January caving in Marion

A survey trip was initiated for January 25 and 26. While the destination initially not set mostly due to weather conditions. The intent was to try to get the newly named Snow Cone cave on Saturday and Horseshoe on Sunday; both are ongoing TriTrog projects. The initial interest in the trip was high, upward to 12 people. However due to various circumstance, the available cavers fell to five. Five soles ready to face what Mother Nature was going to dish on us.


Waking up to single digits it was clear the ground to the cave would be frozen solid; the ground conditions put the landowner at ease. As we headed over Walker Mountain the snow started; it was immediately clear any additional snow would result in the return trip would be through the mountain gap in Chilhowie.


Having been suited up, we hurried into the cave and immediately felt the temperature relief. A quick show and tell of the “snow cone” put us at our first lead. To get warmed up I thought walking passage would be a good place to start, and it was the biggest hole in the current sketch. Five shots later we were 230ft into new passage headed back toward the hillside we entered yet another vast room; the third large room. After surveying the room we hammed it up for a couple of photographs and retreated back to the hole in the floor we left.


The passage was the smallest passage of the day though it opens up after a few small sections. Once through the small stuff we called the survey. We left walking passage yet to survey! It already has me wanted to get back to continue.


Returning to the surface yielded a couple more inches of snow and bitter cold. Fortunately Howard brought along a propane heater! It is amazing how fast you can get into street clothes when motivated. Soon we were driving out of the property and onto the snow covered roads.


The Italian restaurant was already closed by 7:30; we opted to McAdoo’s instead. From inside we watched it continue to snow heavily. I mention that because we getting back to my truck, the driver window was “missing” and snow inside. Initially thinking the glass shattered, the window ended up down in the door. However the window would not go up, nor could we reach it to pull it up. What a cold ride back to Tanya’s. At Tanya’s we pulled the panel off and was able to get the window closed. It was so cold Duck tape frozen before it would adhere to the cold window.


Sunday morning brought a balmy 30 degrees and getting the window fixed enough to get back to Raleigh was not such a miserable experience. Fortunately, once on route 81, the roads were dry and driving uneventful.


The single lead resulted in 485ft of survey and four additional leads. The sketch looks more complete with the work done, but the cave has already left us wanting to return to continue. The cave has far exceeded by expectations; in size and in beauty. The current surveyed distance is approximately 2000ft.