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Camp's Gulf
By Houston Hardin
From the July 1999 Flowstone
I met Ryan Madole at the campground and the Irish soon thereafter. Anne Gallagher and Eoghon Lynch are 2 Irish cavers in their early 30's who flew into San Fran. 3 weeks ago and had been traveling the US and doing a bit of caving along the way (Az., Ca). They were flying out Sat. am from Nashville and wanted to hit one last cave (apparently they didn't really get to visit any "good" caves out west due to permits, etc) prior to leaving. They were very pleasant folks and we stayed up grilling burgers and drinking beer until the wee hrs. discussing European caves, their China expedition, the IRA conflict, history of Ireland, etc. It was very enlightening.
Friday am we entered and quickly made way to the Subway reaching the "sump" in about an hour or so. They were quite impressed with the size of the rooms and the quality of the subway as well. Upon reaching the sump I broke out the raft and Ryan the mongo-pump. I had been wanting to see what was around that bend in the water for 5 years now. Two winters ago, I donned a wetsuit and made a swim for it like a fool. I became hypothermic as all get out and made it only 1/3 the way thru before turning around and clawing myself back onto the mud shore. I was in that stage of hypothermia where you can't even speak or think clearly enough to state your full name. Real foolish.
About 6 months ago I took my wife (her 2nd caving trip ever) and some Cullman guys (Patrick O'Diam, Micah Simms and Ryan) back to that sump and floated it on a lame $4 Wal-Mart swimming pool raft. Got real cold that time too, splashing around like hell lying on that thing in my undies and nothing else. I did make it around that bend and saw what I thought was a 10' diameter borehole residing 10' straight up a sheer rock face off the waterline. Again, I was very cold and bolted after looking briefly.
Prior to this trip I had asked numerous cavers about that sump and nobody ever could really give me a good answer and the maps I've heard about end at that sump. Well, I knew that it couldn't be virgin but wanted to see it for myself anyway. Too make a long story shorter, we floated it and around that bend is a mud slope that leads upward to borehole of the exact same anatomy as the Subway. Ryan and I floated it and pressed on while the Irish decided to bolt. The borehole continued for several hundred feet (5 min.) and terminated abruptly where the mud floor meets the ceiling. Numerous footprints were present as expected. The "sump" appears to me as if it is just one big Funnel of Doom but I have seen brim swimming in it in the past.
We then routed back, caught up with the Irish mucking around in room 3 looking for the way out, and con't to room 2 after looking at "magic rock". We left room 2 and arrived in room 1 and looked around for the cat-eye reflector but didn't see it. Crap! we had circled back into the far portion of room 3 w/o realizing it. We got it right the second time around and exited the cave w/o any problems. The Irish said it was the best cave of this visit and that they'd love to come back to TAG and do Ellison's and some of the classic wet
multi-drops, etc. Everybody had a great relaxing time and we didn't even need to suffer through trying to bolt up that imaginary wall from a floating raft! Unfortunately, that is to be my last TAG trip for quite some time.
My wife and I are heading to Dallas to complete our residencies at Parkland Hospital. I am bummed about leaving TAG but hopefully I'll get into more Mexico caving and be able to move back to TAG after our 4 yr. obligation in the big D. I enjoyed caving with ya'll over the last year and only wish that my work/school would have allowed me more time to have met and caved with more of you. Thank ya'll and ANY caver is always welcome to stay at my house in Dallas if traveling thru or whatever.
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