Kyle, Erin, and I rose around 8:30 AM and prepared for our trip into Xanadu Cave, Tennessee. Just about 9:30 AM, Jeff Moore showed up. He told me that he'd automatically added 1/2 an hour to the meeting time when he heard Nate was coming. I guess Nate really has become predictably late since he showed up just as I decided to retrieve the key myself at 10:00 AM, an hour after the agreed meeting time. Later, when I regained cell coverage, I listened to Nate's message informing me that he'd be late because he had to pick up the key. I'm not sure how a 16 mile detour took an hour. Oh well, next time I'll know to have Jeff pick it up.
The edition of two high clearance vehicles allowed us to drive further down the road. We went left at our first fork in the road and eventually reached another fork. To the left, the trail descended too steeply for Jeff's 2 wheel drive Tacoma so we parked and evaluated determining to check out the fork to the right. Several hundred feet later the Jeep Trail became very narrow and Jeff decided it best not to drive further so we spent the next half an hour getting Nate's Exterra turned around. Kyle, Erin, Nate, and I walked down to an overlook with cliff edges. At this point, the group seemed to want to bushwhack which as I viewed more of the surrounding terrain seemed an escalating bad idea. Jeff and I re-evaluated and determined it best to park at the fork and hike down the other Jeep trail. Unfortunately, Nate had already taken off on his own down the hill with the keys to the Exterra which now blocked Jeff in.
I knew there was no way Nate would climb back up the hill now that he was already on his way down so I descended a couple hundred feet (only once briefly wondering how the hell Nate got down), caught up with Nate, and retrieved the car keys. Back at the top, we moved the vehicles back to the fork and started the long hike down the steep and mucky Jeep Trail. A sign near the top warned that driving a vehicle down this road wasn't a good idea. 800 - 1000 feet lower, we followed a horse trail into the side cove housing Xanadu Cave, Tennessee.
When we finally arrived, the scene wasn't at all how I'd pictured it. We could go no further upstream because a 30' waterfall blocked our path. The water pooled at the bottom and filtered into Xanadu Cave. A small trail to the left, led to the gated, cave entrance. Jeff began photographing the waterfall while the rest of us enjoyed it. I'm sure, all of us wondered where is Nate? Luckily, Nate showed up 5 minutes later. I was surprised that we'd beat him here. When he arrived he told us he'd followed a canyon much of the way down. He'd also had to hand-over-hand down cliffs dangling from vines.
After a few more waterfall pictures, I made my way over to open the gate. I hate opening cave gates! Almost all cave locks are placed in the most awkward place to reach and this one was no exception. After a few failed attempts I finally forced the lock open and we were ready to go. I now pondered whether I should bring my backpacking backpack inside. I understood that our trip was supposed to be almost entirely walking. I scouted ahead and determined that after a brief duck under and short canyon passage the cave seemed to open up into nice walking passage. The canyon T'd into a larger passage which we went right in. Soon after, the passage Y'd. A low, wide crawl continued to the left. We opted to go right into a stoop walk based on rock cairns. After some stooping and a little crawling we exited into a large breakdown floored slope and descended among formations to our left.
This was the beginning of the "sand dune" passage. We followed a large, tall canyon and often ascended 40 - 80 foot tall breakdown hills in the passage floor. After a great deal of climbing up and down tall, steep breakdown and dry mud slopes, we finally reached a slope that did somewhat resemble a sand dune. I ascended with the aide of a hand line and continued up a wall to the top of that breakdown slope. After yelling down that the anchor looked sound, everyone followed. We had only a few more steep breakdown slopes before we reached a split in the passage. To the right the ceiling lowered and I encountered a canyon. To the left I saw a climb-up which we soon ascended. Near the top of the slope on the right wall, we climbed up about 12' to a large formation area on a ledge above the main passage. I took a few pictures here and then we descended back down to the canyon passage. I scouted ahead following the elephant tracks. We skirted along a narrow ledge on the left side of the canyon and traversed along a shallow slope on the right side of the canyon before encountering stoop walk and crawling passage. Ahead, we encountered a junction. The station marker D11 could be seen on the left wall.
We went right and continued to follow the elephant tracks and rock cairns through a maze of stoop walk, crawling, and walking passage before popping up into a tall room which eventually led us to the big room. Inside the big room, we took a break on a large rock seemingly in the middle of the room. The room wasn't really that impressive in size but was still quite large. Jeff slept while the rest of us talked. Eventually, we made our way back down but Jeff wanted to check out a side passage which seemed to lead back into the big room. In fact, it did lead into the big room below the rock we'd previously lounged on. However, the room seemed much larger from this perspective. Jeff and I continued down the large avenue with very pleasant, flat-floored, dry walking passage for several hundred feet before finally turning around when the passage filtered into more of a canyon. This avenue was by far the nicest passage we'd seen in the cave. Jeff was very impressed by the avenue ceiling. The ceiling was totally flat all the way across the top of the avenue. It seemed to be a bedrock divide. Whatever rock, was above is certainly strong to retain such a wide expanse of flat ceiling.
Jeff and I returned but didn't find the rest of the group. We hoped Nate had led everyone out. We got turned around a few times on our way out of the maze but were always able to retrace our steps and find the right path. We regrouped at the junction with the sand dune passage and then began the long trudge back out of the cave.
Back outside, Jeff and I took pictures while we waited on Erin and Kyle. Nate convinced me to check out a hole with water visible at the bottom near the Xanadu entrance. I found a short section of segmented passage with waterfall cascades between there and the waterfall. I reported that I could see light from the waterfall side but didn't continue past the cascades. Nate investigated the waterfall side and soon called me inside the cave from that direction to take a picture. I ended up entering from the watery hole once again and photographed Jeff and Kyle above the cascades.
Light began to fade from the sky so we began our long hike back out. On our way, Jeff, Nate, and I stopped by the valley-floor river. It was very peaceful there. Then we began our ascent which really, really sucked. After a great deal of climbing Nate and I reached the top. Jeff offered me a donut but my stomach was a bit queasy so I declined. I did however give one of his beers a try. It made me feel better but I was surprised how little effect it had on me. My body did appreciate the calories though. I was somewhat rejuvenated when Kyle and Erin reached the top. We drove back to their car, packed up, and I drove us to Piney Falls.
Xanadu Cave
Kyle and Erin stand at a lookout high above the Valley leading to Xanadu Cave.
Kyle and Nate pose next to a large waterfall that feeds into Xanadu Cave, Tennessee.
Xanadu Cave
I was surprised to see that all this water dissappears into Xanadu Cave, Tennessee.
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Xanadu Cave
I was surprised to see that all this water dissappears into Xanadu Cave, Tennessee.
Kyle Lapczynski poses inside the Xanadu Cave gate, Tennessee.
Xanadu Cave
Kyle Lapczynski poses inside the Xanadu Cave gate, Tennessee.
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Xanadu Cave
Kyle Lapczynski poses inside the Xanadu Cave gate, Tennessee.
Kyle and Nate sit among formations in the formation room at the end of the sand dune passage.
Xanadu Cave
Jeff Moore, Erin Baker, Nate Newkirk, and Kyle Lapczynski pose for a group picture.
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Xanadu Cave
Jeff Moore, Erin Baker, Nate Newkirk, and Kyle Lapczynski pose for a group picture.
Erin Baker descends a hand line down the steep sand dune towards Kyle Lapczynski.
Xanadu Cave
Another waterfall pic.
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Xanadu Cave
Another waterfall pic.
Nate convinced me to take a picture of the segmented cave just below the waterfall.
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