Caving day part two, Eblen

January 22, 2010 in Caves in the area | 1 comment


When we last left our adventurers, the two scallywags we’re inbound for a delicious feast at Bravo! in Knoxville. For those who don’t know, Rob works as a server extraordinaire at the Italian restaurant on Bearden Hill. The two decided to grace the dining establishment with their mud-slicked hair and clay-coated clothes.

Nick is a long time spelunker who makes a mean pecan-crusted tilapia salad. After a nice lunch, we were well fed and recharged for the next leg of our journey. TO EBLEN CAVE HOOOOOO!

When we parked our vehicle, we were greeted by none other than the great hound, Buttermilk! Who had been our guide in the past, and whom Brad and I named after the road that the cave is on.

Eblen has a massive entrance that Mr. Williams so aptly labeled a canyon with a roof on it. I’m talking HUGE. When we came upon the mouth of the earthen womb we noticed a change since the last time we visited. We were surrounded by hundreds of tiny icey stalagmites that had been formed from water drops in the sub-freezing days we’ve been experiencing. The eerie scene looked like souls creeping up from the ground.

I think it would suffice to say Eblen is the most diverse cave Brad and I have visited. The cave is marked by three entrances, the largest runs directly down the middle and has actually been used as a meeting hall to confer promotions to free masons (I imagine myself in a National Treasure movie played by Nicholas Cage). The left-most entrance is a crawl that opens into the main chamber about 50-100 feet from the entrance. The right-most path heads down to the water. More on that later.

We had two main tasks to accomplish when we set off to Eblen. One: explore a climb at the very back of the chamber, and two: explore the water-filled passage near the entrance. We figured the first task would be more physically taxing so we went for it first.

“I’m a big guy and there was nothing roomy about this part. I call it a crawl, but it turns out to be more of an inch-by-inch slither.”
-Rob Baldus

The most memorable part of Eblen is its signature crawl. I’m a big guy and there was nothing roomy about this part. I call it a crawl, but it turns out to be more of an inch-by-inch slither. With my arms outstretched and my toes pushing me forward, I made it through the 30-40 foot tunnel into one of the largest and warmest rooms of the cave.

This is where the fun began. In the back left hand corner of the chamber lies an old stream bed with a boulder problem. On top of the boulder problem (which was caused by a cave-in sometime in the past is a huge room with a 50-60 foot cathedral ceiling. Brad and I had ventured here before, and with Nick, Brad and a bag of climbing equipment, we decided to tackle the obstacle.

Note: Brad and I are relatively experienced climbers. I myself have taken a course in climbing safety and would not suggest ever doing something like this without the proper training AND equipment.

Brad led the climb and we used a length of webbing and a locking biner to create an equalized top rope anchor to protect the climb for everyone. The 15 foot climb led to a series of tunnels in the side of the room. Our brave and daring friend Nick decided to take the adventure a notch up by pressing through a very narrow tube on what turned out to be a very horizontal belay. The only casualty on the trip was a bit of skin on an adventurer’s elbow.

After everyone was safely back on solid ground, we retrieved all of our gear and headed back to the next part of our journey. The swim.


I never thought I’d find myself donning a dry suit in a cave. Little did I know. Nick had told us of a secret room accessible only by the creek that ran through the cave. Cool.

There were only a couple of problems.
1. We didn’t know how far down the stream.
2. The water was cold, about 35ยบ.
3. I was the only one with a dry suit.
4. We were tired.
5. Swimming in a cave is scary and dangerous.

Luckily it wasn’t a swim. It was more like a belly crawl in seven inches of silt and a foot of water. I was able to keep my head above water the majority of time. The stream meandered under the rock for about 75 feet before the roof and stream hit creating an underwater passage/grave.

Feeling slightly defeated, I turned back towards the rest of the party. At this point, Brad was about 25 feet behind me wading in the frigid water in his swimming trunks. “Thank god for Surefire flashlights,” we said as the glow of our lights lit up the silt and water we were stirring up.

After exiting the water safe and sound, we took a moment to reflect on the situation. It had been an extreme day of adventure and we were happy to find the vehicle where we had left it- safe and sound by Buttermilk the dog. The evening ended with pizza, beer and music followed by a long soak in the tub with good music.

Caving day part one, the bluffs

January 21, 2010 in Caves in the area, Cliffs and rocks to be climbed, The great outdoors | Leave a comment


When I first began caving with Brad so many moons ago, I told him, and I quote, ” I’m willing to do a lot of things, but I will never, NEVER, go in a cave with water.” Obviously Chandler cave changed that almost immediately after I made my affirmation, but I never really thought I’d do what I did last weekend.

Caves and water, as it turns out, go hand in hand. With the majority of caves being formed by moving water, who wouldn’t expect that? Duh. So this adventure, starts out like some of the best I’ve had as of late, on a boat with Brad.

It’s funny; with Brad being the highly coordinated breakdancer/tai chi teacher that he is, you’d expect him to be able to paddle a canoe. But then I guess the real problem was, I let him steer.

