Strange Tunnel

aero-nut

Went to go explore the "Schmitt Tunnel" near Red Rock State Park in California. Interesting place. Apparently this guy (Schmitt) took approx 30 years of his life (starting in the early 1900s) to dig this mine. Eventually, the digging popped out the other side of the mountain. So, now it's a tunnel that goes from one side of the mountain to the other (about .5 miles long). It is open to the public so you can hike through the entire thing. Couldn't resist...had to take a few shots:

A shot from the entrance of the tunnel.


A shot from inside the tunnel of the tracks leading to the entrance.


The view from the other side of the tunnel.


The entrance at the other side of the tunnel.


Another view of the tracks and tunnel entrance from inside.



As you might imagine, all of the "in-tunnel" shots were very low light. Most were 30+ sec exposures, thus the noise. Quite an interesting place. I'll have to go back sometime and try some different angles and lighting.

Skippy

Looks Great

aero-nut wrote:

Went to go explore the "Schmitt Tunnel" near Red Rock State Park in California. Interesting place. Apparently this guy (Schmitt) took approx 30 years of his life (starting in the early 1900s) to dig this mine. Eventually, the digging popped out the other side of the mountain. So, now it's a tunnel that goes from one side of the mountain to the other (about .5 miles long). It is open to the public so you can hike through the entire thing. Couldn't resist...had to take a few shots:
A shot from the entrance of the tunnel.
A shot from inside the tunnel of the tracks leading to the entrance.
The view from the other side of the tunnel.
The entrance at the other side of the tunnel.
Another view of the tracks and tunnel entrance from inside.
As you might imagine, all of the "in-tunnel" shots were very low light. Most were 30+ sec exposures, thus the noise. Quite an interesting place. I'll have to go back sometime and try some different angles and lighting.

WOW........what a great place........I LOVE that first shot looks like it's screaming "come and explore me" ...... or your expecting a coal train to come down it with you having no place to run

Great series, that first shot does it for me Skippy (Australia)

binghott

i saw your first picture and was amazed. then i scrolled down to the second picture and that one really did it for me, i really love that one. great job!

Thusie

Super super series

eye-max

The 1st & 2nd shots In the first shot, is that the existing lighting or did you create it? Either way, this is a terrific shot, it keeps drawing me deeper into the picture. Very dramatic lighting in #2

kdog

Cool place.

Extremely creative captures. I'd print those first two out as large as I could and frame them.

aero-nut

Thanks all, for the kind comments. It was great fun just exploring the tunnel. It's definately something that anyone in Southern CA should go see on their way to Mammoth. I wouldn't make a seperate trip for it though...

Oh, eye-max, it was natural lighting except the last one, where I used a flashlight to augment the foreground rocks a little.

DanielB

number 1 and 2 are absolutely phenominal! great job i love the lighting, and how only the rails are lit up.

aero-nut

DanielB wrote:

number 1 and 2 are absolutely phenominal! great job i love the lighting, and how only the rails are lit up.

Thanks, Daniel! I appriciate the comment. I was definately struck by the lighting there...If it was a cloudy day outside, I don't know if they would have come out as defined.

4labs

Cool shots nut!

Mikko

Aero,

You finally made it up to Burrow Schmitts Tunnel. Did you got to his house and take any pics? The first shot is double sweet. When I went up there I didn't go in it at all but I did go into his house.

Mikko

Phil U.

Now that's a strange hobby. Cool shots.

ian408

Great study in shadows. Very cool.

ian

CMaster

Man those first two shots are just incredible! I think my favorite is the 2nd one with the rails lit up and the light coming around the corner. Fantastic work!

aero-nut

Mikko wrote:

Aero,

You finally made it up to Burrow Schmitts Tunnel. Did you got to his house and take any pics? The first shot is double sweet. When I went up there I didn't go in it at all but I did go into his house.

Mikko

Hey Mikko,

Nope...didn't take any shots of his house. Not sure why. It was pretty trashed, and looked like people had ransacked it pretty severely. There was trash everywhere. Apparently, someone (who had taken it on as their responsibility to take care of the place and maintain the tunnel) was forced to leave by BLM. I think they were living at Schmitt's old camp house. There were signs up urging people to send protests to BLM about it, and they were fairly recent. Kinda weird.

Angelo

very cool shots