Subject: Lord Rick's Memorial Day Birthday Exploration Of The Chollar Mansion & Mine
Date: 05/28/2016 8:24:04 PM Pacific Standard Time
From: lordofthynight@aol.com
To: ParanormalBuffalo@yahoogroups.com, ParanormalGhostSociety@googlegroups.com, paranormalghostsociety@yahoogroups.com, ParanormalGhostSocietyConnections@yahoogroups.com, TheParanormalGhostSociety@yahoogroups.com, SupernaturalFlorida@yahoogroups.com, ParanormalCalifornia@yahoogroups.com, ParanormalNevada@yahoogroups.com, Paranormalflorida@yahoogroups.com, sierraparanormal@yahoogroups.com, PGSPhantoms@yahoogroups.com

What is a birthday? It is the celebration of life but more importantly YOU! I have always been an old school explorer and paranormal investigator. My family says to me all the time take a day off from the research no need to work. But if you are in love with what you do then you will never work a day in your life. I did not go out of town this year for my birthday I figured id do something more local and spend the day with my family so for me that is more then good enough!
 
I have spent years driving past the Chollar Mansion and over time talk of even the mine below it being haunted. I have also spent those years logging a few dozen locations that we have investigated in the Virginia City area. But the thing is people run tours its all about making money when it comes to certain paranormal groups. However, for me investigating is about doing the proper research then sharing it with the world. Were not like other paranormal groups because we also mix nature into what we do because everything is connected around us but we want others to feel as they are part of the journey upon reading this.
 
It was May 28th I was now 41 years old for me its a bit odd I never want to get old as a matter in fact when I walk out that door I am 20 but my body at times does not feel like it haha. But we had a great day planned from sunrise till sunset with so much diversity. Not only will I get to share my birthday with all of you via video and photos we also would be doing other activities too and then ill compile it all on our site. Personally birthdays scare me lately but its the one day a year I feel limitless! So I definitely would treat myself to history, haunts and a journey into the west.
 
I spent years wanting to visit the mine and Nevada Mill Site but we had so many other great places. In a few more years will have done just about anything you can think of. Because I know how much Virginia City means to some of you because it is the largest national landmark in the nation. Thus, we must preserve it and realize that VC at least for me means home. With that being said we left early so we could stop for breakfast where I had sourdough toast, ham, plate of extra bacon, home fries, eggs and coffee. I also got a piece of hot apple pie warmed up with a scoop of fresh vanilla ice cream.
 
Its kind of nice when you can get a good meal in you before your caught up in journeying all day long. Its nice to reminisce about the things we will do or even see. I never know what I might see once I get up the hill no less its exciting. I like the idea of getting a little tipsy in the saloon then walking around downtown feeling as if you stepped back in time. Not much has changed my friends just the era and mines like the Chollar and its Mansion were erected around the mid 1800's so we would be taking on a historic site that was not touched during the great fire of 1875.
 
The ride up to Virginia City was gorgeous as I seen the train carrying passengers via steam engine. On some of the hillsides were wild mustangs more then a few. I seen actually a few newborn mustangs also when I say new meaning a few months old if that. But its so awesome to off road or pull off somewhere just to watch them graze. They are beautiful creatures just the patterns and long hair on some of them. Its ashamed they are trying to round them up or even hunt them for meat. I have ran with these horses a couple months prior to this up near Mount Davidson and they really deserve our protection so they can be free unharmed.
 
 It was shaping up to already be a great day some of the mountains are snowcapped yes even in May and its so green from our lush Spring that it was really just nice to be a part of it all. I am not one of these explorers that rushes the journey I do stop hike around take videos and photos. In this case I would be filming documentary which would integrate my birthday and my research balled into one. Why? To give our viewers a birds eye view into my world and to humanize me since people often hate on me.
 
Sometimes if you get to Virginia City to early its like a ghost town most shops closed even saloons. It does not take long to get bustling after all it was a gorgeous day out good T-shirt and shorts weather. It was a warm morning after all its just a few weeks from summer and flowers were blooming. I had arrived cowboy hat and my gun holstered on my side. I was ready to take on the west and my journey begins here.
 
Chollar Mansion & Mine
 
Before the parade had started as it was Memorial Day and in Virginia City parades are part of the culture every year their are quite a few of them. Sometimes I like to drive around admire some of the old mansions downtown and store fronts. I wanted to get in a bit of everything see the parade, urban explore, paranormal investigate, drink some ale and overall enjoy nature which I had gotten to do while driving up to Virginia City when I encountered the wild mustangs.
 
I was excited to see the Memorial Day Parade honestly it is one of the best parades in Nevada honoring America and our veterans. Its a different culture up here in Virginia City folks are dressed in Victorian Clothing and some of them dress as miners and hell you might even see Mark Twain. Some men dress as union soldiers others wear top hats. When I walk around downtown I feel like its 1870 because that is the vibe and culture here especially during a parade. On good note some women dress like madams so on occasion I get to see beautiful women in corsets.
 
