Titan 2 Missile Silo.

If you haven’t noticed by now let me spell it out for you, I’m the driving force behind JSM. It all began with one simple storm drain that I took the guys in. I should say, for the record though, that it wouldn’t have started if Jack and Jeff didn’t accompany me on a trip to another drain that was partially flooded. I wouldn’t have thought to fashion some nearby railroad ties into huge ‘snowshoe’-ish puddle waders. I will say that since then, I’ve been pushing us to do more. There is a big difference between wandering down a reasonably dry storm drain and one that has nasty, swampy, water up to your knees. After you take the plunge you don’t go back.

That being said, I don’t specifically recall how we came about the idea of looking for abandoned missile silos. I suppose it was brought up casually in a conversation and we just started researching the possibility. We all knew of the Museum outside of town but that place is for armchair URBEXers. We wanted the real thing and come to find out there were 17 more around town. Understandably they all were quite a drive from town much less from each other. Thusly we began systematically planning trips to the ‘sectors’ northwest, east, and south of town in hope of finding one that was open. You might ask, “Why not use Google Earth to look for openings?” and I would say to you that we did! Unfortunately the shadows that appear at these locations are, for the most part just that, shadows with no missile silo door. So we hit the road, spent a lot of gas money, time, and consumed a metric boat load of bacon breakfast burritos, on a search for a holy grail of exploring.

This specific trip to a silo was intended to be uneventful and something to do on a boring weekend. I tried to convince Jeff and Jack to accompany me but Jeff wasn’t too encouraged to drive out to sight-see the middle of the desert and Jack was working. I went alone, technically breaking the cardinal rule of exploring (Never go alone) but I wasn’t doing anything dangerous – just browsing the top-side of an old missile silo.

Well I got there to find nothing but a dirt road. After some walking, I stumbled across the site clearing and old, broken down fencing, that used to keep the site somewhat secure. I suppose the most secure thing about this site was its distance from anything worthwhile because the fence was a joke even when it was brand new I’m sure. I trust that you realize by now that this site, considering it’s being written about, had an opening. I spotted it immediately thinking it was just another random piece of iron laying around on the top-side. Fortunately, this random piece of iron was attached to a long vertical crawlway with a ladder going down. Someone had torched the top open and furthermore, come to find out, torched the iron ventilation ‘spokes’ down below. Texting Jeff, I said if I don’t get in touch within 10 minutes, come to 570-3 and haul my sorry, probably dead, ass out of the ladder-crawlway (the escape hatch). Climbing down, alone, into the nearly pitch black hole that leads into an abandoned missile silo isn’t easy, but when you’ve been yearning for something this epic to explore – you do it anyway.

As all of my Uncles’ stories begin, “There I was…” At what seemed like the bottom of an escape hatch shaft, barely fitting into the horizontal tunnel that led into pitch black darkness. I looked in and shouted the obligatory ‘Echo’ and was greeted by my own echoing voice. Pointing my headlamp into the darkness – I saw NOTHING. This type of pitch black doesn’t really give into light very easily. Moving in a bit more I began to notice some ‘depth’ to the darkness, if I may, and decided to get out while the getting was good. I immediately called Jeff, which to his credit, he jumped up and hauled ass out there with every last light and battery he could muster.

And so, I think I’m going to spare you and get to the adventure. You’ve seen the video of our first visit – here are some pictures. You’re welcome.

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Oops- Sorry to disappoint

Sorry to any and everyone who were expecting a post today… This week has been a busier than normal week for us at the old University. I (Vik) promise that we will get a post up in the next 24-36 hrs full with pics, info, stories about our titan 2 adventures/shenanigans. Srsly!

~Vik

P.S. here are some really awesome pictures of us really straight guys doing really gay things (man-night wrestling) after having consumed a mix of Nyquil, Dayquil, and Stoli Vodka. Suprisingly it tastes like Jager! We Win! Hope this will hold you over till the missile silo pics!

Titan 2 Teaser: First Trip

Titan 2 Teaser: ‘Silo Social’ Video

We’re trying to get a little more active. This is a YouTube teaser for our official blog post that will be comming April 1st. Enjoi!

Codename: Lovedrain (A.K.A. Klang Pow)

Those were the days… When people would have the decency of NOT tagging your storm drain couch. Bunch of punk asses – We don’t come into your place and tag your furniture. We grew from here to find a matching recliner… and then found another couch and recliner. It was turning into quite the harem until the rain started washing it away.

