When I arrived in Huntsville twenty-four years ago from the flatlands of Florida, I had no idea what to expect. One weekend, I went exploring. I drove out 72 and hit I-24 just to drive through the gorgeous rolling hills and into Tennessee. By chance, I saw a billboard on the side of the road that said, “Come See Raccoon Mountain Caverns.” With hours to burn, I took the exit. I’d never been in a cave before. I purchased a ticket and wandered through with a guide while she pointed out types of speleothems, and I asked numerous questions. After the tour was over, I asked the guide about the optional wild cave trip that was three hours long. She said bring boots and long pants, they would provide kneepads a helmet, and gloves. I booked the tour for the next weekend. Then I came back the next weekend, and they took me on an extended tour lasting five hours. I came back again the following weekend, and they showed me an entirely new branch of the cave. Seven hours later, a couple of the guides asked, “Want to see this other cave nearby?” “You mean there are more?” Thousands in TAG, they told me. By the following month, I had bought gear, knew that TAG stood for Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia, joined the Huntsville Grotto, and started learning vertical—so I could explore more parts of more caves in all the limestone hills.
Heading down into a green, lush, fern-strewn sink, over moss-covered, decaying logs, in the middle of summertime for a cave trip is nothing short of magic. It’s like walking into a grocery store—the doors open and you are slapped with a blast of cold air—only this is better because you just hiked in 92°F heat and now you wade down into a pool of cold AC. Caves quite literally breathe; they blow what feels like air conditioning when it's hot and suck in air from the outside in winter—because the temperature in the cave stays constant. At our latitude, they range from about 56°F to 62°F, with a few interesting exceptions. While you gear up, you’ll smell the entrance. It’s a wonderful earthy combination of greenhouse, leaves after a rainstorm, pottery clay, and a fresh glass of ice water. After one last gear check, you’ll click on your light and put a boot across the drip-line, squinting into the dark. You say goodbye to the outside world at the twilight zone. Whatever gear and skills you packed in is what you have, including your sense of adventure and caution. Whatever quiet beauty that waits below is unique for every cave trip—and it's all contained in an underground world like no other.
All caves have such different forms of beauty and challenges. I have had my fair share of “wow” moments, that feeling where you are more alive than just passively existing on the earth. I can say I count myself extremely lucky to have explored, surveyed, and helped photograph a group of Mayan Caves in Central Yucatan over the course of multiple field seasons for archaeologist Dr. Donald Slater. Rediscovering an ancient Maya petroglyph, finding a sacrificial obsidian point by almost sitting on it, and rappelling into a domed cenote filled with clear blue water and not a lick of land definitely were wow moments. Surveying in Lechuguilla Cave in Carlsbad, NM, was an incredible experience too. Spending eight days underground in one of the most epic caves on earth is really a vibe. Taking my daughter on her first cave trip at six months old, and then taking her when she could walk around and explore on her own is an indelible memory. Helping my friend and cave photographer Nathan Williams, take souvenirs of caves in photo form from some of my local favorites like Tumbling Rock, Stephen’s Gap, and Fern has been incredibly memorable. There is so much time, sweat, camaraderie, and planning that goes into cave photography trips, and I am thrilled and honored I’ve gotten to help with so many.
Prepping for a cave trip depends on the difficulty of the cave and the cavers. An easy cave can turn difficult without proper gear. Basic gear is always a helmet with 3 sources of light, gloves, kneepads, proper synthetic clothing, boots, and a pack.* But it’s not just about what you pack in or even the logistics of getting to the cave. Even if you have a map, it's always better to bring someone who has intimate knowledge of the cave because there will always be tricks to rigging the drop, a hidden route, a deep pool, or a side passage not to be missed. That type of knowledge is hard won, either passed down from armchair cavers or discovered along the way. I always pack my gear the day before, check and double-check, and then add more. I am always the one with the extra snacks, an emergency kit, extra batteries, a spare WAG bag, and the electrical tape to fix someone’s boot sole that’s flopping. I get cold quickly, so I pack extra layers and wear sturdy neoprene Muck boots. If deep water is involved, that ups the ante, so I might wear a cave suit or wetsuit underneath. Different trips all require specific gear that you have to haul to the cave, through it, and back out to the car, so it’s the push and pull of trying to pack light, but be extra prepared. There have been times when I have doubted my skills and physical aptitude in the moment. Challenges like exposed climbs, being a short person stemming a canyon with 30 feet of air beneath me, passing a knot on rope, or having to take my helmet off in a low-air-space water-filled passage so I can suck the ceiling for air are not my kind of fun. For me, they are mostly mental challenges. I take them slowly and carefully with some nervous laughter and a side of adrenaline. I have talked many a friend over the lip of their very first drop, given a knee for a climb up, or spoken words of encouragement while climbing rope beside someone. Having fellow cavers that you quite literally trust with your life, that give you a spot on a climb, a knee to stand on, or a hand to grab, build the tightest-knit friendships—and a lot of times that’s honestly the best gear you can bring on a cave trip.
Caves don’t brag or ask for attention like waterfalls, volcanoes, or oceans. They hide and grow speleothems quietly in the dark. Water sculpts passages, forms rivers, tumbles pebbles, and miles of borehole open up. Water levels drop, layers of limestone collapse into breakdown, and different intersecting passages meet. Pits open on the surface following the flow of water and the acid brought down through the detritus on the surface. Geologic time passes, and the cave just exists, waiting. The world has been mapped, all the mountains have been climbed, we know what the bottom of the ocean looks like, and space is being explored, but there are caves beneath us right now that are still just waiting. I’ve been the first person to walk into a room no one has ever seen, and shine a light on the wonders that have been patiently waiting in the darkness. And then I’ve shouted, “Come over here! You have to see this!” to my caving buddies. And I want to do it again. That need for exploration and discovery is an indelible part of being human. Caves are one of the last unexplored places on Earth. Being able to share a hobby like caving—correction—a passion like caving with friends old and new and anticipating the next adventure together is nothing short of caving magic.
If someone tells you to go touch grass, touch mud instead. Try caving! Cavers are a very friendly and welcoming group of people, and they come from every walk of life. If you are curious bout going caving, I highly recommend you go sit in on a meeting of the Huntsville Grotto, our local caving club, and bring a friend if you’re nervous. They meet every first Wednesday of the month at the National Speleological Society, which is right here in Huntsville. Yep, Huntsville is home to the national group, also! The Huntsville Grotto schedules several monthly trips, one of which is for beginners to try and learn more about caving from experienced cavers. Be sure and check out The Southeastern Cave Conservancy too, they own and take care of many of the premier cave preserves in this area and further afield. They do a great job protecting caves for the future. SCCI permits are required to explore any caves in their care. And you can always come find me, and I’ll take you caving, I’d love to show you a new world right beneath your feet!
"Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints, kill nothing but time."