Derrick Cave Oct 2011
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Derrick Cave Oct 2011
Dig it!! :2thumbs:
The NPS has suggested that I might be prosecuted if I disclose the name and location, but I can say that the cave is maybe 75 miles south of where I live. By the way; this photo was taken April 21, 2010. We spent around 9 hours in the cave, and could have spent much more time exploring. One of the folks in the picture I shot (inadvertantly setting off 6 flashes) is Dave Brunell who is (was?) editor for NSS Magazine. Another in the photo is one of the explorer/discoverers of this cave. The NPS has gated and deemed off limits this particular cave??? I'm not a spelunker, but I must admit that this cave was a particular treat with it's grand ornamentation and several underground lakes. I would hope that someday entry into this cave might become a possibility once again.
Wow! Interesting Bo... :popcorn:
Shoulder aching all night, couldn't sleep, got restless and decided to post a few more pictures I took on this trip into what I felt was an amazing cave! Enjoy!
For goodness sake it's KyPet Cave and on youtube is a 2009 video of the exploration. I have little to zero respect for the park and forest service regarding their cave policies. Down here in Arizona those nitwits either let anyone and their dog have a key to the gates of caves or don't know where the key or the cave is they are supposedly managing. They want to "preserve" the cave--yeah right for all their buddies out of state in the hierarchy to go in the cave whether they know their a$$ from a hole in the ground or not. So a lot of the "protected" caves are actually significantly damaged due to these yahoos.
They can kiss my A$$. I know there are some good people who are the worker bees but the rest are just a$$holes.
I understand your sentiments redroxx. My feelings of disclosure come about because of my 2010 trip into the cave. The lock on the gate had been broken when we arrived and when the park found out, they began an investigation. Of course "we" had become suspects and one of the fellows that I'd gone with asked me to delete any mention that I'd gone in or most certainly the park would come knocking at my door. I did as requested mostly. Yes.......just who are they preserving this cave for????????????Quote:
Originally Posted by RedRoxx
My last degradation of this thread. A recently retired forest service ( I know not park but still government) official down here a "cave specialist" entered a cave known about and visited for many years by the caving community. Not an easy cave to find so not visited by public in general. No gate. This jerk decided he had to have a picture at a certain angle and walked on and marked PRISTINE flow stone.
He had to show this picture at a slide show at a Grotto meeting and got called out for it because everyone knew where he had to be to get that picture. The yelling started and a couple of cavers had to be physically restrained from decking this idiot. He was then persona non grata at this Grotto and several others until he finally retired. The New Mexico caving community got him out of there shortly when he came in but Arizona didn't have the political savvy to do it.
Another so called ranger at Kartchner caverns took a young guy into a pretty vertical cave and showed him the "ropes". This young man proceeded to return solo, left a couple of friends at the entrance and fairly far into the cave incorrectly rigged a rappel and fell 50 feet. He survived ( Darwin musta been on vacation that day) and the cave had a major rescue severely damaging it because it is on a military base here and this guy was a general's son. Everybody was in that cave, Borstar, local fire, local SAR, finally some cavers that were called, military people.
And people wonder why cavers are so secretive----anyway ,nice photos Bo.
I'm not a "Caver/Spelunker" nor would I ever claim to be! Clausterphobia has the better part of me. I have gone into Carlsbad Caverns when I was a wee lad back in the mid 60's; have gone with friends a couple times into Bloomington Cave; helped Kyle Voyles get up to a cave opening in the VRG (he wasn't a climber and I was), and actually squeezed up several yards into 2 separate vertical shafts in same cave, but have never had much desire to explore caves. When I was invited to see Kypet Cave with Kyle and several other very, very experienced cavers my decision was based more on just the social experience rather than the cave itself. When we went into the cave I was totally BLOWN AWAY! WOW! I will admit that I was quite stressed though. What a FRAGILE environment. We crawled thru a tight hole for 50' or so and then came into a chamber where we could stand up. It was there that we took off the new painters suits that we had crawled through the dirt in and put on non-marking water type shoes as to not pollute the cave that we were to explore. We stayed on a marked (red tape) path and didn't deviate. Trying to prevent knocking off "soda straws" was very stressful, but we all succeeded. I would NEVER go into such a cave unless I were with a very experiend caver. This wonder was created over millions of years and it takes the blink of an eye to destroy it. I have gained a respect for caves and the responsible people that discover and chart these amazing places. I would most certainly love the opportunity to return to this place and see it again.Quote:
Originally Posted by RedRoxx
Love the photos Bo! Thx for sharing.
Great shots BO, I love getting the chance to get a slight taste of such a place. Thanks!
Wayne