The following video has nothing to do with us but it’s a relatively recent look at about half of the drain. Doesn’t show some of the greats like ‘Mexican Mouth’, ‘Demonic Lust Bunnies From Hell’, or ‘Spacefox Spiff’, but it does show the ‘Go back to your own reality’ chick.

Farmer Johns Meat Packing Plant

Ladies, Gentleman.

It’s getting dark as we clip in and zip up. Our feet are firmly planted on the concrete roof and the tips of our boots and daring themselves to inch a little more forward over the edge…wait. No, it’s not my area to tell you about some grand adventure and tell you of the things we saw, heard, felt, tasted and ran from. I will leave that to the other writers. The other writers whom are much more apt at preaching the adventures of JSMexploration. The writers who can use the rehashed lines of greater poets and recite the cliché feelings of being scared and tired and cold and get you to feel the nervous excitement that we feel every night we step into a place that was not meant to be seen.

No that’s not my bit here, I am not here to sing the song that you shout aloud with your friends. I am more here to be like that song that plays in the background of a nearly forgotten memory. That one last memory of that one last time you saw her smile. I guess I would tell you that I am here to give you a break – to get your mind off of wet boots and answer the question of why. Why would you do this? Why gear up, get dirty and tired and kill a whole weekend to only find all the places you failed at going? Its cheaper than a movie, it’s a better waste of time than striking out at the bars and it’s a way to slightly edge yourself and gently finger those long lost dreams. You know the dreams. The ones you secretly have after watching Harrison Ford or Charles Bronson or James Dean. The ones where you want to save the world; the ones you have when you’re alone and in the dark. Its true, squeezing down an air duct, climbing fences, rappelling down 100 feet of 10mm rope, hiding the gleam of your headlights, sneaking, crawling and breathing heavy in stale air are all within our reach.

No matter what the yellow warning signs or the ‘enlightened’ stepmothers or the beer bellied uncles tell us…our fathers were right all along. You can still grow up to be a dinosaur, you can still wear a red cape, you can still boldly go where everyone says you couldn’t go before. So why? I guess I go to still show myself that the greater good is not helping the homeless or giving blood, the greater good is pushing yourself to find just how far away that line is. The line between life and death. The line between the worst and the most perfect moments. The line that separates the great from the truly epic. The line between deep breaths and breathless. The line, that once you cross, gives you the feeling that you’re falling, fast and into the dark. Exploring past the fences and guards and safe havens is the start. It’s the first light kiss you give the night you loose your virginity to a bright eyed blond.

Exploring is the unadulterated way to tell yourself maybe, just maybe we were right all along. Maybe, just maybe all the nights spent on the floor drinking rum and dreaming of India was your prelude, your planning phase. Maybe, just maybe exploring will show you that its time to break the bonds from this Microsoft, Starbucks, Yacht Club, caution signs and Members Only jacket bullshit world. Maybe, just maybe after one grand adventure you will finally see that yes you can make it to India. That’s what JSM is. That’s why we are here. This is your ticket, off of the world and head first to your India. This is your gateway to one hell of a thing. This is a way to finally loose your fear of yourself. Just let go.

This is it.
The start and the end of every way we have known.
Goodnight.
Goodluck.
Ado, ado, ado.

DIY Exploring – 5 Essentials You Already Have

It’s all too easy for one to dismiss exploring as an activity that requires a slew of professional equipment. At first glance, the term “Urban Exploring” seems to imply a maze of slippery slopes, broken ladders, and heavy manhole covers. Without field experience, it’s very easy to fall into this unconscious fantasy and think about every dark turn as an event in and of itself.

Fortunately, we’re here to encourage you to drop the misconceptions, gather a few household items that you probably already have, and get out there! The following are 5 things that you most likely already have laying around the house that will get you started on the most basic of expeditions with as little risk for personal endangerment as possible!

Phoenix Trotting Park

Too lazy to write – Pictures speak more than words though… And yes we use one of the pictures as our blog header image.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix_Trotting_Park

In a concrete pipe, only your buddies can hear you shout.

I’m writing this in the middle of a long stretch of 24″ R.C.P.

This has become the norm for my Friday nights – laying in complete blackness, in a pipe, underground, waiting for my turn to move further down the pipe on the one skateboard we brought with us. It’s attached to both of the smaller, 50ft 5mm ropes that we have as back up ropes to our main 100ft 10mm. These two ropes provide for 100 ft of pitch black loneliness between me and the guys waiting for the wheels.

I’m first on this stretch of pipe followed by Mike, Jack,then Jeff. Mike is already freaking out… We’re not too concerned about him giving us away – in a concrete pipe, only your buddies can hear you shout.