The 28th Annual
Carter Caves State Resort Park
Crawlathon
January 23-25, 2009
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The 28th Annual |
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Saturday TRIP #48: Geomorphology Gone Wild In Cascade (Level 2) - Duration: 3 hours - Limit: 30 people - Status: full When you sign up for this trip you are trusting a bearded red-headed rock junkie to take you deep into Cascade Cave on your hands and knees. Along the tour he will fill your head so full of information you will have to loosen the strap on your helmet in order to prevent a headache. Your goal if you choose to accept it is to see as much of Cascade Cave as you can and to bring along questions to stump the newly graduated geomorphology addict. During the tour you will travel through stream level passage of Cascade Avenue, which is ridiculously wet and muddy. This tour is considered more strenuous than the Cascade Gone Wild Tours. You will get really wet on this tour. You must be 12yrs or older to participate in this trip. Meets at Lodge; Transportation Needed.
Saturday 12:30pm Scouts Only. Find some hidden secrets in these wild and often-visited park caves. Dripping dome rooms, scalloped rock passages, huge breakdown, canyons, the connection crawl and a room filled with dozens of mini bathtub-like dams are just a few of the treasures you'll discover. These caves contain active streams. Be prepared to have wet feet, wet hands, possibly more if you slip! Water bottle/snack suggested. Total outdoor hike of at least a mile required, including a climb over steep hill to reach the Horn Hollow Valley, so be mindful of the weather and dress appropriately! Meets at the Lodge; Transportation Needed.
Saturday 12:30pm Would you like to try rappelling? Here's your chance. No experience will be necessary. What you will need are leather gloves and a hard hat with chin strap. This will NOT be a "how to" workshop. You'll be given basic instructions, put on the rope, and monitored on the descent. Follow signs in front of Lodge to the site.
Saturday 12:30pm Wilburn cave is located near the top of a big ridge. The trip to the cave entrance is a strenuous 250 ft. climb up a 30 degree banking, so you should be in good health to participate in this trip. There is little to no walking passage found in the whole cave and it is known for plenty of nasty little crawls. At one point in the cave you will have to straddle over top of a 20 ft. canyon to navigate through the passage. The cave is on private property and we have permission to visit the cave during Crawlathon Weekend only! Meets at Lodge; Transportation Provided.
Saturday 12:30pm See Sandy Cave like it has never been seen before at Crawlathon. You will visit the cave lit only by hand held fuel lanterns. Flashlights are still required, but will not be used unless necessary. See description of Sandy Cave Flotilla on page 5 for more information on Sandy Cave. Trip #53
Saturday 1:00pm
Saturday 1:00pm Yet another rendition of the cardboard box cave. Bring a light (NOT carbide!) but you can leave your shoes & helmet behind. Dress lightly, it's strenuous and can get stuffy in the cave. Must be at least 10 years old to participate. Follow signs from the lobby to the basement.
Saturday 1:00pm The group will hike from the Welcome Center to the back entrance of Laurel Cave, then on to Horn Hollow Cave and Rimstone Cave. Other entrances and cave features will be visited during the trip. Caving techniques, equipment, how the caves formed, and associated geologic features will be discussed. A low 100-foot belly crawl in Horn Hollow Cave is optional. On this trip, half the time will be spent above ground; be prepared to dress appropriately for the weather. You will need to sign up separately from the other Caving, Let's Do It Right Trips. HELMETS REQUIRED; a flashlight is required, and your feet may get wet. MEETS AT THE WELCOME CENTER, Transportation Needed to get to the Welcome Center.
Saturday 1:00pm This is a small cave with a lot to see. It is known for the large formations seen along the way. There may be a chance of seeing woodrats and Big Brown Bats along the route. This is a walking tour with some stooping and bending. MEETS AT THE WELCOME CENTER; Transportation needed.
Saturday 1:00pm This trip starts with a 1/4 mile hike to the cave entrance from the maintenance parking area. Bat Cave is completely wild with the exception for the cave gates. You will be required to navigate through some walking passages, climb over breakdown piles and do some hands and knee crawling. You get the whole package with the cave being a combination of dry, muddy and wet. How wet you get depends on how merciful your guide is. Meets at Lodge; Transportation Needed.
