Cavin’ at New Trout Cave (intermediate)

OVERVIEW

We’re going back to the (in)famous New Trout Cave! One of the few caves in the area that has pretty much no mud in it– and that’s because it’s very, very dry. You won’t get muddy, but you’ll definitely be dusty. This cave also has an interesting history. During the Civil War, the Confederates used this cave as a saltpeter mine in order to get the nitrate from the soil, which they used to make gunpowder. Parts of the ceiling and walls are still covered in a thick layer of 150 year old soot from their lanterns and torches. I recommend bringing a bandana or facemask if you don’t want to get a bunch of soot and dust in your nose!

Since I’ve only been to this cave once before, and it has some tricky sections, this is an intermediate trip, meaning priority will go to those with prior caving experience. If you have none, I’ll only add you if I’m sure that you’re capable.

I’m posting this a little later than usual, so if you aren’t able to make it to the 5pm gear room on Thursday or the 9:15 one on Friday to get a helmet/headlamps, let me know!

Schedule:
9:00am – Leave Echols
11:00am – Arrive at cave and go over safety/conservation information
11:30am – Start caving
3:30pm – Finish caving, return to car
6:00pm – Back at Echols

**Drivers get priority off the waitlist!

Gear to Bring:
– Water
– Snack/Lunch
– 24 hour emergency food supply
– A trash bag for hypothermia kit
– A container for any human waste – pack it in, pack it out
– Clothes that can get dirty/ripped/ruined (GLOVES, long pants, and long sleeves are mandatory)
– Close toed shoes that can get dirty/ripped/ruined (trust me, you will not want to be in chacos); see note about clothes
– Caving helmet (please don’t use the club’s climbing helmets; the caving helmets are the old Petzl Ecrin Rocs or Petzl Boreos)
– No fewer than 2 working headlamps with spare batteries
– At least 1 spare light (can be a headlamp or flashlight)
– A bag or backpack that can get dirty/ripped/ruined
– Clean clothes/shoes for the car (please please)
– Trash bag for dirty clothes, shoes, and backpack (make sure it’s big enough)
– N95 mask for the dust (optional)

Important notes:
– You MUST read the Caving Checklist provided by the club. It can be found under the Resources tab on the website. I have also linked it here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Lv1Hz8qOIvGb0BgVwFrU6NH1EyT3wPqt/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=115487946960226883937&rtpof=true&sd=true
– You are responsible for gathering all of your own equipment. Most of the gear is available at the club’s gear room.
– You should be comfortable crawling around in tight spaces and being in the dark.
– Because caving is such a dangerous sport, I will be very strict in ensuring you have the proper equipment (i.e., if you are not properly equipped with EVERYTHING mentioned above, you are not entering the cave).
– It is a good idea to not have anything massively important scheduled for the evening of the trip in the unlikely event we are delayed