Who would have thought that both mom and my favorite random stop of the summer would be an abandoned open pit copper mine filled with highly toxic levels of contaminated water? And yet, that is exactly what I am telling you.
In the hills just on the edge of Butte, Montana lies what is known as the Berkeley Pit. The pit and other Butte mines were the source of enough copper that you could have paved a four inch deep four lane highway from Butte all the way past Salt Lake City, a distance of over 400 miles. Mining stopped in 1975 and the pumps that kept water out of the mine were turned off in 1982. Since then the mine has been filling with water which is highly acidic and full of heavy metals. Toxic enough to be designated a US Superfund site it is now one of the biggest tourist attractions in Butte.
You walk through a tunnel in the rocks to a viewing platform which is well barricaded from the water, ensuring no accidental contact with the water is possible. As soon as you see the water though your mind forgets that this is such a deadly site. Instead you are mesmerized by the bright colors being reflected from the cut edges of the mine and the brilliant blue of the sky dotted by puffy white clouds. Colors which change according to the water level and which metal is most prominent in the water in the current year. Reflections which make you realize you actually aren't sure where the water line is until you look closer. A view which made for possibly my most memorable pictures of the entire trip. Who'd have thought a deadly open pit mine full of water could be so fascinating?
In the hills just on the edge of Butte, Montana lies what is known as the Berkeley Pit. The pit and other Butte mines were the source of enough copper that you could have paved a four inch deep four lane highway from Butte all the way past Salt Lake City, a distance of over 400 miles. Mining stopped in 1975 and the pumps that kept water out of the mine were turned off in 1982. Since then the mine has been filling with water which is highly acidic and full of heavy metals. Toxic enough to be designated a US Superfund site it is now one of the biggest tourist attractions in Butte.
You walk through a tunnel in the rocks to a viewing platform which is well barricaded from the water, ensuring no accidental contact with the water is possible. As soon as you see the water though your mind forgets that this is such a deadly site. Instead you are mesmerized by the bright colors being reflected from the cut edges of the mine and the brilliant blue of the sky dotted by puffy white clouds. Colors which change according to the water level and which metal is most prominent in the water in the current year. Reflections which make you realize you actually aren't sure where the water line is until you look closer. A view which made for possibly my most memorable pictures of the entire trip. Who'd have thought a deadly open pit mine full of water could be so fascinating?
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