Trip Leader: Robert Cranney
On Trip: Robert Cranney, Tami Jensen, Ralph Powers
The plan was to drive to Great Basin and do some caving out there. But plans changed at the last minute and we decided to drive to Pescio Cave on Friday and meet up with Richard Downey’s trip to Goshute on Saturday. We left on Friday at around 10:00 and drove to SLC to meet Tami. Once we met up we drove to Wendover and ate lunch. While we were eating lunch a lady in the store was handing out religious information and proselytizing to people while they were eating. She kept giving us dirty looks. Made us laugh.
We drove to the are that Pescio was in. I had been to this cave about 10 years ago, but couldn’t quite remember where it was. With some assistance from a caver we started to follow directions. The cave is easy to find and the drive is about 30 miles south of Goshute Cave. When we got to a point where I couldn’t drive my car anymore I decided that I should park and ride with Tami in her 4 wheel drive. When I opened my car door I noticed that my care was making a different sound. I knocked a hole in my exhaust. I decided that I better check under the car. When I looked I noticed that fluid was coming from somewhere. So I pulled the car forward so I could see the fluid that had leaked out. Transmission fluid. Oh no. Well, we were 300 miles from my house and my car was leaking transmission fluid. What to do.
Well I decided that we should atleast go up and look at the cave. So we got in Tami’s vehicle and finished the drive. When we got out we started hiking up the hill. It’s a short hike, maybe 20 minutes. We arrived at the cave. It’s a beautiful entrance. We got our gear on and headed in. The cave has lots of rat feces in some of the most interesting formations I’ve ever seen. We scrambled through the rat stuff and continued to the big room. This room is amazing. Formations all over the place. Very pretty. We took some photos, and then turned around to head back.
When we got out of the cave the sun had set. The tricky part of the hike down was finding the car. So we headed down, hoping not to slip over a small cliff. But all was good. I noticed to vehicle off in the distance and set my helmet on it with the light on so the other two could see the vehicle location.
We drove back to my car and decided to drive back to Goshute Cave and camp there. Well, I have never been to Goshute and didn’t know where it was. Ralph hadn’t been there in a long time and wasn’t sure either. We knew the general area, but not the exact location. We drove to the 2nd turn off and decided to camp there. When we pulled up it was raining hard and very cold and windy. We ate a great spaghetti meal and decided to call it a night.
I had never slept in a car before and decided that I was going to try it. Plus it was raining and windy and setting up my tent didn’t sound fun. So the car it was. Let me tell you. I didn’t sleep. So I still have yet to sleep in a car. When you are 6’4†in a ford Taurus, there just isn’t enough room.
When we woke up the next morning it was snowing hard. We wondered whether the other group would be coming or not. Not knowing where the cave we were at the mercy of Richard. We decided to wait until 10:00 and then we would formulate another plan. Well, we had a problem. My transmission was leaking bad, and I didn’t know if we would be able to get out because of the snow. So we decided to drive back to Wendover and go from there.
We arrived and ate breakfast at the Red Garter. Great place to eat. Well, after talking about it, we decided to head back. Interstate cave was out because you need a permit, and Danger Cave was out because it has a gate now. Same with Crystal Cave. We got back to Orem about 2:00. When I arrived at my house my transmission died. Just as I was pulling up.
I called Richard when we got back and it turns out they decided not to go because of the snow. And my brother and I looked at my transmission. Turns out I hit a rock, hard. I crushed my transmission pan in.
600 miles. One cave. Lots of snow. And a broken car. That was our trip to Nevada.
| Photography | ||||
 Tamie Jensen and Ralph Powers at Pescio Cave Copyright 2005 Robert Cranney |  Pescio Cave Copyright 2005 Robert Cranney |  Ralph Powers in the Entrance of Pescio Cave Copyright 2005 Robert Cranney | ||
 Pescio Cave Decorations Copyright 2005 Robert Cranney |  Ralph Powers in Pescio Cave Copyright 2005 Robert Cranney | |||