"The floors can easily collapse," said Greene, examining the relic. "Last spring a volunteer found a case of dynamite nearby, which is highly unstable."
The most menacing mines are just deep gouges in the Earth, often more than 50 feet deep and 30 feet across, propped open by timbers. Metal netting stretches over some, while others remain exposed. Climbers are known to rappel down the sides into the darkness below.
"I'd like to cover all of this with some cable netting, but I don't have the money," Manning said.
Greene saw the danger -- but also an opportunity for people to learn.
"To me, it's an interesting example of early mining technology," she said. "If you fill up the hole, you can't imagine how they worked. If we could make it safe for tourists and for education, that would be great."
Death Valley officials are working to minimize the worst hazards, but with money scarce, this is often done piecemeal.
"We would like to hire a crew and inventory all the mines and while doing that begin the closing process as well," Manning said. "Without people on staff to do this, we are relying on finding partners. Putting a bat gate up is a couple thousand dollars. If it could be done in-house, it would be half the price."
In the Mojave National Preserve, a lack of money has meant little movement in addressing some 600 sites.
The inspector general's report said mine shafts on some roads there are "large enough to swallow entire vehicles" but have no fences or warning signs. Sites have been identified and prioritized, but few have been made safe, the report said.
Joshua Tree National Park was praised by the inspector general for using volunteers to map mine sites and for finding cheap ways to install bat gates and other mine covers.
"We have about 300 openings, and about 120 are considered very hazardous," said Luke Sabala, who heads the park's abandoned-mine program.
"All of the mines close to roads and trails are our No. 1 priorities. We have taken care of almost all of those."
So far, Joshua Tree's mines have caused no deaths or injuries. But the job of securing them is a big one.
"These mines have been here a long time," Sabala said. "Mining is the legacy all of us land managers have been left to deal with."
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david.kelly@latimes.com
