Mailing List Archive Mailing List Archive
NEST TRIP REPORT
Project X Trip Report 4 Mar 2000
The Northeast Sump Exploration Team, NEST, returned to continue
exploration efforts at Project X on 4 Mar 2000. 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.
The roar of the water cascading down the rapids behind me drowned out
all efforts at verbal communication. As I struggled to attach my second Jet
Fin my fingers lost their grip for a moment in the 43 degree water and the
rushing torrent in which I was kneeling washed it away. I made a lunge for
it just missing it, my mobility being limited by the low ceiling, 70 pounds
of gear I was wearing and cobbles in which I was kneeling. I removed the
other fin, fired up my AUL HID and began the chase down stream. After about
thirty feet the passage siphoned in a standing wave of water that lapped
against the ceiling. My hope that the fin might have snagged before this
point proved unfounded. Their was no way to pursue it today and since my
jet fins with spring straps were bullet proof I did not have a spare set
with me.
After driving three and a half hours and a day of gear prep not being
able to dive today was not an option that I was willing to accept easily. I
returned to the entrance and Dave and I discussed the situation.
Fortunately he only lived a few minutes away and owned a set of acceptable
fins. While he set out on his quest for the replacements I decided to take
a quick look at the first sump with my remaining fin to determine if the
site was safely divable. The water levels were up a full three feet above
those we had encountered two weeks before and four feet above those on our
first dive at the site. The snow melt was working it way through the
mountain with a vengeance.
I lay on the surface of the water and conducted my regulator checks,
drifting above the sand bar where we normally laid out and donned out
equipment. The visibility was only two feet, a foot less than two weeks
ago. With my checks completed I began to pull myself upstream using the
cobbles that covered the bottom of the passage. For this site the current
was really kicking and after passing the first sump I discovered that the
small air filled room we were used to on the other side was now full of
water. I turned and let the flow eject me from the passage.
Dave had by this point returned with the fins and this time I donned them
outside and crawled into the passage. My objective today had originally
been to head up stream to the end of the line and press on with our
exploration efforts. We had been hoping for less flow and better vis today
for this effort. Mother nature was not cooperating.
I passed the first two sumps without much trouble and discovered that
the sizable air filled room before the beginning of the third sump was also
under water. The cave was now one continuous sump. This created an
additional challenge in that part of the line in what was normally a dry
sand bank was now not only buried in the silt but also under water. Not
having a continuous guide line was not acceptable so I had to make use of my
exploration reel to bridge this gap. In a sump dive you do not carry more
equipment than needed and we do not use thin cave line so normally do not
use or carry gap reels.
Exploration was now out of the question but I needed to see what the
cave was like under this flow level so I pressed on into the third sump.
The steep slope took me down to a depth of 24 feet before rising rapidly up
a reverse slope to the tight tube at a depth of 9 feet. This restriction
emphasized the flow even more and I had to aggressively pull my way through
the tight section turning on my side in order to pass. I almost felt like I
was in Florida as I watched the line hum in the turbulence created by the
swiftly moving current. After the tight tube I followed the line back down
to 19 feet and the final tie off on a natural arch. On our last push I had
run additional line from this point to the right through a passage that had
led me up into a small air bell. This had been a dead end and I was sure
that I needed to try the passage to the left from this point. A check of my
gas supplies showed that my safety margin was too low to continue with a
push even if I still had my reel, fighting the flow had eaten up quite a
bit of gas. After a final glance into the unknown I turned and allowed the
current to flush me from the cave.
During the surface interval I bask in the sun light that streamed in to
the entrance pit while we switched out to my second set of tanks. Then with
survey slate in hand I headed back in to work on our secondary objective
which was to survey the third sump. The high flow in the wider sections of
this sump proved quite use full since silting out the site was now all most
impossible. I was able to run the survey through the tight tube to give us
an idea of the direction in which the cave was trending. The news was good,
it was heading where Dave had hoped, potentially toward more known cave.
As the current pushed me out I enjoyed the ride watching the myriad of small
fish that inhabited this cave as they darted across the bottom. If the
water had only been 30 degrees warmer I would have though I was in Florida.
Although we had not achieved our primary objective of pushing the line
forward today we had succeeded in extending the survey and gaining more
experience with the system. My interest in the down stream siphon was now
even greater since it had eaten my fin. I suspect that it is stuck in the
down stream cobble area but if not it will add a whole new dimension to the
concept of dye tracing.
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 HIDs , as well as other critical gear 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, Adrew Kipe of Maryland Reproductions, and
Robert Carmichael of Brownies Third Lung and HALCYON, The Doing It Right
Equipment Company, and our most recent sponsor, DUI for our outstanding CF
200 series Dry Suits, Tim Walker, Hank and Jane Anderson, and the Sovik
and Mothes families without whose support none of our efforts would have
been possible.
Diver Explorers
Joseph Kaffl
Support Team Members
Dave Hollick Pa Area Coordinator
J D Lewis Site Cartographer
Jack Rice
Jennifer Albin
David Wonderlick
Norman Teitsworth
Andy Henwall
..
JOSEPH
KAFFL
SUMPDIVER@MS*.CO*
NEST
Navigate by Author:
[Previous]
[Next]
[Author Search Index]
Navigate by Subject:
[Previous]
[Next]
[Subject Search Index]
[Send Reply] [Send Message with New Topic]
[Search Selection] [Mailing List Home] [Home]