Sun, Oct 9 2011 - Gourdneck TN - Advanced Trip (View Original Event Details) Trip Leader(s): Shane Sutton Participants: Carlton, Jessica, Stephen C, Jessica Ellis, Shane Sutton, Kyle, Tom Collins, Dianne

Write Up:
Gourdneck,

For starters, this is a Climber's Cave, and essentially cave paradise.  The first step forward that you can take is at the bottom of a 35 foot pit. The entrance is a giant hole in the ground.  We all climbed down on Tom's dedicated Gourdneck rope, one at a time.  Some people carried their packs on their chests; however, i personally sent mine to the bottom on the rope.  Waiting for my turn to ascend, the blast of cold air coming up from below was a welcome and wanted refreshing feeling.  The first section, or last section, is the only muddy (on shoes) part of this cave.  After following at winding passage we dropped down into an old streambed where the group was waiting.  "Follow the pipe upstream," were Tom's directions and we did.  After ten minutes to fifteen minutes of scrambling the sheer length of this pipe and the cave starts to come into perspective.  It manages to follow the streambed (where we can not always follow) almost all the way to the pool of the second waterfall, over a mile inside this cave.  Our first climb or scramble made use of some old piping, that was metal and corroded, but a great help in getting us up out of the streambed.  After a short walk on a very dry area (the only dry area) we finally start the process of getting to the Attic.  Finally, here comes the waterfalls!!

The First waterfall is the first challenging part we faced.  There were two routs to take.  Chimney up and around the corner above the pool, or straight up out of the pool up the waterfall.  Dianne and I chose the straight up part and Tom and the others took the corner route.  So i started, both feet in front, my back against the wall, and proceeded to shimmy up slowly.  Proper technique, i was told, required legs bent with your feet out on the opposite wall the same hight as your bottom.  That sounds easy when your feet are dry, the walls are dry, and there isnt flowing water.  This is not the case in Gourdneck, its an underground stream!!  I finally managed to make it to the top, I am sure with a smile on my face because everyone else did, and we kept heading up stream to the Second waterfall.  We knew we were there once we found the amazing pool of water surrounded by walls as high as your lights could shine up.  This was a beautiful place and seemed to be an ancient area looming way up the walls behind where the waterfall started its plunge.  The walls were bright white, and the water is crystal clear!  From the pool, no clear route can be seen, was this the end.  No, we were not into the Attic just yet, and i only counted two waterfalls and I know there are three.  Where do we go?

The most sketchy part of this trip comes into our headlights as we are directed to look back from the place we had came, we have to chimney back up over the top of the creekbed to a small platform.  From there it seems there might be a way, but I can not see or tell.  From our angle there was no way to see the way.  We all started the fun Chimney climb that was not only high, bet required us to scoot up and over at the same time.  On my turn I Chimneyed up, same way as before, but with a little more nervousness due to the fact that a fall back into the creekbed I was not willing to take or might not survive.  Once safely onto the platform, the "Toilet Seat" I kept hearing about came clear.  Taking a small step up and around to a ridge, there was a small hole in the side of a rock bridge that just allowed someone to climb up through.  I wont mention that the bridge has a small crack going right down the middle so do not step anywhere but on the sides.  Once your feet have made it off the toilet seat, we are now entering the Attic of Gourdneck.

The Attic is the parts of the cave above the second waterfall to find the third waterfall and the Horizontal part of the caves ending (Vertical requires climbing gear and ropes harnesses).  From the toilet seat we have a small and tight pancake crawl back over to the streambed, and to the more remote parts of the cave.  We finally start to see some formations, stalagtites, hanging from the ceiling and have to crawl on our hands and knees through the stream now for the ceiling has gotten much lower.  After a few more crawls and another pancake area we reach an open room that leads to our destination, the Third waterfall!  Once we enter the final room a great satisfacition reaches me and I hope to the group.  We all had made it safe to the end!!  We stayed in this room, at the final waterfall, and took some group pictures, rested, then started to re-gather our gear for the return trip.  Which is exactly: back downstream through the formations, both pancake crawls, down the toilet seat, chimneying down and over to the second waterfall to its pool, finding and following the pipe back to the first waterfall, getting flushed down the first waterfall, finding the old section of pipe to climb down, following the pipe back through the streambed, finding the pipe where it leads to the muddy section, and finally climbing up the 35 foot rope to the entrance.  Sounds easy, sure!!

Our highlight had to be one part on our way out that i did not mention.  At the bottom of the second waterfall, i did mention that there was a beautiful pool with clear water.  Well after Tony, Jessica, and a few others jumped and cannonballed into the pool (Freezing water) it got a little dirty.  But well worth the plunge!!  I want to thank everyone who came out for this caving adventure that I decided to lead.  No one got hurt and we all completed the horizontal parts of the cave.  Gourdneck is a beautiful place and I hope to return soon!!

Shane

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