Arizona December 25 to December 31, 2004.
Alan Cressler, Jeff Moore, Brian Killingbeck, Brandon Stephens.
All pictures are copyrighted by Brandon Stephens.
The following trip reports are excerpts from my caving log. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.
Christmas Day 2004
I finished stuffing all my gear into my pack and one suitcase before heading to the airport. I arrived ready to get on my way to find my backpack overweight. The attendant at the American Airlines told me I would have to leave some items behind or pay an extra charge. I had little choice but to comply and pay the fee. This was the start of a bad experience with American Airlines.
My flight was late leaving Evansville but not to worry I made it to Chicago in time to make my next flight only because it to was delayed as well. It was snowing at a moderate pace at O’Hare Airport which they blamed for the delay. After two hours of waiting they pack us like sardines onto the plane where we got to sit for another hour waiting on deicing. I was happy to wait to ensure I arrived at my distention in one piece. I sat one row in front of the emergency exit as I impatiently waited for us to take off. During deicing green fluid came into the cabin by way of the emergency exit. The poor guy directly behind me was soaking wet with deicing fluid. The flight attendant was notified but he didn’t care. He offered some wet wipes to clean up. The fact that liquid could enter the airplane worried me. I prayed the rest of the flight the seal would hold.
I arrived two hours late in Tucson, AZ find Alan Cressler, Brian Killingbeck and Jeff Moore waiting on me. The guys had already picked up the car found Chris and Julie Hudson’s house and ate at Denny’s. They up graded the car to a Ford Expedition after hearing about my overweight luggage. After my stuff showed up we headed back to the Hudson’s house. Sleeping that night was difficult due to the Conna the Cat. This cat bothered us all night. It took turns bothering Jeff, Brian and I in 20 minute cycles through out the night.
Sunday December 26, 2004
Alan got us up early in the morning. Jeff and I are not morning people but Brian seemed to be fine. We packed up our caving gear and headed over to Greg Huston’s house. We picked him up and made a pit stop at Denny’s. I was informed during breakfast that this was going to be a trip not a vacation. I thought vacation sounded better.
We headed south to Coronado National Monument. It sits right on the AZ border with Mexico. We stopped in at the ranger station and got our permit. We headed up a trail roughly 700 vertical feet to Coronado Cave. The small entrance opened quickly to become 40 to 60ft wide by 20 feet high. The orangey that occurred in the area has deformed and contorted the limestone. The high degree of dip led to nice limestone ridges running along the ceiling and the walls. We followed the large passage back to a second entrance which was gated. After touring several hundred feet of passage we exited the cave.
Our next stop was Slicken Slides Cave. This was more an Indiana type of cave. This cave may really not be worth seeing. A small crawly lead led us right by a sunk but popped out into a small room. We checked a couple leads in the small room before heading up and out the 2nd entrance. The cave was maybe 200ft long.
We returned our caving permit, packed up, and drove over to Ida Cave which is in Cave Canyon. The drive required that we head up over the mountain. The lookup on the mountain provided great views of Mexico. After a short walk we arrived at the 8 ft wide entrance to the cave. We dropped down into a short climb down before crawling deeper into the cave. We passed a failed attempt to gate the cave before we entered the back of the cave. We assisted Brian Killingbeck in taking several photographs before we exited the cave. Our next cave of the day was Happy Jack Cave. After Happy Jack Cave we visited Mine Caves so named because at one time it was a mine. Mine cave is a short walk encountered by a climb-down with a sketchy rope. We wanted to checkout a traverse that Brian would lead if we came back to the cave. It turns out we never returned to the cave. After Mine cave we returned to the Expedition and headed back towards Tucson. We stopped for Mexican food on the way home. That night we sat around and watched Nip Tuck.
Monday December 27, 2004
Alan had us up before 7am to get on the road. It was more than a 2 hour drive up to Diablo Canyon. Along the way we saw several faults, folds and even a dike which is an igneous intrusion into an over lying rock. While at a gas station in Globe, AZ I saw our first news of the horror that had occurred in the Pacific. The front of the USA Today read “13,000 Dead” I bought it and a Mountain Dew. We all listened as I read the passages out load. After that we continued talking about various items while we drove down progressively worse roads. I pointed out that we where still legally abiding to our rental car contract because we had not taken off road yet. We were simply bending the rules a bit by classifying forest service roads as true roads. Maybe a trial would have been a better fit but oh well. I was assured that all the Arizona pin striping he was applying would be considered character by the rental company.
