Jeff Moore, Alan Cressler, Horace, Horace’s family, Ryan Moran, Florida Cavers

E1 is 8’ high x 22’ wide, elevation 761. Sauta Cave is formed in the Bangor limestone.  Just inside the entrance, the passage enlarges to 45’ wide x 8’ high.  50’ further it enlarges to 60’ wide and you soon encounter a fork to the left and right where the passage is ~130’ wide.  About 160’ in you reach the Peddle Room on the right.  There are very obvious Anestamosis on the right ceiling.  The limestone is very white.  This passage continues ahead to an overlook but we went back out into the main passage where we feel a noticeable wind. 

We followed a side passage on the opposite side of the main passage.  We encounter a deep guano pit.  The passage here is 14’ high x 52’ wide.  After a gentle upslope, the ceiling lowers to 8’ tall and we encounter a column.  The passage is 38’ wide x 7’ high here.  The passage ends in flowstone and rimstone, 48’ wide x 10’ high.  The floor is wet and sticky.  There are also stacked stone walls in this section which were a failed attempt to damn the water during the cave’s commercialization. 

Back in the main passage, we follow old mine tracks along a 10’ ledge.  To the right the passage drops off and opens 60’+ wide and 30+’ high.  Just past the ledge the floor fills with bat guano.  Not far ahead, steps lead down to the right into the catacombs created during saltpeter mining.  Back up the steps, the passage turns to the right and opens into huge borehole 65’ wide x 37’ high.  The large walking passage continues for 300’ to a breakdown pile where the level floor ends. 

Climb up the breakdown slope and stay to the left.  Follow the left wall around the breakdown which involves a little crawling and scrambling before the passage opens on the other side.  A breakdown slope now descends in front of you.  Ascend to the right toward large stalagmites.  Ascend past the large formations into large passage 27’ high x 60’ wide.  There are many formations in this area. 

At the top of the slope you find pooled water along the right fall and soda straws.  The ceiling lowers to a stoop.  There’s also a crawlway to the left and right over rimstone and through formations.  We joined up with the Florida cavers here.  There were a couple pretty girls in the group, Marsha and Christy.  We went back down the breakdown slope to the right and kept going down and down until we eventually got to passage.  We went under some formations and the passage terminated in front of us.  I found a spot to climb up the breakdown slope to the right into large passage.  As I ascended to the very top of the slope, I saw a balcony overhead which we’d seen earlier.  To exit, stay high and continue ahead following the breakdown back out to the main passage.