Help me plan a TN trip this Sept.

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Help me plan a TN trip this Sept.

Postby GroundquestMSA » Jul 27, 2012 12:10 pm

I'm looking for a few suggestions. I'm going back to my old hometown of Pikeville, TN this September for a week or two, and I need some new caves. We used to take a big romp through Camps Gulf and see Virgin Falls and Rice and a few others around Sparta, but I believe all of these are now technically off limits (correct that if I'm wrong).

I never got to do much caving in the area when I lived there because I was very young, so I don't know any of the classics beyond the ones mentioned. We normally roll into an area and start looking and asking until we're underground, but that's not the always the most efficient way. I'm looking for one vertical cave (that can be done with two 60m ropes or less) and three or four horizontal. Any reccomendations would be appreciated. We'll be staying at Fall Creek Falls most of the time, so something not horribly far from there would be preferred, though if there just isn't much within an hour of there, we'll pull up camp and go elsewhere.

Thanks
-J
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Re: Help me plan a TN trip this Sept.

Postby BrianFrank » Jul 27, 2012 1:16 pm

For horizontal you have to do Tumbling Rock and Limrock Blowing Caves. PM me if you need more info. What grotto are you a member of?
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Re: Help me plan a TN trip this Sept.

Postby GroundquestMSA » Jul 27, 2012 4:13 pm

Thanks Brian, I've heard a lot about those caves. I'll certainly send a PM.

I'm not a grotto member. Of Ohio grottos I've been most involved with the good folks of WUSS.
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Re: Help me plan a TN trip this Sept.

Postby tncaver » Jul 27, 2012 5:46 pm

I might can take you to a cave or two near Sparta one day while you a here. How many of you are there and what dates will you
be staying at Falls Creek Falls? PM me.

GroundquestMSA wrote:I'm looking for a few suggestions. I'm going back to my old hometown of Pikeville, TN this September for a week or two, and I need some new caves. We used to take a big romp through Camps Gulf and see Virgin Falls and Rice and a few others around Sparta, but I believe all of these are now technically off limits (correct that if I'm wrong).

I never got to do much caving in the area when I lived there because I was very young, so I don't know any of the classics beyond the ones mentioned. We normally roll into an area and start looking and asking until we're underground, but that's not the always the most efficient way. I'm looking for one vertical cave (that can be done with two 60m ropes or less) and three or four horizontal. Any reccomendations would be appreciated. We'll be staying at Fall Creek Falls most of the time, so something not horribly far from there would be preferred, though if there just isn't much within an hour of there, we'll pull up camp and go elsewhere.

Thanks
-J
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Re: Help me plan a TN trip this Sept.

Postby UnderGroundEarth » Jul 28, 2012 12:14 pm

You should get in touch with Lonnie Carr or Anne Elmore and go to Blue Spring Cave.
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Re: Help me plan a TN trip this Sept.

Postby GroundquestMSA » Jul 30, 2012 8:13 pm

Where is Blue Spring, Kelly? edit--never mind, I figured that one out all by myself, hooray.

If there is a better concentration of better caves in another area I may not stay at FCF. It's just a comfortable and familiar place that I usually enjoy visiting.
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Re: Help me plan a TN trip this Sept.

Postby speleo » Aug 2, 2012 8:23 pm

Fall Creek Falls is an excellent location to base out of when caving in TAG. It is in Van Buren County, which along with neighboring White County have over 1,700 known caves. A great trip would be to Lost Creek Cave and nearby Beckoning Well which is a really nice free drop of about 135 feet. These are in White County. I would check with someone who lives in that area to see if they are currently open. Monolith Rift is a nice vertical cave even closer to FCF. It has two short drops before a 106' into a large room and some more cave at the bottom. Too bad Camps Gulf is still closed.

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