12/10/2005 - Hoosac Tunnel

WARNING: THIS POST CONTAINS VIRTUAL ACTIONS SO EXPLICITLY BONEHEADED THAT YOU MAY NOT WISH TO ALLOW YOUR CHILDREN TO READ IT.

When I was a boy, my parents read me the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy. From those books, the image of going into the roots of a mountain sticks with me. In reality, I am sure that the roots of a mountain are mostly more mountain, but in the books they are places of water, goblins and evil so unfathomable that it can destroy powerful wizards.

Well, for all of those Tolkien fans out there, you will be pleased to know that there is a place in America where you can head straight into the roots of a mountain. That place is Hoosac Tunnel.

Hoosac is a 26'x22' tunnel through the Appalacians that runs a good 4 miles before you come out the other side. The website speaks of it as a boon to commerce and feat of engineering, but from my virtual perspective, it is just way cool. Were I a real tourist, I am not certain that I could even find a passenger train that runs along the Fitchburg tracks, through the Hoosac. Happily, I am not. Therefore, I have chosen my route to go through the tunnel, spending the night at the middle, among the orcs, before heading out the other side.

Please tune in tomorrow to find out whether I survive my night among the trains, the orcs and the evils I cannot name.

14,000 suspenseful steps today. Cheers,