Apr 21, 2009

I have only been averaging maybe 3 hours a month for the last 6 months. So work is slower. But I have found some fun cave formations and an intriguing air pocket or opening.

Cave Progress

This is looking to the right in the current lowest area. The short shovel is about where I dug a probing trench when I first started digging in the original drain area. The hole beyond the foam and pry-bar is pictured more below.

The end of the big shovel is at the low point so far.

This is looking to the left. The full sized hoe is pushed back into the dirt, showing that there is a bunch of dirt in that direction.

Cave Formations

These 3 shots are of my favorite formation in the cave so far. This is looking down from above. It is on the left as you enter the current lowest area.

This is the view from the side.

Got it wet to show better all these little pools for holding water. There is a formation like this at Yellowstone park that I was really amazed by when I was little. Fun to have a miniature one of my own now.

A Pocket of Air

While digging on the right in the lowest part of the cave I came across this pocket of air. I think this is draining away from the camera. It is almost directly below the original drain area. The hope is that the gap gets bigger as I dig in that direction so that i eventually don't have to dig to go forward. :-)

For scale here are some 2.5 inch balls. I think it goes back at least 3 or 4 feet. I will have to remove a bunch of dirt before I can go in there.

Buckets

Here are my 11 buckets loaded on the ledge I sit on to operate my cave tram.