Caving, where do you start?

geepondy

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Apr 15, 2001
Messages
4,896
Location
Massachusetts
Read lots of references in the headlight forums and it sounds neat but where do you start to find info? Any good caving forums? When I think of caving, I think of places like New Mexico but are there places here in the northeast USA as well? Is caving taken to the extent that like in hiking is that you actually explore caves to a length that you camp overnight in them?
 

bigcozy

Enlightened
Joined
Dec 7, 2001
Messages
501
Location
Southern Fried
Pretty sure that North Carolina and Tenn. have a lot of caves. I grew up in running around in caves in the Ozarks, they are everywhere. Blanchard Springs cave hasn't even been fully mapped: http://www.fs.fed.us/oonf/ozark/recreation/caverns.html

There are tons of caves to explore in the Ozarks, when I was much younger and more limber I did a lot of exploring in them. Used to find arrowheads and pottery pieces all the time, don't find them much anymore. Check out Keith Browns site: http://www.ozarkmountains.org/caves.htm - lots of pics there. If you get down this way, I will load you up on info and might be able to get up that way myself. Lost Valley is spectacular. One cave is big enough to put a office building in, and less than a quarter of a mile away is a cave with a 100 foot waterfall coming out of it. Biggest thing after multiple light sources and chem sticks, get some elbow and knee protection. I will look around from some more pictures.
 

Bravo25

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Nov 17, 2003
Messages
1,129
Location
Kansas, USA
I have been researching this as of late, and I have found there are basically 3 rules to caving (spelunking)
1.Take nothing but pictures
2.Leave nothing but footprints
3.Don't tell anyone where they are.

So this is becoming interesting from that last stand point. Where I live there are no caving groups. Closest one around is 3 hours away. But I haven't given up hope yet.
 
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