It's always amazing to me how quickly the earth reclaims what we have done. If humanity were to disappear it would only take a good 200-300 years and just about all of the signs of humanity would be gone from the face of the earth.
It's always amazing to me how quickly the earth reclaims what we have done. If humanity were to disappear it would only take a good 200-300 years and just about all of the signs of humanity would be gone from the face of the earth.
Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote:Twin_Cam wrote: I know where this is going. I'm not a moderator or anything...Are you a soothsayer?
I'm here to say a sooth!
I have heard of developers building homes IN quarries...which is scary, because the quarry across the road from me cracked and is now filled with very VERY blue water. It's weird to see on a satellite photo. It's like iridescent bright blue.
You guys don't explore the urban environment much, do you? This kind of stuff is seriously everywhere, you just have to go look for it.
Otto Maddox wrote:This is the private planned community I live in. It is built on reclamed strip mined land. Wherever it was really deep they made little lakes, sold lakefront lots, and made tons of money.
There is an old strip mine near Jim Thorpe PA with potential for that, except parts of the mine still appear to be in operation and I'm not sure the geography would allow it to be easily flooded entirely beyond what nature has already filled. When I first started mtn biking around that area in the early '90's, a lot of the terrain looked like moonscape - barren gray shale from the days of coal mining. The northface of the Blue Mtn Ridge had practically no trees at all from the now derelict steel industries. It's mostly green now although I do understand nature had 'help' with reclaimation (remember "superfund" sites?).
The original video is pretty sweet, too. Makes me think of a chapter of a book I read a year or two ago called "The World Without Us," about what would happen if humans simply disappeared tomorrow. There was a chapter about nature's natural "reclamation" that happens with stuff like this. It would take a surprisingly short amount of time for most buildings and infrastructure to be completely overgrown, collapsed, or unrecognizable. Like something on the order of 25 or 30 years. That road he's riding on might be only 10 or 15 years abandoned.
40+ years for the Pa Turnpike and it's all still very recognizable.
In reply to jimbob_racing:
That's the same tunnel they filmed part of "The Road" with Vigo Mortissen
jimbob_racing wrote: 40+ years for the Pa Turnpike and it's all still very recognizable.
I think anything with mild climates and winters would actually survive a long time. Vegetation is the main killer of human made constructs.
In Alberta, for instance, there would be evidence of civilization for centuries I bet.
Think of something like a pumpjack, that would not just "magically" disappear unless vegetation overtook it. Hell, Stone Henge is still around...
Looks like the set of Tokyo Drift is falling apart! 
I love seeing stuff like that.
Ha! I knew I would find a picture of that scene.
jimbob_racing wrote:The original video is pretty sweet, too. Makes me think of a chapter of a book I read a year or two ago called "The World Without Us," about what would happen if humans simply disappeared tomorrow. There was a chapter about nature's natural "reclamation" that happens with stuff like this. It would take a surprisingly short amount of time for most buildings and infrastructure to be completely overgrown, collapsed, or unrecognizable. Like something on the order of 25 or 30 years. That road he's riding on might be only 10 or 15 years abandoned.40+ years for the Pa Turnpike and it's all still very recognizable.
If that is the tunnel I think it is.. I have wanted to walk/ride through it for a while now.. it's just west of harrisburg, right?
jimbob_racing wrote: 40+ years for the Pa Turnpike and it's all still very recognizable.
How long does that stretch??? I'd buy a cyclocross bike for the sole purpose of riding that road, if I lived close to it.
The clip in the OP was really neat/fascinating. However, the music didn't remotely go with the content. 
gamby wrote: The clip in the OP was really neat/fascinating. However, the music didn't remotely go with the content.
Japanese stuff never makes sense, just watch their kids shows:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBG67bOqA6g&feature=player_embedded#!
Or Habu Sake liquor:
Strange berkeleying people
Anti-stance wrote:gamby wrote: The clip in the OP was really neat/fascinating. However, the music didn't remotely go with the content.Japanese stuff never makes sense, just watch their kids shows: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBG67bOqA6g&feature=player_embedded#! Or Habu Sake liquor:
I don't want no motherberkeleying snakes in my motherberkeleying booze!!!
