Three-Hour Tour Through California's Moaning Cavern

[Wayne Harrison]

VALLECITO, Calif. - Deep under the wooded hills of Calaveras County - in the belly of one of the state's largest caves - I worm my way through a rocky slot that our cavern tour guide calls the "pancake."

It's a rectangular gap, 3 feet wide by about 18 inches tall. Imagine the space under a Volkswagen Beetle. To squeeze through, I lie on my back, raise my arms over my head and push through with my legs. My headlamp shoots a beam into a darkness so heavy I can almost feel it wrap around me. The air smells of mud.

Halfway through the opening - with cold, wet rocks pressing against my rib cage - panic begins to set in.

I need air. I need space. I need light.

Full Story in LA Times