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12:56pm December 31, 2011
10 Most Fascinating Holes on Earth Located in northern California, the Monticello Dam is the largest morning glory spillway all over the world. This funnel-shaped outlet, allows water to bypass the dam when it reaches capacity, as it swallows a rate of 48,400 cubic feet per second (1370 m³/s). The distance from the funnel to the exit point - which is situated in the south side of the canyon - is about 700 feet. This type of spillway is basically a giant cement funnel. The hole’s largest diameter is 72 feet and narrows to about 28 feet. For obvious reasons, swimming near the glory hole is both prohibited and stupid. There are buoys strung across the lake to discourage boaters and swimmers from approaching the glory hole and the dam. Furthermore, the glory hole is well fenced off from the land. During the drier months, when Lake Berryessa’s water level is well below the rim of the glory hole, skateboarders and bikers sometimes use the spillway’s horizontal exit as a half-pipe. (Link) [Water pouring into a huge circular hole from both sides. Other photos show the concrete hole without water pouring in.] For some reason I am utterly terrified by anything like this. Many waterfalls scare me, but waterfalls that come from all sides, whether natural or artificial, are the stuff of my nightmares. I don’t know if it’s a result of my bike accident as a kid. I was riding my bike down a bike path that split into two parts. I saw two cyclists, one taking each path. Having no depth perception and no fear, I chose randomly to follow one of them. I didn’t know I was going to go down a steep hill. When I did, I lost control of the bike. I didn’t hear my parents screaming at me to jump off. I only survived because of a rickety fence that I rammed into face first. Otherwise I would have fallen quite a distance into a rocky creek right in front of a waterfall. I ended up developing what was probably PTSD. I couldn’t go near the spot for ages, and suddenly waterfalls and bridges scared the crap out of me. I went to visit something called the Water Temple, which had something small scale but similar looking to the drain hole above and it gave me panic attacks to be within sight of it. And I was constantly twitchy. I guess that was probably it, but I still can’t look at one of these things without a deep sense of unease, at minimum.

10 Most Fascinating Holes on Earth

Located in northern California, the Monticello Dam is the largest morning glory spillway all over the world. This funnel-shaped outlet, allows water to bypass the dam when it reaches capacity, as it swallows a rate of 48,400 cubic feet per second (1370 m³/s). The distance from the funnel to the exit point - which is situated in the south side of the canyon - is about 700 feet. This type of spillway is basically a giant cement funnel. The hole’s largest diameter is 72 feet and narrows to about 28 feet. For obvious reasons, swimming near the glory hole is both prohibited and stupid. There are buoys strung across the lake to discourage boaters and swimmers from approaching the glory hole and the dam. Furthermore, the glory hole is well fenced off from the land. During the drier months, when Lake Berryessa’s water level is well below the rim of the glory hole, skateboarders and bikers sometimes use the spillway’s horizontal exit as a half-pipe.

[Water pouring into a huge circular hole from both sides. Other photos show the concrete hole without water pouring in.]

For some reason I am utterly terrified by anything like this. Many waterfalls scare me, but waterfalls that come from all sides, whether natural or artificial, are the stuff of my nightmares. I don’t know if it’s a result of my bike accident as a kid. I was riding my bike down a bike path that split into two parts. I saw two cyclists, one taking each path. Having no depth perception and no fear, I chose randomly to follow one of them. I didn’t know I was going to go down a steep hill. When I did, I lost control of the bike. I didn’t hear my parents screaming at me to jump off. I only survived because of a rickety fence that I rammed into face first. Otherwise I would have fallen quite a distance into a rocky creek right in front of a waterfall.

I ended up developing what was probably PTSD. I couldn’t go near the spot for ages, and suddenly waterfalls and bridges scared the crap out of me. I went to visit something called the Water Temple, which had something small scale but similar looking to the drain hole above and it gave me panic attacks to be within sight of it. And I was constantly twitchy. I guess that was probably it, but I still can’t look at one of these things without a deep sense of unease, at minimum.