Jeff Moore, Alan Cressler, Ashley Chan, Brent Aulenbach
We hiked back to the cars and drove to the next parking spot. The area had been somewhat developed since Alan had last been there so it took us a few minutes to determine the new route around the lake to our parking spot. Soon we were standing outside in the drizzling mist contemplating the dreary sky. What a miserable day. I’d forgotten my backpack so I stuffed everything into my rope bag and carried it and my dry box down a muddy trail and up the opposing hillside.
Alan thought it best to split up but I stayed behind him knowing that he’s the one that usually finds the cave I saw little reason to flail around in the woods having no idea what or where to look for only to hear him yell from far away that he’d found Little Nicka Cave. The weather was definitely wearing on my motivation. We contoured about ½ a mile along the hill side but the large cave entrance was nowhere to be found. While hiking, I mentioned that we should visit Cueva Tuna. I’m sure we would have done just that if only we could teleport to Puerto Rico. Jeff found the two of us and Alan decided that he was going to go down the hill to verify that we were in the right spot. He said Jeff and I could head up the hill to look but after he descended we decided we’d rather sit there and munch on food. Jeff really wanted to bail and head off to Pizza Hut to warm up before the next trip. I considered it but decided to wait around and see what Alan came up with. The two of us sat there for over ½ an hour while we waited on Alan to reappear. As I watched Jeff pile more and more clothes on I entertained myself enjoying Jeff’s reaction to my mention of warm food and hot tubs. The weather certainly wasn’t helping matters. It rained harder and harder as we sat there chilling in the foggy October air wondering what had become of Alan.
We finally walked down to Alan’s pack and just as we did he popped out of the woods. I couldn’t believe it. The cave still eluded him. I chimed in that maybe it only opened during a full moon or something. Alan wanted to search a little more for it. Jeff and I contoured back along the hill to bop into _____ cave. On our way back we ran into Brent and Ashley who had found the two valley caves. The four of us hiked to Upper Valley Cave where I rigged the rope around a rock protrusion and soon rappelled down the 15’ pit into a large room. I descended a rocky slope and noted a hole on the far left side of the room where water obviously drained. It looked like it might go but I didn’t check it out right away. Instead, I toured around the perimeter of the room and looped back to the opposite side of the pit. Jeff and Ashley rappelled down and I took a few pictures of the two of them. Brent came in and the room fell quiet. Obviously, everyone had disappeared into the mentioned hole. I slid down a sandy rock slope and followed a stoop walk and crawlway to another chamber. On the far side of that passage continued another 20’ to a too-tight drain. Brent and Jeff were checking an apparent overflow but it didn’t go either. We exited the cave and bo’d a few more times for Alan. We eventually heard a reply and left the rope rigged so Alan could bop into the cave. To Lower Valley Cave
Upper Valley
Just to the right of the pit entrance Jeff sits waiting on Ashley to descend.
Below is a large room uncharacteristic of GA caves in this area.
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