Northwind Mine is a compact mine on the northern side of the mountains north and a little west of Riften. The entrance sits east of Mistwatch, northwest of Shor’s Stone and west-southwest of Cragslane Cavern. On its own it’s a quick crawl with some ore and a skill book, but its real value is as a shortcut: walk out the far end and you’re on the path to Northwind Summit and its Word Wall.
What you’ll find
- Skeletons throughout, starting in the first room with its wooden ramps.
- A chest with random loot up the first ramp on the left.
- The Block skill book Death Blow of Abernanit on a table to the right in that same room.
- A tripwire connected to a falling boulder trap on the upper path.
- Three iron ore veins inside the mine.
- Outside: a corundum vein left of the path near the entrance, a moonstone vein above the exit, and an orichalcum vein behind the Word Wall on the far side of the mountain.
Notable items
- Death Blow of Abernanit (Block skill book)
- Iron, corundum, moonstone and orichalcum ore
Tips
The route is simple: north into the ramp room, up and around the second ramp, then west and north to the trap. Watch your feet on that stretch – the tripwire drops a boulder, and boulders do not care about your armor rating. Once through, the path turns east past one last skeleton to the exit. If you’ve already completed Dragon Rising, expect a dragon waiting at the summit, so heal up before stepping outside. Bring a pickaxe: between the inside and outside veins you can walk away with four kinds of ore in one trip.
Good to know
If you fast travel to the entrance, a follower can get wedged in the rocks outside. Players report that a blast of Unrelenting Force pops them free – affectionate, in a Thu’umy sort of way.
Nearby
Closest places covered on TamrielSaga: Northwind Summit, Shor’s Watchtower, Shor’s Stone, Clearspring Tarn, Boulderfall Cave.
Location data (hold, map position, editor ID) read from the Skyrim game files; details checked against community wiki articles and summarised in our own words.