The Underdark

Historical maps can peel back the layers of time to reveal what hides beneath the facade of urbanity. While conducting another Team Crowbar investigation a curious feature on an old map led to further research, in the course of which we discovered a network of defunct aqueducts hidden beneath Connecticut's suburbia.

Access to the subterranean network was now limited to a single entrance, cleverly hidden. To gain access, a long trek over the state's highest mountains was required, no small feat during the winter night.

Indeed, unable to contain our excitement, we set out in the late evening, as soon as the results of our research were confirmed. Finally arriving at the circular portal, nestled in at the base of a huge cliff, we saw that a swift flow of water fed a lake nearby, defunct or not, the aqueduct still moved a lot of water. Stepping into the frigid water we passed into the underground.

The circular concrete tube stretched into the distance and our splashing footsteps echoed loudly around us. The tunnel, so mysterious on paper, in reality seemed to rapidly be shaping into an endless concrete highway. But as we began to contemplate turning back something changed up ahead. As we approached cautiously we found that the pipe abruptly ended and opened into a much larger tunnel hewn directly out of the rock. In these earthen halls thousands of bats dove and swooped around us while water dripped down from the ceiling above.

The water here was also much deeper and we were eventually forced to turn back before we would have liked due to the cold. When we resurfaced late in the night we found that a heavy snow had begun to fall. The hike back was a miserable forced march with wet shoes and pants that quickly froze. Fearing frostbite, we began jogging back to limit our exposure to the cold temperatures. Eventually we returned to the car, all extremities intact.

From the Archives

This historical photo was taken during the tunnel's construction.

-2016-
bayou goula towhead

-2015-
the sea test

-2014-
the circumnavigator pt5
the circumnavigator pt4
the circumnavigator pt3
the circumnavigator pt2
the circumnavigator pt1
falling dream
the darkness
one hell of a mile 3&4
he will return
the believers
the horror pt2
the horror pt1
traces
death valley
whiteout

-2013-
paradise of outlaws
the mountain climbers 1&2
brought to surface
one hell of a mile 3
primordial
the lost world
inner gorge
a ghost story
the riddle
slaying the minotaur
heart of darkness
bayou
public lands
organ music
two sought adventure
the virgin river
the road north
preparations

-2012-
steal the world
the end of the world
el dorado
the valley of the kings 2
the valley of the kings 1
one hell of a mile 2
one hell of a mile 1
the mountain climbers rr4
heroes rr3
rainy roadtrip 2
rainy roadtrip 1
the transgression
sandstorm
sinister 2
sinister 1
dehydrated
anatomy
sleepwalking
new chapter

-2011-
like sedona?
torn in two
blink
bridge to nowhere
the door
hitting the wall
elusive 2
elusive 1
harquahala
hole
pick up lines

-2010-
revisited 2
revisited 1
which way?
lost mines
chute
monolith
freeze
slice
in their footsteps
a dance with death

-2009-
goodbyes
undercurrents
casting the bones
mountain thief
the deer hunter
strange temple
sanctuary
burial pt. 3
burial pt. 2
burial pt. 1
the apparition
return to hell
forsaken
the lower depths
underground lake
stretch sewer
the hidden lab
shadow movements
meager rations
sw8: the conclusion
sw7: lost gold mines
sw6: the big tubes
sw5: gold!
sw4: el calderon
sw3: redondo
sw2: ghosts
sw1: westward bound
leviathan
formaldehyde dreams
the underdark
in the beginning