Get Your Wild On pt. 3
By Contributing writers |
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Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4
Shooting the Rapids
Golf for hippies, Soccer for peaceniks
Underwater adventures
Pitching a tent
Booze, balls, and sand
While Central Ohio is not a globally recognized destination for whitewater enthusiasts, it is home to a few landlocked paddle jockeys who know how to get their swerve on. You're never going to see any commercial rafting companies set up shop in Columbus, but if you know how to roll, you might want to acquaint yourself with the Scioto River just below the O'Shaughnessy Dam. As long as the water is low, it is also sure to be fast and rough, complete with a three-foot waterfall: perfect for the kayak, and for the more adventurous canoeist, an act of derring-do, especially if you're handy with the Bond-O.
Photo: George C. Anderson
The Olentangy River is also quite popular. Kayakers, also known as 'butt-boaters,' keep track of scheduled releases at the Delaware Dam so they can play in the rock garden that runs between the US 23 bridge, just south of Delaware to Chapman Road. At normal levels, the Olentangy doesn't offer much, but at full release there are a number of waves and hydraulics to play with.
If you don't know what a hydraulic is, don't go. Whitewater, even the mild class II-III stuff we see in these parts, is nothing to toy with. You need to know what you're doing, have the right equipment, and, for heaven's sake, never go alone. Columbus Outdoor Pursuits offers classes for those interested in taking the plunge. They are also a great networking resource, and can help you with connect with other adventurous types.
Check for scheduled releases on the Friends of the Scioto River website, www.sciotoriverfriends.org, and look into lessons and adventure networking on www.outdoor-pursuits.org
Golf for hippies, Soccer for peaceniks
Disc Golf is easy to pick up, but tough to master, making it insanely addictive. There are a number of great courses around Columbus open year round. Just like regular golf, disc golfers 'tee' off down a long fairway and have to make par for each 'hole,' which consists of a basket mounted on a pole draped with chains that help guide the disc in. Played with a specialized Frisbee that is smaller than a standard disc and made of a heavy rubber, mastery involves learning how to get the tiny disc to hit the chains from the farthest distance possible.
Since I play Disc Golf with a regular sized frisbee, which I'm positive is a sin, I sought out some local players for insider tips. Dan Goodall suggested that Blendon Woods (4265 E Dublin-Granville Rd.) was the best place for beginners. This is a pay course, but at $1.50 for a round or $4.50 for the day, this is definitely the proletariat's golf. Blendon Woods has discs at the course for rent or purchase, and there's a practice set of baskets by the first hole.
Goodall's personal favorite is the course at the Hoover Reservoir (7701 Sunbury Rd.), which is the longest course in the area, boasting 27 holes. Goodall also mentioned that the Duke and Duchess Shoppe (900 S Sunbury Rd.) sells golfing discs close to Hoover. Another enthusiast, Philip Morris, said that the Ohio State University's course (1031 Carmack Rd.) was great for beginners.
One mile south of the tree-lined Griggs Reservoir course (3116 Riverside Dr.) is a Disc Golf Mart (1971 Riverside Dr.), a candy shop for the Disc enthusiasts, as they have every color, size, and weight you could need.
For more information visit:
www.columbusdiscgolf.com
www.discgolfcolumbus.com
www.wfdf.org
Ultimate Frisbee isn't as easy to pick up as the more placid disc golf, but at local pick-up games you will find an enthusiastic following. A two-team sport similar to soccer, players catch the Frisbee and then must stop running until they have thrown it to someone else, the idea being to get the Frisbee into the end zone. In 2001, Ultimate became a medal event in the World Games, and the sport is catching on here in Columbus, too.
"Recruitment has been a big priority this year," said Mike Schelle, the coordinator for Sunday pick-up games at the Whetstone Park of Roses. "We have a youth outreach program for high school teams and have been working hard to recruit more women for the summer league."
Anyone interested in learning is welcome to come to a pick-up game; in fact, Schelle mentioned that they often recruit players of all ages from the people hanging out at the park.
If you are interested in learning a co-ed sport that combines the agility and defensive strategy of soccer with a patterned movement and strategy similar to American football, show up at the west end of the Whetstone Park of Roses on Sundays at 3 p.m. Bring a light and a dark shirt. Bring a friend. Bring it.
