There is still a small corner of the world where they celebrate mining. There is a wonderful place where miners do mining things: machine drilling; hand mucking; spike driving; and hand drilling. The winner gets the title All Around Miner. This is not some dream or fantasy. This is Miami, Arizona—60 miles east of Apache Junction on US HWY 60. You can join them for the 17th Annual Boomtown Spree on April 20, 21 & 22, 2007. 

Registration is $20 per event to compete for the All Around Miner award.  To give you some idea of what is involved, here are the rules for the hand mucking contest:

• The contestants may heap or pile the muck to their satisfaction.
• The mucker may begin with a full shovel resting on the muck pile.
• Time begins when the first shovel is thrown at, into, or in the vicinity of a judge or the muck car.
• Judges will scrape or level the car to their satisfaction.
• Time ends when the judge drops his/her hand signifying a full muck car. 

Prize money award value will be set by the Miami Boomtown Spree as funding permits. The downside is that you have to sign a release certifying: “I have no physical problems to prevent me from competing in these events, posses the skills and training necessary to safely perform the contests entered and accept personal responsibility to ensure the safe operation of all equipment operated by hand.”   

There is much more information in the brochure. Download it and dream a while, or better still, plan a trip. Or maybe just invest in the local mine.