Caving photos!

[Mill]

First two trips we went to Bangor Cave in Blount County, Alabama. I don't have the pictures from the second trip yet.

Here's the first: http://mill.telnap.com/categories.php?cat_id=9

Today we went to Bryant's Cork Screw in Blount County, Alabama. A much tougher, non-vandalized cave (for the most part), and most of the journey is in tight passageways where you have to crawl on your belly. Bryant's Cork Screw: http://mill.telnap.com/categories.php?cat_id=10

These past few weekends have been incredible. It really takes a lot out of you, but the reward of completing something and the physical exercise has been great.

As we add more gear and get more experienced, there is no doubt that tougher caves are to come. We've been in contact with the Birmingham Grotto (member of the NSS), so we've been getting tons of tips and help. We are following all the typical rules, and making sure we stay safe as well.

Being outside and doing things in nature is 100x better than all the clubbing, barhopping, and sitting on your ass that we used to do.

 

[Mill]

Well, one last shot...

 

[Sphexi]

Find any freaky stuff, any ghosts and the like?

 

[OdiN]

Did you read that long account of that one guy that went caving and the weird things that went on when he found this one area....hearing creatures and being pulled back in type thing?

And he won't disclose where this was at and never went back so we have no freaking clue what is going on?

I dunno that I believe it but it's fun to think about.

 

[Sphexi]

Originally posted by: OdiN
Did you read that long account of that one guy that went caving and the weird things that went on when he found this one area....hearing creatures and being pulled back in type thing?

And he won't disclose where this was at and never went back so we have no freaking clue what is going on?

I dunno that I believe it but it's fun to think about.

That's why I mentioned it 🙂...really wish there was some sort of followup on that whole deal, if others went, etc.

 

[OdiN]

Originally posted by: Sphexi

Originally posted by: OdiN
Did you read that long account of that one guy that went caving and the weird things that went on when he found this one area....hearing creatures and being pulled back in type thing?

And he won't disclose where this was at and never went back so we have no freaking clue what is going on?

I dunno that I believe it but it's fun to think about.

That's why I mentioned it 🙂...really wish there was some sort of followup on that whole deal, if others went, etc.

I know...so do I. It was a really engrossing tale...but I feel that's all it was.

 

[compuwiz1]

Originally posted by: Sphexi

Originally posted by: OdiN
Did you read that long account of that one guy that went caving and the weird things that went on when he found this one area....hearing creatures and being pulled back in type thing?

And he won't disclose where this was at and never went back so we have no freaking clue what is going on?

I dunno that I believe it but it's fun to think about.

That's why I mentioned it 🙂...really wish there was some sort of followup on that whole deal, if others went, etc.

We used to go caving in Canada. I've seen lots of skeletons and skulls in those caves. It seems the Indians used to go there to die, or deposit their dead. Kind of creepy at first, but I got used to it. :Q

 

[Sheepathon]

Originally posted by: compuwiz1

We used to go caving in Canada. I've seen lots of skeletons and skulls in those caves. It seems the Indians used to go there to die, or deposit their dead. Kind of creepy at first, but I got used to it. :Q

helllllllll no

 

[OdiN]

Originally posted by: Sheepathon

Originally posted by: compuwiz1

We used to go caving in Canada. I've seen lots of skeletons and skulls in those caves. It seems the Indians used to go there to die, or deposit their dead. Kind of creepy at first, but I got used to it. :Q

helllllllll no

It's just some skeletons...no biggie.

 

[Mill]

Originally posted by: Sphexi
Find any freaky stuff, any ghosts and the like?

Not really. There was some type of massive half spider/cricket satan bug. I'm not a fan of creepy crawlies. There were a good bit of bats in the first half of the cave as well.

At Bangor some type of crime had taken place, and I think it might have been a homicide. There was crime scene tape blocking an area, and there was a definite smell of something that had been decaying. It is possible someone or something died there. Now, why would the cops come if it was an animal?

I couldn't find anything in the papers, but I truly believe something had occurred there. Murders have happened there before, as Bangor used to be a speakeasy/gin joint during the prohibition. There's even a bar carved out of rock in there, and there is graffiti from the 1920's in there.

