Bat Country

I had heard about this place from my friend Nickel. During the spring and fall semesters, I would often hang out with Nickel in the tunnels underneath Towson University. In the summers when he works for Columbia Association, Nickel often finds and shows me recently discovered chill-spots.

I wasn't scheduled to work on Tuesday, so I went to the East Columbia Branch Library with Joey to help him prepare for the GED. After studying at the library, we walked around Owen Brown as we often do. I remembered Nickel telling me about a tunnel underneath Broken Land parkway, so we went to check it out.

At the bottom of a forested slope on the corner of Broken Land and Cradlerock lies a stream and two concrete tunnels spanning the width of the parkway. To satisfy my curiousity, I decided to walk through one of the tunnels, Joey followed. One hundred feet through a steel ribbed, sand filled sewer tunnel. No snakes that I could see, just the sound of trickling water and the echo of flip-flops.

On the other side of the tunnel was a concrete slab followed by a stream choked with brush and fallen timbers. Among the twigs and trash, Joey found an expired Maryland learner's permit for Jhef Herard Felix of 6361 Windharp Way along with a lone black athletic shoe. After snapping a few pictures of damsel flies and waterfalls, we decided to head back through the other tunnel.

That was when we entered Bat Country! As far as people go, Joey's reserved and not easily startled. However, not long after we entered the tunnel, we discovered Bat Country. His mannerisms quickly changed to panic as he screamed out about bats and snakes and death.

A podcast of our adventure through Bat Country can be found here.