Clancy Tucker's Blog

21 November 2021 - CASCADE FALLS - DUCK CREEK VILLAGE, UTAH

CASCADE FALLS

- DUCK CREEK VILLAGE, UTAH -

G'day folks,

Southwestern Utah is known for the spectacular colors of its scenery and is home to several national parks and monuments. The orange-and-white Claron Formation (formerly known as the Wasatch Formation), in particular, is responsible for both Bryce Canyon National Park and Cedar Breaks National Monument. By comparison, the Pink Cliffs formed by the Claron above the Virgin River Rim almost seem dull. Except for one thing: Cascade Falls.

At one point water springs out of the Pink Cliffs and drops into the headwaters of the Virgin River, making an attractive and surreal waterfall. It emerges at an elevation of about 8,800 feet, while the ridge above tops out at over 9,400 feet. The source of the water is shallow Navajo Lake, which has a natural dam of basalt lava and floods the bottom of a valley beyond that ridge. The lake lies at an elevation a bit over 9,000 feet and is a little more than a mile, as the crow flies, from Cascade Falls. The Claron Formation is sufficiently permeable that the lake water has found a path through it.

Clancy's comment: Wow. Looks like a great trail, and excellent scenery.

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13 November 2021 - THE AWESOME ZION CANYON - UTAH, U.S.A

THE AWESOME

ZION CANYON

- UTAH, U.S.A -

G'day folks,

The trek through the Narrows of Zion National Park is a stunning sight: The path can be as skinny as 20 feet wide, while the vertical red canyon walls shoot up to 2,000 feet high on either side. It’s considered one of the best hikes in the world — but be prepared to get very wet.

Slot canyons, narrow canyons that are drastically taller than they are wide, are often on the bucket list for intrepid hikers. However, although they are formed over time by water rushing through rock, only a few still have a river running through them. That’s what makes the Narrows so legendary.

The hike through the Narrows, located on the North Fork of the Virgin River in Utah’s Zion Park, starts at the section of the canyon known as the Temple of Sinawava, and ranges from two to sixteen miles depending on the route.

The trek will simultaneously delight your eyes with one of the most beautiful sights imaginable and drench your clothes with cold water. This is because, for a third of the hike, the Virgin River fills the Zion Canyon from wall to wall, forcing hikers to slosh through the water atop slippery rocks to move forward, sometimes submerged as much as chest deep.

Adventurers looking for a real challenge will attempt the Narrows in the spring, when the snowmelt makes for even higher water levels, although if the flow rate reaches 120 cubic feet per second the river is closed off to tourists.

Hiking through a slot canyon is not without its risk. Despite the dry climate of the American Southwest, the number one danger is the canyon filling with too much water. During a rain storm, the water level can rise quickly in such a narrow space. Tragically, 11 tourists drowned in Utah’s Antelope Canyon in 1997 when the water level rose in the tight, inescapable pit.

Despite the risk, thousands of adventurers wade through the Narrows every day. After two hours of hiking through the river, trekkers will reach “Wall Street,” a deep, dramatic canyon — appropriately named, considering its wealth of good views.

Clancy's comment: Mm ... I'm not so sure about trekking through this.

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25 November 2021 - ZION - MOUNT CARMEL TUNNEL - UTAH, U.S.A

ZION - MOUNT CARMEL

TUNNEL

- UTAH, U.S.A -

G'day folks,

Here is a tunnel with windows, so you don't miss out on the impressive views.

The natural beauty of Zion National Park is undeniable but for those with an interest in civil engineering, this 1.1-mile road tunnel is an impressive structure to admire while driving into or out of the park.

The Zion–Mount Carmel Tunnel is equipped with six galleries, or openings that provide light, fresh air, and glimpses of the fantastic scenery just outside the tunnel. When viewed from the exterior, the galleries give testament to the imaginative design of the structure. During construction, the galleries were used as a means of disposing tunneling soil into the valley below.

Originally, each of the galleries had parking places to allow visitors to admire the views. But these are no longer available because of a number of accidents in the tunnel.

The tunnel was constructed between 1927 and 1930, and is part of the Zion–Mount Carmel highway, the length of which is included in the National Register of Historic Places. When the tunnel was built between 1927 and 1930, it was used to help minimize the visual impact of the highway, which was intended as a direct route between Zion, Bryce Canyon, and the Grand Canyon. The tunnel maintains a constant distance of 21 feet between the road center line and the face of Pine Canyon.

When the tunnel was dedicated in 1930, it was the longest of its kind in the United States, though it has since been surpassed by the 2.5-mile Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel in Alaska.

Vehicles above a certain size (such as RVs) are required to pay a $15 fee to pass the tunnel, which is temporarily converted to a one-way system while they pass. Bicycles and pedestrians are prohibited from entering the tunnel.