We arrived at the Devils Chasm Trail head after one bumpy ride. It looked like we were in for a death hike. After packing up we headed up the trail. The trail made its way up the canyon through a grove of maple trees before it reached bedrock. We hiked up for at least an hour. We climbed two small waterfalls along the way. For some reason Alan and Brian took a right and headed almost straight up a faint animal trail. The going was rough as head climb several hundred feet before realizing we took a wrong turn. Alan and Brian contoured across on very precarious slopes in search of the cave. Greg, Jeff and I made our way back down to the stream. We head up the canyon for a while before coming to a steep trail heading up the right side of the canyon. Greg and Jeff where well ahead of me by this time. The thought of dying often. Several hundred feet above me I saw the Indian ruins so I knew I was close. I was the last one up. My to my demise I had a bad encounter with a very large prickly pair and my gluteus maximus was covered in needles.
The cliff dwellings contained three small rooms with various pottery scattered about them. There were wooden beams still intact which may have supported the roof and possibly and additional level. Alan commented that this was the best preserved archeological site he had seen. From the ruins we could see the Diablo Cave.
We hiked down from the ruins and contoured over to Diablo Cave. It had a really neat entrance with a burnt tree still partially standing. From the entrance of the cave you quickly enter into a canyon passages that reaches a junction. We took a right turn but it soon pinched out. We then headed back and took a left and continued into the cave. It soon became crawling as we continued. After a while Jeff and I decided this was not worth continuing and backtracked to a side passage. Maybe it was the cobles or the various types of fesses that convinced us to turn around. We continued following this side passage threw a small constriction. I was a bit worried about being stuck but I managed to continue. I found Greg stopped at another constriction. I decided to wait with Greg. Soon Alan came back and said it was too tight for his comfort level. Soon we were on our way out of the cave.
On our way down the canyon another small cave was noticed to the opposite side of the cliff dwellings. I dropped my pack and hiked up to it with Jeff and Brian. They went farther into the cave while I stayed near the entrance. It was another canyon looking caving. I was hungry and headed back toward the Expedition.
The hike down was uneventful. I took several photos on the way back down. I caught up with Greg near the 2nd waterfall climb down. We arrived back at the SUV just before the rest of the crew. I took a dip in the creak which happened to be snow melt to clean off. Alan commented that I was the only real man in the group. We headed out of Diablo Canyon. We stopped at a Chinese restaurant for dinner. This was ok for most of the group but poor Jeff doesn’t eat anything but American food. Jeff managed to find some food on the buffet. We returned late that night to the Hudson’s house.
Tuesday December 28, 2005
We awoke early yet again. We headed down to Fort Huachuca. There we sat in the parking lot for about an hour waiting on everyone to get there and be ready. We entered the base and proceeded to the MP station. After a little talking and convincing the MP’s handed over the key to Pyeatt Cave. It was a short drive up the Mountain to the cave.
It was an easy 200’ walk to the cave. A fence and surveillance equipment monitored the entrance. From the entrance the passages teed. We took a right and after a short stint of crawling we were in a large room. The head threw a small hole to a climb down to the flow which was 40’ below and filled with large columns and various other formations. We proceeded to a 40 pit which is where we stopped. The cave contained signatures form the 1800’s. It is also worth noting how warm the cave was. It was so warm that Brian took off his shirt in an effort to avoid a melt down. The cave was bone dry with guano everywhere. Unfortunately Brian’s camera gear failed which caused a lack of good pictures from the trip.
After exiting the cave we headed back to the cars. We bumper hoped the short distance over to Manila Mine cave. We parked near an old building which we checked out before walking to the cave. An old mine intersects the cave within about 50’ of the entrance. From here a small room leads to a crawl that I should have avoided but didn’t. The crawl leads to small room with a formation. By small I mean I could almost stand up in it. I then exited the cave after stopping near the entrance for a picture under the skylight. I exited the cave and walked up to find Alan, Chris and Tom digging open a secret cave. They dug open Manila Mine Annex cave which was nothing more than a small crack in the earth. It was hard for me to fit into the cave. I thought it looked more like a snake hole. After finishing the cave we recovered the entrance and returned to the cars.
