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Show flfloab Area Sandstone Caves Challenging BY DICK WIUSON Spelunking or cave exploring explor-ing is one outdoor sport that doesn't gain too many enthusiasts en-thusiasts in the Moab area. This is mainly due to the type of rock that abounds In Canyon Country. Sandstone doesn't contain the physical and chemical properties necessary nec-essary for lengthy cave forma tion.' To hear of caves of any size in sandstone beds is extremely ex-tremely rare. Yet, this past week spelunkers plumbed the depths of two of these rare sandstone caves both close to Moab. . Carl Davis of Moab, who is currently teaching rock climbing techniques to high school students, reacquainted me with . the . rules of rope climbing one evening last week. I hadn't roped into caves since-my college days in Tennessee and was a bit rusty. Most of the caves I had spent time in were horizontal hori-zontal and were formed in the great limestone beds of Kentucky . and Tennessee. I ha daccompanied members of the .National Speleological Society So-ciety into a deep cave in the Great Smokey Mountains National Na-tional Park of North Carolina Caro-lina which required a descent of some 100 feet, but this was done, with a cable ladder. Contain Huge Rooms Montana caves I explored were ' not entirely horizontal, nor. were the Arizona caves, but instead were composed of huge -rooms at different levels, lev-els, most of which were quite easily accessible without the use of ropes. But Moab's sandstone caves present a new dimension to caving for they are formed as a result of great faulting movements of the earth's crust. And where else but in our adjacent canyon country can you find such quantities of evidence speaking of bygone by-gone earthquakes, and other tremendous pressures contorting con-torting the face of the globe? How great were the forces that opened the fissures and split the strata into numerous numer-ous cracks! What shattered the mantle of the original tableland that has been a major ma-jor contribution of the formation forma-tion of the arches and fin country of Arches National Monument? Such occurances may not have been all too gradual. Just a casual look at the balanced rock hign above Park Avenue in Arches National Monument is convincing. con-vincing. If the force that cut and knocked this rock some two feet to the side, where it is presently precariously balanced, bal-anced, had been gradual, then erosional forces would have long ago carved it flush with the remaining portion of the column. Its sharply defined edges seem to me to be caused caus-ed by an abrupt earth shock. Salt Valley Cave I got this impression when in the little-known sandstone fissure that's located on the western rim of Salt Valley, just south of the Klondike Bluffs section of Arches National Na-tional Monument. Our spelunking spe-lunking party consisted of Carl Davis, who just recently returned from a vacation in Mexico; Terry Cleveland, local lo-cal high school student; and Henry O'Bryan who is presently pres-ently on leave from Vietnam and who is to be stationed in Fort Campbell, Kentucky, "where the big caves are,'' I told him. ' The cave is located above the steep bluff behind the old sheepherders homestead seen from the road to Klondike Bluffs. The climb itself is not for an unskilled hiker. Less than a quarter of a mile from the cabin is found the hole. My first look at the pit brought back memories of the Tennessee sinkholes, depressions de-pressions caused by the collapse col-lapse of cave roofs. This cave ft w . . . A' ' - ' , - v . ' -' . , ' . . t , , " " v' .. . y - ' ; . ,vv' . . . - . ; ' ' i' ; .... .. -. . .. .-. ' . , . . .. '.-,-; ' -' . ' , .... . . ; . ; i.v, ' ' . . r . . - . - -tt v , H d-' k.7v' 'S-, (I V 'j s s- , ' yr i " " - "W. ' . . i 5-... : . , , . ."a' , . ; ; ," . . 1 . '- 1 t . . i The hole leading into the immediate area's largest " sandstone cave caused by the collapse of the roof . The descent into the cave can be made only by rope, was .similar, too similar. I had to remind myself that such doesn't happen in sandstone sand-stone and you just can't find a cavity in sandstone large enough to be classified as a cave. But this is not always al-ways true' and there are many ma-ny freaks around to prove it. Such is the cave in the rim of Salt Valley. Known for a Long Time Curiosity is what usually prompts one to explore a cave. This happened to Bill Tibbetts, one of the old timers tim-ers of Moab history. He to id me that he first found the cave back in 1930 and led several groups into it in the years to follow. His boys, Gale and Ray spent much time in the cave as well. In fact, the earliest inscription we found in this Sunday's past trip was that of Gale Tibbetts dated 1946. The cave should not be entered en-tered without rope climbing skill and lights adequate for several hours. It can be a