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Re: Favorite Indiana Caves

PostPosted: Apr 12, 2009 4:54 pm
by bravo6
Interesting! I have heard that rumor a number of times over the years. I have been to Camp 4 a number of times but it's been a few years. We didn't really look that hard for anymore going passage but that was before we heard the continuing passage rumor. Also heard one story of another entrance back there but don't know. It seems as though some of the old timers(60's & 70's) liked their chemical persuasion quite a a bit.


Rumor? Hey now you young whipper-snapper, better watch it or Grandpa here will 'larn you a thing or two.... :tonguecheek: No rumor about it, fact. Plus believe it or not, beer was our only(main) vice back then, regardless of the BS some people may tell you about the 60's.

You don't happen to recall which newsletter do you? A time frame? I and a few others are curious to read about the report!


Windy City Grotto Newsletter, Richard Blenz, Jerry Estes, Denny Fox, myself and a few others were mapping, using a transmitter of Dicks that could be followed by those above ground (did not work too well as I recall) We had been in a long while (two days?) and were getting due to come out. Either Fox and I or Estes and I cut to the right (Going in) on an upper level, cut under a break-down pile or boulder and there it was, fairly circular in shape and about 4-5' high, very damp floors and walls. Blenz was yelling (grumpy old ^%^&*) about getting out on time so we had to cut and run (run? yea right, after a long time in Wayne, no one ran) more like drag ourselves out.
Was the same year as a double rescue in Waynes and Salamander, around 1960 or so, as I recall, a year or two after Dick bought the Buckner property ("Buckner Hotel" was still there).

I think the year before we dug out Queen Blair entrance and almost drowned (ANOTHER interesting story)

Remember it like it was just yesterday...........when carbide lamps were king...... :waving:
P.S. Is Blenz still kicking?

Re: Favorite Indiana Caves

PostPosted: Apr 12, 2009 5:51 pm
by hoosiercaver1
Well, that sounds very interesting. By good buddy Tim really wanted to go to Camp 4 again, but if I told him there was a Camp 5, he would probably freak out. We both love that cave and love finding new passage. We have to go back now and find those passages.

Also, i saw Blenz just a few month ago at a trip to buckner. Real cool guy.

Re: Favorite Indiana Caves

PostPosted: Apr 12, 2009 6:29 pm
by caveflower
Yeah! Dicks still kickin'. Hasn't changed much since the first time we met him in the early 80s. You mean theres a elevator entrance past camp 4. I didn't have to do that crawl all these times :doh:

Re: Favorite Indiana Caves

PostPosted: Apr 13, 2009 6:11 pm
by bravo6
If Dick hasn't changed much, then we are all in trouble..... :doh: No, no elevator in Waynes'. Blenz was digging one into Buckners the last time I saw him (about 66 or 67, he had the elevator shaft down into Buckners and a passageway to a living site, don't know if he ever finished it or not, he was trying to get Otis Elevator to chip in, being the FRUGAL individual he is.....). If anyone sees him, see if he can figure out who this is.... :shhh: (hint) the Cave (rather sinkhole) named after me (in the records Dick used to keep of caves in the Bloomington Area) is right next to the one named after Denny Fox :banana_yay:
Now come on, the crawl into Wayne's is character building, I used to be able to make it in 20 minutes if I was feeling really energetic (I think Fox had the record at 15 minutes) :waving:

Re: Favorite Indiana Caves

PostPosted: Apr 14, 2009 5:56 am
by caveflower
I love guessing games let me see if I can get this right. Fox's pit is real close to QB so I think it might be Fisher's Fissure. Am I right?

Re: Favorite Indiana Caves

PostPosted: Apr 14, 2009 11:37 am
by bravo6
Geez, I hope they didn't rename anything....but then oh well.
As I remember, around the time we dug out Queen Blair, a regular bunch from Windy City Grotto was going down there several times a month......we were looking around for a back/or other entrance to Buckners.
That is how Queen Blair was found, the very small opening that turned into the entrance (after several half-stick, 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene nudges, and the moving of several tons on cave mud (inside)[which blocked up the stream flowing out below the entrance and darned near drowned Blenz and company but for Denny Fox warning them of a downpour going on outside).
At any rate, I digress. A short distance from QB there was a row of several sinkholes/pits/dents-in-the-ground which we all worked on. Four were named after the dumbest of us (those doing all the digging :big grin: ) Fox Pit, Estes Hole, Mine, and one other (buddy of Dennys') whose name I can not remember to save my life (worthless as it is). Might'uv renamed it....hope not.................Blenz documented all in his section book he carried most places with him. Might have been a Myze name in there also (Windy City Grotto big wig).
Always missed those guys and gals after I moved away, and ventured across the pond, but again, another oh well......... :waving:
P.S. Real Cavers use Carbide lamps (and still don't pollute)

Re: Favorite Indiana Caves

PostPosted: Apr 14, 2009 1:53 pm
by caveflower
Ok! I give up can't find it in all the info I have. I'll just have to ask Dick if he's there this weekend. We'll see if he knows

Re: Favorite Indiana Caves

PostPosted: Apr 19, 2009 10:59 pm
by myotis
1. Buddha - Christian Cave
2. Devils Graveyard Cave
3. Jewel Box Cave
4. Shiloh Cave
5. Wayne Cave
6. Clicks Cave
7. Mauck's Cave
8. Old Town Spring Cave
9. Porters Cave
10. Reeves Cave

Re: Favorite Indiana Caves

PostPosted: Apr 20, 2009 7:50 am
by Caver1402
Well, we didn't make it to Camp 4, but we did make it into the Doobie room ... (in Wayne Cave). Anyone familiar??

Re: Favorite Indiana Caves

PostPosted: Apr 20, 2009 9:12 am
by Billy
I thought we were going for Camp V? Next time...
A brutal drive back home for us, hope the rain didn't soak you too bad.
*****
To do is to be - Socrates
To be is to do -- Plato
Do be do be do - Sinatra...

Re: Favorite Indiana Caves

PostPosted: Apr 20, 2009 9:25 am
by Caver1402
Oh, that's right - the allusive Camp V! That will be our next Wayne Cave trip goal for certain!

It rained all the way home ... but traffic was much kinder to us than it was on our way down. Sorry to hear you guys had a rough time!

Re: Favorite Indiana Caves

PostPosted: Apr 20, 2009 4:00 pm
by hoosiercaver1
I agree, real cavers cave with carbide!!!!

Re: Favorite Indiana Caves

PostPosted: Apr 20, 2009 9:49 pm
by Adam Craig
Yah, once in awhile you see some yahoo using one of them damned electric lamps... Won't be long till they're phased out and everyone has an Autolite :big grin:

If cavers were supposed to use Stenlights, then God would have give Neanderthal man batteries. Flame on!! :campfire:

Re: Favorite Indiana Caves

PostPosted: May 16, 2009 7:17 pm
by hoosiercaver1
Anyone with info on Camp 5 in Waynes or this other ent. please fill me in. I am very curious I finally made it to Camp 4 today. We were pretty tired so we didnt go any further. I was set on getting to 4. We made the round trip in 5hrs 15 mins. I thought that was pretty good. If i need to take it slower to do more exploring past 4 next time i will. You dont know how excited id be to do a through trip there. PS, gypsum passage is killer. Fun but really took alot out of me.

Re: Favorite Indiana Caves

PostPosted: Dec 10, 2009 2:41 pm
by indianacaver
I have to say my favorite is Endless, as is CRV in General. Also have a liking for Wyandotte.