Un-Posted Minnesota Adventure

 Soudan Underground Mine

August 23rd, 2013

365 Random Days of Team Zybko

Day #347

 

 

Not really sure how this fun adventure from the Minnesota days slipped past my blogging radar. It was a beautiful 80 degrees and sun shiny. A perfect day for a journey to the center of the earth, 

to climb into a creaky, antique elevator the size of a

 port-a potty with 15 of our newest Northern Minnesota stranger friends. 7 months later I find myself still laughing at the slightly creepy, half mile ride in the Scooby Do mining cart, Lil David's gold find and the spastic baby bat flying past La La's head, missing her only by a few inches. Not uncommon for our crew, we were the loudest family in the group, giggly and cracking jokes as we meandered in and out of narrow hallways. 

 

None of us realized until that breezy August day last year that pitch black could get any darker....it can. I'm sure it's the highlight of the retired mining dude's tour every time he turns off the dangly string of light bulbs and snuffs his hard hat candle. He may even live for the reaction it causes amongst the trusting group in front of him. Amazing how freaky dark it becomes. So dark you can't seem to remember how to stand on your own two feet any more.

That level of darkness apparently messes with your balance big time.

 

Learning about the people of that time period was totally awesome. The history and experiences of the local hard working men and women of days gone by always gets me excited, then again so does the rock candy in the over priced gift shop. Hmmm, I probably should get out more. Anyway, this particular mine back in the day was cranking out massive amounts of iron ore to be distributed all across the country, seven days a week.  A hugely profitable business for this region.

 

Thankfully we were warned to bring a sweatshirt for the tour, only forty or so degrees that far down. I would have frozen with out my hoody and foot warmers. Just playing, not foot warmers just long johns. The 75 bucks and hour spent was for sure worth it for the family. Any longer than that would have been wasted. After a while the unique smell of the now closed  mine made it hard to concentrate on learning new facts and storing them properly. We unanimously agreed the hybrid stench was somewhere between a bag of old Frito's and freshly removed soccer shin guards. It should have made me feel at home but this soccer mom was thrilled when we finally did emerge back into real time and the light of the afternoon. The blue skies and fresh air at this point were beyond glorious.