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NEST TRIP REPORT
Buchanan Cave 28 Oct 2000
The Northeast Sump Exploration Team, NEST, conducted exploration efforts
In Buchanan Cave Resurgence in Virginia on 28 Oct 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.
Eric led off with a set up dive to a penetration of 550 feet and the end
of the first sump where he placed the buoyancy compensated OMS 45 stage. I
entered 30 minutes after he emerged breathing from a buoyancy compensated
Alum 30 which I exchanged for the OMS 45 when I reached it. Once again
the conditions were excellent with well over 12 feet of vis once you passed
the low point of the first sump 250 feet in.
My dive plan called for me to breathe the second stage till I reached
the bottom of the first dome pit, at a depth of 57 feet and a penetration
of 720 ft, and drop it at this point. I had only used a few hundred PSI of
gas by this section of the cave so I opted to continue on the stage as I
began the slow assent to the air filled lake above me. I did 1to 2 minute
safety stops at 30, 20 and 10 feet and then swam below the line at a depth
of 5 feet till I reached the second dome, above me was a 30 foot diameter
room with 20 feet of air space and a possible dry lead entering the top on a
90 degree angle.
Not bothering to surface I placed the stage on the hard limestone next
to the line and continued into sump three on my primary side mounts. I took
my time passing through this large passage, 15 feet wide by 12 feet high, it
was definitely Florida size cave. About 50 feet in I saw the reflection of
an air surface above me. The vis was excellent so I opted to maintain a
visual reference on the line as I slowly surfaced into this space and found
myself in a 10 foot long by 4 feet wide and 3 foot high air bubble, in one
corner a pristine soda straw gleamed in the light of my Aul HID. It
occurred to me that I was the first person to ever see this formation so I
took a moment to admire it. A minute later I vented some gas from my
drysuit and sank back down to the line 10 feet below me and continued on to
its end.
On my last dive I had discovered a second dome pit headed downward at
this point. I now hovered over the edge shining my light and trying to get
a better feel for the space, it was big and despite the excellent vis I was
not able to see the other side or the bottom. A number of fragile looking
black formations rose from the limestone floor at this point resembling a
garden of exotic mushrooms, not trusting them as line belays I used the
three pound weight I had brought with me to secure the line at this point.
A ledge ran to my right so I picked up my 500 foot reel and paid out line as
I headed in this direction. Instead of going passage I found a blank wall
so I followed the dome at this level as it turned to the left. After
circling the room and finding no going cave I returned to my staring point
and began my decent into the pit.
I began my free fall centered in the dome wondering if I had another 60
footer below me. At 15 feet the bottom came into view, and even better a
broad side passage exited the dome below me in line with the passage I had
used to enter the space.
I reached the bottom at a depth of 25 feet, added gas to my DUI and
hovered above it while I gently placed a Spike and belayed the line to this.
With this task accomplished I turned and moved into the side passage which
was at least 20 feet wide and 5 feet high. As I moved forward I placed a
second spike, the floor was a bit firmer and I had to work the spike into
the bottom by wiggling it back and forth and finning to produce a downward
force, this raised up a local silt cloud and I picked the reel off the
bottom and finned forward into clearer water. The vis seemed lower in this
passage than in the pit and I was not sure which direction to head, my light
disclosed what appeared to be a solid wall to my front. I began to wonder
if I might just be in a large side room of the pit. Not completely happy
with my line belay at the bottom of the dome, a weight was really required
for the angles involved, I placed the reel on the bottom and turned
following the line back to my starting point on the edge of the pit.
With adequate gas supplies remaining I decided to more closely examine
the area so I attached the line from a 130 ft reel behind the weight and did
one more search of the walls to make sure that I had not missed any thing.
This time I worked my way upward and noticed the glimmer of an other air
filled space above me. I slowly surfaced to find another air pocket similar
to the one I had found above sump 3. After a quick look for dry passage I
turned, reeled back to the main line, recovered the reel and began my exit.
I surfaced in the head pool after a 70 minute dive with most of my side
mount gas intact. The double stage had worked quite well. It is always
better to come home with plenty of gas especially when pushing virgin
passage.
Eric than did the third dive of the day when with an orientation dive to
650 feet and recovered the alum 30 on his exit. He was getting close to
his agreed return time when he surfaced so I was standing by fully kitted up
as his backup diver when he appeared. With almost full side mounts I purged
my suit with argon, grabbed the survey slate and did dive 4 adding 150 feet
to the survey.
It had turned out to be an excellent day with the second dome explored
and more survey added to the cave. We were now well over 1000 feet in at
this point. The double stage technique had greatly extended our useful
range and enhanced our safety margins. Although no obvious way on
presented itself from the second dome it is easy to miss leads in a space
this large during an initial exploration push. A return trip is planned for
a closer look.
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 Tom
and Jon 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, 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
Eric Tesnau
Stand By on call Divers and Support Team
Paul Montgomery Virginia Area Coordinator
Jeff Mott
Dave Nicholas
..
JOSEPH
KAFFL
SUMPDIVER@MS*.CO*
NEST
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