A mine of knowledge and wine

By Alastair Baker
News Editor

There are jobs, we all know about those. But then there are other jobs, you know the sort people carve out for themselves. Jobs that most of us wouldn’t even think of, let alone believe, but which stir the imagination. Of course it’s all subjective really since there are many millions of people on this planet, and all with varied ideas of what constitutes their dream job.

Take Brian Simmons, an Absarokee High School graduate, whose parents John and Marilyn Simmons run Ironworks Inc., in Absarokee.

Brian has such a dream job, being general manager of Bacchus Caves, Napa, Calif. He helps run a company which builds caves for commercial wineries to make and store their wine. Bacchus Caves also caters for the private individual who may also want a wine cellar, or an entertainment room or even a dining area.

As Simmons notes “it is all possible underground.”
Simmons’ beginnings in mining started at Stillwater Mine, Nye.
“I worked as a miner there for about 3 years until I decided to return to college to get my engineering degree,” he said.
Of his experience at the Nye mine Simmons has nothing but good memories, respect and far reaching influences.

“That exposure to the characters that work underground as hardrock miners got me hooked. Underground mining is a small community and many of them have tramped around the country chasing the big jobs and big money. It is amazing how many people know each other in a mine. It sounds whimsical, or romantic, but hardrock miners are in a class all by themselves, not everyone is willing or able to work in that environment. Think of iron workers on a high rise structure. Most miners wouldn’t be caught dead up there, they are scared of heights but not scared of depths.”

The miners at Stillwater Mine chided him about being a “one county tramp” and a “Hayshaker.”
“So when I got out of college I went looking for adventure away from home. I landed at a gold mine in Southern Nevada. Nevada really grew on me so I just stayed.”

Simmons spent 12 years gold mining, before changing to his present position. The change wasn’t all that different to mining although the finished product is a lot different.
“The work is still mining, a wine cave is a small scale mine. The finished product is however, quite different. Most of the techniques are quite similar,” he said.

The Bacchus Caves company has 11 employees in total but although this has its drawbacks in terms of having a mother company with deep pockets to help expansion or deal with machinery problems, Simmons doesn’t mind that much.

“Being small is good because we have control of every small detail and we don’t have to answer to the board of directors. The president/owner and I are often the board of directors,” he said.
He is a person who relishes his career and finds the aspect of mining just as exhilarating as it was when he first started.

“I enjoy my work immensely, it may sound strange but I think about work all the time,” Simmons said.

And contrary to the public’s general perception of miners being stuck underground permanently, Simmons says that this isn’t the case with him.

“Wine caves are generally short (100 ft to 700 ft long) tunnels into the side of a hill. I typically spend 30 percent of my time actually underground; some of the operators may spend closer to 60 percent of their time in the hole. I get to be the engineer, the mechanic, the foreman, the manager, and the safety man each and every day. There is little room for boredom. There is little room for complacency, since we are small every move must count,” said Simmons.
“Another benefit is that we generally complete a job in three months to one year. I don’t get bored with the same place and effectively get to tramp to another hole in the ground,” he said.
There are many varied careers in this world and Simmons adventures in mining stem from his dad, John, who encouraged him to be an engineer.

“To a child, engineer meant driving trains. I later learned that engineers help design and build things,” Simmons said. “Building and design were part of my childhood through working in my father’s welding shop. That is where my education began. I was introduced to mining and petroleum industries early in life by working at the blacksmith shop.
“I guess I chose mining engineering partly because of the remote locations that most mining projects occur. I do not enjoy crowded areas,” he said.

Simmons studied mining engineering at Montana Tech in Butte, although he said “that is only a fraction of my education.”

“The hands on, and common sense education is credited to my parents, mining partners, past supervisors, and co-workers, for that I am grateful,” he said.
Simmons is very philosophical about his work and has a deep understanding of the earth he endures each day.

“You never really beat mother nature, so you must coexist. Gravity is a real problem when you are underground. We do not always have a choice of where we are going to put a cave, the ground conditions dictate what we can build. You must respect her. Sending everybody home healthy every day is the goal,” he said.

When it comes to building a wine cave topography is most important said Simmons. “There has to be enough relief to build a tunnel and the rock/soils in the hill must be conducive for a cave excavation. A cave can be built in flat ground or in weak ground but the cost rises exponentially.”

However that cost is hard to quantify a dollar figure, he said. “Each site has unique conditions and requirements, the options are infinite. The cost of excavation can vary quite a bit depending upon ground conditions and the proximity to buildings or say power lines. We are generally competitive with an above ground building or a stick built house.”

But whatever the cost, the requests for personal caves are increasing.

“A cave is a great use of space and with a personal touch they become an extension of the individual. They are very energy efficient. Remember grandma’s root cellar? Same principle only they are used for entertainment and wine collections,” said Simmons, who states that the company currently has three projects running, and several others in the permitting process.
“Typically we run two jobs at a time,” he said.

To complete their tasks the company uses road headers, excavators and back hoes with cutter/grinder attachments, and drilling equipment when they have to excavate with explosives.
“The road headers are big self contained electrically powered grinders. There are as many as 100 teeth (picks) tearing out the rock and dirt. We also use normal rubber tired loaders and forklifts as support equipment. We have enough gear to run four jobs at any given time,” said Simmons.

Simmons has mined in Nevada, Montana, and California, including one summer in South Africa during college at a gold mine not far from Johannesburg.

“It was a great experience and a beautiful country. The people were great to us. I did not return there because of economic factors. But I have friends who spent a lot of time in South Africa and are no worse for the wear,” he said.

Looking back on his life what world did he think he had entered?

“My first day underground, actually it was night, was spent welding in an ore pass at Stillwater Mine. It didn’t seem that unusual at the time. Over time I was introduced into different phases of mining, I never really looked back. Hardrock miners have a great camaraderie, they look out for each other and share the tricks of the trade openly. I feel fortunate for having some great teachers. I learned some of the best pranks and stories as well.”

Simmons, who likes to relax with his family and go camping, hunting, shooting, or exploring, must have a favorite wine?

“My most common whine is “Who drank the last cold beer?” I have enjoyed several nice wines from our clients, but I don’t normally drink the stuff,” he said.

Simmons ultimate engineering feat would be to help build a dam.
“Maybe someday a chance like that will come my way but I am content where I am right now.”

As to leaving a legacy?

“Well hopefully my legacy is being made through my co-workers and one day my children,” he said. “I don’t mean to sound arrogant but I am proud of my accomplishments. My hope is that some of them make a difference and that my philosophy rubs off on those around me. Influencing the next generation, especially my two daughters, with strong work ethics is one of my goals, is that a legacy?”