Journal Number 1:
Expedition 1

(Notes: All distances measure in paces (p or P): mine is approx 2.5 to 2.75 ft.
All intermediate pace measurements (grates, panels, significant features) are cumulative from the last turn or intersection.)

Date: 11/19/97
Time of entry: approx. 0400
Point of entry: Engineering center South (ECCR)
Party: Z
Equipment: Pencil, pad, bicycle headlight
Goal: find entrance to tunnel believed to exist between Engineering center and Kittredge West (KWST)

Time of exit: 0615
Point of exit: Engineering center North (ECEE/ECAD)

I Headed west beneath ECCR in a service/conduit tunnel to begin my very first journey into the tunnel system here at CU. It was well lit and rather warm so I ditched my jacket and bag. 31 paces W. Turned R (N), 31 paces to -| intersection. POINT 1E. L (W) 45p. (at 19p note "13KV" lines to R)
Came to 'dead end'. Noted graffiti to R: "TNO "94' Elite", "Chris+Evan+Jason 1/27/95" I'll bring chalk next time to leave my mark.
Note Exit sign to front, but see no exit. Note ladder on wall to L goes up 15-20', leading to an opening to the S.
Climb ladder- NOTE: pipe to immediate L of ladder is VERY HOT. Can cause fall if it startles you.
Top of ladder, see tunnel that leads S farther than I can see. POINT A. Lights were on for the first 100' or so- note light switch upper R that controls the entire string.Walked 125p to S and came to |- shape intersection: tunnel continues to S and R toW. To L is a blast of cold (outside) air. By the panel located above, I figure I'm in front of the Business school. POINT B.
'Hidden' switch upper NW corner of intersection controls lights to S.
Decided to explore to W and come back to explore S later. Did not know of tunnel to W previousy.

Walked 100P to W, came to + 'cross' intersection. POINT C. Note beer bottles and chair in small alcove to R. Also note chalk markings on wall to R, F: arrows pointing "home" (point to F (W)).

Decide to explore to L(S) first. Walk S 18P to left turn and solid) overhead panel (secured). Turn L (E) to see brick wall and door a few steps away. Approach door, and see chalk label to R of door "Reed" (dorm in engineering quad). More beer bottles. Note that I can unlock door by turning lock from my side (towards door jamb) - open to find myself in a storage/janitorial/electrical area in te basement of Reed. I can unlock door to hallway in basement from my side. Interesting. I heard earlier that there was a rapist c. 1991 that was thought to have entered dorms through tunnels.

Return to + intersection- point c - and walk N 18P and turned R (E) to see same style brick wall and door. Label "XMAN" (Crossman dorm).
Unlock and open this door only an inch or two and notice I'm moving something with the door so I decide to close it to minimize evidence of any tunneler. Got the shit scared out of my by some klind of pump starting up behind me.

Return again to + intersection - point c - and continud W 25p to another cross intersection, this one a little more roomy. POINT D: 'The Crossroads'. Note folded up card table on ground and slightly open "High Voltage" door. Grate-style panel above. More arrows pointing "home" and other black arrows pointing other ways.

I am getting interested at this point because even though I have seen these grates before I never suspected that these tunnels were connected.

Turned L (S), 35P to 45 degree turn to R (SW). (25P note steep short ramp down).
50P past angle turn, I come to -| intersection. POINT E. "escape route '95" on wall. Note locked grate above. Turn L (SE) and walk down hot hallway about 20P to small opening with a large. noisy fan circulating hot air towards me. Half door at the top af 3-4 stairs, has a grate at the bottom so I can see inside. Locked by medeco key on my side. I believe I'm at Hallett dorm.
I notice what I believe is a broken water pipe gushing large amounts of water down drain 12-18" in diameter.

I think I hear voices over the fan and see pipes moving. I fugure they may be coming to investigate broken pipe so I stay for a minute and plan a hiding contingency. No one came so I returned to -| intersection (point e). Lesson: pipes move and make noises for no apparent reason.

