New Cave Discoveries

[tncaver]

Lets face it. This forum is getting a bit musty. What it needs is some input about new discoveries. I know for a fact that there have been lots of new discoveries
in Tennessee that no one is talking about. Is this because of all the scooper scums that reside there? Fact is, there are lots of new discoveries happening all across the US. Many of these discoveries are in previously registered caves. Some are brand new. Some are digs that opened up into big new cave. Post your stuff here. You don't have to tell where it is, just tell us about it.

[self-deleted_user]

Well if you know of some, you must be a part of some...why not start us off?

The only thing I found was some of that questionably-new passage in the cave up north in Michigan I already posted about. Finally got my hands on the map, and it seems like it is on there, but a few other small shoots are not (although that could just be overlooked in the surveying) there are for sure a good 5-10 meters they could add on to it if they wanted that I'm not seeing on it. There are some tiny soda straws starting in it...if ya know where to look. It's a baby cave, haha.

[Gumby]

One of the reason I joined the NSS was to learn how best to preserve a cave system, and whether I should share the locations of the entrances, or keep them to a select few. I'm the Chairman of the http://www.konoctiproject.org, a small group of volunteers that have either been in jail, or should be, that have been searching for caves and vents on an extinct volcano in California for the last 20 years, The thing about this volcano is that there was a flank vent, that drained some of the lava tubes and magma chamber leaving a giant void which is now has a lake filled with eyeless fish the local Indians used to catch. The inside of the mountain stays a constant 58 deg and the local Indians insist their ancestors live inside this mountain during the last Ice Age. I'm not quite sure I'm qualified to be making some of the decisions we're now facing, and could sure use this forums input.

[tncaver]

I'm not quite sure I'm qualified to be making some of the decisions we're now facing, and could sure use this forums input.

If you want advice you will need to be specific about what kind of decisions you are about to make. No cave names or locations need be mentioned.

[GroundquestMSA]

Here's a brilliant discovery. My brother and I recently added one level and 12 meters to the most vertically complex cave in Adams County Ohio. Originally surveyed in '79, it now stands at an astounding 30 meters horizontal and 11 meters deep spread over 5 levels. Yessireebob, our diminutive frames are ideal for pushing a caves extent beyond the plausible. We have also mapped two previously unsurveyed caverns with lengths of 203ft. and 90ft. The 90 footer was especially enjoyable since it required a 60ft. wriggle in 8-10" passage (part of which prevented me from fully opening my book to record data) before reaching the reward of 15ft. of walking passage and 15ft. of mud canyon over a slimy tub (which I of course fell directly into from the dizzying height of 8ft. while climbing out) before being heartlessly and definitely choked. And that's the scintillating news from south Ohio's underground. I'm glad to have been able to renew zeal for a dying pastime.

(In case these tales don't blow your mind, I have an appointment to wed my brick hammer with a particularly scrawny constriction not far from here. I'll be sure and tell you about it)

[tncaver]

Here's a brilliant discovery. My brother and I recently added one level and 12 meters to the most vertically complex cave in Adams County Ohio. Originally surveyed in '79, it now stands at an astounding 30 meters horizontal and 11 meters deep spread over 5 levels. Yessireebob, our diminutive frames are ideal for pushing a caves extent beyond the plausible. We have also mapped two previously unsurveyed caverns with lengths of 203ft. and 90ft. The 90 footer was especially enjoyable since it required a 60ft. wriggle in 8-10" passage (part of which prevented me from fully opening my book to record data) before reaching the reward of 15ft. of walking passage and 15ft. of mud canyon over a slimy tub (which I of course fell directly into from the dizzying height of 8ft. while climbing out) before being heartlessly and definitely choked. And that's the scintillating news from south Ohio's underground. I'm glad to have been able to renew zeal for a dying pastime.

(In case these tales don't blow your mind, I have an appointment to wed my brick hammer with a particularly scrawny constriction not far from here. I'll be sure and tell you about it)

Cool. If your brick hammer doesn't get the job done, you may want to PM Cavemud to request his help. He lives in SE oHIo.

[nathanroser]

Last Wednesday and the week before I was with some people in one of the larger caves in Maryland doing some digging. Last Wednesday we broke into about 100 feet or virgin passage. There was this neat mud slope that looked like flowstone and had what looked like a rimstone pool on it but made of mud. There's still a lead at the bottom of the cave blowing air that can definitely be pushed with some digging, so we'll back there next summer when the weather is dry and the crawls there aren't sumped.

[wyandottecaver]

another 1000 ft in Blowing Hole this weekend in Indiana

[Extremeophile]

Helped survey 5,445' of virgin passage in Jewel Cave NM on a 4-day camp trip last week. It's now over 155 miles! We got into a passage on day 3 (last survey day) that got to be almost exactly 40' high and 40' wide (fitting my definition of borehole - but then that's a topic for another thread). We left several walking-size leads on both the 1st and 3rd days.

Rene Ohms sketching in the "Northwest Passage".

[Jewel addiction]

Hey Derek, that photo is great! You should send us the pictures.

[DeanWiseman]

Congrats, Derek! I had an experience like that in Lechuguilla Cave back in the day...


-Dean

[self-deleted_user]

Oooh that's cool! It kinda looks like you are walking inside an intestine hahaha.

[Cheryl Jones]

Helped survey 5,445' of virgin passage in Jewel Cave NM on a 4-day camp trip last week. It's now over 155 miles! We got into a passage on day 3 (last survey day) that got to be almost exactly 40' high and 40' wide (fitting my definition of borehole - but then that's a topic for another thread). We left several walking-size leads on both the 1st and 3rd days.

[Extremeophile]

Hey Derek, that photo is great! You should send us the pictures.

Photos sent.

Gear for the trip (stoves, tarps, sleeping bags, pads are already at camp):


Kelly and Rene finishing sketching in manganese coated passage near the Screeching Halt on Day 1:


Rene and Adam at Grand Funk Junction on the way out to leads beyond "The End" on Day 2:


Adam Weaver in the NW Passage near the Petrified Forest on Day 3:


Me, dreaming of the 6 hour drive back to Denver after busting my ass getting out of the cave in near record time on Day 4:

[GroundquestMSA]

I have an appointment to wed my brick hammer with a particularly scrawny constriction not far from here. I'll be sure and tell you about it

We decided the short shovel was a better weapon than the brick hammer, and dug our way into at least 800' of new cave. The main passage is mostly difficult going, crawling and sliding like a penguin (my brother preferred a crocodile) in the 3-8" water and we turned back before finding a terminus, me being weak from illness.
We did find a nice walking passage about 12' high 30'wide and 70' long and several small passages left unconquered. Our discovery will at least triple the size of the cave and I'll be asking for advice on surveying under these conditions.