72 Hours, 2 Caves, 1 Epic Adventure

Just over 72 hours ago my Vertical Caving class met to begin our weekend retreat. In total we had 9 vertical students and 4 horizontal caving students, plus our amazing instructors. Day 1 came and went like any other day packing gear and setting up camp. Day 2 began with a thunderstorm moving in just after sunrise. This was the beginning of several changes in our schedule that led to our epic adventure.

Due to the excessive rain throughout the day we were unable to go to our planned cave. This cave is easily flooded and we would be standing in waist deep water for hours at a time. Instead our instructors chose another cave for us to explore, Ellisons Cave. This cave is home to Fantastic Pit, the deepest pit in the continental US, at 586 feet. However that drop requires much more experience than we currently have. Instead our plan was to drop a smaller pit in the cave, at 125 feet. 

So we packed our gear and headed out. After parking we began a steep 3/4 mile hike to the cave entrance. We entered the cave around 5 pm, Friday April 4th. No one knew the adventure we were about to have. After caving to the pit, we rigged a rope for descent. This particular pit has a waterfall that comes down opposite the side of the pit we rappel down, however the mist still greatly chills any person in the vicinity. For anyone who has vertical caved before, you can imagine how long it takes to rappel 16 people into a pit. Our 4 horizontal cavers did not have the same experience we did, or the same gear. They rappelled on rock climbing rappel devices.

Within this cave we explored back to a 20 foot wall where we climbed in groups. At the top of this climb we were led back to Fantastic Pit. I can truly say that I have never been so in awe of a cave as when I leaned over the edge, safely clipped in of course, and listened to the sound of dropping a rock nearly 600 feet. The silence seemed to last forever before the rock finally hit bottom and echoed the noise back to us. Someday I plan to drop that pit, but for now I need to keep training.

We walked back to the 20 foot wall and I was the last one to rappel down. By now hours had passed since we entered the cave, but having no watch I had no idea just how many hours. We made our way back to the original pit, where some students had already ascended and prepared rigging for our ascent. Most simply explained, our horizontal students did not have the knowledge or gear to ascend themselves up the pit. Therefore one climber would be tethered to a "patient" and using counter balance system the climber would lift the "patient" as they climbed. By using this system, if the climber went up one foot, they would then drop 6 inches while the "patient" went up 6 inches. This means that by the end of the 125 foot climb, the climber actually went 250 feet.

So our 4 "patients" paired with the 4 chosen climbers, me being one of them. I can without a doubt say that this was the most strenuous workout I've ever had. Already being hungry, tired, cold, and wet; I was ready to give my last bit of strength to make it to the top. I climbed and climbed, probably close to 30 minutes from getting on rope to off rope at the top. When I was nearly at the top of the pit I had the most intense life-flashing-before-my-eyes moment I've ever experienced. I had just reached the point of the pit where I was no longer hanging in midair. I was able to touch the wall, but just barely and only with my hands as my feet were still dangling. Suddenly my hands began to slide down the wall and I grasped to hold on. For a few terrifying seconds I was free falling and my first thought was that the rope had broke and I would now be falling over 100 feet. Then the movement stopped and I tried to make sense of the situation. Turns out my "patient" had gotten a foot hold and stood up, causing the rope to slack and me to go down. After taking a minute to calm my nerves I finished the last bit of the ascent. I then proceeded to lay down to rest and catch my breath. 

At this point I was given the first realization of how long we had been caving. It was well past midnight before I began my climb. It was finally April 5, my 23rd birthday; and it began in a cave. The last 2 groups ascended and we took down the rigging and hiked out. We exited the cave just before 4 am. After 1 1/2 hour drive back to camp we were thoroughly exhausted. Our original plan for the day had been to wake up at 5 am for the next cave, but this plan was quickly changed. Once we parked outside our camp, most people had no energy to even walk the short path to camp. We tried to sleep in the vehicles, but one by one we found our way to our sleeping bags. By the time I made it back to my hammock it was about 6:30 am. 

I slept soundly that morning, until 10:30 am when we were all awoken to start our day. This was done with loud singing and swinging of hammocks, until we reluctantly crawled out and gathered to start our day. While all tired we were able to have an amazing rest of the day. We left for our 2nd cave around 1:30 pm and caved until 8 pm. This cave had some of the most amazing formations I've ever seen, all preserved in a perfect state. I saw things I had never seen before, such as cave pearls. This cave was easier to access, with no pits to drop and most areas able to walk through without bending down. 

While an incredible cave, over 30 miles mapped and more unexplored, we were all ready to eat and rest. We ended our caving at sunset and drove to a nearby Mexican restaurant. There was no shortage of people letting the waiter know that it was my birthday, and after supper I was sung to by the waiters and then my group, given an ice cream sundae and whipped cream in my face. The day ended around midnight and we spent our last night at camp. We awoke at 7 am to break camp and clean gear before disembarking.

