The Longest Cave- loved it!

[cvr602]

I started caving when I was 13 or so, and became friends with some folks who were with the CRF. We were at Mammoth Cave just doing a commercial tour, and before we left the area, they wanted to take me to the new Hamilton Valley Facility to introduce me to some other CRF members.

When we got there, they introduced me to a few of the other cavers there, and they took me around the property. They asked how I had liked the tour routes, and I told them it made me want to see more of the cave.

One of the guys asked me if I had read any of the books, Longest Cave or Beyond Mammoth. This was when i first started my caving career, so I had never even heard of the books before. He walked into the map room, and came out with a tattered copy of The Longest Cave. He handed it to me, and told me to keep it and give it a read.

5 years later, The book still has a heavy influence on me being a caver. I joined the CRF last year, and attended one expedition so far, and loved it.

Just proof that the Flint-Ridge Con still works today! :]

[tncaver]

Cool cvr602. Nice story. I wish the caving organizations here in TN were as friendly, as the CRF was to you. Most caving organizations in my state are too suspicious of every one to offer friendship so readily as the CRF did for you.
I will have to say that Mark Joop invited me on a CRF trip into Cudjo Cave one time and I declined. I appreciated his offer very much, but I'm just too old to go on a hard core trip that deep into a cave these days. Mark, where ever you are,
thank you for that offer. I'm sure The Longest Cave is an exciting historical read. I should read it sometime.

[Jeff Bartlett]

I joined the CRF last year, and attended one expedition so far, and loved it.

It kinda gets in your blood. It's a cave where every lead could be another 10 miles of cave, you just have to keep dragging a survey tape into them until you get lucky.

[creektrails]

I went on the wild cave tour a few years ago, aniversary gift from my wife. It did have some crawls and a couple of ledges. Kind of a behind the scenes tour for tourist in decent shape. But after the tour I bought the book beyond Mammoth cave. I lived in south central KY since I was a kid (moved to Campbellsville when I was 6 in 1973)and we passed touhey ridge hundreds of times. To think that all that cave was under there still makes me see ridges and hills in a different light. I am constantly wondering what I am driving by. Its funny, reading true adventure opens your mind to what could be. Im thinking of getting "Beyond the Deep: The Deadly Descent Into the World's Most Treacherous Cave " those Mexico caves captivate me too. anyone read this book?
Nate

[Chads93GT]

have yet to read the book, but I plan on buying a copy next weekend on site during the expedition. Joined the CRF a couple months ago and am going on my first survey trip next weekend. Should be a good time.

[creektrails]

have yet to read the book, but I plan on buying a copy next weekend on site during the expedition. Joined the CRF a couple months ago and am going on my first survey trip next weekend. Should be a good time.

To Mexico?

[Chads93GT]

No dude, Mammoth. why would I talk about surveying in mexico in a thread about mammoth cave, lol

[JR-Orion]

Let me know how it goes down at Mammoth. After reading The Longest Cave so many times, the place has taken on kind of a mystical (or something) vibe with me. I also grabbed the Mammoth Cave National Park DVD. It's pretty good.

I'm hoping to go down and take the official wild tour this spring or summer. A truly wild trip would be awesome.

[Chads93GT]

learn to survey with a group that surveys a LOT, send your credentials to the CRF, and you would be able to do just that. Good luck.

[Cody JW]

Let me know how it goes down at Mammoth. After reading The Longest Cave so many times, the place has taken on kind of a mystical (or something) vibe with me. I also grabbed the Mammoth Cave National Park DVD. It's pretty good.

I'm hoping to go down and take the official wild tour this spring or summer. A truly wild trip would be awesome.

They used to offer a "wild" trip at Mammoth, not sure if they still do.You may also check into the restoration weeks or weekends that they have, you sometimes get to go caving on wild trips after the restoration objectives are done.On these they allow you to stay at the bunk house at Maple Springs.I think The Louisville Grotto may have some info on these, they used to reach out to area grottos to participate.I have been a couple of times but it was a long time ago, they still do it though.This way you can participate without going through The CRF.

[creektrails]

No dude, Mammoth. why would I talk about surveying in mexico in a thread about mammoth cave, lol

sorry, wasnt trying to insult you. I asked the question "had anyone read the book "Beyond the Deep: The Deadly Descent Into the World's Most Treacherous Cave " those Mexico caves captivate me too. anyone read this book?
then on the next post you said that you hadnt read it but were going down there to survey. Thats why I asked "Mexico?" you obviously were talking about "The worlds longest Cave"
I'll try not to cross book post in the future. Have fun, and cave safe.

[Chads93GT]

Oooooooooooooooooooooooh, no wonder, I was rather confused lol. No harm no foul. Those expeditions in mexico are rather crazy too.

[Farrar]

One of the best ways to see places in the book is to take one of the Western Kentucky University courses held each summer. Specifically "Exploration of Mammoth Cave" by Stan Sides, and "Speleology" by Roger Brucker will take you to miles of cave. In Roger's class, I did not make it to Q-87, but did get to see Turner Avenue, Argo Junction, Brucker Breakdown, and the connections between Colossal-Salts, and Salts-Unknown. Highly recommend these courses.

Of course, in the very limited surveying I have done at Mammoth I got to see Left of the Trap and Floyd's Lost Passage. Work continues all over the cave, and you can still survey with CRF just like in the book. I love seeing those places come alive after reading about them for so many years.

If you want to see the (reasonably accessible) historic parts of the Mammoth Cave - Flint Ridge Cave System as described in Roger's books, these summer courses and joining the CRF are the absolute ways to go. Along with Stan and Roger's classes, also consider Art Palmer's "Karst Geology" course - he leads stronger cavers into Crystal back to the C-3 expedition camp sites, Floyd's Jump Off, the Lost Passage, etc. The courses are well worth your money.

[Rick Brinkman]

Another thumbs up for this book. Read it when I started caving...then bought it on ebay. Don't have it signed by Red Watson yet.......(maybe I should make the trip and attend a grotto meeting)


(errr....haven't read the others yet....)