Snail Shell Cave System, Tennessee

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Snail Shell Cave System, Tennessee

Postby Larry E. Matthews » Dec 29, 2011 10:38 pm

Bob Biddix and I have begun a book on the Snail Shell Cave System here in Tennessee. Although the system has about 10 miles of surveyed above-water passages, there have been quite a few underwater explorations in the system, too.

Neither Bob or I are cave divers, so we need your help to document the various dives that have been made in the system. Trip Reports are needed and photos, too. Anything we use will be fully credited to the contributor. I see this very much like the Trip Reports by many, many people in the recent Blue Spring Cave book.

We need any information on Snail Shell Cave and the dozen, or so OTHER caves that are part of this vast, subtderranean drainage system that goes all the way to the Stones River north of Murfreesboro.

In my mind, I see a system with 100 miles of underwater passages (or more !!!) and perhaps 10 to 20 miles of passages with air in them. The dye tests tell us that it is there.

Larry E. Matthews
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Re: Snail Shell Cave System, Tennessee

Postby rchrds » Dec 31, 2011 2:29 pm

Larry, I have probably the only detailed map beyond the first sump, and it is (of course) in progress, but I can provide it for your next project. I can also report on the one trip I made, and Chrissy can probably report on the few trips she has made- but your main information people are going to be Forrest Wilson and Marbry Hardin.

Jason
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Re: Snail Shell Cave System, Tennessee

Postby Larry E. Matthews » Dec 31, 2011 4:42 pm

Great. I look forward to working with you and Chrissy as soon as you get back.

Larry
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Re: Snail Shell Cave System, Tennessee

Postby FW » Jan 2, 2012 8:49 am

I will dig out my logbook tonight, and give you some dates, and what was done, on the dives I did.
Any opinions are personal.
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Re: Snail Shell Cave System, Tennessee

Postby FW » Jan 2, 2012 7:45 pm

I didn't do the first dive, so the date isn't in my logbook. Brian Williams did the dive, and made the connection through the upstream sump. My guess is summer 2004. I surveyed the first 1200' with Tom Johnson on 8-21-04. Marbry, Brian, and I surveyed the next 1500' on' 9-25-04. Marbry and I surveyed another 1300' on 11-13-04. Mark Wenner, Marbry and Tom surveyed more on 4-23-05. I wasn't on the trips with Jason, and Chrissy, but they can fill in the gaps.
Any opinions are personal.
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Re: Snail Shell Cave System, Tennessee

Postby Larry E. Matthews » Jan 2, 2012 8:49 pm

This is great. These are important names and dates in the explortion of the cave. Any and all Trip Reports would be welcome. Just mail them or email them to me.

Larry E. Matthews
8514 Sawyer Brown Road
Nashville, TN 37221-2403

or: nss6792@bellsouth.net

We will be needing photos, too, of course.

Larry
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Re: Snail Shell Cave System, Tennessee

Postby FW » Jan 3, 2012 7:44 am

Brian Williams shot a bunch of pictures past the sump. PM coming with email address.

For trip reports, check here: http://sumpdiver.com/past.html
There are a lot of others, but the Snail Shell ones are clearly labeled.
Any opinions are personal.
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Re: Snail Shell Cave System, Tennessee

Postby Larry E. Matthews » Jul 15, 2012 7:42 pm

Wow !!! The cave divers have really given me a lot of information on diving in the Snail Shell Cave System. Right now, three (3) large chapters in the "Snail Shell Cave" book will be devoted solely to cave diving. These are really exciting Trip Reports. And, we have some good photos, too. But, the water is too murky for underwater photography (generally).

Quite a few people are looking forward to this book. It is in final layout now, with Tom Rea, the Editor, and I suspect it will be 'In Print" and available from the NSS Bookstore by October.

Many thanks to all the cave divers who have helped.

Larry E. Matthews
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