All in all I would not change one bit of the day or the weekend. The group have become close friends and I look forward to our next trip together, although it will only be a portion of the same students. I can truly say that this is a birthday I will not soon forget; filled with adventure, friends, many laughs, many songs, and a little danger thrown in for excitement. Wishing for another year of thrills and fun, meeting new friends and making memories every step of the way.

Must Come Up.

24 hours ago I was overwhelmingly excited about the adventure that awaited me. Today I successfully completed my first vertical caving experience. I could spend this entire blog trying to explain how I felt and the thoughts going through my head, but they would fall flat. Words cannot express the awe and humble feelings of rappelling nearly 200 feet in a few minutes. Or the sincere tranquility of sitting in a room at the bottom of a cave with no lights, listening to a cascading waterfall and singing from pure joy.

Tonight I am as sore as I've ever been in my life. I have battle scars in the form of multiple bruises. I am warm for the first time since this morning. And I wouldn't trade any of these feelings for the world. Tonight I am in a state of pure joy and I am looking forward to the next trip. For the next six weeks of class I hope to have many more of these adventures. 

What Goes Down...

Today was the first full day of my Vertical Caving class. While I have been looking forward to this opportunity since I started college, the actual class has been daunting. Most people would be frightened by the thought of dangling on a rope 150 feet in the middle of a pit. Or they would be afraid of the small, dark spaces filled with itty bitty critters. Me, I embrace the thrill of lowering 100's of feet in minutes and being in mud up to my knees. I get jitters of excitement when I take that last step, leaving the safety of the ledge and hanging freely in the open space.

No, my fears are not the usual dilemmas. I am overwhelmed by the task of learning the skills necessary. More accurately, learning but not remembering when it's "go time." But today my fears were quenched. I spent this Sunday learning from two of the most outstanding men in the sport. Our day consisted of multiple sets of gear, various problem scenarios, and lots of rope. Even though it rained nearly the entire day we were outside learning invaluable skills. As with most of my adventures where I'm nervous just before partaking, once I took the first step and put my gear to the rope I was unstoppable.

As I sit at home now I am looking over my new bruises and feeling the pain of a sore back. I know that tomorrow will be an even earlier start as we head out to the "real world" experience. Today we did training in a backyard, tomorrow we're conquering the cave. Cagles Chasm is a pit that is 186 feet deep. I'm so excited by this new adventure that I doubt my ability to fall asleep tonight. For others my excitement about this, and every other aspect of caving, may seem strange and a bit crazy. But I'm a thrill seeker, always have been. I enjoy the feeling of being scared. Once I conquer an activity I can still have fun doing it, but the thrill is lessened. Therefore I don't receive the same adrenaline rush and I must pursue more exciting, albeit dangerous, adventures.

So as I close out this day in my life I know that my next challenge awaits me when I awake. I pray for safety for myself and all the other students who will be taking on this adventure. As Mark Twain said "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do then by the ones you did do... Explore. Dream. Discover." This has been a dream of mine, I will never have tomorrow again. These are the times in life I will never forget.

You've Got To Stand For Something Or You'll Fall For Anything

            Currently I stand in the field of golden wheat, the stalks waving in the breeze. I walk in the faded footsteps of men who made a Pledge to fight for what they believed in. They had an Allegiance to their commanders and to their country. I look To the sky, imagining the brilliant blue muffled with smoke from muskets and cannons. I walk up The hill overlooking the town below. I can see a Flag ripple in the wind, a reminder of what was fought for here.

            On the edge of the field a single stone marks the name Of this place. For the people who once stood here The stone signifies a victory against all odds. I close my eyes and think about the way those men stood United, facing eminent danger. They did not have unified training, only a rag-tag group of men from various States. Men Of this area knew more about farming than fighting in a war. The one thing they did have was a name to fight for, America.

            Eventually the smoke cleared And the sounds of gunfire ceased. The trained soldiers retreated To their camp. At last, The men who had fought for freedom stood tall and proud. They served their Republic with every breath. They fought For the women and children of the towns. I now look for the courage Which they showed without hesitation. I stand here, hoping to soak It up by remembering how it was once displayed. My son Stands at my side, looking out at fields stretching into the distance. 

           He is the One I have to be strong for. Soon I will be following the footsteps of those men long forgotten; fighting for the Nation they believed in. I tell myself that I will not fail Under pressure. I tell my son that God will bring me home safely. As I say goodbye the next morning I tell my loving wife that we are Indivisible, that the miles between us will not matter. 

