Alaskaphototravels.com
Reflections
The Two Tunnels
by Mark Arvid White
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One of the more fascinating experiences I have had over the past several years of living in Alaska was an opportunity to become something of an amateur spelunker, not in a natural cavern, but in a pair of roadside tunnels discovered one day quite by accident while stopped along the highway near the confluence of the Matanuska and King Rivers north of Sutton. Turning from the Matanuska River, which I had been admiring, I faced my car and saw in the embankment across the highway what looked to be a dark hole in the rock.
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It was more than a hole. It turned out to be one of two man-made tunnels only a few yards apart from one another. We poked our heads in each of them, but waited for another day to possibly venture in. As it turned out, that initial peek into the dark became the first of several adventures into what we later referred to as the Two Tunnels.
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The righthand tunnel was deemed Bravo, and was a very tight squeeze. Once within the entrance though, the tunnel widened, allowing easier exploration. Going back some 20 feet, the tunnel veered to the left at an angle, going back another 10 feet to a dead end where holes had been drilled for controlled explosions which had never come. These tunnels had been deserted mid-use it seemed. We wondered who had put them there, and why.
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The left hand tunnel was deemed Alpha, and had a much easier entrance. Unfortunately, it didnt widen out as much as Bravo, though it had perhaps the more intriguing contents. Alpha went back some 20 feet, forming a T. The right side of the T came to a dead end. The left side went through a very narrow passage, one in which crawling on your belly like a snake was the only way in. This passage led to a small chamber that was partially filled with water. Like so many other parts of the two tunnels, the water chamber became a mystery.
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Over the next several months, we took it upon ourselves to explore these tunnels, mapping and measuring, taking samples of rocks and insects, running tests and generally enjoying the spirit of exploration and discovery, even on such a small scale. We encountered numerous insects, spiders, ice formations, and more. Much of our exploration was in winter, adding another interesting element when outside was colder than the cool tunnels into which we had ventured.
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One more than one occasion in exploring these tunnels, I brought along photographic equipment, hoping to chronicle our adventures, as well as come away with some interesting pictures from beneath the surface of the earth. One of the more intriguing things we found was a little piece of ice, formed like a stalagmite from water dripping down. This piece of ice had no others near it, and it looked quite alone. We dubbed it 'the ice snail." ,
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Insects of many kinds abounded, including moths and a tiny flying gnat which got sucked into at least one mouth. There were many spiders as well, and I took a few pictures of these hardy arachnids, eaking out an existence in the middle of January in a cave beneath the earth. We had numerous adventures in these two tunnels, and one day will return. For an in-depth look at the accompanying journal to the Two Tunnels exploration, please click here:
Two Tunnels Journal
