Day: October 22, 1998

Answer: OOOOO!! AHHHH!! BAT!! ARGH!!! Shit that’s going to hurt tomorrow!!!!
Question: What sounds do cavers make in Marshalls?
Oct. 22, 1998
by Pat Cushing

Rich, Crystal, Nick, Pat, Jennifer, and I met behind Burrus promptly at 8:00. After every one tried their hand at ordering some kind of hot beverage at the vending machine we were off. Wait, back up, we need to get the caving gear first. Ahh, there we go, much better. After picking up the gear we stopped at a gas station two pick up a few cases of …uh… supplies for the coming weekend. The trip there was pretty uneventful after we almost lost it going around a turn on S. Main. Damn oil puddles. We arrived at Marshalls at about ten, just in time to see a comet fly by. This was no inordinary comet, this sucker was really bright and had a smoke trail, or at least that is what I heard since I was one of the last to get out of the truck. Anyway, lets get on to the cave. Once we were in Rich informed us that this was the lowest he had ever seen the water. It was even a stretch to find a puddle knee deep. We made it to the back of the cave in about an hour and a half, Chimneying, squeezing, and crawling all the way to the end. After one last tight fit we made it to the mud wall where the more versatile Rich and Nick climbed with seemingly unending patience and skill. Crystal and Jennifer took one look at the wall and found an alternate route. This left Jon/Pat and myself; two rather large beings at the bottom. On my first try I made it halfway, and slid all the way back down. Jon did little better. I made it up on my second try ignoring any attempt to look like I knew what I was doing. Jon made it up on his second try despite the lack of a crucial handhold, it was weak in the first place I tell you. The trip out went faster than the trip in and we were all glad to get a breath of the cool night air.

* No endangered cave rats harmed in the making of this cave report.