Iceaxe
07-23-2012, 09:55 AM
This was my third attempt at completing the Darby Ice Cave. My first attempt about 5 years ago ended when we were stopped by an ice plug at a squeeze located at the bottom of the Ice Cave. This forced us to reverse the Ice Cave to escape, which was pretty sketchy.
My second attempt ended before it began when the cave was temporarily closed to protect against the white-nose bat syndrome.
Third time is the charm. :2thumbs:
Ah, the Ice caves. Why wouldn't you want to go to a cold dark place that feels like it's crushing you? For those unfamiliar with the caves - You start at the Darby Ice Cave. It's a limestone cave, but the walls are covered in Ice, and the floor is frozen. You make your way deep into the cave to where you rappel off a 70' frozen waterfall, at which time most of the ice disappears.
Next up is a squeeze through a tight crawl to reach the Wind Cave.
After that you follow an underground river for what feels like forever through more tight squeezes and big rooms, downclimbing and rappelling numerous waterfalls. You are always wet to some degree from the underground river. It's a lot like canyoneering in the dark.
Eventually you have to wade across and underground lake known as "Crotch Lake" because you freeze your daddy parts off in the ice cold water. And you know it's ice cold as you will see icicles hanging from the sides of the cave.
Eventually you exit the beautiful Darby Wind Cave, which is about one mile west (as the crow flies) from where you went in. The underground length is easily triple that distance.
Our trip was approximately 10 hours car to car, with 6 hours spent finding our way through the maze of caverns. It would take much longer without the excellent leadership and knowledge of the cave provided by price1869.
56965
My Daughter Stormy getting ready to enter the Ice Cave
56966
The gang: Price, Sam, Shane and Stormy.
56967
Lot's of pictures of Stormy.
56968
56969
56970
The old man fitting through a U-turn type squeeze.
56971
56972
56964
The gang at the Wind Cave finish .
My second attempt ended before it began when the cave was temporarily closed to protect against the white-nose bat syndrome.
Third time is the charm. :2thumbs:
Ah, the Ice caves. Why wouldn't you want to go to a cold dark place that feels like it's crushing you? For those unfamiliar with the caves - You start at the Darby Ice Cave. It's a limestone cave, but the walls are covered in Ice, and the floor is frozen. You make your way deep into the cave to where you rappel off a 70' frozen waterfall, at which time most of the ice disappears.
Next up is a squeeze through a tight crawl to reach the Wind Cave.
After that you follow an underground river for what feels like forever through more tight squeezes and big rooms, downclimbing and rappelling numerous waterfalls. You are always wet to some degree from the underground river. It's a lot like canyoneering in the dark.
Eventually you have to wade across and underground lake known as "Crotch Lake" because you freeze your daddy parts off in the ice cold water. And you know it's ice cold as you will see icicles hanging from the sides of the cave.
Eventually you exit the beautiful Darby Wind Cave, which is about one mile west (as the crow flies) from where you went in. The underground length is easily triple that distance.
Our trip was approximately 10 hours car to car, with 6 hours spent finding our way through the maze of caverns. It would take much longer without the excellent leadership and knowledge of the cave provided by price1869.
56965
My Daughter Stormy getting ready to enter the Ice Cave
56966
The gang: Price, Sam, Shane and Stormy.
56967
Lot's of pictures of Stormy.
56968
56969
56970
The old man fitting through a U-turn type squeeze.
56971
56972
56964
The gang at the Wind Cave finish .