Saturday, August 23, 2008

Tunnel Grimping

The Fat Cat has added some music to MonkeyButt's guest post. It's the kinda thing Williams likes, or did in the old days. You might have to turn it off to actually read the post as it is not really conducive to cognition.




Today, a non Grimping sidebar bonus post by me,
Evan. As I was coming home from working in Valley Forge Friday, I decided to take a small break at Breezewood Pa and explore the abandoned 12 mile stretch of Pa Turnpike hidden in the area. Back in 1968 this section of the Pike was closed because the two tunnels became a bottleneck and current road building methods deemed it more cost effective to plow through the mountain rather then bore another tunnel. There were 3 tunnels effected by this and these are the pictures of two along this 12 mile stretch. The first tunnel was Rays Hill, approx. 3700 feet long. As usual I was 90% prepared for this trip the missing 10% being a lighting system but little matter....I made the decision to go through in the dark as I could see the exit portal on the other side. As I went through things got darker then I imagined and I began whistling in the dark to ward off potential unknown beings in the tunnel, waiting to take me down.....I'm not really afraid of much, but this was a bit unsettling.
As I pedaled down the crumbling road I could not help but feel like Charlton Heston in Omega Man.....it was quiet and empty all around. I neared the next tunnel at Sidling Hill and peered inside. As I remembered from the info I had read earlier, this tunnel is 6500 feet long and passes under the current turnpike road. The sound of dripping water and a blackness blacker then my very soul left me only peering in, not to enter.
I will let the pictures speak for them selves as I am still sick after two weeks and feel very uncreative at this point.

6 comments:

Craig, The Flanders Fat Cat said...

No fleshy headed mutants, eh?

bluecolnago said...

lions and tigers and bears, oh my!

it's dark in there, eh?

E T Williams 2 said...

In fact, I feared a bear in there or at least a fleshy headed mutant.....that is why I quivered and turned back! Got the lights charged and ready for next time!

bluecolnago said...

i think it would definitely be better with lights. or alcohol. or lights and alcohol....

Philmeaux said...

Looks pretty surreal.

E T Williams 2 said...

Its positively post apocalyptic man.......