So I went to TAG for my birthday to cave =) Here are some of my fav. photos from the trip.
First cave we climbed down into was Iron Hoop. Its one of those gorgeous caves with a bit of everything, one you want to go back to again and again and every time you'll see something different. The 500ft-ish wet crawl over cobblestone after a somewhat harrowing climbdown is definitely worth it for the beauty within. I also need to actually follow Mark all the way next time to the crystals...but getting into chestdeep water and then "hrm I dont know if we made the right turn" utterance a while back, and then when I ask "do you know where to go from here?" and get a "hrmmm" reply as he jumps in to swim....that's where I stopped LOL. Apparently I just needed to stick with it another few hundred feet is all though haha.
This formation seemed rather precarious...and the shelf is pretty sweet with the pebbles and rocks stuck together in the...well...rock.
Iron Hoop 9 by
Sunguramy, on Flickr
A lovely rimstone pool and travertine floor
Iron Hoop 5 by
Sunguramy, on Flickr
Active flowstone formation (hence all the shimmering...water trickling down it) with short rimstone pools underneath
Iron Hoop 3 by
Sunguramy, on Flickr
Some of one of the formation gallaries I dont know why I like this photo I just do. Usually this would be too much black for my taste but I think I like the framing of it. It mezmorizes me haha.
Iron Hoop 11 by
Sunguramy, on Flickr
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Next stop was Blevin's Gap. Its a small pit entrance cave with an additional rappel inside it through a tight squeeze (which only one of our group made it through. I probably could have made it, but had not planned on doing vertical this trip due to my still-healing broken hand which is my brake hand so i ended up on borrowed gear and wasn't feeling quite comfortable with it, and the entrace rappel was jittery enough for my taste... Climbing not such a big deal but I didn't have good control on the rappel and was happy for my belay haha.) Its another cave I plan on returning to, and I will attempt the 2nd rappel then. I think I could fit...matter of if I can get my damn childberrin' hips through it!
The entire cave is decorated. This is also my first time using two flashes, since Mark brought his firefly and another flash
While the one member of our group explored below, the rest of us ran around taking photo after photo!
Blevins Gap 9 by
Sunguramy, on Flickr
Blevins Gap 8 by
Sunguramy, on Flickr
Blevins Gap 6 by
Sunguramy, on Flickr
Probably my fav. shot of the trip:
Blevins Gap 12 by
Sunguramy, on Flickr
Also, this entire cave flouresces....been chatting with some friends and think I have a good way to get some much better photos of this so I better get my arse moved down there, right??? haha
Blevins Gap 13 by
Sunguramy, on Flickr
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And last cave trip was to Tumbling Rock...I finally got to see it. No stupid migraine this time! Close call though, there was a carbide caver in another group and uhm...let's just say never cave with carbide with me. It started triggering one and I couldn't breath with it. The caffiene worked though, and luckily I didn't have to leave. And I finally saw the cave and can *remember* it this time! And now I do like it =)
To the carbide cavers out there though....Every time he got close to us my entire airway seized up and made it impossible to breathe. Someone from our group went over to ask him about it but he apparently refused to change his lighting method, even once poking into an alcove our trip leader ushered me into to be able to breath and ruining the only bit of fresh air in the area. So uh...carbide cavers out there - PLEASE respect other cavers. Using carbide in a popular cave popular time of year popular day maybe is not the nicest thing to do. And if someone has troubles with it...dont' make them suffer. It's not cool to put other cavers in danger because you want to use your carbide.
Anyway, most of my photos this trip were of others who wanted pictures of them in the cave. It was different trying to set up shots with people...because I don't take photos that way often. I think I did okay though everyone seems to like their photos =)
Our entire group...
Tumbling Rock Christmas 18 by
Sunguramy, on Flickr
Just the tree with no foreground light =)
Tumbling Rock Christmas 10 by
Sunguramy, on Flickr
Tumbling Rock Christmas 8 by
Sunguramy, on Flickr
Topless Dome, 396 ft. I did this on a 8 second hand held exposure.
Woot for steady hand!
Tumbling Rock Christmas 21 by
Sunguramy, on Flickr