Because of this case I have researched the mines in and around the Joshua Tree area. I discovered that there are 288 mines with 747 mine openings in Joshua Tree alone and hundreds of other abandoned mines in close proximity to the Joshua Tree area. Approximately 120 mine sites in JT (as of July of this year) have "substantial openings" that would be extremely dangerous if entered. The mines range in size, depth, distance from main roads and size of opening. Some are 50' deep while others are hundreds of feet deep.
Here are some photos of a mine opening in JT with a 270' drop inside (
http://www.undergroundexplorers.com/ivanhoe1.htm) and some more examples of different mine openings found in JT:
http://www.undergroundexplorers.com/joshuatree5.htm
http://www.undergroundexplorers.com/joshuatree-sunday1.htm
http://www.undergroundexplorers.com/joshuatree-sunday1.htm
http://www.undergroundexplorers.com/goldenrod1.htm
http://www.undergroundexplorers.com/joshuatree1.htm
Also, a few threads back I posted a photo of a very large vertical mine opening that a car could have fit in.
JT has been in the process of sealing off mine openings to prevent people from going in. A lot of the mines are covered in a metal grates to allow wildlife to continue to use the mines (bats, rats, etc) but prevent people from entering. From some of the photos I have seen it appears as though it would be pretty easy to remove some of the older grates/bars if one wanted to enter a covered mine. On the following site a woman documented her hike to one of the covered mines and you can see from her picture (approx. half way down the page) that the steel grate covering the mine appears as though it would be relatively easy to move to gain access into the mine.
http://www.greeneadventures.com/201...convenient-hike-in-joshua-tree-national-park/
I am pretty certain that cameras could be (and probably have been) used to search for Erin in some of the mines in the JT area. A group, in 2010, was using cameras to search for Susan Powell in Utah's abandoned mines. One of the mines they dropped a camera in was 1,200 feet deep. They said they would continue to look for her in the other mines in the state (Utah has close to 20,000 abandoned mines!)
http://www.ksl.com/index.php?sid=12748567&nid=481
There is no doubt in my mind that anyone falling into one of these mines would be greatly injured. On the slight chance they survived, they would be unable to climb out and, because of how remote so many of them are, it would be next to impossible for someone outside to hear someone calling from inside. Also, air quality would be extremely low in the depth of these mines.
Here is where I got the above information:
http://pages.pomona.edu/~wes04747/ID1/JOTRMINES%20DraftFinal.pdf[/url]
http://www.nps.gov/jotr/naturescience/disturbedlands.htm[/url]
http://www.undergroundexplorers.com/pictures.htm[/url]
http://articles.latimes.com/1999/dec/22/news/mn-46461/2
I thought the following was interesting about mines in JT, from the last article referenced above:
"
Some find the shafts by accident, like the two Marines from Twentynine Palms who drove their Jeep into an abandoned mine known as Little Italy, located just outside Joshua Tree National Park. The passenger was killed on impact and the trapped driver ignited one of the Jeep's tires to signal for help--which came just as he died of smoke inhalation.
Another Marine rappelled into the Lost Horse Mine and came to the end of his rope far above its floor. He spent 24 hours clinging to a ledge before help came.
And then there was the rescue of the endangered desert tortoise that was found after biologists picked up a strange radio signal from its electronic collar emanating from 100 feet below ground.
"He fell into a mine," Holbeck said. "They had to go down and bring him back up."
At any rate, it gives you more of an idea of what the mines are like in Joshua Tree and the surrounding area.
