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Open!
By: D.Drake
From the March 1996 Flowstone
"Looks like somebody's already there", Jeff said as we rounded a bend in the road some 500 feet from the parking area to Neversink.
"Yeah, it looks like Louis and Mary's truck", answered Jon.
"Naw, that ain't their's", I said as we drove closer.
"Well it has a Cullman County tag", Jeff rebutted. Then almost in unison we recognized the maroon Isuzu Trooper as being that of our fellow pit bouncers. It was the new window sticker that threw me, a yellow sticker in the shape of the state of Texas with a bat in flight emblazoned on it. Obviously a sticker sent by long distance grotto members, Patrick and Missy Lynott, We pulled in to the parking area and headed up the mountain to the 162-footer.
I decided to work only half-a-day Monday and spend the rest of Rev. M.L. King day bouncing Neversink for, believe it or not, my first time. Jeff L., Jon C. and I rendezvoused at the Lacon Stuckey's at 1pm. Jeff expressed concern at being able to do the pit and be back in Hanceville in time for his 7pm class at WSCC but offered little resistance so we loaded up the truck and headed for Hollywood. Much rain had fallen over the weekend and the pit had sprouted several new waterfalls which made things rather misty. Mary was just lipping the pit when we arrived at the sink. Louis was on bottom preparing to rig in and ascend.
We tied off to the second rig point and lowered our rope to the right of the prominent tree. I was given the honor of first descent, to which I was grateful. What a glorious rappell What a massive hole!
Having arrived much earlier, Louis and Mary departed about the time we were completing our first rotation. After goodbyes and cheerios, we decided to bounce the pit once more before heading back to deliver Jeff in time for school. I climbed and was packing my gear away as Jeff and Jon tandemed out. Jeff encountered the usual difficulties associated with getting over a lip with someone tethered below. The situation was quickly remedied however, when Jon released one of Jeff's Gibb's from the rope. Jon discovered a problem of his own as he was unhooking his chest harness. When he pulled the pin out of his Simmon's, the roller cascaded to the bottom of the pit. After wishing Jon luck at finding a ride home Jeff and I turned and continued packing. Jon was forlorn.
"I guess I'll go back down and look for it, but I don't really want to", he said as he continued to try and catch his breath.
I was the most rested of the group and insisted that had I not already packed my gear, I would gladly go back down. Jeff continued to monitor the time. It was now 3:45. If we left right now, we would be pushing to make it back in time for school. He didn't seem to be overly concerned and I rationalized that since I was going to be breaking the speed limit on the way home anyway (except in Gurly) it wouldn't hurt if I broke it another 1O mph, so I volunteered to rig back up and drop the pit in search of the $40 roller.
"Yeah, you were just looking for an excuse to do the pit again", Jon said as I put my gear back on. And I was.
I looked around for at least 3O minutes but daylight was be coming scarce and I came up empty. I suggested he run a $3 dollar ad in the NSS NEWA in hopes that some honest soul would find and return it.
A new water pipe had been inserted into the spring entrance just above the north side of the sink. The old black PVC had been severed but still had water coming out of it. Jeff had a little fun with it by moving it over enough so that the water would run down the hillside and up under Jon's britches while he coiled the rope.
We headed down the mountain at 4:30. A neighborhood mutt escorted us about half way down the hillside before reaching the conclusion that he wasn't going to score any food from us. We were back at Stuckey's around 7:00 or 7:30. Thanks Reverend. Sorry Jeff.
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