          For the first time, With a heavy heart, I walk away from the two people who mean the most to me. Once the plane takes off, my thoughts are of fighting for Liberty. I think about the men who fought And died in that field. Like them, I also want Justice for my country and its citizens. When the time comes For me to face the enemy, I only pray that I have the courage to battle with every breath. I am standing strong for All the people who have come before me.

What Day Is It?

Today is Valentine's Day. Once a year we are reminded of what society thinks constitutes love between two people. At its simplest form today can be summed up with chocolate and flowers, maybe a card or a romantic dinner. Its the chance to prove how much you care for another person, making your own personal bubble of happiness for the day. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy Valentine's Day as much as the next person. I wore pink to try to get into the mood, and I definitely enjoyed some chocolate. But today is not just Valentine's Day. It's Singles Awareness Day (SAD).

I suppose being single I cannot truly understand the point of today. For me it isn't really a holiday, if it were we'd have school off. Maybe this day can only be enjoyed in its full purpose by the people in relationships. But currently I'm single and happy about it. For now this day just passes by as another Friday, with a little more chocolate than usual. So rather than spending the day dwelling on the idea of being in a relationship, I'm going to define why being single may be the happiest state of all (at least for now).

For those people like me, stubbornly independent and carefree, being in a relationship just bogs me down. I believe in fairy tale love, and until prince charming sweeps me off my feet I don't care to settle for just anyone. For now I'm taking the time to get to understand myself. Honestly, how can you be in a relationship, expecting to let someone else get to know you completely without knowing yourself? And who knows how long that could take. So for now I am content with the idea that I have more soul searching left to do.

I also believe that a relationship should be leading towards marriage. If I don't think that I could one day marry a guy, I'm not going to date him just to be with someone. And if a relationship is eventually working to marriage, the two people have to be completely devoted to each other. Of course they also need to make time for work, personal space, etc. But as a college student in her final semester, with a job and more homework than I seem able to manage, a relationship would just be more work. Not only would I be busy beyond belief, I would inherently give my most attention to school. This would leave the guy feeling unwanted and it just wouldn't be fair to either of us.

So all you singles listen up. It won't always be just you and your cat. One day you'll find that special someone, and if you're lucky you'll spend your entire lives together. And more than likely you'll have times that you miss the days of being young and single and carefree. So enjoy it while it lasts. You've got the rest of your lives to see Feb. 14 the way the chocolate suppliers and greeting card companies portray it.

22nd

        Crisp snow glistens white with frost. The unmarked ice lies frozen in place. The hills have been formed into powdery masterpieces. Moonlight glows over the perfectly prepared wonderland. The only sound is the blustery wind among the trees.

The rinks have been perfectly groomed. The jumps stand tall and strong. The tracks are glossy with slick ice. The courses on the mountains tower into the sky. The arenas sit in empty silence. Seven years of design has been carved into the landscape. The entire area awaits the challengers who dare to test their skills.

Boards have been waxed until they tear the snow without resistance. Blades have been sharpened to glide with ease.  Outfits have been meticulously designed. Skis of every shape and size have been formed to compete in any condition. All preparations have been completed.

The noise of the big arena has died down. Crowds have dispersed to their separate areas. The smoke from the fireworks has faded into the dark sky. The athletes have finished their march and now rest for the weeks ahead. Years of planning, injuries, heartbreak and triumph have been leading to this moment. Let the games begin.

Alone It Stands (1st page)

            The cold wind howls as it rustles the gold and orange leaves. A full moon rises just above the trees, shedding a glow on the dark night. The leaves on the ground swirl about with the shifting wind. Somewhere among the trees faint voices can be heard. When the wind slows, the crunch of footsteps on leaves is the only sound that echoes among the trees.

           “C’mon, move faster. We don’t have all night.” A young girl hurriedly walks through the forest. Her breath billows as a cloud in the chilly autumn air. Not far behind her a boy about her age follows her through the darkness.

           “Slow down. I can’t see where I’m…” his words are cut short as he trips over a log and falls face first into the leaves. He sits up and grunts. “How much further do we have to go?”

           “We’re almost there. Here let me help you.” She reaches out her hand and pulls him to his feet.

           They continue walking at a slightly slower pace and soon enter a clearing. A broken concrete path stretches from the edge of the woods towards a large building. As the moon breaks from behind a cloud the clearing is lit up. They stand gaping at a large worn brick building. Most of its dusty windows are intact, though some are only holes with shards clinging to the edges. Dead vines wrap around the tin roof. The few trees nearest to the building tap rhythmically against the walls.

            The girl is the first to step forward. “Isn’t this place awesome?”

  

            The boy looks less enthusiastic but still intrigued. “What did you say it used to be?”

            “It was a printing office like 60 years ago but it closed down.” She swirls around and turns her flashlight up towards her face and says in her spookiest voice “no one knows why.”