I loved the parade they had the fire departments, classic cars, tractors, beautiful women riding gorgeous horses, military, scouts, cheer leaders, folks walking dressed like historical figures, motorcycles, floats filled with people, others handing out candy, cowboy with a whip, cowboys, carriages, wagons and hell even the ladies who work up at the Bunny Ranch brothel. Its important we retain Nevada's heritage period! The parade was awesome and after it I picked up a T-shirt that has a graveyard, creepy mansion and zombies on it.
 
Overall I just love Virginia City as I enjoy visiting the shops and many buildings built in the Comstock Lode era. We would finish up watching the parade downtown had more people then I had ever seen before. I wanted to get somewhere quieter which by this time would be the Chollar Mansion which sits on D street above the Chollar Mine. Both go hand in hand the mansion which was the mining office was built in 1861 while the mine claim occurred in 1859. The Chollar was the fifth largest producer in the Comstock Lode.
 
The mansion today appears to be a resident there was flower gardens, vehicles, truck with two bulldogs in the back and the property was well taken care of which is awesome. It use to be an inn or B&B rather but before that the mining office to watch over the mine to make sure the miners were doing their jobs also store silver bullion in the vault. I would love to tour the inside but I do not want to bother anyone living here just glad to see that someone is making a home out of it and preserving this relic.
 
I did walk around the home seen fresh plants blooming in flower pots also seen a couple cute women ride past me on horses. Its a nice birthday treat to see a few beautiful smiles in the morning. I am a ladies man its never going to change. I think beauty should be admired but it also can distract me lol and trust me I was not focused on the mansion much but I got what I needed which was videos and photos for the webiste.
 
We went down to the mine its actually close to quite a few areas we have explored such as the Combination Comstock Gold Mills. Just below that is the Virginia & Truckee Railroad which includes the train yard, small depot and a other notable sites. The Mansion can be seen just looking above the Chollar Mine main level entrance site. Also nearby is the Mackay and Savage Mansions which we also visited. The Chollar Mine Site originally was the site of the Nevada Mill which is long gone. Below a hill is a collapsed structure which may have been the pump house or power room. Yes this was one of the first mines in the Comstock to generate its own electrical power.
 
The Chollar Mine site has many rusty artifacts including a couple stamps, drills, ore carts, engines, generators and everything else in between. Id rather show you video and photos then talk about it because you have to see it for yourself the entire property is the museum. Their is also a couple old wooden and sheet metal structures the smallest being a shanty of some kind. If you go inside the building near the historic mine plaque you can see some mining relics such as lanterns and other tools miners utilized.  
 
It was really warming up outside so it was great to get a chance to explore the mines get out of that sun. I took the tour of the mine but I also had a chance to be alone in the mine however I could not stay long because all day long they take groups in unless its a slow day but it was Memorial Day. Trains were roaring by actually two separate trains one is a steam locomotive the other is diesel perhaps even electric its hard to tell but I prefer the steam era engine with its coal car and cozy passenger cars. While folks were riding past the Chollar I was getting ready to go on in.
 
I tried to film the mine but its really dim in there so do not expect a ton of footage. My son and I were prepared so when the guide shut off the lights to show how dark it could get my son put on his flashlight and lit the whole room up. We had a fun time joking around with the guide of course I do not need a guide I have been in a couple hundred mines by myself that go for miles so I am not new to this. But this has been a tourist attraction since the 1960's and not much has changed.
 
The mine was nice and cool but some areas were low and being I am tall I had to duck at times one area seemed to be about 4' within the tunnel. The tunnel only goes back about 400'. But it does not go any further however at one time the mine ran over 1,200 feet and 400' wide also having multiple deeper levels. But today all that is left is the tunnel but you can see stopes, mine cart tracks, machinery and get to see a map of all the neighboring mines along with a depth chart so you can get an idea of where you are standing underground. The guide did give quite a bit of history nothing I already did not know since I have studied this mine and its history.
 
I did not experience anything in the mine but it is damp, dark, dingy and when your alone hundreds of feet in it can be foreboding. I was only able to take a few minutes of EVP in quietness being alone and with my son. I could not measure EMF Gauss the power runs through mine so the readings would be false. This mine is supposedly one of the more haunted sites in Virginia City where folks see apparitions, get touched by unseen forces, hear disembodied voices and feel watched. The truth is men died in cave-ins, cage accidents, falls and other accidents here so chances are its also haunted to no surprise.
 
No less the mine was really awesome mainly tunnel with a couple larger rooms or open areas. To many people in it however leads to chaos and I am not sure how solid it is. But the stopes look good for its age and its a decent tunnel but also the main level. I seen chutes, ore kegs, massive beams including a metal one to hold up the ceiling in one place, ropes and pick axes. Its a very tight mine the tunnel is very narrow. Also the mine has ventilation you can see this giant tube that goes the entire length of the tunnel along the ceiling. Despite the guide telling us he has seen stars I whacked my head twice once going in once going out.
 
