speleological adventures

spe·lunk·er
Pronunciation: spi-'le[ng]-k&r, 'spE-"
Function: noun
Etymology: Latin spelunca cave, from Greek spElynx; akin to Greek spElaion cave
: one who makes a hobby of exploring and studying caves

so i had some time off and a couple friends have been wanting to go to a nearby cave to explore. i had known of this cave and briefly explored 1 year previous when in the area for a Forest Service week long training. title of the training was primitive bridge building. this time around we were there to camp and explore the cave to its fullest extent, and that we did to OUR fullest extent (some rooms in the cave were extremely hard to get to). after a bit of research via the .com world, a map and complete description of the cave was obtained. Map &Info. after a mesmerizing fire, s'mores, and the chilly night of curling into our sleeping bags mother nature broke our slumber with a beautiful day and brisk winds. camp was cleaned up and a quick 5 minute drive to the fulford cave trail. .75 mi. hike and one arrives at the main enterance seen here...

a culvert that climbs downward into a mountain, some people may shy away from such things, but not myself, Molly, and Jeff. headed down into the world of darkness and roughly 40º; first order of business >> turn off all lights for 5 minutes allowing eyes to adjust. it begins, the self guided tour through fulford cave: flowing water, stalagmites, stalactites, large cave rooms, other interesting formations, and tough maneuvers. through our approximate 4.5 hour adventure of anti-sunlight the 3 of us quickly found out how much we appreciated our helmets. numerous times did i have helmet to rock contact. clothes and exposed skin quickly became covered with the finest mud i have ever played in. all in all a great, safe trip with much exploration.



ps. we had easy cheese and ritz. when was the last time you had easy cheese? long time... huh? exactly why we decided to purchase it. tasted wonderfully and provided for an entertaining lunch as we took part in a decorating contest.