Sean Lewis, Tymme Laun, Marianne Batchelder, Thomas Duselism, Chris Bell, Brian Welp
As Tymme, Sean, Marianne and I neared 135, we decided to eat at Subway before dropping off Tom and Justin. Of course, Tom and Justin's cell phones were off, but after enough honking, they got the idea. I jumped out of my car and made a bit of a spectacle of myself right next to Manhole Cave to tell them the plan. Back inside, I called Kyle and left him a message. Eventually, we all rendezvoused at Subway where the 10 of us arranged our own banquet hall and ate our fill. After everyone completed their sandwiches, we drove back to Tom's car.
Tom decided he wanted to visit the pit after all but unfortunately, we'd somehow lost him while turning onto 337. I pulled off and after a few minutes called. The two of us determined that he'd passed 337 entirely and now approached highway 62. A few minutes later, Tom called and said they were just going to head back because of car trouble. He later called and told me that his clutch cord was loose, but that he'd tightened it and all was well. We drove to the parking area and I walked up to the owners house to get permission. We soon geared up in the rain and headed over to the pit. Brian and I were last to leave the cars. Sean must have turned my GPS off, and it wasn't acquiring a signal, so we walked around a little bit before finding the entrance. I'd expected them to "Bo" us in, but upon arrival saw everyone huddled out of earshot, inside the shelter entrance, and out of the rain. Oh well. Sean edged toward the crawl as I chucked him the rope. He quickly whined that he wasn't going to carry that. Though, he soon realized that it'd do them little good to reach the pit first without a rope and complied.
After everyone was in, I followed Tymme down the small, but dry, belly crawl. It wasn't really that horrible. I expected it to be muddy. We followed the clean, dry belly crawl for about 60 feet until it opened into snug 4' tall passage large enough to dawn vertical gear. I soon heard fussing ahead about my rope. Someone said it needed to be cut right then and there. I had them pass it back to me for inspection. It did look worse than before. I suppose now it's a Mexican speed bump - I've heard the speed bumps in Mexico are like small hills. It will need to be cut but I'm confident that it'll still hold weight. Anyway, they finished rigging and one by one everyone descended the pit. While waiting, I re-inspected the fray and commented that this would have been a good spot to use a rabbit-ears knot. Tymme agreed and I explained to Marianne what I meant by rabbit-ears. Marianne struggled with her mini rack near the pit lip; it wouldn't snap onto the rope. That's not the first time I've seen mini racks have trouble on slightly muddy rope. Nate and I decided we didn't like mini racks when we first tried using one on muddy rope in Fuzzy Hole. Of course, rappelling on a mini rack is much smoother than a Petzl Gri Gri. I still remember watching my rope violently oscillate as Nate jerked his way down Shaft long ago on a Gri Gir :) I'm glad we'd padded the rope.
Tymme descended the pit just as fast as everyone else had. I soon learned why they were all so quick. I crawled onto the ledge, attached my rack, and saw that I'd soon feel the spray of the waterfall. The pit is gorgeous! It truly is one of Indiana's finest. The water joined me at the top of the drop and we both quickly descended the beautiful pit watching the walls bell out below. At the bottom, I quickly got off rope and out of the spray. I'd barely gotten wet. Chris encouraged me down a hole to follow the cascades exclaiming how it felt like we were in TAG! I descended a short waterfall cascade and followed the canyon to a deeper waterfall. I watched Sean chimney down it without getting wet and followed his lead. I descended the 10' waterfall to a ledge which I shimmied along to the other side. This is where I would set up my picture.
