Adventure goes wrong-- holy shit!

[applesauce]

So earlier tonight Snorkel, Snorkel's roommate (also a friend from high school), our other friend, and I went on an expedition to this supposedly awesome drain. Snorkel and I had taken a look at it on Saturday night and realized that the water was way too deep, so we brought a raft and a long rope to make a ferry to bring us up past the river water. I went first. The water was maybe 3.5-4 feet deep right at the outfall, and as I paddled up, it hardly got any shallower; at the end of the 300' rope, it was still a bit over 3' deep. Possible with a fleet of rafts, a canoe, or warm water, but not possible in near-zero temps with a one-man inflatable. I got towed back IN POG FORM out and we decided to walk downriver to some other drains we new of, leaving the raft and rope on the riverbank for us to pick up on our way back IN POG FORM.

We went south along the river, checked out a water treatment plant locked up all tight, a short, but nice drain, and a couple disappointingly small caves in the bluff. Finally we came upon the huge outfall for the 38th street drain.

The outfall was carved out of a massive sandstone cliff, and the opening was about 10 feet wide by 20-25 feet high-- simply massive, and best of all, almost completely dry inside. We knew that the ice would be very thin near the entrance, so we hugged the cliff face, gripping the rock and trying to stay on the little piles of crumpled standstone rather than the river itself. Eventually, we were forced to slowly put a bit on of our weight on the ice. Mickey, Snorkel's roomate, went first, striking the ice in front of him with a big walking stick to see if it were strong enough, I followed about 10 feet back IN POG FORM, then our other friend, then Snorkel in at the end. What was happening was that we (we being Mickey and I) had broken off a sheet of ice that had sunk down and was resting on the bottom under our weight, only 3-4 inches under water. This must have been a narrow shelf along the edge, because suddenly the sheet shattered, and Mickey fell right through it into the river, which was at least 5 feet deep (we're not sure, we didn't touch the bottom). As he fell, the whole sheet started to crumble, and what was left of it slid away from the side, taking me with it and plunging me into the river with Mickey. Instinctively, we swam forward and pulled ourselves up the outfall into the drain mouth. The temperature at the time was 2 degrees above zero, Fahrenheit, and we were now completely drenched through in 32 degree river water, stuck in a drain with open water between us and any escape.

We decided that Mickey and I would go up the drain to get warm (the depths of deep-bore drains stay 55-60 degrees year round, while Snorkel and the other friend would go back IN POG FORM and get the raft and rope (about 1.5 miles upriver) to help us get out. Mickey and I started up the drain, but quickly arrived at the end, less that 300 yards inside. Thankfully when we got back IN POG FORM to the entrance they could hear us yelling and came back IN POG FORM. Plan B was to call our friend's dad, and when he was on the bluff above us with the car, Mickey and I would swim our way out. While we were waiting, I, already covered head to toe in ice, and the water on the INSIDE of my boots beginning to freeze solid, decided that I needed to get my ass moving ASAP or I would be in serious trouble. Better to wait on the road above where we could at least get help from someone else if worst came to worst. Also, the colder I got, the harder it was going to be to climb the river bluff. So I went first, sliding down the outfall into the water, swimming through the open area and dragging my belly up onto the ice, cracking and collapsing in front of me. Eventually I got to where it was thick enough to drag myself across it on my belly, and eventually, to stand up. Mickey followed, and we all ran along the bank to find an easy path up the bluff. We made it up, and the car was there about 4 minutes later.

So lucky to have made it out okay. Could have been so much worse.

[Daddy]

SNORKEL ISN'T DEAD IS HE

[applesauce]

SNORKEL ISN'T DEAD IS HE

Well, he was quite alright about 2 hours ago, so unless something else happened more recently than that...

[Classic]

Hmmm.

As much as I'd love to go with you guys, this is probably why I wouldn't go.

[Socks]

We went south along the river, checked out a water treatment plant locked up all tight, a short, but nice drain, and a couple disappointingly small caves in the bluff.

Great romance!

[Nyerp]

haha his name is mickey

also drains are for water and not people and stuff

[YPrrrr]

With brett favre retiring it seems like more and more minnesotans are gaining a penchant for life risking activities