Does anyone know if there is a website that can show this stuff on google maps?
I'd like to see the old Pennsy Turnpike.
Ian F wrote:Otto Maddox wrote:There is an old strip mine near Jim Thorpe PA with potential for that, except parts of the mine still appear to be in operation and I'm not sure the geography would allow it to be easily flooded entirely beyond what nature has already filled. When I first started mtn biking around that area in the early '90's, a lot of the terrain looked like moonscape - barren gray shale from the days of coal mining. The northface of the Blue Mtn Ridge had practically no trees at all from the now derelict steel industries. It's mostly green now although I do understand nature had 'help' with reclaimation (remember "superfund" sites?).
I was working on a small house that sat at the end of small road about a half mile off the main road. I was installing helical piers on one corner of the house. It had settled around two inches. As I was installing the first pier at around thirty feet deep I began to hit rocks. Then all of a sudden the whole entire seven foot extension dropped out of the gearhead and disapeared into the earth.
Turns out the whole area used to be a quarry. I did manage to finally hit some solid ground at around 100 feet. Typical depths for the area were around fifteen feet. And anything beyond fifteen was 28$ per foot.
Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: Heh, now the gas drillers are destroying the countryside with thousands huge pump rigs but fixing all the old dirt roads to accomodate tanker trucks full of chemicals and frack waste.
Not to take things further off course, but to compare a gas well to a strip mine is a big stretch. A typical lease is not very large, and once drilling/completions are done the well takes up very little space and aside from the access road the rest of the area is left for nature to reclaim.
Twin_Cam wrote:Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote:I'm here to say a sooth! I have heard of developers building homes IN quarries...which is scary, because the quarry across the road from me cracked and is now filled with very VERY blue water. It's weird to see on a satellite photo. It's like iridescent bright blue.Twin_Cam wrote: I know where this is going. I'm not a moderator or anything...Are you a soothsayer?
You have noticed that too? We have a lot of sandmines around here (south Jersey sand was used in the construction of the panama canal.. it has just the right consistancy) and everyone of them that is filled with water.. is bright blue
The music is from Afterburner 2, btw.
Great, now you guys got me obsessed with the abandoned Pennsy Turnpike Tunnels. Thanks a lot. 
Last year (?) when we were talking about it here I used Google Earth to locate the PT tunnel Ganassi is leasing. Looked accessible by hike, bike or quad. I would not approach from the TP but roundabout by township roads... and most prolly crossing private land. After the story went internetz the locals are prolly leery of helping outsiders.
from what I read.. those tunnels are supposed to be part of a road to trails biking path they are working on.
fasted58 wrote: Last year (?) when we were talking about it here I used Google Earth to locate the PT tunnel Ganassi is leasing. Looked accessible by hike, bike or quad. I would not approach from the TP but roundabout by township roads... and most prolly crossing private land. After the story went internetz the locals are prolly leery of helping outsiders.
Don't even think about the Laurel Hill (Ganassi) tunnel. Like Jim_bob I was greeted by a State Trooper when I stopped along the TurnPike to take some pictures of the western end. You can't see the eastern end from the turnpkie since it is about a mile back around the mountain from the new road.
It would be interesting to go back and see the tunnels since I have been thru them in a car many times as a kid. The laurel Hill tunnel literally hundreds of times since it was on the way to Grandma's house every Sunday.
mad_machine wrote: from what I read.. those tunnels are supposed to be part of a road to trails biking path they are working on.
There are three tunnels that they decommissioned. The Rays Hill and Sideling Hill tunnels are part of the bike trail. Laurel Hill is further to the East and thats the tunnel Ganassi Racing Leases.
Honestly it would have been cool if they would have kept all the tunnels, but then I wouldn't have something to fascinate over.
I spent some time on google maps last night following the old turnpike. It's a 13 mile stretch, but only 8.5 of it can be used by the public.
I was also amazed to find out that the Sideling Hill Tunnel is a little over 6700 ft long and due to the crest, you can't see light at either end of the tunnel. That's just awesome.
that is very awesome.. anybody for a ride later this year?
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