Philip Rykwalder, Ryan Moran, Doug Strait, Heather Levy, Dan Calhoun, Alan Cressler, Shari Lydy, Annie Blankenship
Saturday morning we drove to Guess Cave. After passing through some sort of reform camp we off roaded to within a couple hundred feet of the cave entrance. I’d heard multiple times that there would be a lot of water so I decided to wear my full 4.5 mil wetsuit. We hiked the short distance through the woods to the cave entrance. The entrance is a swallow hole except during high water events when I believe it becomes a rise pool. Anyway, it is certainly a strange looking entrance. We descended down a small hole and climb down and almost immediately entered the water. We ducked through a brief wet, low airspace section and began a cobble crawl. Eventually, we emerged in walking passage.
We climbed over a flowstone mound and walked ahead emerging into a wide stream passage. We realized that one of the members of our group had been left behind so we had some time to kill. Most of the group waited on a gravel and mud bank. I got my camera out and took a few pictures of the group sitting around and then went looking for other photo opportunities. I soon found an interesting profile and took a few pictures of Alan posing there. Then Alan routed out of the cave to help find the missing person. Eventually we headed further into the cave. I was glad that I’d chose to wear a full wetsuit. I was quite comfortable.
After wading through water for awhile in large passage we eventually climbed up into a breakdown section of trunk. Alan took some pictures of Ryan posing next to a formation. I went a little further down the passage and set up a profile shot looking back towards the group. Then I took another shot adding Alan’s flash.
We continued ahead passing the Shark Jaws, pretty white stalactites and stalagmites resembling jaws, and also passing a crevice in the floor on the left. It was neat that Alan had discovered both caves that we’d visited thus far. Nearby, was a room with rim stone dams and flowstone all across the floor leading to a wishbone shaped formation. Alan took pictures of the wishbone while I took a picture of Heather next to the canyon and crossing back over the canyon. I then took a picture of the rimstone area and held a flash for one of Alan’s pictures.
Next, we headed further into the cave passing a really neat breakdown room that would have made an awesome flashbulb shot. We stopped by a flowstone waterfall where I helped with one of Alan’s pictures. I was having firefly problems so I took a picture of Ryan next to an interesting limestone protrusion. We kept going in a wet passage for quite awhile. Alan said that there was large dry trunk above us. Eventually, we came to a narrow canyon with a rope hanging down. Ahead we took some pictures of Ryan posing underneath a waterfall. Upstream, Alan said the cave continued for several hundred feet. We routed back out of the cave. I stopped at the previous photo site to pick up a flashlight I'd left on the way out. It was raining outside.
Later, Alan, Ryan, and I planned to next visit Guess Creek Cave but were surprised to see smoke bellowing out of the entrance. Evidently the camp was having some sort of ceremony involving a camp fire inside the cave so we retreated back to SERA. To Serendipity Cave
Guess Cave
The group waits in the stream passage.
The group waits in the stream passage.
Guess Cave
The group waits in the stream passage.
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Guess Cave
Alan poses within an interesting profile near the entrance crawl.
Alan poses within an interesting profile near the entrance crawl.
Guess Cave
Heather and Shari check further down the passage while waiting.
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Guess Cave
A profile in a larger section of passage.
Alan poses in the large Guess Cave passage.
Guess Cave
Heather hopped the canyon to pose for a picture.
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Guess Cave
Heather crosses back over the canyon.
Alan takes pictures of Ryan posing next to a wishbone formation.
Guess Cave
Ryan stand next to an interesting limestone protrusion.
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Guess Cave
Ryan stand next to an interesting limestone protrusion.
Ryan stands beneath a waterfall leading to more cave.
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