Cave of the Deadhorse

[stevetimetravlr]

so myself, Plaidman, and his wife Rhonda decided to take a tour of the very interesting,long, and circuitious cave of the Deadhorse here in Washington near the Gorge. Exact location will remain a mystery. Its a good place to get lost or stuck but we were determined not to let that happen. Well, I did get lost for about 1/2 an hour but we won't talk about that here.

Here is Rhonda about to enter the realm of the land unseen.

Then is a crawl for aways, until we come to a cruxy section that breaks some peoples minds and they scamper back out, the squeeze passage. You go into this hole and then your lower body has to make a 90 degree turn followed by your upper body until you can straighten out down below and see where you are. Its a little weird and best done quickly. I've seen people have mental breakdowns at this point because it is so confining. Scott and Rhonda scooted right thru, kudos!

Then its a ways to crawl before the cliff downclimb.

The happy couple only about 200 feet in but knowing there are many more crawls, flooded and muddy passages, and wrong turns to go to get out. Well maybe they didn't know about the wrong turns as this point but they were about to find out.... Good times

to be continued....

[pink]

i was hoping for a nose air video

[denalidave]

i was hoping for a nose air video

[LostCamKenny]

i was hoping for a nose air video

 

there will probably be a sequel, andrew...

[stevetimetravlr]

In this cave you start up the hill and travel back down the hill about a 1/2 mile underground. It takes a couple hours to traverse the whole thing, and there are many confusing side passages and tubes and wierd crawlholes that can lead you astray. In fact, it is the longest known lava cave in North America, one side passage goes for almost 8 miles I believe.

Here Plaidman drinks out of his helmet from a delicious artesian spring bubbling right out of the rock.

[Plaidman]

i was hoping for a nose air video

I'll get right on that!

[Plaidman]

Thanks Steve for a great time.

[Plaidman]

i was hoping for a nose air video

Here are the nose hairs.

[billcoe]

Nice!

I don't think I could make that turn.

 

[stevetimetravlr]

There's only one way to find out Bill! This Saturday....

Hey, how can you post from REd Rocks?

[billcoe]

I'm back! Just as well, the weather dropped from the low to med-80's to in the 60's with spates of rain here and there.

 

ps, I'd need to be sedated and drug into that hole.

 

Little Larry (Harpe- the guy with the cowboy hat, cig and a Mad Rock pad strapped to his back on tiny bike in Moab in the Mad Rock commercials that ran on the back of climbing mag) and I did a FA up in the middle of nowhere that entailed a squeeze to exit and summit. His slender frame slipped right through while my wide body got stuck. Good and stuck. I could barely breath. I can't adequately describe the terror. I finally was able to pull back, and we hand drilled a rap station to get down. Don't want to experience that twice.

[stevetimetravlr]

Same thing happened to my friend on the squeeze on Cloud Tower. Damaged him for life. Yes, this cave squeeze has broken many people mentally, just about anybody can get through but you have to do lots of wiggling around and there is one pinch point that you have to be careful of. Plaid actually couldn't get thru with his coveralls on and had to come back up and take them off, and go back down the hole. I've had two friends stuck in it, big dudes, but they both managed to get thru eventually without becoming vegetables. good thing there is a bottom exit 1/2 mile down except later in the season when the exit fills with water because coming back up the 90 degree corner and squeeze is twice as hard and scary. Rick is actually taking a group of us into Dynamite Cave near Trout Lake on Saturday, no squeezing required. Just bring your harness, ATC, and aiders and jumars! Whos going??

[OlympicMtnBoy]

That looks like fun! I wanna come! I'm not sure I can make it to Trout Lake Saturday though. :-(

[billcoe]

Rick is actually taking a group of us into Dynamite Cave near Trout Lake on Saturday, no squeezing required. Just bring your harness, ATC, and aiders and jumars! Whos going??

 

Caves...oooohhh. I'll try it after my testicles drop and I become a man:-) Thanks for the invite.

[Plaidman]

I luv them caves. Just posted to my blog.

Deadhorse Cave Blog Post

[area51]

nice adventure you guys!

[ivan]

inspiration for my own hair-brained excursion

 

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