Saturday 1:00pm These are two interesting wet caves with some nice cave formations. Flood cave starts with a belly crawl entrance and opens into a nice walking passage. Hands and knee crawling as well as light climbing are required for the trip. Fern cave starts with a plunge into at least 3 feet of water in the entrance passageway. There is virtually no walking passage in fern cave considering the majority of the trip you will be straddling a water filled canyon. A 20-foot ladder climb is required to access the really pretty upper level of the cave. The trip requires about a 20-minute hike through some steep terrain. These caves are on private property and we have permission to visit it during Crawlathon Weekend only! Meets at Lodge; Transportation Provided.
Saturday 1:00pm Now that you have rappelled into the pit you have to get out, right? This trip will give you a taste of what is needed to ascend out of that pit you may someday find yourself at the bottom of. You will be introduced to a basic system of rope ascending commonly used by cavers and you will get a chance to do a rope climb. These same techniques are used whether you need to climb 12 ft. or 1200 ft. Down for Dummies may get you to the bottom, but you'll need us to get you out … Follow signs in front of Lodge to the site.
Saturday 1:30pm Adults Only. This is a tour through Cascade Cave, the largest and longest commercial cave in Carter County. Along the route you will see parts of the commercial route, but you will also venture off the beaten path to visit some of the wild sections of the cave. This is a good tour for beginners or those with assorted aches and pains. Meets at Lodge; Transportation Needed.
Saturday 1:30pm Would you like to try rappelling? Here's your chance. No experience will be necessary. What you will need are leather gloves and a hard hat with chin strap. This will NOT be a "how to" workshop. You'll be given basic instructions, put on the rope, and monitored on the descent. Follow signs in front of Lodge to the site.
Saturday 1:30pm Sandy Cave has a huge and long trunk passage that is part of the Cascade Cave system. It also provides some interesting areas that are accessed by crawling and climbing. The entrance is through a karst window with a 70-foot long pool of deep water at its bottom. The guides intend to lower a john boat to the pool and offer a boat ride to dry land. This trip is subject to cancellation if potential flooding conditions occur. Participants must help carry the boat through the woods for ½ mile to the cave on the Saturday Morning Trip and from the cave on the 10:30 Sunday Morning Trip. This cave is only accessible during Crawlathon Weekend! Meets at Lodge; Transportation Needed.
Saturday 1:30pm This trip starts with a 1/4 mile hike to the cave entrance from the maintenance parking area. Bat Cave is completely wild with the exception for the cave gates. You will be required to navigate through some walking passages, climb over breakdown piles and do some hands and knee crawling. You get the whole package with the cave being a combination of dry, muddy and wet. How wet you get depends on how merciful your guide is. Meets at Lodge; Transportation Needed.
Saturday 1:30pm Find some hidden secrets in these wild and often-visited park caves. Dripping dome rooms, scalloped rock passages, huge breakdown, canyons, the connection crawl and a room filled with dozens of mini bathtub-like dams are just a few of the treasures you'll discover. These caves contain active streams. Be prepared to have wet feet, wet hands, possibly more if you slip! Water bottle/snack suggested. Total outdoor hike of at least a mile required, including a climb over steep hill to reach the Horn Hollow Valley, so be mindful of the weather and dress appropriately! Meets at the Lodge; Transportation Needed.
Saturday 2:00pm
Saturday 2:00pm Yet another rendition of the cardboard box cave. Bring a light (NOT carbide!) but you can leave your shoes & helmet behind. Dress lightly, it's strenuous and can get stuffy in the cave. Must be at least 10 years old to participate. Follow signs from the lobby to the basement.
Saturday 2:00pm (Just show up, Pre-registration is not required. Does not count toward your Saturday Trip Limit.) For those of you, Adults & Kids, who wasted yourself during the morning, we have a craft activity that will allow you to make something batty and take something home besides the bumps and bruises. If you can, bring a t-shirt that you can decorate. Meets in Fields Facility of the Lodge.
Saturday 2:00pm Wilburn cave is located near the top of a big ridge. The trip to the cave entrance is a strenuous 250 ft. climb up a 30 degree banking, so you should be in good health to participate in this trip. There is little to no walking passage found in the whole cave and it is known for plenty of nasty little crawls. At one point in the cave you will have to straddle over top of a 20 ft. canyon to navigate through the passage. The cave is on private property and we have permission to visit the cave during Crawlathon Weekend only! Meets at Lodge; Transportation Provided.
