This weekend I went on an urban exploration mission deep into the storm drains beneath St. Paul, with applesauce and another homeslice. (applesauce boyah user)
We began on the east bank of the Mississippi, where there's a massive drain outlet at the water level, and spent several hours exploring inside:
(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4114/4852684314_6c7bce88f0.jpg)
(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4121/4852064545_0a4fc49830.jpg)
(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4076/4852064277_82e9255bb0.jpg)
(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4100/4852683498_4c993d409b.jpg)
(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4076/4852682934_ddd5d2ef43.jpg)
(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4118/4852063257_7846459511.jpg)
(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4098/4852682744_a40ccb2f11.jpg)
(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4117/4852062469_9ff05455c6.jpg)
(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4076/4852051009_9402fd01ab.jpg)
Flickr set: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wziard/sets/72157624510302599/
that is awesome
My friends often go on similar adventures but I live far away now so they never invite me. :<
But yeah those photos look pretty cool.
did it smell n_n
That's cool.
COOL
Quote from: Analysis Paralysis on August 02, 2010, 12:42:03 PM
did it smell n_n
It smelled mostly like dryer sheets and damp stone most of the time, at one juncture there was an entrance to a sanitary drain which smelled very bad
Damn, that looks pretty exciting.
I don't think I would have went down there...caves and underground tunnels and the like aren't really for me at all.
Quote from: wziard on August 02, 2010, 01:01:14 PM
It smelled mostly like dryer sheets and damp stone most of the time, at one juncture there was an entrance to a sanitary drain which smelled very bad
u srs
I've always imagined it smelling like SHIT because that's how this one tunnel I've went nearby smelled like cry;
It didn't smell much, but now my car smells like shit because I left all our boots and clothes in it overnight.
:(
I want to go with you guys. saddood;
Amazing, I am jealous
Was it just like Half Life 2? giggle;
I don't really know why but the one with hanging chains creeps me out...
Quote from: Techo 1/2 on August 02, 2010, 04:55:31 PM
I don't really know why but the one with hanging chains creeps me out...
what a pussy
that's my favorite one cjlubdoods;
This is my favorite, it looks awesome and also includes an assumedly bottomless pit (the concrete on the ground below the drippy formation was gone, just a dark pool, you can see the water splashing on its surface. next time I'm bringing a fishing weight and a bunch of string)
(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4114/4852684314_6c7bce88f0.jpg)
These are really wonderful. I'd love to see some more.
At one of our city parks there was a pretty extensive system that was easily accessible. We were pretty young when we decided to explore, and it was a very stupid thing to do, looking back. After crouching for, I'd say, half a mile, it opened up into this pretty spacious set of tunnels and we spent the afternoon poking around.
The next week, some kid died in one of the adjacent tunnels after big rainfall.
Quote from: Analysis Paralysis on August 02, 2010, 04:57:10 PM
what a pussy
that's my favorite one cjlubdoods;
It is my favorite too but it is kinda creepy
Back in perhaps 2003 (?), two guys were sept to their deaths in a system of interconnected tunnels under downtown St. Paul during a storm. There have also been probably a dozen or so news stories I remember about people falling through floors of grain elevators in the area.
The pit wziard is talking about is actually pretty unsettling. Not only is it deeper than we can see, it also appears to strech out undeneath the concrete tunnel for who knows how far. Of course, it's not surprising that once the water wore through the concrete it cleared out the sandstone pretty fast. That stuff is really really sort.
Also, next time I'm bringing kneepads and my dad's old climbing harness. Those surface systems seem like they probably have some interesting secrets yet.
Applesauce, you have to write down everything you see and take pictures for me, okay?
And you too, Snorkel. :(
Quote from: ClassicTyler on August 02, 2010, 09:56:03 PM
Applesauce, you have to write down everything you see and take pictures for me, okay?
And you too, Snorkel. :(
There shall be cartography missions and real photography missions (bright lights and better lenses), there was lots of cool shit I just couldn't capture properly
Quote from: applesauce on August 02, 2010, 09:54:08 PM
Back in perhaps 2003 (?), two guys were sept to their deaths in a system of interconnected tunnels under downtown St. Paul during a storm. There have also been probably a dozen or so news stories I remember about people falling through floors of grain elevators in the area.
The pit wziard is talking about is actually pretty unsettling. Not only is it deeper than we can see, it also appears to strech out undeneath the concrete tunnel for who knows how far. Of course, it's not surprising that once the water wore through the concrete it cleared out the sandstone pretty fast. That stuff is really really sort.
Also, next time I'm bringing kneepads and my dad's old climbing harness. Those surface systems seem like they probably have some interesting secrets yet.
The longboard idea intrigues me, if we had skateboards/scooters/etc we could cruise down those smaller surface tunnels with speed and comfort
I don't see how that would be fun.
Quote from: seuss on August 05, 2010, 05:27:41 PM
I don't see how that would be fun.
sometimes people just appreciate things u no
Quote from: Analysis Paralysis on August 05, 2010, 05:32:52 PM
sometimes people just appreciate things u no
It is the little things in life.
Quote from: seuss on August 05, 2010, 05:27:41 PM
I don't see how that would be fun.
you're using windows 7 and firefox, you're obviously a masochist
Quote from: wziard on August 06, 2010, 01:03:39 PM
you're using windows 7 and firefox, you're obviously a masochist
I see what you did there.