Of all the caves that I have explored, Tumbling Rock Cave in Alabama ranks quantity 3 on my list of beloved caves. I have manufactured a lot of visits to this renowned and Alabama’s most frequented cave. Tumbling Rock Cave is in excess of 6 miles long and is primarily going for walks passage. At a person time it was referred to as Blowing Cave. There is a stream that flows nearly the full size of the cave and kinds a spring just below the entrance. This is the only cave that I know of that has oil, the Asphalt Ooze happens in Allens Alley near the back of the cave and covers the floor with a layer of dust hiding it. It drips from the ceiling and flows down a extensive slope to the ground of the cave. I maintain a sample of it in a bottle labeled Alabama Crude!
Following a check out with the proprietors and spending our parking cost, we climb a short length up the aspect of the mountain, open up the gate and crawl via the three-foot higher entrance. The to start with home, Ante Room, is huge going for walks passage that crosses around the stream. Care have to be taken from the start, if you eyes have not modified to the darkish, you might action into the crevasse that crosses the path. This is a a few foot huge fall that you action around. You then abide by the stream to the Saltpeter Works. These are big Civil War vats which have extensive rotted away leaving the sq. mounds of dirt remaining.
My first pay a visit to was in July of 1971 with the Dogwood City Grotto and it was on this trip that I fulfill John Wallace, a long time good friend and caving lover. John shared that when he was relationship his spouse, Youlanda, he distribute out a desk fabric around the Saltpeter Will work, and established up a candle mild supper that he experienced carried into the cave.
A quick distance from the Saltpeter Performs we climb up out of the stream passage and into a large space with two huge formations called the Elephants Feet. If you climb up to the best of one of the ft, near the ceiling just one can enter a modest crawl that goes up over the ceiling and more than the stream passage into what is now identified as Vujade’ Extension.
Continuing up stream we climb over the Wildcat Rockpile and move the Minor Hall of Mysteries. There is Formation Grotto off to the left and we have explored The Sewers to a 15-foot drop. We then returned to the stream and went by way of the Wind Tunnel to the Totem Grotto, Craters of the Moon. Chucks Audio Box is in a aspect passage to the remaining and effectively really worth the visit to look at the tall then columns. At this level you have to have to be with anyone who is common with the cave in purchase to locate the Concealed Doorway, if you skip the Hidden Doorway on the way back again out of the cave one ends up in a useless finish stream passage.
Just further than the Hidden Door and just right before getting into the Good Corridor of Mysteries, is the Kings Shower. When the higher passage to the Topless Dome and the lower passages were mapped it was located that there have been only inches amongst the two. So a sledge hammer was applied to make a quick slice up to the Topless Dome. The stream from the Dome now runs down and drops via the gap making the Kings Shower. Pulling up by this gap and heading a short distance to the ideal delivers you to the base of the Topless Dome.
The Dome is 396 feet substantial and was climbed by Don Davison and Cheryl Jones all over 1979 above a two-year period. The climb is 555 feet extensive, which will make it the longest underground complex route in the United States. Read through about Topless Dome Revisited in the October 1982 NSS Information.
For a lengthy time the Great Hall of Mysteries was the stop of the cave. Now there are two passages to proceed to the back again of the cave. Both of those are complicated, I will explain the Blue Crawl initial as it was the 1st to be discovered. Straight across the place, to the remaining of the Christmas Tree development and up the mud slope, is Johnstons Junction, a shorter squeeze into the Emperors Area. Cross the Emperors Place and climb up in a crevice and into a 75-foot extensive round crawl that a single must decide which arm goes to start with at the start out. Due to the fact you are unable to alter positions once again till you arise out the significantly facet of the Blue Crawl. When exiting the Blue Crawl it is a slim ledge and in order to get your body out of the gap one particular has to increase out around the ledge. I have manufactured the crawl one time, but never ever again. Nonetheless I think that absolutely everyone must attempt it after.
Exiting the Blue Crawl and into the Inter Sanctum breakdown home and on the far aspect climb down and beneath the Surprise Waterfall into Allens Alley.
The 2nd route that was uncovered or I should really say was dug open up is the Suicide Passage. Back in the Emperors Place climb down and alongside the right side of the Xmas Tree development to the stream stage. Observe the sandy crawl along the left aspect of the stream right until you can climb up into the rock pile. After several tight bends and climbs a person enters Allens Alley. This is a shorter route and is generally most popular to the Blue Crawl.
Allens Alley is a awesome lengthy canyon passage with the stream flowing down below. About 50 percent way by means of one has to climb up near the ceiling and crawl through a two-foot restriction. It then opens again up once again into a substantial extended space. Check out out for the Asphalt Ooze together the suitable side, which crosses the path.
The reward at the conclusion is the Pillar of Hearth, and it is well worth the climb up Mt. Olympus. This large dazzling purple development sets at the top of a mud mountain called Mt. Olympus. This is were most cavers cease right after a 4-hour vacation in and a further four hours to get out. If 1 desires to see the bitter stop, Terry’s Tiger Tooth, then just ahead of climbing Mt. Olympus, go in excess of to the ideal facet of Allens Alley and look for the D-T passage. This is a limited split down crawl for about 300 ft. Just after rising back again into walking passage yet again in Grants Tomb, the stream is down and to the appropriate, called Grants Pool. Terry’s Tiger Teeth is on ahead to the left.
The cave continues, while the passage might not be learned, far more than the duration of the acknowledged cave to a smaller cave named Timber Cave on the significantly facet of the mountain. Dye tracing of the drinking water moving into Timber Cave was traced to Tumbling Rock Cave. If you are searching for a superior 8 hour wild cave trip, then I would propose Tumbling Rock Cave.
