Waterfall
Ah sweet sweet waterfall drain how I love you. As discussed earlier the Draining in Minneapolis site somewhat prepared me for the goodness of Waterfall drain. Greykat, Flame, Gatsby, MMC661and myself made a secret rendezvous near a carpark and entered the ONLY manhole entrance to the drain. The other entrance requires a canoe and possibly swimming a small section of submerged tunnel. Getting to the falls is a shortish walk downstream to a fork, then an invigorating trudge upstream through knee-deep fast-flowing water to the falls. The falls are monstrous, creating a 2ft thick literal wall of water which smashes against the concrete. The deafening crash of water echoes inside the chamber which houses the falls, and more amazing can be heard from the moment you enter the drain through the manhole. I snapped a few quick pics of the falls, though the insane mistiness and water content of the air prevents anything too fancy. The water moves so quickly you must employ an assistant to hold down your tripd, thankfully Flame obliged. Other than getting completely soaked I manged to avoid owning myself, w00t.
Lucky13
Freak, Flame and I hit St Paul to explore the aptly named Lucky 13 drain. 13ft of concrete diameter goodaness. The main feature is the detailed dropshaft. I got no photos, check out Action Squad. There are 2 side tunnels of brick construction which I found more interesting than the truck line. Once supposedly joins to an abandoned power tunnel. The end of this tunnel is a dropshaft, separated from the tunnel by 4-5 ~evenly spaced troughs of water which span the entire width of the tunnel. One of the landings between the troughs possesses a side tunnel which is rumoured to join the power tunnel. The landings are wet, a lil turdy and slipperyFresh.
Freak informed me that Action Squad would reward anyone who jumped the first (and biggest) trough with a lil section on their site about whatever was at the end. Before I jumped I measured the depth with my tripod. I extended the legs fully, upped the center column and lowered it in. I got to tripod + elbow without even hitting the bottom. That's 7 1/2 feet. Thankfully my psychic power were active and I'd brought my sexy waders with their seeeeexy metal studs. Girls wear sexy underwear for confidence, I sport motherfucking Thigh High Sexy Waders to feel pimp. Nothing says I Mean Business of the Kick Ass Take Names kind like leaving big gauge(???) marks everywhere you walk. The fingernails down a chalkboard like sound of me approaching is like having Fear 30' radius cast. Moving right along...
I aimed to be a touch short on the narrow landing to give maximum sliding distance before I'd plummet into the next trough. The stanky drain air filled my lungs, rushed out to my muscles, filled them with freshness and I leapt. I touched down at the front edge of the concrete and the wader studs bit like a pitbull and held tight. Momentum carried me forward just nicely :) I ducked up the side side tunnel to find a wall of cinder blocks barring my path. Through a small hole air rushed towards me, pushed though by what I couldn't determine. A sledgehammer would make short wall of the barricade. I returned, jumped the other troughs to reach the dropshaft finding it wet and relatively dull.
Back near the entrance to the drain we checked a side tunnel which morphed to a human proportioned brick arch. There were nice junctions and staircases blah blah blah excitement over... see pics :) What a decent way to spend my last day in MSP!
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Comments on MSP - Waterfall & Lucky 13
flame
#1 - 2006-09-13 22:29 - Reply
s///
#2 - 2006-09-14 11:31 - Reply
Steve/undercity
#3 - 2006-09-20 23:00 - Reply
Mr India
#4 - 2006-09-26 17:56 - Reply
dsankt
#5 - 2006-09-26 18:33 - Reply