Mining Events

Welcome Miners, Muckers, and Powder Monkeys to the 2018 Boom Days mining events!  All events take place behind the Elks Lodge on West 4th Street and take place on Saturday and Sunday.  Spectators are welcomed to watch from the bleachers.

Mining competitions include jack leg drilling, team jack leg drilling, hand mucking, and single hand steel drilling, and double hand steel drilling.  Cash prizes are awarded to winners!

What are these events?

In the jack leg events, drillers use a mechanical drill to drill the deepest hole in a given time.  The jack leg drill weighs almost 100 lbs. and must be carried to the rock and back when done.

The hand steel competitions, either one or two miners use a drill steel and sledge hammer to drill a hole in a set amount of time. The deepest hole wins. In double hand steel drilling one miner holds the drill and the other swings the sledge hammer.  Legend says if the sledge operator hits the man holding the drill, the holder is allowed one free swing at the other miner. Ouch!

In hand mucking events, competitors shovel one half ton of broken rock, called muck, into an ore cart and then push the cart along the track to the finish. The fastest time wins.

Please contact James Booth at 719-486-0663 or email at timbersets@yahoo.com

Mining competitions are part of Leadville history with competitions dating back to 1885. Come watch or compete the fun!