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CAVE CRAWL - WATERFALL CAVE TRIP By Woody Vinzant Matt, Andy and I did the 5 hour drive up to Havana Florida on Thursday after work. We arrived just about dark. After we had the tent set up we socialized with the other cavers who came up early. The McGrath's joined us a couple of hours later. We visited late into the night with the other campers. Friday morning we got up and acquired directions to Waterfall cave. It was only about 45 minutes into Georgia to the cave. After getting there, everyone set out assembling gear and taking turns looking at the entrance. Team Vinzant rigged the drop and we all took turns descending into the sink. This was Derrick's and Neicy's first rappel. While the last of our group came down, Matt scouted on a head for the entrance to the Balcony room. Single file we slipped into the passage and climbed down into the cave. We quickly came to the steep slope up to the Balcony room. Climbing over the edge of the balcony, we could see this wasn't a Florida Cave. It was so much bigger. We crossed the dry stream bed and started crawling. While traveling through several rooms, we could hear the chattering of the bats and couldn't miss the smell of the guano. This is known as the old section of the cave. The last room of the old section has a tunnel to the new section of the cave. This passage is called "the Grim Triangle of Death". Two years ago we went through here and I swore I would never do it again. But here I was again. I was a bit nervous as on my last visit, I got stuck for a couple of minutes in the tight crawlway. Matt led the way in and I followed. Matt shot through the orifice. I scooted through much easier than I figured I would. It must be the 15 plus pounds I've lost since the last encounter. Once John McG came through, I knew we were in free. Matt took the lead and we explored the cave. We climbed underground mountains that were easily a hundred feet high. We climbed up and down. Around and back. We kept joking that "This Mud Volcano is much bigger than the one we saw a half hour ago", even though we knew it was the same formation time after time. We had been in the cave for about 7 hours, joking, taking pictures, having fun and just exploring, when we decided that the Mc G's were wearing down. We turned and headed back out. Matt wanted to go look for a room he and Brian saw last time, so he went on alone. Andy and I led the McG's back to the formation room next to the Grim Triangle. I left them there to rest in the capable care of Andy while I went to join Matt. Matt showed me some more small rooms and we took some more pictures. We decided to head out as we were sure the others would be getting cold just sitting and waiting for us. Matt and I joined up with the group and we all started back out. Andy led. He was followed by John, Derrick, Neicy, Me and then Matt. Andy knew quickly that he had grown into the weight I had lost since the last trip. He found himself stuck in the grasp of the Grim Triangle of Death. After several minutes, he managed to wiggle through. From Where Matt and I was, all we could hear was grunting. Derrick yelled back that Andy was through and that John was going next. For the next 5 minutes all I heard was grunting. I haven't heard John grunt like that before. He is very comfortable in small spaces. I asked Derrick how he was doing and he replied that his dad couldn't fit. I heard his wife Neicy gasp at that. I yelled up that I was coming up to help. I climbed over Neicy and past Derrick. John's torso was sticking out of the triangle. I pulled on his legs and helped him out. We decided to send Derrick on through. Then Matt came up and suggested I go through to try to pull John. I went through without a whole lot of trouble. I sent Andy and an upset Derrick on ahead. Matt suggested that Neicy come next while John rested. She fit easily, but was mentally whipped. She was upset that her "babe" still had to get out. I pulled her through and sent her on ahead. John started in again. He still didn't fit. The angle out and fatigue make this a bad hole to deal with. We know other experienced cavers who got stuck here too. John got to his stopping point. I tried pulling on each of his arms but he wouldn't budge. He grunted a lot and swore some, but still didn't move. I pulled until he was afraid I was going to pull his arms off. Matt checked to see if Johns clothes or pads were catching, but John just wouldn't fit. John is (normally) a cool headed rescue fireman. He said he fit coming in, so he suggested backing through. I knew it was that or we were going to cut him and bleed him down some (just kidding). He backed in until he couldn't move any further. I then grabbed his leg and put my feet up on either side of the hole and pulled. His 190 pound body came through. He caught his breath and headed out with Neicy who stuck around to watch (even though I had told her to go on). Matt come through backwards too as he had to lock the gate behind him. After it was locked, he told me to pull him out. I pulled a lot harder than I thought I should have to. I knew there was no way he could be stuck. I asked him "Are you holding on to something?" He laughed and let go. I pulled him out easily. We had a good needed laugh. We took a break outside of the tight passage and had some snacks and drinks before heading out. On the trip out, we could tell the McG's were exhausted. The evening Georgia sky was a welcome sight. We battled the mosquitoes, washed ourselves off, stowed our gear and headed back to camp.       |