Abandoned/derelict sites

[nmatcek]

Does anyone have any tips for knowing if there's asbestos in these places? There's some beautiful abandoned places in CO to explore but I don't want anything to do with asbestos.

Most buildings from the late 1800s to early-mid 1900s with any type of insulation, flooring, or any materials besides wood or metal will have some asbestos inside. As long as you're not renovating the place or cutting , sanding, drilling, tearing up carpet, etc you shouldn't worry too much. The danger comes from these activities that stir up the silicate fibers which can then be inhaled. Also, most of the damage comes from repeated or heavy exposure.

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[vision-quest]

Most buildings from the late 1800s to early-mid 1900s with any type of insulation, flooring, or any materials besides wood or metal will have some asbestos inside. As long as you're not renovating the place or cutting , sanding, drilling, tearing up carpet, etc you shouldn't worry too much. The danger comes from these activities that stir up the silicate fibers which can then be inhaled. Also, most of the damage comes from repeated or heavy exposure.

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The question I have though is hasn't mother nature done that "renovating" for you by destroying the walls, roof etc, thus placing all of that asbestos that was inside all around the interior of the abandoned building? Sure, weather probably took a lot of it away, but I would think there's traces left.

I went to an abandoned town here in CO with some buddies and they were all walking through the buildings and houses getting some killer shots but even as a photographer I just stayed outside because I was petrified of stirring up asbestos that may have been sitting on the ground as a result of the collapsed roofing and walls. I have a grandparent who is currently dying of asbestos caused lung cancer, they thing due to some renovations she did 30 years ago.

 

[vision-quest]

Does anyone know of any abandoned car yards in Colorado? Been looking for one for a photoshoot.

 

[Bushcoat]

Colorado has too many cool places. They are everywhere!

 

[Rattler]

Assateague Island NS at the VA/MD border. We took these on our Veterans Day Excursion.
View attachment 314594
View attachment 314595
When the NS was established, several of the hunting lodges and beach houses were purchased with a 25 year lease back. After the leases expired, NPS locked the houses and have largely left them to rot and return to nature.
More on the history of these places and photos of them can be found at http://www.assateaguephotos.com/Other/The-Old-Assateague-Island/

That looks like a neat area to explore!

 

[jerdog53]

Colorado has too many cool places. They are everywhere!

and so are the people.....

 

[Doc Foster]

That looks like a neat area to explore!

It is a cool place. There are more homes like that on the Northern part of the island as well (NOT accessible by 4WD, only on foot), but there are backcountry/hiking campsites and/or permits. Many of the ones on the Northern part were abandoned when a Hurricane in 1932 cut through the barrier island separating that community from the rest of the barrier island which is the now densely populated Ocean City, MD. You can only drive on the beach south of Assateague State Park, which is within Assateague National Seashore.
http://www.nps.gov/asis/index.htm
http://dnr2.maryland.gov/publiclands/Pages/eastern/assateague.aspx
On the MD side you can drive on the beach all the way down to the MD/VA state line, where there is a fence from the ocean to the bay - primarily to prevent the 2 different wild pony herds from migrating either North or South, though I bet some of them make it across the state line. I am not sure how far North you can drive up from the VA side as I have never done that part.
You do need a permit - http://www.nps.gov/asis/planyourvisit/osv.htm
http://www.nps.gov/asis/planyourvisit/upload/OSV-2013-2-sided.pdf
Be sure to follow all rules, and yes they do shoot radar to maintain safe speeds (yes I found out the hard way), and yes they check everyone for a permit. The pass is expensive, but it is worth it. The campgrounds are packed in the summer, but late spring and early fall are great times to visit. Never tried it in the winter time, but I am sure that is nice as well. Just watch the weather!
If you do go in the summer the Pony Swim is not to be missed, as long as you are not afraid of crowds. It has been an annual event for 90 years.
http://www.assateagueisland.com/ponyswim/ponyswim.htm

 

[Doc Foster]

The upper image is Hovenweep at the Square Tower site

The lower one is near the Butler Wash ruins, but not exactly in them - in Utah.

Here is another view of that one:


And a closer view:


This one is off the beaten path a bit, with no signs, so you need to do some research.

 

[Doc Foster]

Abandoned Coastal Defense site in Delware

There used to be 16" and 19" guns placed at the mouth of the Delaware Bay during WWII.

 

[Doc Foster]

Fort Pearce on the AZ/UT border

 

[Every Miles A Memory]

Was up in Michigan visiting family and went on a Photo Tour of some of the abandoned buildings Detroit is known for

Fall Inside one of the Abandoned Buildings

Stalactites growing from the ceiling in the Fisher Body 21 building

I posted a bunch more on my blog - Abandoned Detroit

 

[Bushcoat]

Beauty, I'd love to see Detroit but I guess I'm too much of a p###y hah.

 

[Every Miles A Memory]

I went with a guided tour. Not that its legal or anything but he acts as a tour guide at least

He tells you right from the start...."Everything we're going to be doing is going to be illegal, but I've spoken with city officials and numerous police explaining what we're doing. They all agree that we're walking around taking photos. We're not vandalizing, spray painting anything or stealing anything, so they agree that they'll turn a blind eye to us."

He did say that if police comes up at any point, we were to let him do the talking. And it was broad daylight on a Sunday morning. Now late at night, forget that, I wouldn't be caught in any of these places after dark!!!!

 

[Bushcoat]

The crackheads, meth labs, junkies, gangsters, etc are the things I would be worried about... Im not worried about the cops and suit n tie officials, I can take them lol.


I usually don't go in places, sometimes I do if they look easily accessible/open/etc. But I never force my way in, usually just wander around the outsides. I like to think about what a place might have been like in its prime, or imagine what kind of stories the place could tell.

 

[Bushcoat]

Sometimes I like to just take a pic of my vehicle in front of abandoned places.

Or from the drivers seat...