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NEST TRIP REPORT
Project Z Trip Report 30 Jan 99
Pushing Sump # 3
The Northeast Sump Exploration Team, NEST, returned and continued its
exploratory work at Project Z on 30 Jan 99. NEST is a formally recognized
Project of the NSS and consists of a team of sump divers and dedicated
support personnel who are pursuing original exploration efforts at several
caves in the PA, Virginia and West Virginia areas. The team surveys and
further documents these sites through the use of still and video techniques
as well as engaging in biological surveys and water sampling at these
locations. NEST is also available to support the NCRC in situations
involving flooded passage and beyond sump rescues. Below is an account of
the Teams most recent explorations.
As I emerged from the major restriction in the third sump I was greeted by
three rather startled Blue Gills hovering in the room above me. These guys
where no troglibites and did not hang around rapidly disappearing into the
distance. Several recent rains had increased the turbidity levels, and
although the visibility was still good the crisp blue tint that the water
had exhibited in the past had been replaced by a slight milk yness. I
gently finned along the crest of the ridge that extended like a giant finger
along the side of the large room to where I had placed my reel on the last
push and hovering above it decided to terminate it short of the end since
the remaining line would probably not get me to a suitable tie in point in
the larger passage. After cutting the line, I tied a figure eight in the
end and backed it up with a half hitch. I then removed a fresh primary and
connected into this loop. Raising it above the inevitable silt cloud my
efforts were generating I was able to visually confirm a positive connection
and I put tension on it as a final proof. Loosing the line in this large
room with its small restricted exit under zero visibility conditions could
be a fatal error and one I was not planning on making.
During my efforts to tie in the new reel the old one escaped down a
steep slope and disappeared in the avalanche of clay silt that was also
raining down it. I let it go without any attempt to retrieve it leaving it
for an other trip. With my new line firmly attached I pumped some air in
my DUI CF 200 and began swimming out into the room. My tie in was at a
depth of 10 feet, I could see the ceiling clearly above me from the light
of my meteor 4. No air space shimmered back and although it must have been
close it was not at air level. The room itself was at least 20 feet wide
and vanished into the distance. As the line from my reel ran off behind me
the entrance to a passage appeared low on the floor to my front, it was
getting deeper as I headed down at a fairly steep angle. I entered the
five by five foot passage at a depth of 21 feet. It immediately made a hard
turn to the right. Faced with a rough wall, possible line trap and lacking
any suitable natural tie offs I dropped to the floor to set a Disler spike
as a belay point. Once again I found a deep layer of large gravel that
resisted a good placement and I was only able to insert the spike 5 inches
into the bottom. As I performed my line wrap the silt cloud wiped out my
visibility again. I did a quick assessment of my situation, poor belay,
zero vis and a major restriction behind me that I was not yet completely
comfortable with. Time to go for home.
I placed the reel on the floor and began my return trip through the
silt out. Inserting myself into the restriction required a bit of gentle
wiggling but went off without any major problems as did my exit through the
several snug sections that followed it. The third sump was definitely not a
place to visit if you have any problems with tight spots since they are
quite abundant.
The slog down the mud lined air filled section that separates sump
three and two seemed shorter than ever. I almost felt I was home at this
point. It is amazing how familiarity with a cave can change your feelings
about it. I did not allow this warm feeling to breed a sense of
complacency and I performed my usual through equipment check before entering
the second sump. A new twist on this trip was a no mount Alum 30 tank that
I carried as a hand held stage. I had used this during my traverse of the
second sump and would use it for my outbound swim. It would allow for
extended range and an additional safety factor in pushing the third sump.
Entering in good visibility it had been fairly easy to manage. Exiting in
zero vis with it would be the real test regarding whether it would prove
effective at this site.
To reach the second sump from the third you must crawl through a layer
of fine clay sediment up to two feet thick in the 200 foot long air filled
passage. The stream that feeds the 2nd flows through it, the effect on the
visibility is catastrophic. I entered the chocolate soup of the 2nd sump
holding the stage in my left hand with my right firmly on the line slowly
feeling my way from belay point to belay point. At one or two points a snug
section caused me to move right or left. After a momentary stop in the air
filled space between the first and second sumps I plunged over the edge and
head first down the 24 foot deep dome pit. Passing through the restriction
into the passage I felt my head mounted backup lights snag on a protrusion
and fall from my head. I instinctively reached out and grabbed them holding
them in the same hand as the stage and continued the exit. The stage had
slowed me down a bit but proved its worth. Under normal conditions it would
allow the traversing of the first two sumps without the use of the primary
gas supply allowing me to start my dive at the third sump with full tanks.
It would also mean that I would have a backup reg on the other side of the
first two sumps if I ever needed it.
I emerged to a beautiful sunlit day in the upper 50s and washed the mud
off my gear in the creek that flows past the cave entrance. The water was
surprisingly warm for this time of year and as I floated in the stream I
pondered our efforts to date. It had been another successful effort with
more line laid in the third sump and the use of stages validated for the
site. The third sump had failed to come up to air but instead had gone deep
again and the gravel that signifies a low point being present when I had
turned the dive. The cave so far had followed a pattern of regular ups and
downs between water and air filled passage. This was the first time it had
come up and failed to reach an air filled room. Would it now stay below the
water table for a significant distance, break into large going dry passage
or end in a tight spot too small for us to pass through. Only time would
tell and it was the quest to solve this mystery that was one of the reasons
that kept us coming back. The other was the shear beauty of the cave.
Dave Nicholas who had done his first dive at Z by starting out the day with
a dive to the third spike in sump 1 had summed it up quite well, "as pretty
as upstream Cow," says it all.
Once again we would like to recognize our sponsors and all of the
supporting cavers who helped make our efforts possible. A special thanks to
Arnold Jackson Of American Underwater Lighting who supplied our exceptional
primary lights, meteor 4�s, and Jon Breazile of the Fifth Dimension Dive
Center who has provided us with other vital support. We would also like to
thank Terry Brady, of the Brass Anchor who has provided us with generous
audio visual support. Additional sponsors include Lamar Hires of Dive Rite,
Gene Weisheit of East Coast Divers, Alex Sproul of Inner Mountain
Outfitters, Brad Bason, of Bason Rescue Equipment, Adrew Kipe of Maryland
Reproductions, and Robert Carmichael of Brownies, The Doing It Right
Equipment Company, Tim Walker, Hank and Jane Anderson, and the Sovik and
Mothes families without whose support none of our efforts would have been
possible. A special thanks Don Anderson and his wife for hosting us this
weekend and Paul Montgomery, and the landowners who permitted us to explore
this unique site. I would also like to thank Robert Laird who put Paul in
contact with me when he called looking for sump divers to look at this
incredible spring.
Diver Explorers
Joseph Kaffl
Dave Nicholas
Support Team Members
Paul Montgomery
JOSEPH
KAFFL
SUMPDIVER@MS*.CO*
NEST
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