Boomerang: Bats, Gates and Snow

Saturday, November 23rd 2002 - Ralph Powers

Location: Boomerang Cave Trip Leader: Rob Cranney On Trip: Rob Cranney, Ryan McBride, Aaron Christensen, Ralph Powers I was pleased to hear Rob suggest a Boomerang Cave trip at our last Grotto meeting. Being busy with scouts at Mapledell he’s had little time to go out and cave. He set it for the following Saturday morning and posted announcements on the utcavers site. Originally we had six offer to go and two were unable to make it. For Ryan and Aaron it would be their first trip to this cave and they were looking forward to it. For Rob and I, it would be an opportunity to cave together again just like in the olden days. Our primary concern would be the snow as Andy H. stated that it was “waist deep” along the gulley. Logan had been experiencing 50+ degree weather for over a week and we were sure that most of that snow would be reduced to “knee deep”. Playing it safe we decided to go through the ski-resort route and it was a good thing we did. As we were preparing to start our hike, Ted the year-round care-taker of the resort pulled up and “hollered” us over. He recognized me from my last trip via that route (a year ago) and we exchanged pleasant greetings. He mentioned that the Resort was as usual happy to let us visit “their” cave and stated that they were concerned about their patrons falling in the entrance. He stated that they had a fellow fall 30 feet into a hole, (presumably a sinkhole) and they were worried about the same thing happening with the cave. He mentioned a putting in a gate over the entrance if it wasn’t too large. We suggested a fence of some sort. There was definitely room for discussion and I suggested an informal meeting to hash out some ideas at a later date. Ted was agreeable to that and he gave both Rob and I his card to call him and make arrangements. The hike up the hill proved the snow was packed down nicely and the trail was covered with only an inch or so deep. Some places the snow had melted completely away. At the turn off the depth was no more than six inches deep. Not bad at all. We rigged up at the usual tree and Rob was the first one down, Ryan, Aaron and myself followed soon after. Above the second drop the order changed as Rob stayed behind above to get pictures. At the bottom of that one the order changed yet again as I headed over to the rope that’s rigged for the third drop. As I was ascending Rob spied a bat nestled somewhere above them. I was too far up to have seen it and asked Rob to take a pic. He said t’was too high up to make an effective shot. Ah well. Aaron followed me up the drop and I waited for him to show him what was involved with going down the final pitch. I knew that he had never done a re-belay crossing and I wanted to be sure to outline the steps in doing it. When he got off rope through the squeeze I led him over to the next portion and had him look at how the drop was rigged. I explained the process to him and then asked him to move into a position to watch me once I started over the edge. I got as far as crossing the rebelay and then locked off to wait for Aaron. Aaron waited for Ryan who was waiting for Rob. Too much waiting I thought. As soon as Aaron came over the edge I headed on down. I am pleased that the rope I placed in the cave several years ago was still in good shape and that people haven’t had any problems with it. The rigging however needs to be adjusted better. Rob expressed displeasure with it and while I thought that it could’ve been done a tad better I could live with it. Turned out that enroute out Rob de-rigged the rope from the wall turning it into a straight drop without the re-direction. By that time I had already headed down and had looked for the bat that was spotted earlier. I couldn’t find it where they had indicated it was and finished the rappel. Going over to the next climb up I spied a bat and assumed that it was the same one the others saw only that it had moved. This was not good as it’s not healthy for a hibernating bat to wake up and expend precious energy moving to another place. While bats (I’ve learned) do wake up from time to time during their hibernation to expend waste and resettle they don’t move from one place to another unless necessary. As I was getting on rope for the next ascent I spied yet another bat hanging some 10 feet above me, fortunately on the opposite wall where the rope was. I waited for Aaron to get off rope and make his way to me so I could point it out to him and ask that he lower his voice, not to a whisper but to a low monotone that “shouldn’t” disturb the animals. As I climbed I watched carefully for signs of more hibernating animals and saw none. I made it through the squeeze and then moved on over to the entrance rope. Rob had rigged the rope in his traditional by taking the end of the entrance rope we had (300'), and taking the remaining end and using it for the second drop. From there we avoid having to climb up from the bottom and back down the ledge. As soon as Aaron joined me I got on rope and when I was high enough told him to get on as well so we could tandem out. Another first for him. Definitely a learning experience for both of the first-timers to this cave. As I began my ascent I spied two more bats sleeping on the wall and began to wonder if this might not be a trend or if those four were just part of a small bachelor group that selected this cave at random. It took a bit to establish a rhythm with my using a double bungee and Aaron using a frog, but we managed well enough. Near the top Aaron found a ledge to stand on as to remove his weight from the rope to ease my getting over the lip. The sight at the top was a beauty. The weather channel showed a storm front moving in towards Logan from the west earlier that morning. By the time we had exited the cave it had past us and left a thin veil of snow on the trees and rocks which was wonderful to look at. Rob and Ryan decided to hike down the gully following Andy’s footsteps from his previous trip and Aaron (who was getting cold) and I were to fetch the car. Remarkably we arrived at our destinations about the same time. Ryan and Rob said they had waited only 10 minutes before we arrived with a nice warm car to pick them up. Not bad considering that the snow for Rob’s route was as Andy said, knee to waist deep. I think I like the resort route better no matter what time of year it is. Again, it was a good trip, no one hurt and a learning experience for all of us in one way or another.