Two Entrances

The two entrances to the cave are about 75 feet apart (Figure 35). The one used most is an almost vertical crack in the rock, 8 feet high and 2 to 3 feet wide. The floor gradually descends until the flat ceiling is 15 feet to 25 feet high as the passageway goes straight under the hill for at least 150 feet. The fractured rock faces that are usually characteristic of a fault are much in evidence along this passage. There is a little breakdown and the only fill is debris carried in by the wind and casual spelunkers.

Large fallen blocks dot the passageway here and there and some climbing is required but at 175 to 200 feet= depending on one’s girth-it becomes too nary for further progress. Despite a ceiling height of 20 feet, this is the extent of exploration in this section.

Seventy-five feet from the entrance and near a small open to the surface, 28 feet above, a cross joint makes an abrupt right angle passageway to the south and drops down to a lower level, and the longest part of the cave, consisting of two or more passageways that parallel the first one. One of these passages connects to the second entrance, and at one spot was once floored by a crude wooden bridge, which spanned a 6 to 8 foot deep chasm, but time and the passage of local explorers have just about ended its usefulness. Near this area a side passageway was blasted open by B. Hivner in 1956 and about 100 more feet of cave was found. It consists of a high and narrow canyon-like passageway-good for chimney practicing-and lower stoop ways similar to other parts of the cave. Because it is a trifle more difficult to enter this section it is seldom visited by the many local spelunkers and, indeed, most do not seem to be aware of its existence. In August 1962, another room was discovered in the south portion of the cave. It is entered from the north through breakdown, and from the south through a tight crawlway. The room consists of a change 12 feet wide, 20 feet long and up to 17 feet high. A canyon-like passage on the south side connects to the previously mentioned crawlway.

In other parts of the cave, dropped blocks sometimes make a short crawl necessary but progress is easy as compared with most “wild” caves. At one stop at 10 foot drop to a lower level is easily negotiated. It leads to another cross joint varying from 10 to 15 feet in height with numerous offsets and large breakdown. Most of the leads end in choked tunnels or at those frustrating high and very narrow crevices that are too small even for the Thin Man to enter. Here and there on the floor are large blocks of what seem to be quartz.

The cave is easy to enter, reasonably safe and, except for short drops here and there, easily climbed by the inexperienced. Some potentially dangerous breakdown is found in passageways off the lower level but this is a threat only to those unfamiliar with good caving technique. The possibilities for finding more cave are good if one wants to invest the time necessary to enlarge the narrow crevices.