Continued SW for another 35P and came to \| intersection that was immediately followed by a 45 degree turn to R (W). POINT F.
I decide to take L (S) fork. Find switch for lights and walk 76P to R turn (W). There is a ladder leaning up aainst the corner and above is another locked grate. I climb the ladder and can see two yellow poles and a Cherokee parked nearby. I do not know where I am. (later found out to be on the N side of lot 327 to the E of Regent and S of Willard.)
Descended ladder and went W 130 P to L (S) turn. (65p notice 'chimney' with grate abount 25' up.)
Turn L (S) to see knifeable door. (Regent admin, ctr?) This may come in handy come grading time. This area is HOT.
I return to the \| intersection (point F) and continue on orig. path that turned 45 degrees to R (W). Walked 30P to see 'window' on upper L wall. I see that I am beside a loading dock and know now that I am on E side of Willard hall. Continue another few steps to crawl shaft that leads to a mechanical room I believe will get me into Willard. I will return here next time.

Exhausted all routes, return to previous + intersection (point D) pretty far back (via F, E).

Turn to W for 23P and come to 45 degree turn to R (NW). 25P to leaking steam pipe. and 45 degree turn to L (W). I can't continue to W but will return here later. POINT G. I believe I am at Farrand and that the continuance of the tunnel will lead to basement and on to other side of dorm. Hot and muddy here. Return to + intersection (point D) and see large roach on the way (the only life I've seen so far).
Continue N from 'The Crossroads' quite a ways. Not all had light swithces I could find. 27P notice overhead grate. 64p another overhead panel. Another grate at 82P and 124P.
At 130P come to 45 degree turn to L (NW) and see label "ABR1" on wall (Brackett dorm?) 29P to NW see round manhole/drain above.
61P to 45 degree turn to L (W). I believe I am under the sidewalk that runs in front of Libby and towards the Eng. center.
Walk 52p, note panel overhead. 77P to overhead grate (UNLOCKED). I know I am in front of Libby because I have noticed this unlocked grate several tinmes in the past. POINT H: 'Libby'. The tunnel continues farther than I can see to the W (I know it runs past Baker) and also branches to the L (S) under the stairs in front of Libby. I believe that this will take me to the pitt. The entrance to the tunnel is fairly well blocked by pipes and large cables- you really have to want to wriggle and get dirty to get by the blockage. (someday I will).

The tunnel to the W is also annoyingly blocked (but passable) but I decide to leave this exploration for another time. Having exhausted all routes so far, I returned all the way to the Business school |- intersection (point B via 'The Crossroads', C,) to continue S to Kittredge. Turn S from B. I know it's a long way. Surprise at 47P: tunnel to L (E) that I believe leads to the back of the Business school. POINT I. Take stairs down to L, 40P to uinlocked gate. Immediate L down short hallway brings me into a large mechnical room. After perusing some notes and logs I learn that I am indeed in to Business school- but where? I find two doors (can't be locked from my side- great!!! and determine that I'm to the S of the old puckett lounge in the basement. Door right by flowerpot leads to the mechanical room where I am. The other door opens near the SE staircase in the Bschool.

Return to point I and continue south. I can find switches to all the lights down this tunnel so far. 25p- watch your head.
39P- overhead panel. Another at 127, 210, and 250- I must be very near Regent drive by now. The tunnel goes under regent as I had suspected- but not under the crosswalk- it goes straight as the walk above angles right to meet the crosswalk. It turns L (E) at about 300p- I am past Kittredge Loop Drive right now and in front of KWST- but the tunnel does not go to the R (W) to run into the north extension of Kitt West as I had thought. There are several large pipes that go through a hole in the wall to the R- maybe they carry hot steam/water under the path and that is why the snow melts there first, which is what initially led me to believe that the tunnel ran underneath the north door of KWST.

