Canoe Tunnel - sewer system
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(44 votes)
Published: Jun 04, 2000 12:00 a.m.
Viewed 810 times |
We returned to the Canoe Tunnel hoping to explore the unexplored side tunnels. For the second time, we entered using the elaborate canoe procedure.
Unfortunately, it had rained the day before. Parts of the tunnel that had been shallow enough for walking, were now covered in a rushing river, unpassable by canoe, by foot, or by swimming.
So we turned back. As we got close to the exit, we stopped paddling, sat in the canoe, and relaxed. As the water gently flowed beneath us, we got out our lighting system, ate granola bars, talked, and took photos.
After slowly drifting for about ten minutes, we reached the low ceiling. Here we had to submerge the canoe and float through the narrow clearance of the circular tunnel, just as we had done to get in. For fun, we tipped the canoe, and sunk it as we were still in it (it’s not everyday you get to sit in a sinking canoe).
With all the gear packed up and tied down, we sat in the water-filled canoe and proceeded down the circular 15’ tunnel with 14.75’ of water. Once we entered the tunnel, our seating order was fixed: I sat in the back, Tom sat in front of me, Clint sat in front of Tom, and Mike sat in the front.
As we continued, the water got closer and closer to the ceiling, which is normal, given that the ceiling slopes down. This was the sixth one-way trip down the tunnel, so we were comfortable being up to our nose in water. However, it soon became uncomfortably low, and we didn’t know how much lower it would get. We could see some faint light from outside, so we knew the tunnel was still passable, and for all we knew this was as low as it was going to get.
What really made things difficult was the 17’ canoe, loaded with bulky gear and rocks. As we went, the canoe would swing around, pushing you against the ceiling, pulling you under water, or pushing you to the side (which, given the circular shape of the tunnel, was the same as pushing you underwater).
By the time it became really apparent that we should turn back or get out of the canoe, we could no longer communicate such ideas. There was so little air you had three choices: put your head upright, and see people struggling ahead, put your head to the side, and hear people yelling and swearing and saying they can’t breathe, or put your head back, and breathe.
To exercise any of these three options, you have to know which way is up. Since no one could find their flashlights (except one), it was dark enough that was easy to get disoriented. If you lost your orientation, you would end up breathing in some water (this happened several times to me, and several times to others).
Also, all the while, we each had to remain as calm as possible; if you panicked and started choking, there would certainly be nothing anyone else could do to save you. But it was also possible to be too calm. I remember seeing Tom’s head floating motionless in the water, reaching out to find him not responding, and thinking he drowned.
Then, the canoe got stuck. It was finally clear to everyone that we should leave the canoe behind. We were in the process of attempting to get out of the canoe when we found that the rope Mike had running to his flashlight (the only flashlight we still had accessible) had gotten tangled around the canoe bars. He tried freeing himself, but was unsuccessful. So, we pushed the canoe along, just barely moving, knowing that at any moment, our last centimeters of air could disappear.
After continuing to struggle along, the canoe suddenly hit a pillar in the middle of the tunnel. We knew that this pillar meant we were very near the room with the high ceiling, and that just 20 meters past that was the exit. We, unfortunately, were still in the low area, and could no longer push the canoe.
Mike submerged himself and attempted underwater to find his knife and cut the rope. In the process he lost his knife and the flashlight. Then, still underwater, in complete darkness, he managed to take off his life jacket, untie the rope, and get free.
I knew that freedom was near, but the canoe, people and gear were blocking my way. I had to sit and wait, and hope that my inch of pitch-black reality would continue to exist. With Mike out of the canoe, Clint was also able to get out. Tom, however, was far enough back, that he had to dive underwater, and swim under the canoe. Somehow he managed to find the room. Finally, with everyone out of the way, we were able to move the canoe around the pillar, and I was able to get out into the room.
We soon were out on the shore, dripping and shaking from the experience. We knew that if things had gone slightly differently, one or more of us would not be standing there. The cave under downtown (the Holy Grail of Minneapolis draining) had become utterly unimportant; we were happy just to be alive. |
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 | Jul 06, 2005 11:43 pm -
sounds cool |
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