Chillin with Floyd Collins- Paxtons Cave INTERMEDIATE

OVERVIEW

Hey yall cool people! I miss my good old friend Floyd (a really cool giant stalagmite that is known as Floyd Collin’s ghost) so I want to head deep into Paxtons to stop by and hang out with him again. But I also want to try to make it to a room known as the Christmas room to see some cool and unique cave features! Since this requires us moving at a faster pace as well as doing some tricker climbs and crawls, this will be an intermediate trip. This means you have been caving AT LEAST once, preferably at Paxtons but any other cave with ODC is fine as well! See you all soon!

Schedule:
10:00am – Leave Echols
12:00am – Arrive at cave and go over safety/conservation information
12:30am – Start caving
4:30pm – Finish caving
7:00pm – Return to Charlottesville and drop you off at home!

Gear we will bring for you:
– Caving helmet
– headlamps
-Knee pads (optional)
-Gloves

Gear to Bring:
– Water
– Snack/Lunch
– 24 hour emergency food supply (just anything that can last you a days worth of meals)
– A container for any human waste – pack it in, pack it out
– Clothes that can get dirty/ripped/ruined ( long pants, and long sleeves are mandatory- please try to avoid cotton)
– Close toed shoes that can get dirty/ripped/ruined
– At least 1 spare light (can be a headlamp or flashlight or even your phone )
– A bag or backpack that can get dirty/ripped/ruined (can be found at the gear room as well)
– Clean clothes/shoes for the car (please please! Also make sure you bring layers! It is still a little chilly out!)

Gear we have extra but please first try to bring your own. If you cannot get your own please notify us ASAP:
– A trash bag for hypothermia kit (like the big Hefty trash bags)
– Trash bag for dirty clothes, shoes, and backpack (make sure it’s big enough, can be the same as your trash bag for hypothermia)
– Extra batteries (the headlamps we are providing are AAA)

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

***Need drivers! You’ll get priority off the waitlist.

If you have any questions or concerns or are unable to pick up gear, my phone number is (970) 294- 8781 (Allie) and (703) 850-9725 (Renee)