Blue Springs Cave - Fri, Jul 22 2011

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REGISTRATION & PAYMENT REQUIRED: Once you've reviewed the event details, and decided you'd like to join us, you MUST sign up at the bottom of this page. This is a paid event with payment managed by the trip leader(s) and NOT the AOC. Please read the event description carefully for payment details and instructions.

Blue Springs Cave

The Basics:

Event Type:

Caving

Event Location:

Sparta, TN

Date(s) & Time:

Fri, Jul 22 2011 6:00 pm >> Sun, Jul 24 2011 1:00 pm (Carpool Departure: 6:15 pm *log in for location*)

Registration Opens:

Thu, Jun 30 2011 9:00 pm

Registration Cut Off:

Wed, Jul 20 2011 11:55 pm

Event Duration:

2 days

Difficulty Rating:

D4: Moderate to Difficult

Trip Leader(s):

EB
Jason Kotz
Tom Collins

Email Trip Leader(s)
You must be logged in to get the Trip Leader contact information.

Member Cost:

$20.00/Person (See Detailed Cost Info Below)

Participant Info:

Who's Invited:

Members Only, 21 And Older Only

Maximum Group Size:

Minimum Group Size:

Number Registered So Far:

9 / 0 (To see who's signed up, log in to the Member Area)

Are Dogs Permitted:

Itinerary:

Previous caving or climbing experience required. If we have not caved with you before, we will be verifying your caving abilities. This is not a beginner trip!

We will be heading up Friday night to camp so that we can hit the cave nice and early on Saturday morning. Be prepared to set up in the dark. We plan to grab dinner on the road, likely at Subway or somewhere similar.

On Saturday morning we will eat a quick breakfast at camp (bring something easy) then head over to Blue Springs Cave (not Bible Springs Cave). Blue Springs is the longest cave in TN at 39+ miles and the 9th longest in the U.S. We will be headed back to Mega Junction at a pretty swift pace so you must be a fairly experienced caver. Expect to cave for 8-10 hours. There is a .25 mile crawl (each way) that's pretty killer, so this trip is not for the faint of heart :-) We will see some gorgeous gypsum formations, but this is more of a fun cave than a pretty cave.

We'll head back to our campsites after caving all day.

Sunday we will make/eat pancakes and coffee :-) then pack up camp, and head back to Atlanta.

Here is someone else's great video on Blue Springs Cave (thanks Kelly!):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frqRdCvk09c

Meals you need to plan for:
Quick/easy breakfast Saturday morning
Lunch/snacks for inside the cave
Dinner Saturday night to cook at the campground (if folks want to make this potluck style we certainly can talk about it)

Required Items to Bring:

Caving or Climbing Helmet with a BRIGHT Water Resistant Light. Bicycle helmets will NOT do. If you don't have a helmet, rentals will be available upon request prior to trip. If you are renting a helmet you will need to bring 8AA size batteries for the light. 4 for the light and 4 for spares.
At least 2 backup lights such as a medium sized 2AA or 3AA Maglight, and extra batteries for your main light
Gloves and Knee pads (soft only, no hard plastic)
Hiking Boots or shoes with a good gripping tread (Be prepared for a trip to Walmart if you show up without proper footwear)
Dress in layers. Synthetic clothing is best as cotton or cotton blends will hold water and you will be cold. The air temp in the cave is relatively warm but you will get chilly when we take breaks. Also there is a potential to get very wet and muddy.
A daypack or fanny pack to hold water, snacks (energy bars), a spare light and anything else you wish to bring with you. Ziplock bags are great for keeping items dry. Please also bring a wide mouthed "throwaway" bottle such as an empty VitaminWater bottle for your personal waste.
Food and water for inside the cave. This is a long day in a cave. Cliff Bars are recommended, as are any foods that will not drop crumbs.

At the end of the trip (outside the cave) you will need a change of clothes, a towel and a large plastic bag to contain your dirty/wet clothes for the trip back to the campground.
Money for the carpool driver, and money for your camping/Sunday breakfast
Camping gear: tent, sleeping bag, breakfast for Saturday morning, dinner for Saturday night, backpacking stove, anything else to keep you comfortable. We will be sharing tent spaces so please do not bring a giant tent unless you plan to share with your site-mates :-)

Recommended Items to Bring:
Use our Event Checklists to make sure you have everything you need.

Clean Clothes to change into after the cave (this includes underwear in case they get wet also).

Wool or Synthetic Socks will help your feet stay warm when they get wet. Cotton will make you colder.

A Large Towel to wrap around you for modesty while you’re changing clothes.

How to Get There:

Carpool to Event Distance (round trip):

360Mile(s)

Carpool Departure Time:

6:15 pm

Carpool Location:

Carpool Directions:

Carpool Cost:

Estimated cost per vehicle for this event is $144.00 using a reimbursement rate guideline of $0.400 per mile. The total amount should be divided by the number of people in the vehicle, including the driver. This is a guideline, not a rule, for drivers but the cost should not be higher unless there are extenuating circumstances.

Notes:

* We encourage all members to follow our Etiquette Guidelines while participating in AOC events.

Member Cost:

$20.00/Person

Cost Includes:

Camping for two nights and pancakes/coffee Sunday morning. You'll be reimbursing your trip leaders for this, not paying through the AOC site.

Make a Payment:

Although there is a cost for this event, you do not pay through the AOC. Please review the event details carefully for information about how/where to make your payment.

Cancellation/Partial Attendance: Please review the AOC cancellation policy.