Since I made it back with only a sore knee, here's some more pictures of tunnels that I promised, including the much talked about tunnel #13. It may not look like much, but pictures really don't do any of the features of the Rail Trail justice. But since I doubt many of yo will be flocking to West Virginia just to see a tunnel or two (you can see four in one day if you do it right) these pictures are the next best thing. The people here may be disagreeable, but it sure is a wonderful place to look at. Let me begin our photo tour.
It was cool this morning, so cool in fact my hands were numb as I tried to take the first pictures of the day. Fog was thick, and the air still and silent. It was a beautiful morning, one of the best for taking photos of things in nature. I start off the brief photo tour of NBRT Cairo-Ellenboro leg with a solemn look at the simple stone plaque, placed next to the Bond's Creek bridge, at the site of the 1956 train wreck. Walking the trail sometimes, it can be easy to forget that only fifty years ago trains were barreling down that same path taking people and freight on the East/West line. There are visual remnants of the railroad history all along the trail, but things like this accident can get lost among the visual splendor.
For a bit of perspective as the photo tour gets underway, the left side of this photo shows the North side of the bride over Bond's Creek. To the right, just beyond the railing of the bridge is the access trail to the North Bend State Park. Accessing the North Bend Rail Trail (NBRT) is very easy from that point, and it's only a short walk to get from the park to Tunnel #13. But even walking down the access trail which is very open, it's hard to image that right around a few corners will be this huge gaping hole in the montain.
Thankfully, not all the tunnels on the trail are long ones. Even as you approach tunnel #13, its not hard to see the other end. You can get a glimpse of the light filtering through even before you step inside. Tunnel #13 is 353 feet in length, and is in great condition. It's billed as "Smooth and dry" on the map, which is a reasonably accurate description, though you do get drips between the concrete tiles once in a while. The dampness makes it a cool place which is nice for the summer months that are hot, but it can be a little chilly in Fall and winter.
All right, now lets' take a step inside the tunnel, and look through to the other side. As you look at the ceiling, you can see that it has been repaired, and that makes for a great experience. There are some tunnels on the trail that have not been finished yet, and some that are a long way from being ready for the public, but this is a good expample of how things are being done on the trail to benefit the people who use it. The brick work is in remarkable condition, and it just looks really nice when you stand there and gaze at it with your own eyes. For the record, the Grafitti on the left reads something about Ozzy.
Before we continue, let's take a moment to stop and appreciate our surroundings, yes, right here in the middle of the tunnel. As you can see, the light at the end of this tunnel looks really nice in contrast to the dark brick. In a longer tunnel, with a really bright flashlight (1 million candlepower or more) it could be easy to fool someone into thinking a train was coming at them. As you can see from this, all you'd have to do is have a nice big train shaped shadow and the bright light. That's a point for Looney Tunes getting something right.
All right, lets move Eastward for a bit, skipping over some points of lesser interest on the trail so we can make it to our next desitination, Tunnel #12. The approach to this tunnel is much like all the others, it just seems to grow out of the mountain and greet you when you least expect it. If curiosity has you, and you want to know just what that annoying little sign disrupting the shot reads, well, see for yourself, but it's not that important. Having bikes and hiked this section of the trail, I have to say that the sign's suggestion is a wise one. It's dark in the tunnels, and it's hard to see wheel ruts and horse messes on a bike which could lead to something unpleasant if you're not careful.
All right, here we are, is this the gate to Pergatory? No, it's Tunnel #12. Just look up and you'll see the number in the brick. Whoever thought to number the tunnels that way was thinking long term. It's nice to be able to identify the tunnels at a glance like that. Simple things like that catch my eye sometimes, and just make me think for a moment. I have to wonder who was creative enough to come up with the idea to use the brick as the label for the tunnel like that. Who took the time to neatly round off thos bricks to make the 2 look perfect, and things like that. Okay, enough chatter.
It looks almost like one of those fake tunnels painted on the wall in a Looney Tunes cartoon doesn' it? All right now, this tunnel is about 577 feet in length, making it close to being half the length of tunnel #19 from previous posts. It's curve is also such that you can't see the other end right away. It can get kind of creepy in the tunnel, especially when a drip of water falls onto your shoulder, it feels just like a person tapping you. I don't know of any ghost stories with this tunnel, but I haven't looked for any. Most tunnels are going to be just plain old tunnels, and not have such colored pasts to them, but it's kind of fun to stand there and imagine what all kinds of stories could a person tell about such a dark, damp place.
There's a lot of echo in Tunnel #12 since the ceiling is still being repaired, but it's safe to enter, and very nice inside too. As you can see, it is a little dark in the middle of it though, which can be a little bit much for some people, even cameras. This tunnel is billed as "smooth and damp" on the Rail Trail map, and there are a lot of drips in this tunnel as I mentioned before. It was hairy to work the camera because I had to protect it from the drips coming down while shooting, but everything turned out all right. The sound of the water drops splashing into the little puddles throughout is really neat. It's one of those things you'd have to hear to appreciate fully. I also tested my 1.5 million candlepower spotlight in this tunnel. I'll be taking it out to tunnel #19 soon, I just wonder what I'll find when I'm able to see everything.
Now that was a fun tour. Here's a mileage chart from the where we started out just beyond Tunnel #13. I doubt any of these town names are important to anyone out there, but it's interesting to look at. I can get more information on the Rail Trail and North Bend State Park which rents Cabins and has a Lodge with rooms (and a good restaurant) if anyone really wants to plan a trip out to see the trail. It's not advisable to plan a winter trip, the road out to North Bend State Park is windy and narrow, not even remotely attemptable for peole not used to driving in snow.
Comments:
Shireishou
I like a nice gentle rain myself, nothing too heavy and without all the thunder and lightning. That's a wonderful day for me. Trouble is, rain like that brings humidity, and even though the temperatures are cooler, the humidity still makes in impossible to safely do some things around the house.
Aside from being a little tired for a while, I'll be fine. This time of year, when the weather is changing constantly, is hard on me, but when the weather settles down again I'll be back to my completely abnormal self. If the allergies or the usual cold don't get to me first. But rest is a good idea, I think I could use more of that.
Thanks, I really want the new theme to look nice and turn out right, so I'll be taking my time with it. That, and I need to get my DVDs back from my sister to do some more capture work for a BG image and avatar.
KyuubiKhaos
Yeah, that's the one I got, and I'm glad of it too. I saw a lot of me in that character.
I know what I want to do, I just have to do it. I need to make some screen captures for my BG and avatar, then I need to pull a color palatte out of those images, and throw together one of those little linking button images like a lot of people on here have done.
Actually, I don't have a whole lot of luck with that kind of thing, but at least I'm building a tolerance to the seasonal allergens in the air. The past few years I haven't been as sick with allergies as I was my first years here. I keep my health up as best I can and hope for the best. Sometimes Mother Nature wins, sometimes we come out a draw.
Since it's getting cooler, I'll probably be wanting to keep warm now. Same for you too.
alphonse13:
Yeah, I've got some plans. You'll just have to wait and see what turns up with the theme.
It's cooler now than it was a week ago, and it's staying cooler. It'll be soon enough to get out the wool socks and heavy shirts, but for now things are tolerable.
beyblader
I'm not sure if you saw my previous post, so here's my earlier comments on the tunnels, with pictures!
Bonus Points:
500 bonus points go to the person who can identify the bird in the picture. What'll those points get you? Well nothing, but I'd really appreciate knowing what it is I was seeing out there on the trail. My mother who was with me couldn't figure it out either, at least we gota really close look at it with the camera.