There's no doubt you can get a little creeped out if you kill the lights or stumble on to something weird. Some of the passageways were made for me people no bigger than me, and being completely surrounded by rock -- with no way to turn around or get above your stomach. That will really mess with your if you are claustrophobic (I am to slight degree), so you have to just mentally will it away and realize you will eventually come to a larger passage.

 

[Mill]

Originally posted by: Sheepathon

Originally posted by: compuwiz1

We used to go caving in Canada. I've seen lots of skeletons and skulls in those caves. It seems the Indians used to go there to die, or deposit their dead. Kind of creepy at first, but I got used to it. :Q

helllllllll no

Hah! You certainly come up upon the corpses of animals from time to time. Now, I'm still not sure if we stumbled on a crime scene or not in Bangor, but I'd rather deal with a skeleton than a satanic cricket/spider bug.

 

[OdiN]

Originally posted by: Mill

Originally posted by: Sphexi
Find any freaky stuff, any ghosts and the like?

Not really. There was some type of massive half spider/cricket satan bug. I'm not a fan of creepy crawlies. There were a good bit of bats in the first half of the cave as well.

At Bangor some type of crime had taken place, and I think it might have been a homicide. There was crime scene tape blocking an area, and there was a definite smell of something that had been decaying. It is possible someone or something died there. Now, why would the cops come if it was an animal?

I couldn't find anything in the papers, but I truly believe something had occurred there. Murders have happened there before, as Bangor used to be a speakeasy/gin joint during the prohibition. There's even a bar carved out of rock in there, and there is graffiti from the 1920's in there.

There's no doubt you can get a little creeped out if you kill the lights or stumble on to something weird. Some of the passageways were made for me people no bigger than me, and being completely surrounded by rock -- with no way to turn around or get above your stomach. That will really mess with your if you are claustrophobic (I am to slight degree), so you have to just mentally will it away and realize you will eventually come to a larger passage.

Strange bugs come out at night..even above ground. I remember working on roofing our poolhouse at my parents house and we brought out some portable lighting to finish because it was dark but we were almost done. Wow...crazy weird bugs coming out.

 

[compuwiz1]

Originally posted by: Mill

Originally posted by: Sheepathon

Originally posted by: compuwiz1

We used to go caving in Canada. I've seen lots of skeletons and skulls in those caves. It seems the Indians used to go there to die, or deposit their dead. Kind of creepy at first, but I got used to it. :Q

helllllllll no

Hah! You certainly come up upon the corpses of animals from time to time. Now, I'm still not sure if we stumbled on a crime scene or not in Bangor, but I'd rather deal with a skeleton than a satanic cricket/spider bug.

I was not speaking of animal corpses. These were definitely human. I have even stepped on some rib bones before.

 

[Mill]

What you really don't want to disturb are the bats. I can't imagine waking them up from their slumber. Not only could they harm you, but unless it is a very mild winter you will have killed them. They will use up their fat stores freaking out and flying around, so they will die in hibernation before winter is over if you disturb them.

I'm a total believer in NOT fvcking with bats.

 

[Mill]

Originally posted by: compuwiz1

Originally posted by: Mill

Originally posted by: Sheepathon

Originally posted by: compuwiz1

We used to go caving in Canada. I've seen lots of skeletons and skulls in those caves. It seems the Indians used to go there to die, or deposit their dead. Kind of creepy at first, but I got used to it. :Q

helllllllll no

Hah! You certainly come up upon the corpses of animals from time to time. Now, I'm still not sure if we stumbled on a crime scene or not in Bangor, but I'd rather deal with a skeleton than a satanic cricket/spider bug.

I was not speaking of animal corpses. These were definitely human. I have even stepped on some rib bones before.

In one of the passageways our friend said there appeared to be some Indian markings. I'm sure at least some caves have been used as burial areas. I can imagine more unmolested caves would be more likely to have a skeleton.

