In the summer of 1894, a Native American from the nearby Seneca reservation produced several pounds of fine silver ore at a general store in Coudersport, Pa. Some of the locals questioned the source of the silver but the stoic warrior only answered their questions with a shake of his head and left to sample the whiskey at a nearby saloon. The next day the Native disappeared into the forest several miles outside of town at Sweden Valley, secretly followed by men who were anxious to share his treasure. He quickly eluded the men and several hours later returned to the general store with more of the silver ore. Not to be bested, John Dodd the landowner sent a man named Billy O'Neil who vowed to find the source. After several days search, O'Neil and his men uncovered a crevice in the rocky mountain that was surprisingly filled with ice despite it being summer time. The men dug into the ice and found several artifacts, bits of pottery and possibly human bones - but no silver. O'Neil and his men returned to town empty handed, but the story of unfound wealth quickly spread throughout the area. The name "Ice Mine" was given due to the fact that all that they ever found in their silver mine was ice. The oddity is that as strange as it is to see such ice formations during the warm seasons, the ice appears to melt away as the seasons turn cold. Many people came to see this strange phenomena and the cave became a major tourist attraction of the area (throughout the 20 century) but was closed in 2004. In May of 2014, the Ice Mine was opened under new ownership.
Science:
During the winter, cold air flowing over the hilltop sinks into the many rock crevasses in the Devonian Age Lock Haven Formation. This slowly expels the warm air that had penetrated these openings during the preceding summer. Ordinarily this process takes place locally, but here the interconnection of the rock crevices tends to be so arranged that the air circulation over a wide region is focused on one spot. Thus, from April or May to September, cold air comes in contact with percolating groundwater, forming ice during the hot months of the year; from September to late spring, warm air trapped in the rocks from the preceding summer, escapes and melts the ice. The amount of ice which forms is dependent on the volume of water allowed to enter the shaft. As a result, the cavern is filled with crystal clear ice formations in the summer, and relatively free from ice in the winter.
A Note About Admission:
Because the cache site is a function of nature, this cache is available seasonally only. The Ice Mine is open from Memorial Day thru Labor day. The hours of operation are Wednesday - Sunday, 10:00am-6:00pm.. There is a $5 admission charge for adults, $2.50 for children aged 5-12, and free for children under 5 years of age. This cost is used to cover insurances and operating expenses. This phenomenon is EXTREMELY RARE. A quick search in google will show how few locations in the world have this "ice in summer"!
PLEASE VISIT THIS SITE ONLY DURING OPERATING HOURS!!!
EarthCache Requirements (please email us your answers for the questions below):
1) What is the approximate depth of the Ice Mine (looks can be deceiving!)?
2) What is the temperature reading inside the Ice Mine? (Check thermometer in the gift shop.)
3) What is the temperature outside the Ice Mine? (Check thermometer in the gift shop.)
4) What is the difference in temperature between inside the Ice Mine and outside (subtract answer to question number 2 above from the answer in question 3)?
5) Why is the temperature so much colder in the Ice Mine in the summer months?
6) Optional: Take a picture of yourself OUTSIDE with the gift shop in the background at the given coordinates.
Credits:
Potter County Historical Society QUARTERLY BULLETIN # 83 January 1987
F. Scully, PENNSYLVANIA’S "Ice Mine And the Lost Silver" Potter County Historical Society.
Lastly:
A big thank you to the Buchsen family for saving this historical property and phenomenon dating back to the late 1800's, and allowing the placement of this EarthCache!