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Believe it or not, Ohio has more difficult whitewater than you may be familiar with. The state flanks the western side of the Appalachian Mountains, and rivers like the Cuyahoga cut through sedimentary rock to form ledge-drop gorges. Still, the number of challenging whitewater runs in the state are limited, and often intertwine with the industrial heritage of the state. For some Ohio whitewater paddlers that means getting creative. But this video from the YouTube channel, Ohio Whitewater takes novelty whitewater to another level, as the kayaker decides to slide his creek boat down a 500-foot tunnel.
The speed the paddler is traveling makes it appear the tunnel is pitched at a lower angle. Rather than a high-speed flume ending in seconds, the paddler is sliding through the tunnel for over a minute before exiting. Not a great place to be if you aren’t a fan of tight spaces, or being alone in a tunnel with your thoughts.
You aren’t the only one if you’re thinking kayaking down a tunnel this long isn’t without added risk. The paddler clarifies this descent wasn’t without taking precautions. The tunnel was scouted for strainers and other obstacles in advance at a lower water level. Also, according to the paddler, the headlamp they were wearing provided more visibility than it seems in the published video. Those points taken into account, the spirit of paddling exploration is appreciated, but we’ll likely take the portage.