Survey weekend

Missed Opportunity is a cave better done with warm days to avoid getting too cold when exiting the cave.  Reason, the front of the cave requires a stream belly crawl.  On July 26, the belly crawl was traversed by four neoprene clad cavers; Mike Broome, Lisa Lorenzin, Carlin Kartchner, and I.

The survey objective was to stay out of the stream passage by continuing to survey the high leads; methodically choosing the left most lead.  The lead let immediately into a low passage and remained low for quite some time; alternating between hands and knees crawling and bell crawls.  However there was very little complaining from anyone as the passage was very well decorated.

 

With repetitive 30ft shots the survey team of three got ahead of the sketcher burning through pencils drawing in a plethora of Speleothems.  The sketcher didn’t even catch up after the survey team enjoyed a guilt free lunch.

 

The left wall eventually terminated with a parallel lead going back the way we came.  It was determined it would be best to stop survey at this point and exit the cave.  The day resulted in just less than 1000ft of new passage.

 

No sooner had we pulled onto the main road, Ken and Tanya caught up with us.  They had been surveying Saltville Quarry cave near-by.  Their survey efforts did not complete the cave.

 

Over an Italian meal, we determined returning to Saltville Quarry to try and complete the remaining leads was the best option for Sunday. 

 

Ken and Mike took the wet lead while Carlin, Lisa, and I headed to the low tight lead.  The lead of interest was a low lead that got even lower and is impassible within some cave modification.  Opting out of alternation, Carlin found another passage that had blowing air.  With a bit of scooping he reported seeing daylight.

 

Our survey initiated, and led us through 138ft of low, sometime tight, and generally muddy passage toward the other entrance.  Stepping into daylight, the entrance was the other cave Ken pointed out early.

 

Again, timing was good; we ran into Ken and Mike at the first cave entrance warming up.  Ken and Mike had finished the other passage but found an additional, terminating lead while exiting,

 

With Mike and Lisa needing to get on the road; Ken, Carlin, and I headed back to wrap up the remaining lead.  While known the passage was wet, the thigh deep water was cold; colder than the stream in Missed Opportunity.

 

The side passage led to an additional 66ft; while Ken was wrapping up the sketch, Carlin and I waded to the end of the passage.  The passage is actually well decorated; taking the trek back despite facing the ever increasing water level was worth it.