it really is in a league of its own. If youre not within driving distance the mine is absolutely accessible from St. Louis with a rental car if you opt to fly.
If you arent able to make it to the Treasure Hunt, Bonne Terre Mine is well worth the trip. My buddy and I stayed an extra day to dive two of the trails on Sunday. The mine is a magical place; seeing foot prints where men once walked and tools where they have been sitting for over fifty years is haunting. As with the treasure hunt, all the divemasters in the water were exceedingly helpful (I had a mask problem that they were able to fix quickly on the fly in the water). Brandon H. was our guide to which we learned that he is a former miner himself! Because of this, he was able to give some unique perspectives and plenty of information on mining practices and tools left in the mine. He gives quite a wonderful light show, highlighting tools, mineral falls, and other items of interest during the dive.
Interested in learning more? Give them a call! You can get some tech diving certifications in the mine as well as a cavern certification and even a mine diver specialty. Along with operating the mine, divers can stay in a converted to B&B Victorian-era railroad station or a bunkhouse with accompanying dives for a package price. Best of all, it can be a blizzard or over one hundred degrees outside and youll be out of the elements in the mine, surrounded by one of the most unique dive environments in the world.
I hope to see you next year!
Bonne Terre Mine
Local: 573-358-2148
Reservations: 314-209-7200
Toll Free: 888-843-3483