We started the morning by getting a canoe from Riversports on Sutherland Ave. After spending the beaucoups of money that I have there, they know my name, and we’ve formed a love/hate relationship. I.e. I hate going there and spending money, and they love taking it. But that’s neither here nor there. So Brad and I got a boat and headed to Sequoyah Hills park to set sail.

Our boat must have looked like it was piloted by clowns. We were spinning in circles and not making any real progress until Brad got distracted by a phone call and I took the helm. Apparently I shouldn’t have put him at the wheel. After getting settled in a paddle pattern we made our way to the bottom of Cherokee Bluffs ( my favored climbing spot in K-town.)

Cherokee bluffs are laden with cave systems, and I would venture to say that the majority of the caves connect to some degree with micro pinches. The beauty of caves that are directly on the water lies in the difficulty in their approach. Because of the relative challenge of needing a boat, the caves are often much less littered and graffitied, which is always a plus.

Essentially there are 2 major cave sections below the bluffs. The first one has an overhanging entrance that is wide enough to drive a four wheeler through. After entering the crevice, the room opens up into a tall cathedral ceiling (30-40 ft.) with relatively wide passages. From the main chamber, you can go right or left. The right path terminates in a small pinch, whereas the left terminates with a crawl that leads to a second chamber and two more exits to the cave.

The two exits are both relatively passable, with one being a tad bit tighter.

The second cave in the grouping is much more interesting and treacherous. I won’t divulge the exact location of the second due to the beautiful flowstone formations in the area. (If you’re part of a local grotto and would like to visit it send me an email, knoxvilleadventure@gmail.com)

The second cave has a small crawl to get into the entrance chamber, which subsequently has no sealed roof, so you tend to get a bit of a draft. Once you enter the earth, you are forced to take a right turn into a tight vertical squeeze. Past the sphincter, are some of the most beautiful flowstone features I’ve ever seen. I regret that I didn’t take pictures, but the columns are fantastic.

The columns actually connect to a rock shelf that you must pass under to explore further in the cave. The shelf is literally suspended five to six feet above the ground and little more than a foot or so thick. The cave terminates relatively quickly after that point but it’s worth exploring.

Once we returned to the boat, we were surprised to find a massive barge approaching us down the narrow river (the water was exceptionally low). Brad had to take a break to climb on the chains that hang from the bluff walls as well.

With the caving at the bluffs accomplished for the day, we returned the canoe and headed to Bravo! for the second leg of our journey.

Climbing at Sunset Rock, Part Deux

November 18, 2009 in 145863 | Leave a comment


I guess it was probably close to eight or nine months ago that I first climbed at sunset rock. It was actually the second place I had ever climbed on real stone, and if I’m not mistaken the second time I had ever really climbed at all. Well I had a chance to revisit the sandstone bluffs right outside of the Chattanooga city limits. The view, like before was a spectacle worthy of mentioning.

I took my friend Evan Hill, another former journalist, with me to climb this past trip. It was his second delve into scaling mountains as well. The morning was slightly cool, but the hour drive was filled with eager anticipation to try our might on the 90-100 foot climbs.







A Delve into Mastering Adventure

November 6, 2009 in 145863 | Leave a comment

Obviously, as an adventurer, I don’t condone staying inside and constantly playing video games. I had that period in my life, and much to my chagrin it changed me in ways I’m still trying to over come. But experience has shown me that not all gaming is bad. Some of it is down right dorky.

I am not ashamed to say that I often partake in the down right dorky side of life. Of course, what I’m referring to is table top gaming. No, not the monopoly and scrabble that your mom played. I’m talking about Dungeons and Dragons, the original role playing game designed by Gary Gygax. This is the game my father played in the 70s and 80s and the game that I still enjoy today.

For those who don’t know how the game is played, I’ll give a brief synopsis.
Items needed:

  • Pencil and paper
  • Character sheet
  • Set of Dice- 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 and 20 sided
  • Map or grid set up in 1″x 1″ squares
  • Miniatures to represent battlefield
  • Imagination

 

Drek_Thanos

In reality the game has a only two roles- the players and the Dungeon master. If you were to think about D&D in video game terms, the players would be those who have the controllers who actually do the actions, and the Dungeon master would be the game itself. His job is to create a game and every element of it for the players to experience. The dice are used to implement probability, i.e. hitting with spells, convincing a guard captain that you’re friend not foe or even picking a lock on a chest full of gold. (I know this sounds dorky).

Well, I recently had my first opportunity to play as the DM. I took the job for a one-week jaunt known as a Dungeon Delve, in layman’s terms- 3 fights.

Combat takes a while in dungeons and dragons because you have 4-5 players sitting around a table. Everyone seems to have ADHD and a wild imagination.

Here’s a video of a trailer for a movie about this experience.

So I took my adventurers on a whirlwind tour of the vessel Lady Sune, a luxury liner that is attacked by pirates. Githyanki Pirates. Obviously most D&D players would know the standard definition: Born out of slavery, the Githyanki are fierce psychic warriors that ply the Astral Sea and fight with silver swords.

In any respect, a group of bombastic baddies boarded the boat led by the boastful bard Bruno. It was a night of tomfoolery and fun. I enjoyed my time, and for me, it was a grand adventure that involved creating an adventure for others.

