Adventures Underground - hold the mouse over the image for pop-up descriptions
5/27/01

The earth that these caves go through is solid granite, but with smooth, narrow passageways carved through it, over thousands of years, by tiny drips of water. This cave system is called "Hellhole" and it goes all over the place underground, even though there are very few entrances. Some people believe you can get all the way to the ocean from inside the caves (which is about 1-2 miles away).

The tunnels we went through were tight - they varied from 1 to 3 feet in diameter (often conveniently oval-shaped so you could just fit through), and with the occasional opening or small room which could barely fit all 6 of us. There were some places where you could only go through by pushing your pack ahead of you, then, with your arms at your sides, inching your way through using your body, like a caterpillar. Some of these were only a few feet long; some were up to 20 feet.

The cave walls had a consistent look to them: organic, smooth, glossy, and twisty. The patterns of the strange structures in the ceiling and in the walls were truly marvelous. The layout of the passages was also unbelievably creative; water drops are true artists. It was also very mazelike: you could usually look around and see 3-6 different tunnels going off in varying directions. It also turned out to be a very 3D adventure; lots of tunnels went up and down, as well as in all directions.

This was a wonderful experience; you go in with good friends and come out with excellent friends. You might also find yourself bonding with your flashlight. =) It was also very grueling; it only took 3 hours, but I was rather pooped for the rest of the day.


On our way to the caves: (lo-res)



Inside Hellhole: (bright, hi-res pics with Peter's camera)



Inside Hellhole: (lo-res; no flash)



Daylight!





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