Clancy's comment: What a top idea to include windows in a tunnel.

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17 November 2021 - BOOLBOONDA TRAIN TUNNEL - AUSTRALIA

BOOLBOONDA TRAIN

TUNNEL

- AUSTRALIA -

G'day folks,

For train and tunnel enthusiasts there is no better place to visit than the Boolboonda Tunnel in Queensland. This amazing 630-foot long (192-meters) tunnel can either be walked, cycled, or driven through. The tunnel cuts through a granite hillside and is known as the longest manmade tunnel in Queensland.

Constructed between 1881-1884 by the O’Rourke & McSharry, the rough-hewn rock walls did not require lining or additional support due to the hard granite. The tunnel took two years to create and is located between the towns of Gin Gin and Mount Perry. It was constructed to serve the Mount Perry Copper Mine and officially opened in 1883.

Due to the closure of the mine and declining use of the rail, the line closed in 1960 and the rails were removed in 1961. The publicly accessible, single-lane, gravel road through the tunnel is open to vehicular traffic and is now used to access other local properties.

The Boolboonda Tunnel was listed on the Queensland Heritage Register in 1999. The tunnel is now home to a colony of protected Bent-wing bats. The unlined rock walls of the tunnel make for a uniquely interesting drive, a fun cycle, or a simple walk.

Clancy's comment: Imagine digging the tunnel through all that granite.

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12 November 2021 - MYSTERY CRATERS DISCOVERED IN AUSTRALIA

MYSTERY CRATERS

DISCOVERED IN AUSTRALIA

G'day folks,

Halfway between Bundaberg and Gin Gin is one of Australia’s greatest mysteries. There, you’ll find a plot of pockmarked land that has baffled people for decades.

In 1971, this patch land was owned by a crop farmer. The farmer wanted to extend the area of his crops, but kept hitting rocks in his attempt to clear the land. He noticed the rocks weren’t like others in the area and sent off to be studied.

It was discovered that the curious rocks were 25 million years old. Intrigued by the strange rocks, a research team investigated the area and uncovered 35 oddly shaped craters hidden in the ground.

The mottled mixture of sandstone and ochre stain have been the subject of many investigations, and people have yet to reach a conclusion as to how they formed. Popular theories range from meteorites to ancient volcanic activity to, of course, extra terrestrial lifeforms.

Clancy's comment: The attraction is located about 330 feet (100 meters) off the highway. Beyond the craters, the attraction features a fossil collection and a fairy garden.

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9 November 2021 - CANTON AVENUE - ONE OF THE STEEPEST STREETS IN AMERICA

CANTON AVENUE

ONE OF THE STEEPEST

STREETS IN AMERICA

G'day folks,

Canton Avenue, in the Beechview neighborhood of Pittsburgh, is one of the steepest streets in the United States, with a maximum gradient of 37 percent. Though only one-tenth of a mile long, for every 100 feet there is a 37-foot elevation gain. (Although Baldwin Avenue in New Zealand is commonly cited as the world’s steepest street, its gradient is only 35%, but Baldwin’s gradient does continue for longer than Canton’s.)

Begun in 1983, Pittsburgh’s annual Dirty Dozen bike race takes cyclists over Pittsburgh’s thirteen steepest hills, including cobblestone-paved Canton - the steepest by far. In the words of the race’s founder: “That hill gets about half the people the first time up. People don’t take it seriously enough. Once they crash or don’t make it once or twice, then they take it more seriously. But some people try three and four times and don’t make it and give up. The hill just defeats them.”

Clancy's comment: Imagine what it would be like coming down it in a billycart?

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8 November 2021 - MAN FINDS GUNS AND MONEY IN BASEMENT

MAN FINDS GUNS AND

MONEY IN BASEMENT

G'day folks,

This young man was stepping into the realm of first time home ownership, but what did he find in the basement?

What he didn’t anticipate was what he would find inside his new home once he started getting settled. Scroll down and see what this guy found that had him in complete shock!

The new owner bought this house pretty cheap. The previous owner had passed way. The basement was chock full of junk when he first toured the house. The previous owner had not moved anything out.

In the process of cleaning out the basement, the new owner noticed something odd. A piece of plywood that fit into the wall in a peculiar way. He decided to investigate the strange piece of wood further. When he tried to move it, it wouldn’t budge. Finally after some prying, he got the piece of wood to break away from the staircase and the wall. What he saw shocked, and even scared him a little. Inside the wall was a small room that measures about 4 x 4. Inside were many gun cases, military ammo crates and a big grey metal container. Also inside was a large safe.

Then there was the matter of this giant metal crate in the room. This whole crate was filled to the brim with pennies.