by sjm4268 » Mar 29, 2016 9:30 pm
I live in Morgan County, AL and have access to some of my father's land. A fellow named Van Swearingen used to explore/cave this property. Over the years I have been in the four cave entrances that I am aware of. One was actually mapped back in 1972 by members of a Decatur Grotto which apparently no longer exists. I can't find the info online, but the printout I have says Thomson Cave ALI427. I have entered this cave with my son and my son's friend several times, but we can't descend the pit (apparently there are two pits, but I can only make out one) being amateurs, not to mention a non-ideal group of just 3. Two of the entrances are no doubt connected, a large sinkhole with a waterfall that I'm sure is the source of the water coming out an entrance right at the mountain base directly beneath. Thomson Cave was the 3rd cave I discovered as I got older. However my question is a 4th cave near this Thomson Cave. I never really went back in it because I was always alone and there was a log lodged in the passage. Well, a few weeks back I took my son and his friend in there with the intent to find out more. Well, the log has disappeared. Upon going a little further my son stopped and said there was a pit (the passage has running water). I came up to look and, sure enough, the water flows eerily over a ledge. We were kind of apprehensive about getting up there. I don't know if the pit is 5 feet deep or 50 feet or 500 feet. We also have discovered a pit/hole on the side of the mountain nearby that we really can't see into. It takes a while for a rock to get to the bottom though, and we hear a big splash of water. Someone, perhaps Van Swearingen because I was told he claimed their were 2 deep pits just sitting up on the "west side," had tied pink ribbons around this pit/hole to mark/warn of its presence. Anyway, I, my son, and my son's friend...we are curious about all this, but we are outright amateurs without training. Are there any folks who are professionals in the Huntsville area that might be interested in checking these pits out?