Cave Trips at the 2011 RMR:Please note that the dates are subject to change, pending approval from the NPS sites.Friday Sept. 2ndWind Cave - Bishop Fowler's Loop. More info Later, but will be starting in the evening or afternoon sometime.
Saturday Sept. 3rdJewel Cave - Wild Cave Route - in the morning. Trip Leader undecided
Jewel Cave - Rambling Loft - in the afternoon. Trip Leader Lee-Gray Boze
Brooks Cave - Trip Leader Dan Austin
Wind Cave - Wild Cave Route. More info later.
Wind Cave - Club Room. More info later.
Reed's Cave - New Formations Room / Queen's Room. Starting sometime in the am. Trip Leader Steve Langendorf
Sunday Sept. 4thJewel Cave - Hell's Half Acre - in the morning. Trip Leader Kelly Mathis
Jewel Cave - Bunyan's Loft - in the afternoon. Trip Leader Rene Ohms
Reed's Cave - New Formations / Queen's Room. Trip Leader Steve Langendorf
RMR 2011 Cave Trip Descriptions and InfoAll caves trips during the 2011 RMR will require full WNS decontamination prior to entering the cave. If you’ve been caving in a WNS state, don’t even bring your gear with you! A decon station will be available to cavers at the RMR site.
Most caves in the Black Hills are fairly cold, but dry. A lightweight long-sleeved shirt or even a short-sleeved shirt are usually ok for most trips. Knee-pads and elbow pads are a must-have. There’s quite a bit of climbing and scrambling involved, so bring sturdy shoes with good soles. Oh yeah, don’t forget gloves, helmets, lights, and caving packs (no backpacks!!!) with food, water, pee bottles and burrito bags (just in case).
Most caves in the Black Hills require squeezing through some pretty tight passages and traveling long distances underground. It is your responsibility to talk with your trip leader prior to signing up for a trip to make sure you are physically able to do the trip.
Cavers should plan on bringing multiple sets of cave clothes if they plan on doing more than one cave trip. Cave clothes worn in Jewel Cave will NOT be worn in ANY OTHER cave in the Black Hills. Period. Jewel Cave contains Manganese Oxide that stains clothing and shoes, and spreads easily. So plan your clothing and gear accordingly.
Descriptions:Jewel Cave – at over 154 miles, this is currently the second longest cave in the world. Four trips will be offered in Jewel Cave during the RMR. Unless you have prior caving experience, you must go on either the Wild Cave Route or Geologist’s Delight before participating in any other trips in Jewel Cave.
Wild Cave Route (4 Hours) - This is the same route followed by the general public. You must be able to fit through the block (8.5” x 24”) on the Visitor Center patio in order to take this trip. Highlights include Hurricane Corner, hydromagnesite balloons, and gypsum needles. Requires negotiating several handlines and chimneys.
Rambling Loft (4 hours) - This trip travels backwards on the Hub Loop for a short distance, then takes a spur to Rambling Loft, the beautifully banded Thunderhead Domes, and a frostwork display. The return trip goes past a large display of popcorn stalagmites. This one is well worth the trip!!! More than 1 mile of passage traveled on this route.
Bunyan’s Loft (4 hours) - This route travels northeast through the Long Hall to Bunyan’s Loft and ends at Bunyan’s Foot, a spectacular frostwork “foot.” You must be able to fit through a space ~8” high. More than 1 mile of passage traveled on this route.
Hell’s Half Acre (5 hours) - This trip leaves the Scenic Tour at Spooky Hollow and travels west through the Tenderizers to Hell’s Half Acre, a passage beneath Hell Canyon. Highlights include pools of water, draperies, and “bird bath” conulites. Requires negotiating several handlines, ladders and tight spots.
Wind Cave – at over 136 miles in length, Wind Cave is the fifth longest cave in the world. Three trips will be offered (hopefully) in Wind Cave during the RMR.
Wild Cave Route (2 hours) – This is the same route followed by the general public and involves crawling and scrambling. This route gives you a good idea of just how mazy Wind Cave can be!!
Bishop Fowler’s Loop (2 hours) – This route follows a loop from the upper levels of the cave, ending in the middle level. There are some pretty neat items of historical interest to ponder along this route.
Club Room Route (4 hours) – This route travels to the Club Room and back along the red-and-white flagged trail, and involves crawling, climbing and squeezing.
Brooks Cave – this is a wild cave located just outside city limits of Rapid City, about 1.5 hours north from the RMR site. The cave is about ¾ of a mile long, and is one of only two caves in the Black Hills that intersects the water table at a deep lake. This trip involves hiking more than a mile to reach, and negotiating a very, very small series of entrance crawls (8 inches tall) that go about 200 feet before dropping into a 30-foot deep pit rigged with handlines and ladders. This is a sporty cave, so be prepared for a workout!!
Reed’s Cave – this is one of the larger caves in the black hills, with several miles of passage. There are two entrances used to access the cave, only a couple of hundred feet between them on the surface, but a much longer distance underground. The most commonly used entrance today, the Rope Drop Entrance requires a 70-foot rappel down a series of sloping tubes. The Death Trap Entrance requires climbing down 50 feet of rebar ladders into a rubble-filled room caused by surface blasting. There are some very heavily decorated sections of cave in Reed’s, and the group will travel to either the New Formations Room or to the Queen’s Room, two of the prettiest rooms in the cave. Be prepared for crawling through mud and maybe even a little bit of standing water on this trip. Warmer clothes may be a good idea here…
More cave trips coming soon!!Decon StationThere will be a decon station at the RMR and it is mantory that ALL gear is deconed!
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