dberdinka Posted February 17, 2003 Posted February 17, 2003 (Pictures to follow soon) This has absolutely nothing to do with climbing but it is a must do urban adventure for anyone who lives in the Bellingham area. Even though I was hacking up my lungs on Saturday, I packed up the gear thinking Id get a few pitches in at Index on Sunday. Waking up with a sore throat and wind and rain patterning on the window killed my ambition. Instead I found myself hanging out in the neighbors kitchen mooching some breakfast. Soon another neighbor, Brad, floated in and starts trying to hype me up for some adventure. He wanted to climb mountains, lacking interest he snapped back with --Lets go down the Padden Creek Tunnel-- Huhhh? Sounded cool, so we did. Evidently the tunnel was constructed in 1893 to divert the creek and drain a wet-land now turned into a residential neighborhood called Happy Valley. The tunnel is about half a mile long, egg-shaped and maybe 6' tall. Its made of brick and has a steep grade creating a bit of roar in there as the creek rushes through. Gear requirements: Hip-Waders (optional) 1-2 homemade torches A good imagination Beer is good too To make a torch. Get a big stick, tear up some rags and old shirts into strips and tightly rap a small bundle (maybe 1.5 shirts) around the stick tying it all together with knots. Now using picture hanging wire, bailing wire or whatever tightly wrap this around the fabric to keep it in place. Just before leaving soak all this with maybe half a bottle of ultra-pure paraffin lamp oil. We bought a bottle of this for $3.49 at the local grocery store. Finally wrap a plastic bag around this and hold it in place with a rubber band to minimize fumes until you light it. The torch lasts for an amazingly long time, burns relatively clean and gives off A LOT of light. The charcoaled end is great for writing graffiti too. Cool! Dont forget a lighter and leaves the flashlights/headlamps at home if you want to keep the adventure-index high. The tunnel starts near the intersection of 22nd Ave and Fairhaven Parkway. Theres no parking here so park at the corner of 24th and Fairhaven Parkway. There is a good spot here just behind the No Parking Sign. Jump into the creek and splash down it to the tunnel entrance. This is guarded by an old rebar cage that you can easily slip through. Trivia: Evidently this tunnel is a right-of-passage for 15 year olds in the neighborhood. If you ain't been through the tunnel you ain't shit. The water is fast. A light breeze blows with it keeping the air surprisingly fresh. You pass some interesting side passages, go down some slippery drops, twist around long corners, look up through old shafts leading 25+ feet to spiderweb covered manholes. Interesting stalagtight-ish formations coat the ceilings and walls from time to time. Soon you feel like you are headed for the bowels of the earth, the light of your torch growing dimmer, the shadows coming closer. --Shhh did you hear that? Whats out there? -- Straight out of Lord of the Rings. Its bitchen! But of course after maybe a half hour suddenly there is a spot of light and before you know it you have popped out in Fairhaven Park. Drink a beer. Now walk back to your car getting strange looks from the motorists. Quote
Dru Posted February 17, 2003 Posted February 17, 2003 wicked! urban caving. there is all sorts of that stuff under Vancouver and of course the "steam tunnels" which everyone has probably seen on X Files.... find any "Live D&D" nerds from the 80's trapped down there? remember, rat cannot bite thru hip waders and denim, but they can bite thru denim so dont let them climb up and over the top of your hip waders or youre screwed!!! Quote
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