I turn L (E) and follow the tunnel. 85P- grate above. 110P- tunnel branches downhill and to R (S). POINT K. I belive I am in front of (and traveling under) Kitt commons. I follow the downhill tunnel 32p to overhead panel and 60p to crawl tunnel to R. Did not explore. 65p ran into standing water that was soon deeper than even the shit-kicking soles of my docs. Didn't want to ruin the leather (I will get some 'nam-style boots next time) so I turned back to point K. and continued E. Another 5 paces and the tunnel took abount a 22 degree turn to the right (ESE I believe), another 30 or so paces to another small cure to the right (and an overhead panel or grate) and then another 5 paces to a locked gate. Later as I followed my route on a map my best guess is that I was as far as Buckingham. I want to get a better reading next time (compass). Again, exhausting all routes, I return to point A for re-entry into the Engineering center tunnels.

I descend the ladder and go back 45p to the E (point 1E), but instead of turning R (S) to return to my original point of entry, I want to find the other entrance my friend told me about. So I turn L (N) 40P and then R 10P. Left (N) again and find myself in an obviously more used part of the tunnel- power tools, paint cans, shopping carts, table drill press, a workbench, etc.
Soon I find the gate my friend told me about- but wide open instead of chained closed as initially desctibed to me. I see the freight elevator and take it up to the 1st floor (I was at B, passed floor 0 to 1). I got off and had no idea where I was (if you're a CU student you know how damn confusing the E center is. I can find my way across campus underground and know where I am but can't find my way from one end of the E center to the other. I HATE that building. I find that I am near the electrical engineering wing (ECEE) and the administration section (ECAD) and then find my way back to the original point of entry to pick up my bag and coat that I ditched.It was now 6:15 and light out so I decided to get on my bike and retrace my route, before going back to my house to crash.

Notes/observations/conclusions:
1) Tunnels were usually warm (65-75F) and someimes extremely hot (90F or above, not including escaping steam from pipes)
I was usually comfortable in my short sleeve shirt but next time will bring a light long sleeve for protection.
2) Possible escape/exit points:
Business school (point B)
Engineering tunnels (N and S)
Grate at Libby (need ladder or buddy to lift you)
Regent (may be alarmed, however)
Crossman or Reed dorms
3) I almost always could find switches that controlled the lights for a long string of the tunnel (both ends, usually.)
4) Some pipes had very clear warnings: 'ASBESTOS: DO NOT HANDLE OR DISTURB WITHOUT PROPER TOOLS AND PROTECTION'. Oops.
5) There are good reasons NOT to be in the tunnels. Extremely high voltage exposed lines and transformers (13KV will ruin your weekend), asbestos, steam, falls, other physical dangers. And if you get caught the police cold have a number of assumptions/reactions: stupid kids fooling around, trespassing, breaking and entering, burglar, rapist, etc. I want to be prepared but I think a cop will be more suspicions of a person in black with a backpack, boots, large flashlight and various knives or tools etc. than a stupid looking kid with a polo, docs, and a backwards baseball cap who is stumbling around with a bike light.

There has not been much tunneling activity or press around here recently, so in general I don't belive the police are actively patrolling the tunnels. But i could be wrong. Maybe they're reading this right now.

Be careful out there. Don't fuck it up for the rest of us.

Notes for future expeditions:
1) Bring brighter flashlight if possible and extra batteries or backup light
2) Mask or bandana for asbestos filter
3) Chalk for marking landmarks for future tunnelers (I plan to mark very clearly my point labels for you to follow)
4) Knife that I can damage to open doors
5) Campus map and compass
6) Better boots
7) Friend who can pick locks

Future objectives:
1) Follow tunnel to Farrand and beyond
2) Follow tunnel to W of Libby
3) Find link to known tunnel on the W side of IMIG Music and Enviro. Design, and then to Norlin and on to Old campus
4) Accurately map KIttredge area
5) Ekplore crawlways at Willard, Kitt Commons
6) Enter Regent if desired (definietly serious trespassing)
7) Find other points of entry