BlackFox
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Stay thirsty my friends
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Post by BlackFox on Jan 21, 2009 15:55:37 GMT -5
I've recently started to pursue caving. I've always been interested in it, but commercial, guided caves never appealed to me. My brother recently rented a place on a farm that has a cave on it, and we have partially explored it.
The reason for this thread is that I wanted to ask if anyone here has ever been in the cave near Ooltewah High School. That should be enough info for anyone that has. I'm thinking of heading out there soon. I've never been in it, but I work with a guy that used to go in it all the time about 20 years ago when he went to Ooltewah. He can't go now due to massive weight gain since then, but I wouldn't mind having someone with me that knows the place.
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Post by Tsavodiner on Jan 21, 2009 23:01:24 GMT -5
Yeeahh---I'LL go out there witcha! Yesirrreee.....
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BlackFox
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Post by BlackFox on Jan 22, 2009 9:05:59 GMT -5
Yeeahh---I'LL go out there witcha! Yesirrreee..... Cool. Then we can go by Beef O' Brady's and have a few beers and I can show you how well I drink and drive.
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Post by gridbug on Jan 22, 2009 10:27:55 GMT -5
I've not been an active caver in years but I'm getting the uge to get back underground I highly suggest you go to a meeting of the Local Grotto of the NSS. If you can't find their meeting time PM me. There you can meet all kinds of people to go caving with and get information on that cave. To be honest, if this cave is that easy to find it's probably totally trashed. You'll find out about way better caves at the Grotto.
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dvc
Senior Member
Posts: 542
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Post by dvc on Jan 22, 2009 12:39:42 GMT -5
Yes I have been to that cave but I don't think you can get to it now.There are a lot of houses built along that creek and I am sure it is on private property.
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osrb
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Semper Fi
Mostly Harmless
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Post by osrb on Jan 22, 2009 13:01:30 GMT -5
sounds like fun. I would like to play too.
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Post by Fun Grrl From Mt Pilot on Jan 22, 2009 13:59:10 GMT -5
Count me in as well...what kind of equipment would we need?
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Kordax
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Hank Rearden
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Post by Kordax on Jan 22, 2009 15:06:33 GMT -5
My old caving carbide light still works but I cracked my old helmet all to hell -- I've got several static line ropes & climbing equip. We used to cave in Alabama, along the TN River across from Baylor School & near Winchester at the base of Sewannee -- great fun....
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BlackFox
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Post by BlackFox on Jan 22, 2009 18:09:40 GMT -5
I'll see if I can get to the opening this weekend and report back. I'll ask the guy I work with if it's mainly a crawler or walker. He has told me before that it used to run all the way to collegedale but had collapsed years ago under the interstate. You can still get to the cave-in and it even has been dug back out to get around the cave-in, but he said it is VERY tight. Still, that's probably a good mile or so to that point. He said it also branches off in another direction. He didn't say how far that branch goes, but that it just suddenly ends.
Notta caving?
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Post by Tsavodiner on Jan 22, 2009 18:11:18 GMT -5
Yeeahh---I'LL go out there witcha! Yesirrreee..... Cool. Then we can go by Beef O' Brady's and have a few beers and I can show you how well I drink and drive. Cool. Then, I'll hold the rope while you rappel into the cave.
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BlackFox
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Post by BlackFox on Jan 23, 2009 20:28:16 GMT -5
Well, from what I gather from my co-worker and what I've been able to Google, we shouldn't have a problem getting to it. When you reach the cave, he said you have to squat down for about 20 feet or so, then you can pretty much stand up for a while.
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colonoscopy
Regular
Bend over. This is going to hurt.
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Post by colonoscopy on Jan 25, 2009 12:34:40 GMT -5
The last time I went caving I came out covered in bat guts and mud.
We were so bat covered that we were crushing them under our arms, the back of our knees, the crook of our arms, the bottom of our feet. Hell, I wiped one to death getting it out of my eyes.
Bats are amazingly fragile creatures.
Naw, I ain't afraid of bats; I just didn't want to kill any more of the little fnckers.
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BlackFox
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Post by BlackFox on Jan 25, 2009 21:29:13 GMT -5
Well, there can't possibly be an easier cave to find than this one. It is very covered with graffitti at the entrance and for the first 20 ft. or so. However, it has a very large opening that is big enough to just walk in. I took a lot of pictures, but my home cpu is extremely slow, so I'll just post this one for now. The entrance. If we should go, any of us, I think it would be a good idea to bring some garbage bags and pick up a little. The cave is probably much nicer deeper in, but the first little bit of it is a little trashy. I would like to check it out next weekend sometime.
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BlackFox
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Post by BlackFox on Jan 25, 2009 22:24:11 GMT -5
Further inside, just a few feet, I was using the flash on my camera as a guide. You can see the large tunnel turn to the right. There is also a narrower turn to the left.
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Post by Tsavodiner on Jan 26, 2009 21:08:11 GMT -5
"Well, Mr. Brown, it certainly looks like polyps to me".
Oh, sorry, that's colonoscopy's line....
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