After I had finished up the mine I spent some time wandering the grounds which is the Nevada Mill Site. The mill is long gone yes but many relics of the past till exist. You can see still see dump piles, ore cart tracks, stamp presses, smelters and other things I have never seen before at a mine site. Not even sure what all the rusty equipment does.If you drive up around the top of the Chollar there is some old machinery used to hoist the cage up and down. Men often fell off the cages and died so every time I seen this kind of thing I know its probably connected with disaster.
 
I cant say I experienced much here their was a construction project and people were everywhere. I know they have done shows on ghost adventures about it which I kind of laugh because yeah mine does have ghost but its a well visited 400' tunnel their is no danger to it or the element of surprise like some of the deep mines I go down into in the middle of the Nevadan mountains and trust me if you want to get scared go do what I do. These shows over embellish when they probably never even been in an abandoned mine with shafts, little holes to crawl through etc.
 
After we did some exploring, scenic photography and finished the mill grounds we decided it was time to head on off to a place called St. Mary's In The Mountains. This church has been burned down a couple times no less it still dates back to the 1800's at least the parish does. Back in the day the sister would stay at the convent which also was a hospital and an orphanage. We have investigated the old orphanage but also this church both are haunted and great historic sites. So to play some basketball with my son is a win win situation at the churches court.
 
My son and I played two games Tammy did film one of the games and will integrate it into our documentary. I guess I did alright I do play in a league or just started but generally most of the time I just play with my sons over the years. I was very rusty but Tammy did capture a few nice baskets I made actually I made one shot from half way across the court and a nice corner ball. I guess I do okay I try not to play to rough with my kid but in the league I block big ass dudes that is my job and they stop scoring and we start winning. What can I say I was a hockey player for many years! It was a fun game think about it we played at Virginia Cities most haunted church its an amazing place inside especially one of the most beautiful wild western churches in Nevada.
 
After the game we did some offroading up above the old Hebrew Cemetery there is some mill ruins but man the views. It was so green and gorgeous out what a beautiful May day. I did not want to leave Virginia City but I had to ya know? It was time to wrap it up and take the Geiger Grade up into Reno for my birthday dinner which including chicken wings of course, fried zucchini and lots of ale at the Great Basin Brewery. The Great Basin is a local brewery in Reno its a bit spendy but their signature wing flavors, steak sandwiches and other foods are really tasty. I order two tall glasses of ales for myself and I also tried a sample of eight different ales. The two tall ones I ordered I ordered based on trying out the sampler first.
 
Do not get me wrong that sampler will still knock you on your ass I mean eight small little glasses adds up and some of their ales are very high in alcohol like their IPAs. But I drank German, Russian and all American Stouts.Some of the ales were fruity other ones more blonde either way I walked out of there tipsy and Tammy had to drive me home it was afterall my birthday. You can also watch the video my son made of me sampling the different ales I like to capture my good eats on film lately I think its a way for our viewers to delve into our journey as a whole rather then just see haunted places but everything that comes before and after.
 
When I got home my family presented with a raspberry triple chocolate cake oh man was it good it had real raspberries and in between all the chocolate layers of raspberry with chocolate chunks and icing. This is why I am fat everyone! I have to do thousands of paranormal investigations just to keep my ass from blowing up lol. It was a great cake and the presents my family got me were very nice considering money had been tight because in May we often take many trips plus its all our birthdays so it adds up throwing parties with cakes, trips and events. But my family was very sweet to me and they warmed my heart with a funny card.
 
Some of the things I had gotten was a propane camp stove with the propane, thermal mug, Far Cry, NHL Allstars, leather belt, cargo shorts, wicked walking dead t-shirt, cologne, chocolate truffles, berry candle, bandana and a bunch of other stuff. My family means the world to me I mean they help me with some of my paranormal work the thing is they should not have to. I run multiple paranormal forums a huge website and everything else in between but folks are to lazy to help me out. Everyone is all about fame and money I prefer just good eats, beer and awesome adventure. Good things happen for those who do not expect anything and the work were doing here is for you guys the viewers to enjoy perhaps learn.
 
I know I can count on them so without them some of what we do would not be possible because we do not have a crew. Therefore my family helps with EVP, photography and all that good stuff. All in all it was a great day when you think about it we had visited one of the most haunted sites in Virginia City. I am sure its more active when less folks are around like late at night but nobody is allowed here after hours therefore you sort of have to deal with people and noise even from the train going by. No less its a great case to share on our site and exploration lots of nature, scenic photos, rusty relics etc just wait and see! But what a day breakfast, parade, exploring, offroading, basketball, brews, dinner and a birthday party. So will definitely put it all together so all of you can enjoy this milestone together!
Namaste,
Lord Rick
PGS Founder

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