dangerous trip for there are numerous drops and loose boulders. The hole leading from the surface is about 15 feet in diameter and the same in depth. Peering into the pile of stones at the bottom while still standing on the rim of the hole would give no one any indication that the feature fea-ture has a greater depth. But by squeezing through a nearby hole, we forced ourselves our-selves into a crack which opened op-ened into the first gallery. This first chamber is well lighted due to the collapse of its roof thus revealing ths cavity. In one corner Davis began to unwind one of his nylon ropes. "Who wants to go first?" he said. , "Me," said a mouse in the pile of rubble behind me. The three fellows thought that I had volunteered, so I cheerfully cheer-fully made preparations. Then I looked over the edge of the hole and cheerfully tried to help others make faster preparations. But I was stuck with it. Follow the Rules There's a scientific aspect to rope climbing and when rules are followed, accidents seldom occur. With the help of. a seat-type of arrangement : and a carabiner, I gently lowered myself through the crack. A few feet down, the walls, that had been my only comfort, spread and left me dangling in a dark space. I . stopped my descent for a moment and turned the flashlight flash-light to the floor estimating the total drop as some 50 feet. The others soon joined me and we began our inspection of the cave. The roof rose to an estimated 75 feet above the floor and we traveled from one hallway to the next. The hallways were approximately approxi-mately six to ten feet wide and the walls were perfectly smooth giving the appearance that only yesterday they had been split. They were straight and rose to the ceilings in a manner I've not seen in any limestone cave. We crawled under the Guillotine, Davis' name for a sharp boulder that blocks the first hallway. Further on, the straight halls seem tc end, but on arriving we discovered that they usually us-ually only jog at a ninety degree de-gree angle, then keep on the same course as before. The Throne Room Davis calls the large boulder boul-der filled room above the 2nd dropoff the Throne Room. Beyond is a crevice that js deceiving. We dropped a rock into the crack and heard it resound from many feet below, be-low, and weren't quire sure whether it hit bottom or not. Local legend has it that there is no bottom. On closer inspection in-spection I noticed a series cf step-like ledges leading down and a vertical drop inio blackness below that. A railroad rail-road flare was slowly lowered lower-ed into the pit and 80 feet below us it became lodged, whether on a ledge or on the floor we did not know. The question came my way again. Curiosity moved me to equip myself at the end of the rope. The chimney made it easy going and finally the last s!ep was encountered. Looking over I saw the floor of the crevice and the flare only 30 feet lower. This was quickly reached and I loosened loosen-ed myself from the rope. At the other end of the passage I found initials and names indicating that othres had been here before. By this skill and courage; Spelunkers shown are Carl Davis, ; Terry Cieaveland and Henry O'Bryan. ' ' j ''''J ! time my' three companions topside were yelling for me' to come back. Before me was a crevice, narrow but inviting. invit-ing. A third rope would be needed, I thought, as I heard a thrown rock clattering and -echoing down the chasm beyond. be-yond. I turned and headed back, still curious about the true length of this long sandstone sand-stone cave. Our estimated penetration into the cave was something like one-fourth of a mile, but of course, it seemed seem-ed like a mile or more. This is a common deception but cave stories are bke gossip-growing gossip-growing bigger with the telling. tell-ing. Endless Cave Endless Cave, or Bottomless Bottom-less Cave, high on the rim above Moab is another interesting inter-esting feature of this vicinity. Tales have it that a rock toss ed into the pit within tin cave never hits bottom. Cail Davis and I recently headed I up the Kayenta slab from the Cane Creek highway. Our dune buggy could have carried car-ried us to the top but it would have taken more worK than we had time for so we hiked the remaining distance. Davis' 120-foot nylon rope was sufficient to get me tc the bottom of the first drop with nothing to spare. There are crevices beyond that our expedition did not have time to explore. Until someone does, this cave can still be called "Endless." One final warning to the curious both of the described caves are dangerous and require a full knowledge of safety precautions pre-cautions and skill in rope climbing. And on top of that, - they probably end. r. :;..: ; ' ' ! . Y w : t ,y , . . . i , J Rope climbing techniques were demonstrated by Carl Davis of Moab in preparation for local sandstone sand-stone cave exploration. l |