 

[compuwiz1]

Originally posted by: Mill
What you really don't want to disturb are the bats. I can't imagine waking them up from their slumber. Not only could they harm you, but unless it is a very mild winter you will have killed them. They will use up their fat stores freaking out and flying around, so they will die in hibernation before winter is over if you disturb them.

I'm a total believer in NOT fvcking with bats.

Not to be an asshole, but that sounds like fun to me! 😛

 

[Mill]

Originally posted by: compuwiz1

Originally posted by: Mill
What you really don't want to disturb are the bats. I can't imagine waking them up from their slumber. Not only could they harm you, but unless it is a very mild winter you will have killed them. They will use up their fat stores freaking out and flying around, so they will die in hibernation before winter is over if you disturb them.

I'm a total believer in NOT fvcking with bats.

Not to be an asshole, but that sounds like fun to me! 😛

I do NOT want to get bit by a bat. Damn things have rabies and the like. I don't think I'd feel too horrible if I killed one, but I know I'd feel pretty sick if one bit me. 😛

Course, nothing is worse than spiders. Why God created those or how they evolved I will never know.

*shudders*

 

[compuwiz1]

Originally posted by: Mill

Originally posted by: compuwiz1

Originally posted by: Mill
What you really don't want to disturb are the bats. I can't imagine waking them up from their slumber. Not only could they harm you, but unless it is a very mild winter you will have killed them. They will use up their fat stores freaking out and flying around, so they will die in hibernation before winter is over if you disturb them.

I'm a total believer in NOT fvcking with bats.

Not to be an asshole, but that sounds like fun to me! 😛

I do NOT want to get bit by a bat. Damn things have rabies and the like. I don't think I'd feel too horrible if I killed one, but I know I'd feel pretty sick if one bit me. 😛

Course, nothing is worse than spiders. Why God created those or how they evolved I will never know.

*shudders*

Hahahahah! Who said God created them? Da debil did it. 😉

 

[NuclearNed]

I used to go caving virtually every weekend in the summers here in Tennessee. Unfortunately, my caving buddy moved to Michigan back in 2000, and I haven't been since.

On an aside, what type of camera did you take in the cave? I was always afraid the high humidity would damage my equipment, so I never attempted to take one.

 

[daveymark]

nice pics. For some real fun, get certified for cave diving. It's an awesome experience.

 

[meltdown75]

awesome pics. thx Mill

on my honeymoon trip to the Mayan, we went into a "cenote" which was quite awesome. the water inside was 20 ft. deep and clear, you could see to the bottom. it was the size of a football field down there! very amazing. we repelled down into it. our tour guide showed us where to climb up the wall and dive into the water. it was truly magnificent. not as adventurous as the OP, but still very cool!

the fish in the cenote were blind - they had been separated from light for so long that they evolved into blind fish. they would bump into your legs :Q

 

[jonesthewine]

Question... did you guys pack out any of the garbage that previous visitors had left behind? Great pics. There are some cool caves just east of Huntsville, in the hills above town. have you been there?

 

[skim milk]

nice pics Mill

 

[Mill]

Originally posted by: jonesthewine
Question... did you guys pack out any of the garbage that previous visitors had left behind? Great pics. There are some cool caves just east of Huntsville, in the hills above town. have you been there?

In Bryant's Corkscrew we did. Bangor is a lost cause. The entire Birmingham Grotto tried to clean it up for several years, and they all together couldn't even put a dent into it.

As far as caves near Huntsville -- we have plans to do so. Right now we are mainly sticking with caves in the Birmingham Metro area, but my parents live near some of the richest cave areas in the nation (Lookout Mountain), so I'm sure we will eventually get up that way.

 

[Mill]

Originally posted by: NuclearNed
I used to go caving virtually every weekend in the summers here in Tennessee. Unfortunately, my caving buddy moved to Michigan back in 2000, and I haven't been since.

On an aside, what type of camera did you take in the cave? I was always afraid the high humidity would damage my equipment, so I never attempted to take one.

My bud took the pictures, but from the EXIF I see it was a Kodak DX 6340. I'm going to take my Canon next time. Basically we keep the camera in a pack and inside a case so that it won't get destroyed.