Of course the lens was fogged so I had to let it air out. While the lens cleared, I checked out a dig and looked up a climb. Then I began photographing. I quickly saw that the cave walls were very orange; the pictures looked bad. I moved my flash and took a few more but felt unhappy with the displayed picture. Sean climbed up, I snapped a few more pictures, and then we all headed back to the main pit. I saw that Sean was perched inside a small alcove about 8' off the pit floor. The slightly undercut ledge looked difficult to descend, but I climbed up anyway and we watched everyone climb rope. I took a few pictures here and had Sean sling his foot loop to help me down. I then provided a foothold for him as he descended. We watched Brian climb rope, and I realized that, despite all the spray, I probably could get a shot of the pit . It'd have to be quick, but if anyone could do it, I certainly could! I placed my strobe and took a couple practice shots before Sean began climbing. This shot just might work. As Sean climbed, I knew I only had a few pictures before my lens became dotted with water droplets. I picked the driest spot I could find and as Sean quickly worked his way up the rope to get out of the spray, I whipped the camera out from behind my back, briefly concentrated to get the right framing, snapped the shot, and shielded the camera again behind my back. I did this a few more times and felt pleased that I'd indeed pulled it off :)
Sean soon yelled off rope and I began my ascent. I got on rope out of the spray but didn't think that the angle I began at would create a slight pendulum bringing me very near the full stream of falling water. I swung in and out of the spray on the way up but remained quite warm. I took the guidebook seriously when it said the cave felt colder than most. When I think of cold caves, I remember Gemini, so I wore all of the polypro I had in the car. As water glanced off my helmet, I knew I'd made the right decision. My coveralls, fleece shirt, and two mid-weight polypro tops kept me comfortable the whole trip. I neared the ledge, pulled myself over, and quickly got off rope. I then pulled rope while Sean coiled. After that, we crawled fast back to the entrance. As I began to exit, Sean exclaimed that we'd forgotten the carabiners. I told him I wasn't too worried since I'd used one of my acquired biners. Sean wanted to retrieve his though and headed back into the cave as the rest of us exited. I actually felt like I'd been caving as I quickly climbed up the hill into the cold, rainy night.
I saw a car with it's lights on as I crossed the field. Chris sat waiting for us and said good bye as I neared the cars. Wet gear slopped into the trunk as we changed clothes and stuffed ourselves into the warming vehicle. It turns out that everyone else felt like they'd been caving as well. Though, being cold, ascending in a waterfall, and exiting into a cold, rainy night was evidently a new experience for most. Everyone had a good time despite the nasty weather which didn't let up as I drove back to Tymme's house. I felt my car began to hydroplane a few times as I drove the curvy, wet roads in the darkness. Back at Tymme's, rain still drizzled from above. Everyone plucked their nasty gear out of my car with little commotion except when Sean exclaimed and cursed thinking he'd left his rack back at Smith's. I heard nothing more of this and assumed he found it. His statement would come back to haunt me the next weekend.
I began my drive home dismayed that the Bloomington Ryan's had closed. My soul longed for Ryans. I drove up and down the strip hoping that I'd accidentally passed it. Unfortunately, it no longer existed :( I wasn't going out of my way for food and held out until the Martinsville Golden Corral which is almost a substitute for Ryan's, but it was permanently closed too! As a last resort, I tried Wendy's. A Wendy's salad almost sounded satisfactory. However, they'd just locked their doors for the night. None of the other restaurants seemed appealing so I decided I'd find what I wanted in Walmart. I grabbed a loaf of whole wheat bread, a V8 Strawberry Banana smoothie, 5 bananas (of which I ate 4), black cherry yogurt, and an ice cream snickers. MMMMMmmmmmm... I ate my dinner as I drove further north. I arrived back home feeling exhausted, and after a quick dip in the hot tub, went straight to bed. I was glad my body seemed to have finally kicked the sinus infection which had plagued me the last two weeks.
Smith's Blowhole
Marianne's feet disappear as she begins the crawl out of the entrance room.
Tymme waits his turn in the crawlway above Farley Well.
Smith's Blowhole
Tymme descends the last of the cascades.
Smith's Blowhole
Tymme descends the last of the cascades.
Tymme descends the last of the cascades.
Smith's Blowhole
Tymme descends the last of the cascades.
Smith's Blowhole
Tymme descends the last of the cascades.
Sean begins his climb back up the cascades.
Smith's Blowhole
Sean begins his climb back up the cascades.
Smith's Blowhole
Sean poses above the last cascade.
Brian Welp waits his turn to climb up 72' Farley Well.
Smith's Blowhole
Brian Welp climbs Farley Well.
Smith's Blowhole
Brian Welp climbs Farley Well.
Sean Lewis quickly climbs the in the spray of the waterfall.
Smith's Blowhole
Sean Lewis quickly climbs up Farley Well.
Smith's Blowhole
Sean Lewis quickly climbs up Farley Well.