For more information visit:
www.columbusultimate.com
www.upa.org
Any proud Ohioan can tell you that our state is best enjoyed outdoors, whether you're exploring rolling meadows bursting with flowers, or a cool forest on a hot day. But if you're looking for a new way to see Ohio's natural beauty, you can take your explorations to greater depths. Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus lessons allow humans to hang out with the fishes, and surprisingly, good diving is available in nearby Circleville, Ohio.
Photo: Christopher Atwood
Just 20 minutes south of Columbus on Route 23, tucked behind a towing company and between a set railroad tracks, you'll find Twin Quarries. The quarries, at 25 and 30 feet deep respectively, are a comfortable dive for those new to or inexperienced with the sport. They're peacefully shaded by cottonwood trees, lined with soft aquatic grasses, and fed by cool springs. Hordes of pancake-sized smallmouth bass nibble and peck at divers as they enter the water, and float so close and fearlessly that you can reach out and pet their smooth scales. Beavers, pike, and catfish (weighing in at up to seventy pounds) also populate the quarries. John Sanders, a long-time diver who helps run Todd's SCUBA Sales on site, advises that the best place to look for a big catfish is under the semi flatbed sunk near the shelter house at the first quarry.
The flatbed is one of several large artifacts sunk around the quarries for the enjoyment of adventuresome divers. Other artifacts include a vintage ambulance and even a small aircraft, all of which are a little creepy to observe quietly resting in their beds of reeds and algae, circled by little fish. You'll need to be a certified diver to dive and rent equipment (affordably priced) from Todd's SCUBA Sales, but several instructors are even nearer to Columbus. A certification here, which can take as little as two weekends, can also open up vacation possibilities dramatically; learning cold water diving near Columbus means you can save money on overpriced diving lessons in Belize.
Dive Lessons in Columbus
Aquatic Adventures Ohio
(614) 545-3483
www.aquaticadventuresohio.com
3940 Lyman Dr., Hilliard
Cost: $375*
Columbus SCUBA Inc.
(614) 353-3483
www.columbusscuba.com
4933 Muleady Ct., Columbus
Cost: $375*
* Cost includes full open water certification, including rental for most or the equipment, excepting personal gear such as masks and snorkels.
Sometimes the best way to disconnect from the real world is to throw a tent and a couple of sleeping bags in the trunk and spend the weekend in the woods. Too bad woods are in such short supply in Central Ohio; most of the woods you find tend to belong to somebody who probably doesn't care for squatters. Fortunately, there are legal alternatives.
Alum Creek State Park offers 286 campsites just minutes from downtown. Deer Creek State Park provides 227 sites just outside of Mt. Sterling, a short drive down I-71. Both parks offer all typical campsite amenities, such as showers and electricity. The downside is that both campgrounds can get pretty busy during peak season.
For something a little more rustic, check out A.W. Marion State Park, just east of Circleville. It's smaller, and since it's not a major destination for the Ohio Amateur Navy, it's also more subdued. Only 29 of the 58 sites are wired, so you'll have a great excuse for not checking your email. You'll also have six miles of scenic hiking trails at your disposal, and a serene 145-acre lake to paddle, if so inclined.
Booze is technically prohibited at all state parks, but this rule seems to be selectively enforced. Keep a low profile and nobody will hassle. One helpful hint: it's Ohio, people, so pack plenty of bug spray.
For more information on camping in Ohio, including directions and hours for all state parks, visit www.dnr.state.oh.us/parks
The masterminds behind Flannagan's in Dublin have certainly built quite a reputation on the sticky, sweaty, sandy, and occasionally drunken fun that can be had at the thirteen volleyball courts connected to the barn-sized tavern. Conveniently located near I-270, Flannagan's hosts nightly volleyball tournaments for everyone from the casually non-committed (Friday night volleyball mixer), to those hardcore enough to wake up early (8 a.m.) for the Pro Doubles Tournaments, part of the Columbus Challenge Series. For the rest of us, there's the Co-Rec league, a great way to get some exercise with friends and cancel out any caloric deficits with pizzas and pitchers. Check out Flannagan's extensive website for enrollment information and applications. For those underage, the normally 21+ club is opening its doors this summer for a Junior League tournament (daytime only, kids).
Flannagan's
6835 Cain Rd., Dublin
www.flannagans.com
Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4
Originally Published: June 1, 2009
