jamesp
Cave Dweller 
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,589
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Post by jamesp on May 1, 2013 20:52:49 GMT -5
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Post by Pat on May 1, 2013 21:02:09 GMT -5
Beautiful, but no thanks.
I've been in some. Always interesting, sometimes beautiful. I prefer air!
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keystonecops
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since October 2010
Posts: 957
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Post by keystonecops on May 1, 2013 21:27:29 GMT -5
I agree with Pat. Purty awesome but I too like air. Later Clyde
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,589
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Post by jamesp on May 2, 2013 1:35:27 GMT -5
Being in a cave may not be a good place for folks that live in such open areas as the west.A lot of people are uncomfortable with caves.Totally normal reaction. I know that leaving the thick forest and hiking in a desert takes getting used to.And a pile of what looks like 3 inch gravel is really 3 foot boulders-not 1 mile away but 15 miles away.Perception distortion galore. Dearest wife,baby boy brother and wife Amy 30 years ago at Ellison cave entrance.All cave virgins except Jamesp haha.That look on baby boy's face is'i wanna kick your ass'.He was mad cause dearest wife whipped him in mud battle-loser  One of four monster shafts in this bad cave  |
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Post by Toad on May 2, 2013 6:07:24 GMT -5
Dang, that shaft is crazy!!!
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Post by kap on May 2, 2013 7:36:22 GMT -5
Toad I'm not sure the the shaft in the picture is what is crazy.  |
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on May 2, 2013 8:39:39 GMT -5
Rappelling down is the easy part. The climb back up is what impresses me. The Lewis and Clark cavern in Montana has a walking trail through it. If anyone gets a chance to go do not miss it. Really impressive and super photography location.
Jim
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,589
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Post by jamesp on May 2, 2013 8:44:40 GMT -5
The weight of the rope is a large part of the calculation when figuring-the strength of the rope! 600 foot ball of rope weighs a bunch.
High rise window cleaners cut it close.For example, a 200 pound weight for a 200 pound man to tie to.Cutting it too close for my comfort.The friction and the fact it would be difficult for the weight to flip over the banister wall is the safety factor.The weight is carried up on a dolly via elevator by the window cleaner.The owners of Cliffhangers(window cleaning service)was my next door neighbor for years and i am satisfied they are real crazy.
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Post by Pat on May 2, 2013 9:30:54 GMT -5
That shaft reminds me of tigereye. Are those lines water lines?
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bhiatt
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2012
Posts: 1,532
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Post by bhiatt on May 2, 2013 10:29:19 GMT -5
that shaft is cool looking, almost looks fake.
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,589
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Post by jamesp on May 2, 2013 10:38:10 GMT -5
I see the tigereye Pat.Should be shear limestone with crinoids in it.Yes,i would say those are water lines.I do not know the hydrology of that particular section of the cave.I have seen the wash line at least 100 feet up the cave wall from the rain event that occurred a few days ago.Like roping down there is normally scuff marks on that particular wall that were washed away by a recent rain event.
I would imagine those water lines were made during the years of creation.In a heavy rain event water is probably pouring down that shaft from various locations.Rarely filling the shaft.The shaft is like an underground drain in your sink.Pouring down the wall is one thing but gushing out and falling down a long rope line like that would be painful and dangerous.Always check the rain predictions.Many rope lines hang in a dormant water fall saddle.So climbing back out with a wash coming down on you make climbing rope a bad day.
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Post by rockpickerforever on May 2, 2013 17:05:29 GMT -5
Eons ago, I spent a year in Alabama. My mail came through Somerville, although I was about 20 miles or more east of there. In that year, some friends took me to about three different caves. They said Indians had lived in one of them at some time in the past.
It was really hot out the day we visited that one, and the creek coming out of the cave and cool air really felt good. However, when you see a ceiling collapse inside, and someone says, "Wow, that wasn't like that last time!" it kind of removes any spelunking bug or urge to explore that you may have had, just like that - know what I mean? Jean
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,589
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Post by jamesp on May 2, 2013 17:23:23 GMT -5
I am sorry you had to stay in Alabama,Jean.We love to pick on them folks from Alabamastan,us Georgians.A section of Case Caverns is round tunnels about 10 feet round.We took the wrong fork out and walked into a complete cave in.We were sure it had caved in.It caused such fear that the group was cramping and in pain.You ever get that metallic taste in your mouth?We were so happy to figure out the wrong route had been taken. So you were in NE corner of Alabama i think.Big cave country.Good jasper too.I always wonder if western folks find our terrain boring.Hope you enjoyed your stay. This is Jean's footprint in an Alabama cave.Estimated to be 2000 years old:>It really is a prehistoric footprint  |
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Post by rockpickerforever on May 2, 2013 17:55:33 GMT -5
Yes, I was there! That's my footprint - lol! Not quite northeast, we were south of Huntsville, southeast of Decatur and Somerville. Was in another cave while I was there, it had several different levels. You could see holes up into the ceiling in places, and people made some rickety ladders to climb up. That cave was real dirty and dusty, didn't see any of the beautiful cave formations that you see in some of the famous caves. Come to think of it, I've been to a few of those - Carlsbad Caverns, Kartchner Caverns, Lake Shasta Caverns, Mitchell Caverns, Cave of the Winds in Colorado, Oregon Caves Nat'l Monument. Nowadays, I prefer to see them on National Geographic channel in my own living room! Jean
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,589
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Post by jamesp on May 2, 2013 18:04:29 GMT -5
Laughing a lot out loud-from the living room is real smart.Lake Wheeler is right there.I used to go to Athens,just west of Decatur where Elk river flows dead south into Lake Wheeler.More spearpoints than you could shake a stick at,nice long ones.Lake Wheeler runs low in winter for some reason.Love that area.
You sure went to a lot of caves.Amazing the difference of a non commercial to a commercial cave.
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Post by rockpickerforever on May 3, 2013 9:27:29 GMT -5
I learned to water ski on the Tennessee River, not sure if it was Wheeler Lake or not, though. Too bad I wasn't into rocks and geology back then - we're talking almost 40 years ago, lol!
Yeah, but most of the caves I went to were "niced-up," with ramps, handrails, lighting and ventilation sytems. Carlsbad even has an elevater and you can buy food (at least you could back in about 1975) on the bottom level. But the lights and everything gave you a secure feeling you didn't get in the "wild" caves. Jean
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Post by Pat on May 3, 2013 9:35:02 GMT -5
Jean, I agree with the secure feeling you speak of.
To me, it means somebody knows how to get out, or I could just follow the handrails or path, and I would come out to AIR! Ahhhhh!
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