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CAVE CRAWL - CLIMAX AND GLORY By Becky Dettorre, Debbie Meeks Photos by Brian Williams Debbie Meeks, Becky Dettorre, and Brian Williams headed up to Havana, Florida for the 2004 Cave Crawl hosted by the Flint River Grotto. We left on Friday evening in Brian's, uh, "security" van, replete with jump seat in the back and tons of gear - mostly Becky's, packed in true bag lady style. Arriving that night at Tim Lewis's Havana Hide-a-way, we noticed the campsites already filling up, so Debbie and Becky usurped part of the Britton's carefully cordoned off area - thanks, Danny and Annette! After setting up camp, we "circled the lantern" with fellow campers Team Vinzant, Eric and Joanna Amsbury, Dan Straley, Vickie Cain, and several others. The next morning, Team Vinzant, Brian, Debbie, Becky, David, Rachel, Jonathan, Jeremy, and Steve headed to Climax Cave. Upon arrival, we were met by several other folks that had been on the trip sign-up sheet for what ended up to be a 16 person caving trip, lead by Brian with lots of help from Team Vinzant. The group included Guy and Jerry, two firefighters from Georgia who were introduced to Climax by Bruce Brewer. Also joining the group were Rick from Florida, his friend Charles from Indiana, and Linda, also from Florida. Charles and Linda were true neophytes. Everyone got geared up and headed down the trail to the sink. The entrance sink was rigged with a hand line and we began our descent. Brian and Team Vinzant were at the cave entrance to help the group down and they discovered a young water moccasin near the chimney. He was packed in a rope bagged and passed up the line to be relocated away from the sink. Debbie chose to free climb the wet chimney into the cave with a soft landing provided by two of the Mighty Vinzants. The rest of us descended on rope rigged in the other chimney. On rope for the first time in months, Becky was really missing the practice sessions at the quarry - talk about rusty! Once inside, we trekked through the big room and entered the sand crawls. The crawls are much wider now due to the modifications made during Bruce's recovery effort. You can see where the walls were chipped away to enlarge the passage. There is also a new gate in the middle of the crawls. We re-grouped on the other side and planned our trip to New Formation Room and Razor Hall. After some route finding through the T-Room and the short cuts, we arrived. Razor Hall is a beautiful room - lovely formations, crystal clear pools, and time for reflection for some of us, I think. Everyone did great, including Charles and Linda - Charles offered the ladies a hand on more than one occasion! Back through the sand crawls and on to the surface where the Vinzants encountered another reptile denizen. This time it was a jet-black, Eastern Hognose snake. We got a few pictures then released him and headed up to the trucks to wash off the sand and mud. It was time to head back to the campsite for liquid refreshments and BBQ chicken dinner. Saturday night, we were right where we wanted to be - surrounded by nice people, clear sky with a sliver of moon and lots of stars, the air redolent of honeysuckle, and a band with eclectic taste, who smoothly segued from Jimmy Hendrix to Dave Brubeck. Some of us threatened to get up and dance but the warmth of the mini Mag-Lite was too cozy to leave. Thank you, Tim Lewis and Flint River Grotto! Sunday morning, Brian, Debbie and Becky slinked out of the campground fairly early for a 3-person trip to Glory Hole. We picked up some caver snacks at County Food and Tires, paid homage to Grandma's house, and finally arrived at the fortified new entrance to Glory. The new gate was truly an amazing site and a lot of work has been accomplished in the sinkhole. Hopefully this will help with the erosion and the influx of sand into the cave. The climb down was a little sketchy for Becky - new enough at this to still be working on getting her "caving legs", Becky shared with Debbie and Brian the thought that surfaces every time she heads underground - isn't this a little crazy? It cemented the bond already present when they both agreed they felt the same way every time they passed through openings like this one! Finally on the bottom and to the back of the "Hall of Disappointment", we entered the Birth Canal. This tight little passage is a one-way ticket to the rest of the cave, no turning back from here. On through the Sewers, the FSS Bypass, Loch Ness Passage and Round Room, we finally ended up surrounded by the crystalline formations that make this cave famous. What an amazing reward for all that crawling. Sequoia Cervone-Buzzella once described something as being "so cute, it makes me want to cry." In Glory Hole, so much beauty provoked the overwhelming emotion that Sequoia expressed - the soda straw, helectite, and angel wing encrusted ceiling, the glittering white and peach calcite columns, the secret pool that Brian pointed out with stunning, clear crystals growing in it. In the Pellam Palace, Brian showed us the mystifying honeycomb-like formations that seem to undulate back into themselves, growing out of the pools and covering the ground. Debbie spotted a couple of spiders, one with egg sac, and we all wondered what they might lure to their webs. We lingered among the Crystals, snapping photos and searching for a vocabulary to express what may be ineffable. Then, after an abbreviated -- but definitely regal -- wriggle, we headed out once again through the Birth Canal. Good timing allowed us to completely miss Dan Straley's group of 12 who had entered the cave after us that day. Thanks, again, Debbie, for the leg up on the way out; and thanks, Brian, for leading us on a trip that is impossible not to revisit. Next stop was a quick look at the sinkhole entrance to Waterfall Cave, a search for a new sink, a few more photos, and then we hit the road for home. Another Cave Crawl was history but the memories live on. Captions 1. Allen Cressler, Dan Straley, Eric and JoJo Amsbury at camp 2. David and Rachel Smiley with Becky after a 7 hour Climax trip 3. Hanging out at camp 4. James Mclean, court jester 5. Debbie begins her descent into Glory 6. Becky finds an angel 7. A pool of Crystals 8. Debbie and Becky in Pellam Palace 9. On fire in the formation room 10. Reflection pool in Pellam Palace 11. Can't get enough of the good stuff (BW_formation) 12. More Glory Goodies 13. Becky and the Angel part 2(BeckAngel12) 14. Single wing(angelwing) 15. Becky emerges from Glory 16. Tired, muddy and.....happy(Glory_Group) 17. The BBQ chicken line 18. Eric and Jo Jo enjoy the feast 19. Debbie and Becky at the entrance sink, Waterfall Cave 20. Malloys Waterfall portrait(Malloys Waterfall)
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