Saturday 2:00pm This trip starts with a 1/4 mile hike to the cave entrance from the maintenance parking area. Bat Cave is completely wild with the exception for the cave gates. You will be required to navigate through some walking passages, climb over breakdown piles and do some hands and knee crawling. You get the whole package with the cave being a combination of dry, muddy and wet. How wet you get depends on how merciful your guide is. Meets at Lodge; Transportation Needed.
Saturday 2:00pm Scouts Only. This is a tour through Cascade Cave, the largest and longest commercial cave in Carter County. Along the route you will see parts of the commercial route, but you will also venture off the beaten path to visit some of the wild sections of the cave. This is a good tour for beginners or those with assorted aches and pains. Meets at Lodge; Transportation Needed.
Saturday 2:00pm Who Is There?! If you are interested in seeing what lives in the darkness of caves, if you would like to go caving in one of the most extensive caves in northeastern Kentucky, and if you don't mind crickets, spiders, and crayfishes only inches from your face, then this is the trip for you! We'll look at both aquatic and terrestrial communities in a variety of habitats and examine what it takes to live in this unique environment. You'll even get a nifty handout to take home with you. You will need to have a helmet and attached light, knee pads, and gloves. Items that you may find useful are elbow pads, a small, hand-held flashlight (LED light is best choice), a small paint brush, and a small magnifying glass might be useful as well. If you have a camera that has a good close-up (macro) lens, you might want to bring it [keep it inside a plastic bag (dust) and in a padded bag]. Meets at the lodge. Transportation Needed. A note to remember: Caves are special places that are as dark as you could ever imagine and obviously are quite different from the above-ground world. Animals that live in them vary from those just visiting occasionally to species that are permanent dwellers and that lack pigment and eyes - we should see examples of both types. Caves are also unique in that they are relatively constant environments. Consequently, when we go into them we are disruptive even though we are trying not to be. As a group and, very importantly, as an individual, you need to be aware that you are walking in passages where the floor is some creature's dinner table. We want to look where we step, keeping in mind that most of what is in the cave is small and very sensitive to vibrations and light. The best words of advice for the trip are: look closely everywhere you go, look for some strange, small animals, take nothing but pictures, kill nothing but time, leave a minimum of footprints, and have a great trip!
Saturday 2:30pm Cascade is the largest commercial cave in Carter County. You will experience large cave passageways, bats, beautiful cave formations and finish with a look at a 30 foot underground waterfall. This is a walking tour with some stooping and bending. MEETS AT THE WELCOME CENTER; Transportation needed.
Saturday 2:30pm Would you like to try rappelling? Here's your chance. No experience will be necessary. What you will need are leather gloves and a hard hat with chin strap. This will NOT be a "how to" workshop. You'll be given basic instructions, put on the rope, and monitored on the descent. Follow signs in front of Lodge to the site.
Saturday 2:30pm Now that you have rappelled into the pit you have to get out, right? This trip will give you a taste of what is needed to ascend out of that pit you may someday find yourself at the bottom of. You will be introduced to a basic system of rope ascending commonly used by cavers and you will get a chance to do a rope climb. These same techniques are used whether you need to climb 12 ft. or 1200 ft. Down for Dummies may get you to the bottom, but you'll need us to get you out … Follow signs in front of Lodge to the site.
Saturday 3:00pm
Saturday 3:00pm Yet another rendition of the cardboard box cave. Bring a light (NOT carbide!) but you can leave your shoes & helmet behind. Dress lightly, it's strenuous and can get stuffy in the cave. Must be at least 10 years old to participate. Follow signs from the lobby to the basement.
Saturday 3:30pm Would you like to try rappelling? Here's your chance. No experience will be necessary. What you will need are leather gloves and a hard hat with chin strap. This will NOT be a "how to" workshop. You'll be given basic instructions, put on the rope, and monitored on the descent. Follow signs in front of Lodge to the site.
Saturday 4:00pm
Saturday 4:00pm Yet another rendition of the cardboard box cave. Bring a light (NOT carbide!) but you can leave your shoes & helmet behind. Dress lightly, it's strenuous and can get stuffy in the cave. Must be at least 10 years old to participate. Follow signs from the lobby to the basement.
Saturday 4:30pm This is a small cave with a lot to see. It is known for the large formations seen along the way. There may be a chance of seeing woodrats and Big Brown Bats along the route. This is a walking tour with some stooping and bending. MEETS AT THE WELCOME CENTER; Transportation needed.
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