The next stop was higher on the mountain at Upper Pyeatt cave. I was very pleased with yet another short walk. The entrance is a 38ft pit that leads to a talus slope. The cave is very nice and open sloping down. Very nice Fluorite crystals were found at the very back of the cave which is no more than 200ft from the entrance pit. The cave is just gorgeous. We exited the cave and headed over to Calvary Cave as a light rain fell which left a nice rainbow in the distance.
After parking the car I looked up the mountain and realized my day of short walks had come to an end. Alan said it only half way up. ONLY is the key word. We followed a trail for all of about 100ft before heading straight up the hill which was covered with nasty brush and cacti.
The entrance to the cave is the size of a trash can lid. We headed into the cave. We climbed over 2 pits and a few formations. After continuing farther into the cave we found “Heaven”, cave coral and helectites all perfectly white. This passage looked like it should be in Gauds of New Mexico rather than southern Arizona. After the cave we hiked back down the mountain.
Wednesday December 29, 2005
Alan took us out to meet Chris and Tom after breakfast. We pilled into Chris’s Ford F-150 and headed towards Bell cave as it rained for a second day. One the way down and dirt road Chris turned said “should I tell them?”. That he had shovels in the truck ready for us to use. We gladly volunteered to help. We dug on a lead for about an hour during which I had another bad encounter with a prickly pear.
After giving up we headed over to Bell cave parking area. Jeff, Brian and I found Rattlesnake cave. I entered the cave only after several minutes of hesitation. I refused to go in first due to the name of the cave. The cave as very small and tight until you came to a small room you could stand up in. After Brian took several pictures of me struggling in tight spots we head up to Bell Cave.
We climbed down into the entrance and then headed to the gate just a few feet away. We opened the gate and headed back to where Chris and Tom where surveying. We all helped survey for a while before I headed off to explore on my own. I entered the large canyon passage with several levels of breakdown. I must confess I got lost here for a while. The canyon is several hundred feet long and at least 100ft high and possible 30ft wide. After returning to the group they finished up the survey and we exited the cave.
After changing clothes we headed back to Tom’s house. Tom has a very nice house looking over Tucson with a large caving Library. I fell in love with his golden retriever pup before we headed up to dinner. We ate at a very nice Mexican place in the old train station. We returned to Tom’s house where Alan came to pick us up.
Thursday December 30, 2005
We took the scenic route to Bear canyon in the Lechucas. We past several heavily armed border patrol officers before arriving at the parking stop. I’m sure the “road” violated our rental car contract yet again. You could hear the paint leaving as we rubbed against trees as we headed up the canyon. Mexicans love to enter our country via Bear canyon trail as they head over the Lechucas. The trail was nice and easy as it slowly head up the canyon. The higher we climbed the more trash we found. As the Illegals get tired they drop their belonging on the ground leaving behind what looks like a trash dump. As we headed up the trail it gradually became steeper. After crossing bear creek Alan headed right over to a small rock pile. The Arizona cavers seem to like burying their caves as much as opening up new ones. We entered Curtin cave which I thought looked like another snake hole. After much bitching I made it to the end of the cave which after the entrance climb down was mostly belly crawl in dust until you reach a nice dome room. One the way out Brian took several more semi-stuck Brandon pictures. I was pretty tired of the pictures by this point.
We hiked up the hill after we exited. I wondered off to the wrong side of the ridge before finding the rest of the group at entrance to Morning Glory cave. In the north corner of the large shelter a small crawl quickly opens to a very large room. From here several nice formations can be viewed. We spend time touring and photographing all the formations in the cave before heading out. We ended our Arizona caving trip by heading to Headwall cave.
Headwall cave has a narrow opening that leads to a climb up on popcorn that was very tight on me. At that top of the climb up was a small room that lead to where a constriction was encountered. I was happy just getting to the top of the climb up. I was worried about getting out of the cave but managed to do so with any problems. We made good time heading back down the Bear Canyon to the Expedition. We packed up and headed back to Tucson. Jeff and I got our way and had Chile’s for supper; American food was so very good.
Friday December 31.2005
We awoke before the sun was up and headed to the airport. I was happy my luggage was under weight and that my flight was on time. I flew to Chicago where I was laid over for almost 4 hours. I arrived home to find mom waiting to pick me up at the airport. As I got into the car I noted that I had less than 12 hours before my flight to Puerto Rico left. Later that night I cleaned and packed my gear for Pat’s Puerto Rico Expedition but that’s another story for anther time.