Kayaking at Chilhowee

November 5, 2009 in The great outdoors | Tags: , , , , , | Leave a comment

Last Import - 22
As it turns out, I love flatwater kayaking. Thus far, my flatwater experience had been relatively limited. I paddled up and down Lake Loudon, AKA the Tennessee River, a few times, but for the most part I was completely inexperienced in the world of flatwater boating.

I spent the day with a few friends and my mom, who much to my excitement has taken to kayaking like a duck to water. It always makes me happy when I can bring adventure and the joy that comes with it to someone I love.

Lake Chilhowee is directly over the Foothills parkway if you start from Townsend. And down Highway 129, right before the legendary Dragon, if you head from Maryville. We came over the parkway and saw some of the prettiest panoramas I’ve ever seen. Last Import - 08

We stopped at a few overlooks, and at our last stop, we met up with Avi Ford, my favorite retired adventurer. Avi is the quintessence of what adventure should be. She cycles 3,000 plus miles a year, rock climbs, hikes, runs triathalons, travels, kayaks and generally experiences life in ways many of never will… Did I mention she’s in her 60s? She is a spectacular athlete and someone I look up to.

In any resepct, we met up and put our kayaks in the river. Avi actually went to the darkside of canoeing, but we let her go along. Last Import - 61

Chilhowee is nothing like Loudon. It is beautifully pristine, cold and remote. We never encountered a speed boat, we never had to listen to some wakeboarder’s horrible music and most importantly we saw wildlife in utter peace. Within minutes we had seen two deer and an otter. Wow. If you travel from the put in, the lake splits into two directions: Abrams Creek and Panther Creek.

We first headed up to Panther creek in hopes of finding a beaver dam. And though we never found one, the paddle was beautiful like gliding over glass that looked into dark green and deep blue waters. The visibility was incredible.

After returning from the end of the passable water, we began heading to the head of Abram’s creek where it became rocky. Last Import - 25

Here we decided to have a picnic and enjoy some wine, beer, lunch, fishing and stone skipping. It was a perfect rest.
Last Import - 28
Last Import - 26

On the way back, I had a chance to contemplate everything going on in my life. I decided that, as always, the key is to keep filling my life with adventure and happiness. I decided that taking time for the little things is the best thing we can do for ourselves. Celebrate adventure and your life. It’s too short.

A weekend of water adventure

July 21, 2009 in 145863 | 1 comment




This weekend started off with a whitewater trip. These boating bonanzas have become increasingly more prevalent in my life, and I find myself craving the cold, moving water throughout the week. I wouldn’t call paddling an addiction so much as a passion that I am quickly developing.

Following my day on the Nantahala, I went cliff diving with Brad Williams in Lenior City, Tenn. It was a beautiful sunny day and I enjoyed it soaking in the rays at the lake. On Monday Afternoon, I did some roll practice at my mom’s house since I wasn’t feeling 100 percent comfortable on the water.

Brad called me shortly after I left my mom’s and suggested the cliffs again. So we went, swam and were merry.

Now a little about the specifics of each of the days.

First and foremost, the most important star of the weekend was my new waterproof housing for my flipcam. I wrote a little about it last week, and it came in the mail shortly there after. The housing itself is waterproof to 30 feet. So this weekend was going to be a bit of a trial run for the waterproofing.

Saturday

The Nantahala: This was my 3rd time down the raging river. Well it’s not so much raging as it is freezing. Saturday’s cool weather made the water feel even more frigid. We put in above Patton’s run and set out paddling. We made it to Ferbee with out any swims, a vast improvement from last week’s 26, but that was last week’s story.

The first real sign of trouble came at whirlpool rapid, where I lost control of my boat and flipped over in some squirrely water. This is the first time I’ve ever been under in water that was unpredictable and nasty. At least the first time that I’ve ever been in a boat in those conditions. I grew up on the Obed river so I’m no stranger to moving water. Needless to say, I couldn’t get back up and was forced to bail. I don’t really feel bad about the whole endeavor; whirlpool is squirrely.

I ended up flipping again at the rapid known as surf spot. After three attempts, I righted myself. My head wasn’t in the game like it should have been, and I let my earlier swim get to me. But I got back up, and made it down the river with no more issues. Rob 3, Lesser wesser zero.

Sunday

I love the summer because there are so many outdoor adventures to enjoy, especially adventures involving water. I’m also fortunate enough to have a good friend like Brad Williams who inspires me to get out and enjoy more of life, to adventure more and try new things.

Cliff jumping was new for me last year, and this season, it’s anything but old hat. This also offered the perfect opportunity to check my camera’s muster. We strapped it to myself and let ‘er rip.

The little flip performed marvelously.

Monday

Work takes it out of me and makes me crave adventure. I went over to my mom’s to try the camera in the pool and work on my kayak roll. It’s interesting to see the roll from under the water.

When I left mom’s, Brad gave me a call beckoning me to the cliffs again. Of course, I can’t say no to that giggly fool.

Tomorrow I’m paddling the Pigeon. ^_^