So, for my first UE adventure, a couple friends and I decided to hit a decidedly popular ghost town. You'll probably recognize it from the photos, but we figured it'd be a good start. Well, we went up one day and got sidetracked, and because of time, decided to come back another weekend. This weekend.
We planned it more carefully this time, as we were camping overnight near the town and wanted to make sure to hit EVERYTHING. After making a list, checking it twice, and heading up with our gear, we realized, thanks to nature, no one bothered to check the weather . . . It wasn't terrible, but we did spend the first 30 minutes or so hiding out in a tunnel we're all too familiar with now.
1.
Once it looked like it was clear enough, we headed out to finish exploring the mine that caught our attention the first time. Though we realized, quickly, we really didn't miss much save for one building.
2.
3.
Unfortunately, we didn't plan for a mine shaft to be completely open. The wood had rotted past the lock. I say unfortunately because, on the premise of bad air, we decided to skip it without proper gear. I was all for taking the chance, but they wanted to make it out safely. Oh well =). After one of the worst hikes ever, we made it to the town (seriously, that steep of a trail for that long of time, plus taking detours in the cover of trees, was killer on the thighs). But, we finally made it. Because of the cover of the forest, we hit up the residential buildings first.
4.
Each one had almost the exact same floor plan: two stories, kitchen next to living room, bedrooms at the end of a hallway with a bathroom accommodating all, broken glass.
5.
6.
Sometimes we'd find cool things not found elsewhere, like couches and stoves. One place even sported a bike. But mostly, each house was exactly the same, just in slightly different locations.
7.
8.
9.
10.
This lead to the . . . temporary living section? As we determined based on absolutely nothing but bigger housing. There was just more rooms to explore, and each building was slightly different.
11.
12.
Alright, enough of the living quarters. We thought we were pretty much in the clear and decided to check out the mining building on site. We failed to realize just how exposed to the road it was though. We made our way through the building like fat, lazy, hidden ninjas. And caught some pretty interesting pictures.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
As you know, exploring tends to get dirty. Thankfully they left some paper towels to clean ourselves with.
20.
Again, as sneaky as fat, lazy ninjas could be, we finally got around to the business side. I heard rumors of a bowling alley . . . and low and behold, we found it. Not only was there a bowling alley though, but a skatepark/basketball court. I guess either some engineers were there before us, or those mining families got sick of having nowhere to skate.
21.
22.
Anyways. we almost called it a day, but not before exploring a bit more of the town. We decided to split up in an open area to see what we wanted, completely oblivious to the car stopped right above the town, enjoying the view. Including the three kids running around an abandoned town (we're assuming, since no one told us anything).
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
All in all, an addicting hobby to say the least. Plus it's a better workout than running down my hall to watch a World Cup replay when someone scores (unless Brazil is playing, of course: that is quite the workout running back and forth).
We found a perfect campsite, complete with food storage, level ground (that was soft too), and strong wind that scared all of us. Loose dirt and strong winds, next to a running river, makes you uneasy. And I've included a picture because, appropriately enough, the campsite is now abandoned too.
30.
And before I sign off, I want to put in my request to be the new Beats advertising manager. We got some solid stuff to really sell those headphones.
31.
EDIT: I don't know if it's cool or not to post here, but if you wanna see more of my photography I can give you the link. Just ask.