Hi everyone!
I feel like the nerdy new kid at school - apologies in advance here. Recently moved to Orange County from Minnesota when I transferred universities (I was born and raised in Iowa). I'm getting married this summer and my fiance and I are going to be honeymooning in the Black Hills, South Dakota.
I have been in only two caves in my entire life (sad, I know). I did walking tours in Wind Cave and Jewel Cave when I was 12 on a family vacation to the Black Hills, and I fell in love. I actually begged my dad after the tour of Jewel Cave to let me go on the wild cave tour, and was "devastated" (as much as a 12-year-old can be) when I found out you had to be 16. I am 21 now, and haven't been in a cave since.
I am planning on returning to both caves on my honeymoon, and would really like to do a wild tour. Is it possible for a newbie to be able to handle a wild cave tour in both caves? We are both physically fit, but our honeymoon will only be 4 to 5 days, and I want to make sure we'd be rested enough to go on a second one. If only attempting one wild tour, and doing the other cave as a walking tour, which wild tour would you recommend as the better of the two? I enjoyed Jewel Cave more when I was younger because it was a harder tour and I thought it was more interesting than Wind Cave.
I also have been wanting to get into the sport of caving for years now. Join a grotto, the NSS, learn, but my parents have been very against it (a situation with bats has made my mother vow to never enter a cave again...haha, and my dad thinks its too dangerous), and I'm not sure my fiance is actually on board with the idea. It's not something I want to get into without someone to take the journey with me. I'm also hesitant to join a grotto, because I'm not sure how the response is to people who are completely new to caving. Any suggestions on overcoming that fear, and for getting my fiance on board? He loves doing adventurous things, and I think if he gave caving a try, he'd really like it. :)
Thanks in advance!
Ellie